AN: I'm back! For anyone who can even remember this story after my prolonged absence... I'm posting a mega chapter below! It's something like 12,000 words. I was so excited to be writing again I got a little carried away! If anyone's still out there... I hope you enjoy the continuation of the story! I will be aiming to update MUCH more regularly! Love, tinytots x

Oh my god.

Caroline brought a shaking hand to her mouth and stared at Bonnie in horror. She tried to imagine it. What it would be like.

To die. Over and over again. For weeks.

What would it feel like; to feel life flow through your body again; to feel that euphoria flood your veins as your un-dead heart sparked back to life? Only to open your eyes under water. To know that you were seconds away from death. To live an unending and eternal cycle of death.

She couldn't speak. The utter horror of it made her throat hard and stuck. The heavy rain assaulted her face, bouncing off of her blonde head, and rolling down her cheeks.

'How long has he-?' she forced the words from her lips. Words she didn't want to speak. Words that caused her physical pain.

'He never left Mystic Falls Caroline.' Bonnie murmured; a deep frown carved into her pretty face.

Caroline sucked in a breath. Her stomach clenched sickeningly. Three months. It had been three months since the night they'd thought Stefan had left them. Only he'd never actually left Mystic Falls at all.

'Oh god.' She whispered, horrified. Her grip on the mutilated door-handle was all that kept her knees from buckling under her.

'I see him here, sometimes. On the other side. But he doesn't see me.' Bonnie said softly.

She looked for a second as though she was thinking of reaching out, of reaching for Caroline. They both remembered at the same time; that she would never touch anyone or anything ever again.

'Oh Bonnie,' Caroline whispered, her heart breaking for both of her friends. 'I-'

A horrific shattering noise exploded in Caroline's ears; and she ducked and covered her face just in time. Small splinters of glass exploded outwards towards her; grazing and scratching at her skin. The sound and surprise of it made her reel backwards, where she stumbled over something solid.

She hit the floor hard, landing on her butt. Wincing as both pain and cold rain water spread across her lower half, she scooted backwards. There was a bleeding vampire at her feet; several huge, jagged glass shards were stuck deep in his back. It didn't look like he would be able to heal until someone pulled the glass out of him. His blood swirled in the puddles on the floor. She was sitting in a puddle of red, mouth hanging open in surprise.

Then he grabbed her.

Caroline screamed as his hand closed tightly around her ankle, gripping so hard she felt like the bones would snap. He was stronger than her. An older vampire.

He used his grip on her to pull himself forwards; towards her. He groaned angrily at the pain in his back, but it wasn't stopping him. His face was so young. He would have been quite handsome if it were not for the straining blue veins flashing under his eyes as he lunged for her. He meant to kill her; she could see it in his eyes.

He grabbed her other leg behind the knee and pulled her towards him. She pushed her feet into the wet concrete of the balcony, trying desperately to push herself free. Her soggy canvas tennis shoes slipped and her hands found only glass shards, which littered the balcony. They tore vicious little holes in the skin of her palms.

She snapped her head up, searching desperately for Bonnie. But the balcony was empty. Bonnie was gone.

She let out a little sob as panic bubbled in her chest; bursting and filling her veins with heavy, leaden fear. In the same instant that helplessness swept through her; so did her instinctual refusal to ever allow herself to be helpless. She was not that girl who needed saving anymore

She tore her left leg from the grip of the older vampire; the fact that they were both soaking wet helped slightly. And she slammed her heel as hard as she could into his face. When he let her go to clutch at his face, she wrenched herself free from under him. She lurched unsteadily forward and wrenched one of the large shards of glass out of his back. He screamed in agony as she ripped it from his skin. It was dripping with his blood; the length of her forearm. Without a pause; she plunged it into the back of his neck; severing his spinal column.

He was dead. Well; as dead as a vampire could be. He would wake up later; probably questioning exactly how a blonde baby vampire had bested him.

She scrambled to her feet; fighting the wave of nausea that always struck her at the sticky sensation of having warm blood on her hands. It always reminded her of that first night at the carnival; the night she had taken her first life.

She clenched her trembling hands into fists, trying to squash down her fear and revulsion. It was times like these she could thoroughly understand why some vampires chose to turn off their emotions.

Choking on rain water, she tiptoed past the vampire at her feet, rain bouncing off his body and washing his blood across the balcony and into the gutter. Her white shoes were saturated with rain and blood.

Her own blood roared in her ears. All she could hear was the steady pounding of the rain and the panicked scraping sounds of her own breath. Immortal she may be, but she often struggled to remember that when she was in danger. She sometimes forgot that she was more than just a girl now.

Before the door had smashed, there had been the guttural, unmistakably masculine sounds of men fighting each other. But now there was no sound coming from her bedroom.

Glass shards poked out of the metal doorframe; hanging sharp and loose like broken teeth. She crept carefully around the deadly doorframe, picking her way through the sea of glass that sparkled on the floor.

There was no one left alive in the hotel bedroom.

Bodies; and body parts were strewn everywhere. Vicious streaks of scarlet blood savaged the walls, the floor; the beautiful white linen on the master bed she had so been looking forward to sleeping in tonight.

The floor was a mass grave; littered with the grey faces of dead vampires.

She tasted bile at the back of her throat. Where was Klaus? Had he done this? If he had done this; where the hell was he?

'Klaus?' she whispered. Her voice shook slightly as she stepped gingerly over what looked like half a severed hand.

There was no reply. Not a single sound. Not a breath. Only the silence of the dead.

She padded softly over to the door where the bedroom opened out into the suite that connected her room to Matt's. The door hung limply off its hinges; and even in the gloom of the room, she could see a bloody handprint smeared across the wooden surface.

There were more bodies in the living room. More blood on the walls.

She scanned each of their dead faces with her heart in her mouth. Looking fearfully, not wanting to see Klaus' face there.

Both of the long, dark windows of the suite were open, yards of gauzy white curtain blowing in the breeze like restless ghosts. The pounding of the rain against the hotel roared throughout the silent room.

Cushions had been ripped from the sofa, and were scattered around the room. The sofa itself was destroyed; once beautiful; it now sat strewn about the room in several jagged pieces; as though something huge had crashed into it. The bookshelves had been knocked over, their contents scattered. Caroline had to step over a blood soaked copy of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice; one of her favourites.

The sickly sweet scent of vampire blood lingered in the air. To Caroline it had always smelled like antique oil paintings and burnt roses. Old and dead.

Where was Klaus? Where was Matt?

There were too many parts of the vampires strewn around. Caroline couldn't tell how many there were laying dead here. She couldn't remember how many had stormed into the room. She couldn't breathe without tasting the blood in her mouth.

Caroline felt the panic rising up in her chest. She raced into Matt's bedroom; throwing her whole body against the door; which slammed angrily and loudly against the wall. His room was perfect, untouched. And empty.

'Matt!' she shrieked, abandoning all attempts of stealth. 'Where are you? Matt! Matty!'

She hadn't called him Matty since they were children.

Only silence answered her. Had they both been taken? How could they have possibly taken Klaus; with so many of them already dead?

Caroline's knees felt like bags of water. She knew she should race out of the hotel; it was not safe. And Klaus had told her to leave. She knew she should call Elijah, and tell him what had happened. He could help her. He could help her find them both.

But all those things seemed distant – she needed to just find them both first, before anything. She needed to see that they were alright. Matt, who was only in danger because he'd been here with her. And Klaus, who had without hesitation; walked back into the hotel room to protect her from these vampires.

A noise sounded through the suite, raising the short hairs along the nape of Caroline's neck. Like something being knocked over – a heavy object striking the floor with a dull thud. The thud was followed by a dragging, slithering noise – and it was coming from the darkness of her bedroom.

Still in the doorway of Matt's bedroom, Caroline froze. Even as her stomach twisted with fear and unease, she felt adrenaline begin to buzz in her veins. Her vampire instincts took control of her body; and she became at one with the darkness, the fear and the stench of blood.

Fangs bared; Caroline slowly turned. Her body was completely balanced; her arms and legs steeled; prepared for anything. All of her senses were keen; sharp. She spotted the threat almost instantly.

She was crouched against the floor, at the doorway that connected Caroline's bedroom to the suite. A small, slip of a girl with black hair and even darker eyes. Perfect, porcelain-white skin. A child almost. And a vampire.

Caroline fought tears and revulsion, swallowing hard as she took the girl in. Had Marcel done this? The girl couldn't have been more than 14 years old when she died.

But now; she was no girl. Caroline could smell the years on her. The blood of older vampires always smelled sweeter. And there was a lot of blood streaming off of this vampire; she had lost so much already that she appeared to be healing painfully slowly. Her right leg was broken badly and she tried to drag herself forwards. Caroline had to fight nausea as she saw the bones of the girl's leg, gleaming like white china in the dim light.

Caroline's first instinct was that of pity. She almost found herself reaching forward, in an attempt to help the girl. Then she saw the stake in the girl's hand.

Then, with incredible speed and strength, the girl sprung at Caroline.

Caroline was not prepared. She staggered backwards, tripped over a body and fell, just as the other vampire lunged at her. She rolled to the side and the girl missed her by inches, sliding along the wood floor, her fingernails gouging deep, bloody grooves into the wooden floor. A low growl bubbled from the vampire's throat, her fangs were bared and there was murder in her dark eyes.

Caroline had a split second to decide what to do. Fight or flight?

Flight.

She didn't have the time or the energy for a fight. She needed to find Klaus. And she wasn't sure if it was in her to kill a child. Vampire or not.

She scrambled to her feet and ran towards the bedroom; hoping she might be able to make an escape from the balcony, or perhaps utilise more of the glass out there to slow this bitch down. But the smaller vampire was faster than Caroline had thought.

She sprang forwards again, her fingers grazing Caroline's back. Caroline shot forwards in response, but tripped again over another god damn body on the floor. Pain shot through the palms of her hands as they smashed into the wooden floor.

Feeling the danger at her back, she twisted herself around to face it; but couldn't get herself up off the floor fast enough. The vampire stood just a few feet away from her, malicious glee sparkling in her eyes. Her broken leg was healing.

Some part of Caroline had passed beyond fear into some kind of icy stillness. As a vampire of one year, she had no chance against these vampires Marcel had sent. Marcel had probably counted on that when he'd dispatched them to come for her.

The vampire girl walked towards her, slowly, confidently. Her leg was healed and she knew as well as Caroline did; that she was in complete control of the situation.

But Caroline Forbes was not going down without a fight. Backing up on her hands and knees, Caroline pushed herself upwards and backwards; forcing her body into a standing position. Pain shot through her legs as her muscles protested the violence of her movements. She seized a heavy framed photo off the bureau beside her – some sunset shot of a silhouetted couple on a beach somewhere – and flung it at the girl.

The photograph hit the girl on her collar bone, thudding dully and bouncing off, striking the floor with the sound of shattering glass. She didn't even seem to notice. She came towards Caroline, broken glass splintering under her bare feet. She gripped the stake tightly in her slender, white fingers.

'You broke one of Marcel's rules little girl.' The girl hissed, smiling through her teeth.

Caroline's eyebrow quivered irritably at the moniker of 'little girl' and she scowled indignantly. She was considerably bigger and older, in human terms at least, than this tiny vampire child in front of her.

The vampire girl just laughed, as though Caroline was very entertaining. She tutted, and wagged her finger from side to side.

'No magic in the quarter.'

Caroline didn't have the faintest clue what this tiny ball of concentrated crazy was talking about. Last time she checked; she was a vampire, not a witch.

She backed up, step by step, past the bed, her feet finding soaking wet carpet and broken glass. The vampire in front of her mimicked her movements; pressing forwards. It was cat and mouse. She needed to find a way out of this. Caroline had the size advantage, but the other girl had the stake.

She felt something bump against her hip and nearly jumped out of her skin. It was the empty door frame that led to the balcony. It was windy out here. It lifted her sweaty hair off the back of her neck and pushed cold rain against her skin.

She cast her eyes down for a second. The vampire she'd impaled before was gone, leaving nothing but reddish swirls of his blood drifting across the wet balcony. One second was too long to take her eyes off of the other vampire.

The girl hurtled into her, knocking Caroline to the ground, and her head and shoulders slammed against the floor. Caroline hissed as the glass on the floor pierced the skin of her back. The scent of her own blood hitting her nostrils almost instantly.

She twisted to the side but the girl was heavier than she looked. She was on top of Caroline, straddling her waist; an oppressive, uncomfortable weight that made Caroline want to gag. The girl had one hand around Caroline's throat, the other around the stake. She leaned forward, smiling happily, as though hurting Caroline was fun.

Caroline's ribs felt like they might shatter; as the weight of the other vampire and the panic that gurgled inside of her chest warred against each other. Her arms were pinned between her body and the vampire's. Glass was digging into her palms as the girl pressed forward, holding the tip of the stake against Caroline's chest; directly above her heart. Tears burned in Caroline's eyes as the wood touched her body. She didn't want to die.

Her hand came free; and a handful of glass came with it. With a scream she hit out at the tiny girl on top of her, wanting to smash her face, to blind her. As the vampire lunged forwards, pulling the stake up into the air, and bringing it down hard, Caroline jammed the glass into the bare skin of her face and throat. Blood poured thick and fast from the holes it tore in her skin, but the girl barely flinched. So intent she was on the murder of Caroline Forbes.

As if from a distance, Caroline could hear herself screaming. She knew that she was going to die. The stake was inches from her heart.

Her assailant jerked back violently. Caroline barely registered what was happening. The stake plunged into her chest; smashing against her ribcage and into her body. Just two tiny inches below her heart.

Her hands flew to the stake; to pull it out; to do something; just as her attacker's hands were torn away from it. The tiny vampire flew backwards; off of Caroline's chest. Air flowed back into her lungs so forcefully that it hurt.

Her vampire attacker growled once; arching her back and twisting around to see what had pulled her away from Caroline. She never even got the chance to see. Klaus tore her in half; pulling her apart using both of her arms as leverage in less than a fraction of a second.

Caroline was showered in the vampire's blood; crimson red; it rained down on her hot and thick.

Klaus flung away the two separate parts of the girl that had once been a whole; as though they were nothing. Caroline gagged. She had never seen anything like that before. The girl's blood was in her mouth. And in her hair. She burst into tears.

He knelt down beside her; his strong hands reaching immediately for the stake in her chest. She wrenched herself away from him, not sure if she wanted him to touch her with the same hands that had just ripped a person in half.

'I can't- How did you?' She whimpered. Her hands were shaking violently, she noticed, as she tried to protect her wound from his prying fingers.

'You're alive. End of story.' He barked, batting her hands away from the stake. His eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke; sparkling with fury.

'But you- and she- oh my God. Oh my God Klaus.' She had to force out the words; her teeth were chattering as shivers began assaulting her body.

'Be quiet.' Klaus commanded. 'Move your hands, now.'

She pulled her fingers away. Looking at his and her hands together, covered in a dark mixture of both the vampire's blood and her own was making Caroline sick.

She drew a shaky breath; which caused unimaginable pain to lance through her chest, breaking though the shock and the numbness. Tears and panic overcame her.

'Just get it out!' she sobbed.

'I told you to run!' He seethed; his voice bitter and angry as his fingers deftly kneaded the flesh around the stake, testing the angle of the wood and setting Caroline's flesh ablaze with nauseating pain at the same time. 'Why can you never just do as I bloody well say? Hold still!'

She exhaled violently, her breath whistling through her fangs. 'I am! Why are you shouting at me? I-'

He wrenched the stake from her without so much as a hint of a warning.

Caroline screamed in agony. The pain was unimaginable. She bit her tongue so hard that blood bloomed in her mouth, and poured out of her lips. She would have strangled him; if she wasn't so grateful to have it out.

'Is there any wood left in the wound?' he demanded, seizing her around the waist and twisting her under him. In one quick movement that she barely saw; he'd ripped away the bottom of her tank top to reveal the wound. Caroline winced at the sight of it; but the gaping hole in her side was healing.

Klaus prodded at it with his finger; examining it keenly with his eyes as the wound began to close.

'Ouch!' she snapped, wiping the blood from her lips with the back of her hand. 'Don't do that, you're making it worse!'

'Is. There-' he demanded again, meeting her eyes for the first time; fixing her with an angry glare.

'No!' she groaned rolling her eyes. 'It's healing fine. Look.'

They both looked back down at her exposed skin just in time to see the wound neatly seal itself closed. The skin was stained red with her blood; but it was perfect again. And when the persistent rain began to wash away the remaining blood it was as though nothing had ever happened.

Her muscles protested as she pushed herself up into a sitting position; her throat was burning with the need for fresh blood to replace that which she had lost. The scent of her blood and the blood of so many others sat lingering in the air. It floated around her in puddles on the floor; drenched her clothes and clung to the wet tendrils of her blonde hair.

She scowled; fingering her ripped tank top and looking down at her utterly destroyed Levis. This trip to New Orleans had proved detrimental to her wardrobe.

'I told you to run!' he exploded, shouting at her.

Caroline jumped out of her skin at the unexpected sound of his raised, angry voice.

He clenched the stake in his hand; kneeling next to her. His body was coiled with tension and the knuckles of his fingers were bone white.

'Really?' Caroline complained indignantly. 'That's your reaction? Not; are you ok Caroline?' she mimicked his accent childishly. 'Or; I'm so sorry Caroline, that I disappeared and left you-'

'I left to make sure that pathetic busboy you're so bloody fond of wasn't bloody-well killed!' he barked, his voice drowning out her words.

The relief hit her so hard it felt like an elastic band had snapped inside of her. She felt some of the tension drain from her body. So he'd helped Matt escape. Thank god.

Although at that moment he couldn't make it any clearer that he wished he hadn't bothered. His face was hard; his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched tightly.

'Matt's safe?' she spoke softly, feeling her lips curving into a soft smile. Her first smile in what felt like a long time.

'You could have died!' he roared.

She flinched again at his unexpected fury.

He stared down hard at the stake in his hand; looking at that short, sharp piece of wood as though it utterly disgusted him. The wood was stained red with her blood.

'How is that my fault exactly?' She snapped, shooting him a look that clearly stated he needed to shut up.

She tucked her legs underneath her, cringing at the feeling of her soaking wet jeans against her legs.

'I told you to go.' he growled wrathfully.

He was still refusing to look at her; instead he busied himself with pointlessly peering up and down the street from his vantage point on the balcony. They both know he would hear anyone approaching the hotel room long before anyone made themselves visible.

She rolled her eyes. He was being completely unreasonable. 'Yes Klaus. I get it, but-'

'We have to leave. Now. We can not be here when the human police arrive.' He barked, talking over her as he shot up to his feet. 'Get up.'

She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the genuine hard edge of his command. She paused for a second; glaring up at him; almost to give him a chance to take back the last few minutes.

'Now Caroline.'

Caroline felt hot tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She could have been killed, and now he was shouting at her. She hated him. He was so stubborn, so self righteous – always speaking to her like she was a child. She was tired, and so, so dirty. Not to mention recovering from a stabbing.

He stood over her for a second, as she bit her lip in an attempt to keep her tears at bay. Then he put out a hand to help her up. But she could tell that it had been an afterthought.

She shoved herself to her feet clumsily, completely ignoring his hand and stalking past him into the bedroom. Glass crunched under her feet.

'Caroline.' He murmured; his voice immediately regretful.

'I was looking for you.' She snapped. Raindrops flew off of the ends of her hair as she whipped her head around.

When he finally looked her in the eye, he looked as though she'd hit him in the face. It only made her angrier. What right did he have to be hurt?

'Caroline, I told you to go.' He murmured again. He grimaced when he said her name, as though forming the word caused him immense pain.

All of Caroline's anger rose to the surface then, a hot, unstoppable tide.

'What is wrong with you?' she shouted. 'I walked back into that room full of body parts; because I was worried about you, and you are being a total jerk! I am soaking wet, covered in blood and I'm pretty sure if I were still human I would barf all over the place after what I've just seen! Can I just have five minutes where you're not growling at me or looking at me like that?!'

He didn't say anything. He just stared at her; the rain water falling in rivulets down his striking face.

It was pointless. Arguing with him. It always was. She didn't know why she wasted her breath.

She took a step back, blindly, and nearly tripped over an overturned plant pot. Her hand flew out to right herself, but Klaus was already there. He moved forward to catch her and kept moving, until her back hit the wall, and his arms were around her, and he was kissing her.

She knew she ought to push him away; her mind told her it was the sensible thing to do. The timing was completely wrong. Not to mention the location was... less than romantic. But no other part of her body cared about what was sensible right now. No other part of her remembered that they were surrounded by body parts and were both covered in blood. Not when Klaus' lips touched hers.

She moved her fingers across his chest, under the soft leather of his jacket and dug her fingers into his shoulders, into the wet fabric of his t-shirt, feeling the resistance of the steely muscles underneath, and kissed him back with all the desperation of the past few days. All the uncertainty that had come with discovering Silas was amongst them, posing as Stefan. Elijah's stark warning that she couldn't go home without endangering her mother. Marcel's hands on her body, tearing at her dress. Standing witness to Klaus and Rebekah's ancient battle. The baby. Hayley. Matt and Rebekah. It all melted away.

She gasped as he drew away from her; only far enough to reach his hands down and put them around her waist. He lifted her up so she stood on top of the upturned plant pot, making them almost the same height.

Then he put his hands on either side of her head and leaned forward, so their bodies almost touched – but not quite. It was nerve-wracking and too reminiscent of the incident by the fire earlier that day. She could feel the feverish heat that came off him; her hands were still on his shoulders but it wasn't enough. She wanted him wrapped around her, holding her tight.

He ducked his head down to look into her face. His eyes surrounded by lashes darkened with rainwater, were impossibly blue. He looked at her with such fierce affection and such crippling regret in that moment; she realised he hadn't been angry with her at all. He'd been frightened. Terrified. Because he'd almost witnessed her death.

Caroline couldn't stand it anymore; when he looked at her like that it was devastating. He looked at her like she was the only person in the world.

She took her hands off his shoulders, hooked her fingers though his belt loops, and pulled him against her. He let her do it with no resistance, his hands flattening against the wall, folding his body against hers until they were pressed together everywhere – chests, hips, legs, like puzzle pieces. His hands slid down to her waist and he kissed her, long and lingering, making her shudder with desire.

Her desire to exert extreme caution when it came to this man, this volatile man she had no hope of taming; battled against the more primal part of her brain, and lost.

Their hearts slammed together through the thin layers of wet fabric that divided them. And she was drowning in it, in the sensation of him kissing her, of rain everywhere, running off her eyelashes; of letting his hands slide freely over the wet, ripped fabric of her tank top, made thin and clinging by the rain. It was almost like having his hands on her bare skin, her chest, her stomach, her hips. He gripped her legs, pressing her harder against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

He made a noise of surprise, low in his throat and dug his fingers into the thin material of her jeans. Not unexpectedly, they ripped, and his wet fingers were suddenly on the bare skin of her legs. Not to be outdone, she slid her hands under the hem of his soaked shirt, and let her fingers explore what was underneath, the tight, hot skin over his ribs, the ridges of his abdomen, the angle of his hipbones above the waistband of his jeans.

It seemed to be driving him crazy; he gasped softly against her mouth, kissing her harder and harder as if it would never be enough, not quite enough –

The sound of a throat being innocently cleared shattered Caroline out of her dream of kissing and rain. With a gasp she pushed Klaus away, hard enough that he let go of her and she tumbled off the planter to land unsteadily on her feet, hastily pulling down what was left of her top.

Her heart was slamming against her rib cage and she felt dizzy. When Caroline could finally focus enough to find the source of interruption, it was Elijah who she saw, crouching on the edge of the balcony as though gravity wasn't an issue. Well, she guessed for an Original it really wasn't.

'Pardon the intrusion.' He said dryly, arching one elegant eyebrow at both of them.

She didn't even have to ask if he'd seen what they were doing.

'Elijah-' Klaus began, irritably.

'I just rather thought you might like to leave this crime scene before the police arrive.' He interrupted Klaus, his usually composed face struggling to suppress a smile.

'I believe we have about ninety seconds before they arrive. He cocked his head to the side slightly, listening. 'They are in the lobby.'

Matt was not happy.

Rebekah could tell. She was not particularly happy either. It had been a difficult day for both of them. It was hard to believe that only thirty six hours ago they had been blissfully happy on the other side of the world.

They had barely even managed to have a civil conversation about the state of their relationship when Rebekah had heard the fight begin. Even through the phone she could hear the sounds of death. She had begged him not to leave his room, to stay put until she could get to him. But he was Matt Donovan; and he was nothing if not a loyal friend.

He'd dashed out of the room hoping to rescue Caroline. She'd heard him fight and she'd heard him fall. Rebekah was already in her car breaking every road traffic law in the state of Louisiana when she'd heard Nik kill the vampire who had attacked Matt. She'd heard him drag Matt to his feet and forced him down the stairs of the fire escape and down into the alley behind the hotel. He'd left Matt locked out with nothing but a growled promise that Caroline would be safe.

Her car had screeched up to the hotel just as Matt was marching back round to the front entrance. He'd demanded that she allow him to re-enter the hotel, but she had refused to allow him to put himself in anymore danger.

Now he sat silent and angry in the passenger seat of her car; having not said a word since accusing her of caring nothing for Caroline Forbes' safety. The sound of the rain bouncing off the roof of the car was the only sound between them.

Her heart sank as she pulled up to the manor house. She had spent happy years here with her brothers. Thinking of those years now; it made her want to drive right past the large white house and never have to look at it again. But she needed to keep Matt safe. And this was where she'd arranged to meet Elijah after he finished cleaning up Nik's mess at the hotel.

This hadn't been their main residence when she and her brothers had lived in New Orleans. A quick Google search had told her that her beloved home on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain was now a five star boutique hotel. This was the house, in the Garden District; they had bought for its proximity to the French Quarter. Of course, back then, it had been one of only a few mansions in this area.

She parked the car as Matt fidgeted silently in his seat. He was so lost in his thoughts that even as she unbuckled her seat-belt and opened her door to get out, he didn't move.

She wanted to know why he was being so quiet, her first instinct being to just flat out ask him. She caught her lips in her teeth before her words could begin another argument. Rebekah Mikaelson didn't do tact, or sensitivity. A thousand years of habit was hard to break.

Since meeting Matt Donovan, she had come to learn that diplomacy could be a far more useful tool than her usual approach. For centuries she'd had no reason to exhibit kindness, or compassion, or any other basic human social niceties. She was an original vampire; and she got what she wanted.

But knowing Matt had made her want to be better than that. Rebekah desperately wanted to be the kind of girl he could love. So she was turning over a new leaf.

Still unsure if they were back on real speaking terms, she refrained from putting her hand on his arm like she wanted to. She studied his face. His mouth was tight, and he was absently chewing his bottom lip as he thought. He didn't seem angry; he seemed worried.

Rebekah sighed, a sound that went completely unnoticed by Matt. He was too consumed; she assumed; with imaginary scenarios of what was going down at the hotel. She was not Caroline Forbes' biggest fan. In fact, she found the girl absolutely irritating. But for some reason, Caroline had the honour of being one of Matt's very best friends. And as much as it irked to do so; Rebekah had to respect their friendship.

Some days turning over this new leaf was harder than others.

'Matt, Nik is an utter bastard. But he will take care of Caroline.' She said softly. He looked up at her words; the certainty in her voice seeming to cut through the worry enough to reach him. 'He is in love with her.'

Matt rolled his eyes, his jaw still tight with anxiety. 'Yeah and I wish he wasn't.'

'Don't we all.' Rebekah smirked. 'But rest assured that my brother will not allow harm to come to Caroline. She's probably the only person in the whole bloody world who is safer with Nik.'

Matt sighed, and rubbed his hands over his face. He looked tired. He was only human; sometimes she forgot.

'Ugh probably.' He groaned. 'I just... I need to... I want to know that she is safe.' He said.

Rebekah smiled softly. She often forgot just how much love Matt was capable of. Obviously she would rather he didn't hold any fondness at all for Caroline bloody Forbes... but his concern for his friends was one of the many traits that she loved about him. He made her feel the most human she had felt for centuries. And he wasn't afraid to remind her when she was being a cold, heartless vampire either. For him, and because of him, she felt like she might be able to return to the girl she used to be. At least, to what she could remember of that girl any way.

'I'll call Nik once we get settled.' She promised him as they both got out of the car. 'Actually, I will ask Elijah to call him.'

The thought of talking to her monstrous brother after the events of the afternoon made her cringe inwardly. If she laid eyes on him again in a thousand years it would be too soon for her.

She pushed the door shut and pressed the lock button on the keys.

She felt Matt's gaze on her, but she ignored it. She didn't want to talk about her brothers right now. All she wanted was to get Matt somewhere safe for the evening, and then tomorrow, get them both the hell out of New Orleans.

They both ran to the front door hoping to avoid being soaked by the rain; with little success. She unlocked the door quickly and walked into the house, rain water dripping from her blonde curls. Matt closed the door behind them; shaking the water from his own hair.

The house was almost exactly as she remembered it being over one hundred years earlier. Some of the furniture was different of course; and from what she could see from a glance down the hallway into the kitchen; everything had been thoroughly modernised. She wondered which of her brothers had been responsible for its upkeep over the years. As far as she'd been aware they'd cut all ties to New Orleans after what had happened in 1919.

The lights were on throughout the house, and she could hear the hum of the water heater bubbling away in the basement. She could see several grey-white dust sheets, neatly folded in a pile by the door that led into the garage; someone must have removed them from the furniture for her. It could only have been Elijah. Despite her anger with him; she smiled softly at the idea of him readying their home for her arrival.

She dropped her handbag and keys on the mahogany bureau by the door, and marched into the living room. She'd intended to begin a fire in the hearth; Matt was soaked through from the rain; but she stopped short when she saw a pretty brunette girl sat on the couch reading a book; and a fire already crackling away.

The girl looked up at Rebekah, surprised to see someone enter the house. Rebekah was equally surprised, and angry with herself for not being alert enough to sense another presence in the house. As she sniffed the air; she caught the unmistakable scent of werewolf.

'Who the bloody hell are you?' Rebekah demanded, throwing an arm outwards to stop Matt from walking into the room with the wolf.

Matt bumped into her arm and stopped short; looking as surprised to see a stranger in Rebekah's house as Rebekah was.

Rebekah quirked an eyebrow at the younger girl; a warning. She wanted an explanation. The girl stared back at her, chin tilted defiantly. She was trying very hard to appear unafraid, despite her situation. It was brave. And strange.

Rebekah stepped forward; flashing her fangs at the wolf girl. 'You have five seconds to explain yourself wolf; before I am forced to make an unfortunate mess in my parlour.'

The girl found her voice. And her attitude.

'You must be the sister. Rebekah is it?' She said smoothly, her voice a lilting purr. 'You're a lot like him.'

Rebekah's eyes widened at this unexpected response. When she didn't respond straight away the girl continued.

'Like Klaus I mean.' She closed her book and popped it neatly onto the table beside her; turning her whole body towards Rebekah and Matt. 'The first time I ever met him; he threatened me too. Must run in the family...'

Rebekah laughed savagely; vaguely insulted by the insinuation but mostly just pissed off that this girl did not seem to understand what Rebekah was going to do to her.

'I am nothing like my brother,' she hissed, clenching her fists and stepping forward, 'and I haven't even begun threatening you.'

Matt grabbed her arm, dragging her backwards.

'Rebekah that's Hayley.' He nodded his head towards the girl; his face an expression of dislike. 'She's the one Klaus... you know.'

'Do I know you?' Hayley asked, eyeing Matt curiously.

'We've never met. But I saw you around Mystic Falls.' He frowned, looking at Hayley with more anger and distaste than Rebekah had ever seen on his lovely face before. 'Tyler Lockwood is my friend. Your stunt with the Hybrids got his mom killed.'

Hayley's eyes widened at the mention of Mystic Falls and Tyler Lockwood. A small flush crept into her cheeks and for a second she looked ashamed. But then her face hardened. She looked to Rebekah like a girl who had spent a lifetime having to defend her actions to others.

'I'm aware of what happened after I left.' Was all she said. She had the grace not to meet Matt's eyes again though.

Rebekah unclenched her fists and let out her breath in a huff. Well whatever Hayley had done in Mystic Falls; she was without a doubt; one home intruder that would be surviving the night. Though Rebekah despised Nik, the child was innocent. And questionable though the character of the child's mother seemed to be; Rebekah would not allow any harm to come to her either. And certainly not by her own hands.

There was an awkward silence between the three of them. Matt didn't appear to have anything more to say to either of them. He was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded, staring off into the hallway and up the stairs. Rebekah was getting the distinct feeling that he would rather like to be anywhere but here; wrapped up in her family's drama.

Rebekah forced herself to put her thoughts of Matt aside and focus on the issue at hand; Hayley. She looked to be about nineteen or twenty years old. She was extremely beautiful; in a wild, somewhat feral kind of way; with her glossy brown hair and big eyes. She was tall and slim and held herself with the grace of a ballet dancer. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes and a whole load of attitude in the set of her mouth.

'You don't look very pregnant to me.' Rebekah arched a perfect blonde eyebrow in the direction of the slim girl's seemingly flat stomach.

'Are you a doctor?'

Rebekah found herself laughing at that, taken aback by the girls sass and quick wit. Despite herself, she suspected she might actually quite like this girl. Something about Hayley seemed a little bit damaged; something Rebekah could relate to.

'So you're staying here?' Rebekah asked, her eyebrow still cocked. 'With Elijah?'

'Yes I am.' Hayley answered without a hint of hesitation; and not even blinking at Rebekah's thinly veiled suggestion that Hayley might be making the rounds of Rebekah's brothers. The girl had balls. Rebekah thought that she could almost see what Nik had seen in her.

'Before he left; Elijah told me that you would be staying here tonight. To protect me in case the witches come for me.' Hayley said the words nonchalantly enough; but it was the first time Rebekah could hear a hint of fear in her voice.

'Oh he did, did he? Since when am I a bloody babysitter?' She complained, glaring at Hayley. She had hoped to spend the evening talking things through with Matt, not guarding a newly pregnant werewolf.

Hayley smirked gently; her features so cat like that Rebekah could hardly imagine her as a wolf.

'Elijah said that you would, er, find it in your heart to do this for him. After what happened this afternoon...' Hayley trailed off. 'I don't know what he meant; but he told me that you would.'

Damn her brother. Rebekah didn't need his bloody condemnation; she knew full well what a disaster her visit to Nik's had been. He was challenging her now, through Hayley; daring her to challenge his assessment of the situation. Daring her not to do as he had asked.

Rebekah knew better. You had to pick your battles with Elijah; and since she'd planned on staying the night anyway, she figured she could agree to watch the wolf. She wasn't about to provide a maid service though.

'Fine I will wolf-sit. But I draw the line at cooking.' She smirked at Hayley. 'If you're hungry – there are take-out menus in the kitchen.'

'I've lived in a cave under a mausoleum for the last month... I think I can manage to fend for myself for a bit longer' Hayley snapped sarcastically, folding her arms and glaring back at Rebekah.

Rebekah heard Matt sigh behind her.

'For God sake Rebekah, she's pregnant; she can't eat take-out, she needs proper food.'

Rebekah rolled her eyes. She loved him but he could be such a goody two shoes sometimes. 'I thought you bloody hated the girl; what do you care what she eats?'

He ignored her.

To Hayley he said; 'I saw a grocery store a few miles back. I'll go grab something for dinner.'

'Sure. Ok. Uh, thanks.' Hayley said, equally as surprised as Rebekah was at Matt's sudden change in attitude towards her.

He turned on his heel and left the living room. But not before shooting Rebekah another look of disapproval.

Rebekah scowled furiously; not understanding at all how he could be so angry with her again. He was the one planning dinner dates with the pregnant wolf right in front of her.

'You're going right now? Matt the rain- and I don't know if you're still in danger-' Rebekah complained as he stalked back into the hallway, snatched up her car keys and headed for the front door.

'I'll be fine.' Was all he said before he disappeared out of sight, slamming the door behind him.

Apparently they were not back on speaking terms.

Without so much as another glace at Hayley, Rebekah spun on her heel and stalked out of the room.

She could hardly be expected to deal with an angry boyfriend and an insolent were-bitch at the same time. Matt hated Hayley; that had been unexpected. And now Hayley was a part of Rebekah's family. Rebekah didn't think that was going to help one bit in her fight to convince Matt that they should be together.

She grabbed her handbag from the bureau, swung it over her shoulder and headed upstairs to her bedroom. The staircase was wide and grand; the carpet plush under her feet. Her hand travelled the length of the wooden banister; every bump, every groove intimately familiar under her fingertips.

A hundred odd years ago; she'd spent many of her evenings standing on this very landing; twirling in some beautiful ball gown while her brothers made the expected noises of appreciation below. Even Kol had been nice when he'd wanted to be. Then she would saunter down, feeling like the most beautiful girl in the world. Nik or Elijah would offer their arm; and they would all leave together laughing and joking.

She blinked furiously; trying to force back the tears in her eyes. Those memories were corrupted now. They didn't bring her any comfort; only pain. That part of her life had been shattered beyond repair.

Never again would Nik's smile make her feel loved and safe. There would never be another moment where Elijah didn't deeply resent them both; their war had broken their family. And of course; Kol's cheeky grin and outrageous jokes would never fill any future home with laugher and love. There would be no home for the Mikaelson's ever again.

And the worst part of it all; she couldn't blame anyone for what had happened to her family. They had done this to themselves. The years had ruined them all. Even her beloved Elijah, the best of all of them; had cracked and warped under the pressure of keeping their family from destroying itself.

She didn't know when exactly they had forgotten what it was that bound them; not forced loyalty, nor fear of being daggered. Just love. The pure, innocent love that exists only between brothers and sisters.

She reached the top of the stairs on the first floor and walked to the second door on the left. Pushing it open softly, she found her bedroom exactly as she'd left it. Her beautiful oak four poster bed still stood in the middle of the room, long lilac curtains swirled romantically around the four corners. Cream, lilac and soft gold pillows were stacked high enough to almost cover the intricately carved headboard. She bit her lip and averted her eyes; Nik had carved the headboard for her.

They'd spent several sun-soaked days in the garden below; her bossing him around and changing her mind on the design every five minutes, and he good-naturedly starting again and again; laughing heartily at her indecision; happy to do anything to make her happy. As it was; she had asked him to weave the runic letters of all of their names into an intricate pattern of Norse swirls. Even Finn's.

It had been a beautiful gift. Now she could barely look at it.

She shouldn't have come back to this house. Everywhere she looked; she saw her brothers. Her every memory tinged with a bitterness that burned the back of her throat.

She swallowed harshly and flung her handbag on her bed. It's only for one night she told herself. And then I am out of here.

She was just about to peel off her wet clothes and head for the shower when she noticed them. Placed on her oak desk; her favourite place in the whole house. She used to sit at that desk and watch the sun set over the quarter; waiting for the Louisiana night to wrap them all in magic and shadows. Nik would sit with her sometimes and paint the view.

There on the desk sat a beautifully crafted bouquet of violets.

Rebekah's hand shook slightly as she moved her fingers through the soft amethyst petals. There was no note. But she knew they were from Nik.

Elijah was an eternal gentleman; he'd often brought her gifts to make her smile. But he'd never been sensitive like Nik. Elijah might occasionally buy her a great bouquet roses; expensive but impersonal. Whereas Nik would often pick wildflowers for her wherever he may have found himself that day. And he'd always known that the modest purple flowers that had grown outside their home as children were her favourites.

When Father had demanded the boys accompany him hunting; Nik would make sure to bring her violets from the forest to make it up to her for leaving her behind.

Her heart ached as she thought of that sweet boy her brother had once been. Her lips trembled as she fought the urge to cry. She was a Mikaelson; she would not weep like a child.

She thought about it as she stroked her finger tips along the edge of a petal; inhaling the sweet scent. Rebekah knew that Nik had gone to the hotel to see Caroline. That is where he was now; he and Elijah probably bundling the bodies of desiccated vampires down the trash shoot at that very moment. Which meant he must have come here first, to leave the flowers.

He'd come to her, before he went to Caroline. That surprised her. He was making peace. That surprised her too; especially after what she had done only a few hours earlier. She had without doubt; brought this fight to him.

And yet; here on her desk was a message from her brother that only Rebekah would understand.

A request for forgiveness.

Camille O'Connell was a smart girl. She always had been. Long before she'd graduated with her degree in psychology; she had been top of all of her classes in high school; and was made valedictorian at her graduation ceremony.

She wasn't just book smart either. Camille had always had an uncanny ability to sense what people were hiding from her. Even before her brother's tragic death had caused her to delve deeper and deeper into the study of the human psyche; she had always been able to see people. To really see them; for exactly who they were. Good or bad, selfish or selfless Camille O'Connell knew who you were.

That is why, despite her better judgement; she hadn't turned Klaus away when he'd shown up to Rousseau's at midnight just as she was about to lock up. Drenched in blood and soaked through from the rain; he'd stood before her; a woman and a man behind him who she didn't know; asking her for her help. And despite the fear that sparked in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the blood; she knew Klaus. Oh she knew what he was; Sophie had filled her in on that. But despite those stories of the horrific monster Niklaus Mikaelson; Camille just knew that she could trust him.

Although; as she watched him lead a pretty blonde girl to the bar; the girl also covered in blood from head to toe, her clothes all ripped and ragged... Camille began to wonder if perhaps she wasn't that smart after all.

'Klaus, what-?' She began to ask.

He wasn't listening to her though. He was crouched in front of the blonde girl, taking her hand. He murmured quietly to her. Camille could just about make out the gist; he seemed to be comforting her. The girl nodded in response to his words, but Camille thought she looked deeply upset and she seemed to be avoiding meeting Klaus' eyes.

What the hell had happened to them?

It was the other man, with not a speck of blood on him, who spoke first.

He offered Camille his hand, introducing himself as Elijah Mikaelson; Klaus' older brother. Camille didn't need Sophie's warnings about the Originals to figure out that Elijah was just like his brother. In the same way that danger rolled off Klaus in waves; wisdom and age seemed to radiate from Elijah. From the way he introduced himself to her, to the way he carried himself. There was no mistaking that this man was an immortal too.

He gestured to the young blonde too; introducing her as Caroline Forbes from Mystic Falls, Virginia. An old family friend he said. Caroline smiled politely in response to the introduction, but the smile didn't quite reach the girls eyes. Something was bothering her; several things from the look of her. She was wringing her hands in her lap, and bouncing her feet up and down. Classic signs of anxiety.

'And you must be Camille.' Elijah said, turning back to her. 'Niklaus speaks very fondly of you.'

'Uh yeah... That's me. Camille O'Connell. You can call me Cami.' She allowed him to shake her hand cordially.

He was just as handsome as his brother. He was beautiful in a completely different way to Klaus; but just as mesmerizing. Under normal circumstances she might find herself slightly more flustered shaking hands with a man like Elijah; as it was though she was trying very hard to not demand a reason for all the blood that was dripping onto the wooden floorboards she'd mopped not fifteen minutes earlier.

Following her gaze, Elijah said: 'Please forgive us for the mess. There was nowhere else we could go while Klaus and Caroline are dressed as such. I hope it won't be too much trouble if we clean up here?'

Camille found herself nodding, but she narrowed her eyes suddenly. She could smell smoke. The reek of it poured from Elijah's trench coat.

'Wait, do you have anything to do with the fire at the Hotel Mazarin over on Bienville?' she asked incredulously. 'They are still putting that out!'

'We had to burn the bodies.' Klaus spoke at last, rising up from his crouch near Caroline. Camille felt her eyes widen as she understood his words. She felt panic and fear begin to rise in her throat. What part of this had been smart again? Smart girls didn't shelter arsonists.

Klaus walked over to Camille, put his hands on her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. The weight of his hands seemed to push the doubt away; and as he stared into her eyes; his own clear and honest; she could think clearly again.

'Marcel sent twelve vampires to Caroline's hotel room to kill her. I suspect it was retaliation for the fire we set at his home last night-'

'Another fire?' Camille blurted, interrupting him with an arched eyebrow.

He had the decency to look slightly abashed.

'That fire was necessary also. We have to ensure that the human authorities do not stumble across the desiccated bodies of vampires.'

'Oh... well I guess that makes sense...' She trailed off as she tried to wrap her mind around what he had said.

Sophie had only told her about the existence of the supernatural world about a month ago. When it came to vampires and werewolves and witches; Camille was very much still a novice on the subject. Though it was well known that Klaus' presence in the Quarter had complicated an already complicated town.

'Why does Marcel want to kill Caroline?' Camille asked. It seemed like the most obvious question, and she could tell that the girl with the golden hair was right at the middle of all this. The way Klaus and Elijah both kept sneaking worried glances in her direction made that clear enough.

'Niklaus and he are not on the best of terms at the moment, and he-' Elijah began to explain.

'No it's not that,' Caroline interrupted in a small voice. She sounded exhausted. 'The girl, the vampire girl who-' she swallowed hard, and seemed to pale slightly under the red blood that was streaked across her face. 'She said something to me. That I had broken one of Marcel's rules...' She trailed off as she tried to remember.

'No magic in the quarter?' Camille asked, repeating what Sophie had told her.

So Caroline was a witch. Camille guessed that explained why the Mikaelsons were 'old family friends' with a teenage girl.

Caroline's head snapped up at her words; her eyes flashing with recognition.

'Yes!' she said, seeming for a moment like some of the life had returned to her. 'Yeah, she said that's why I had to die; for doing magic in the quarter. But I didn't-'

'Bonnie.' Klaus interrupted her, his voice edged with anger.

Caroline glared at him suddenly.

'Bonnie is dead Klaus; she can't do magic anymore and you know it. Don't just blame her because you don't like her.' She snapped, her voice straining with emotion as she spoke.

Oh; so Caroline was not a witch. But she knew one clearly...

In that instant; Camille saw them all. She saw Elijah start slightly at Caroline's words. He must have known this Bonnie, but he had not known that she was dead; that had been news to him. Caroline was easy enough to read; Bonnie had been someone she had loved dearly; and the loss was still with her. Camille could also see that Caroline didn't appreciate the way Klaus had spoken about Bonnie. And Klaus... he was angry. Really angry. Camille suspected that that had everything to do with Caroline. Whoever this Bonnie person was; Klaus blamed her for the danger Caroline had been in. He'd fought off twelve vampires to protect her. He and her; they looked as though they'd survived a war together; covered in blood...

My God, he's in love with her Camille realised suddenly.

She tried to keep the surprise off her face by busying her hands; pouring Caroline a glass of water at the bar and walking over to hand it to her. Caroline accepted it with a smile; but quickly went back to scowling at Klaus.

The thought of Klaus being in love with this petite girl in front of her made Camille feel slightly sad; but she wasn't sure why.

She must be a vampire too Camille thought. She was certainly no expert on the subject; but she doubted a human being could survive being the object of the Original Hybrid's affections.

'I told you; she is a ghost.' Klaus spoke slowly, through his teeth. Clearly trying to control his temper. 'She should have no power on the other side; and yet she managed to project herself onto this plane and have a bloody conversation with you. She was performing some kind of magic Caro-'

There was an almighty smash as Caroline dropped the glass of water. The sound cut Klaus off completely but he didn't seem to mind being interrupted. He was knelt by Caroline's side in less than a second. Camille hadn't even seen him move.

'What? What is it sweetheart?'

'Oh my god, I'd forgotten. After everything that's happened; I'd forgotten all about him!' she whispered in horror; her eyes filling with sudden tears. 'Klaus, it's Stefan! He's not dead!'

She reached forward and gripped the top of his arms; her knuckles bone white as she dug her fingers into the muscle. He barely seemed to notice; so intently was he staring into her eyes. His hands found hers on his shoulders, and held them tightly.

Tears fell down Caroline's cheeks, carving deep criss-crossed ravines in the dried blood on her face, as she told them what Bonnie had told her of Stefan's fate.

Camille's brain was in overdrive trying to keep up. Elijah was kind enough to fill her in on who Stefan and Bonnie were; and what Silas was.

'We have to go back for him Klaus.' Caroline gasped, standing up suddenly when her story was over. 'We have to go now.'

Klaus stood with her; not taking his hands from hers.

'Caroline...' He said hesitantly, shooting a look over at Elijah that Camille couldn't quite understand the meaning of.

His hesitation was not what Caroline had wanted. She blew up at him.

'Every second we stand here is another second that Stefan spends in agony Klaus! Only it must feel like a lifetime for him.' She snapped at him.

This tiny blonde girl who looked no older than eighteen; shouting at a one thousand year old man who had seen civilisations rise and fall... it was something to behold. Camille would have laughed if it hadn't been the worst possible time for laughter.

'Yes I am aware of that Caroline but-'

'But nothing!' she snarled, wrenching herself from the grip he still held on her hands. 'How can you even stop to think about this; we have to help him.'

'We will help him Caroline,' Klaus agreed. 'But you need to think about this. Your friends can't help us because they believe that Silas is Stefan, and any attempt to fill them in would put them in danger.'

'Yes I know that Klaus, but-'

He kept talking. 'Not to mention that Silas is the most powerful being on this planet. He got in my head Caroline; surely you remember that?'

'Yes, I do but-'

'I told you that if Silas is pretending to be Stefan then it is because Stefan is part of his master plan; a plan he will protect with the utmost ferocity. That quarry will be protected Caroline there is no doubt about it. You and I will not be able to just wonder in, have a swim around and pull Stefan out undetected!' His voice was overwrought with frustration.

'I don't care!' Caroline cried, tears falling unchecked from her cheeks. 'We have to Klaus!'

Camille felt like she was stood on the edge of a bomb waiting to go off. The tension between Klaus and Caroline was nuclear. The both glared at each other; both of them angry with the other.

Camille thought she might understand now why she'd felt sadness when she'd discovered Klaus' affection for the girl. Caroline struck Camille as a girl who cared deeply for others, often putting them before herself. Whereas from what she could see of Klaus; he would always, without fail; put Caroline first. Even before those she cared about. And in Camille's semi-professional opinion; that was something that Caroline would never be able to live with.

'It's not safe for you to go back there Caroline. I will not allow it.' Klaus finally barked at her, his fists clenched so tightly Camille thought that he must be hurting himself in an attempt to remain calm.

Caroline blinked, her face a mixture of shock and absolute and utter fury. Camille didn't know Caroline as well as Klaus did, but even she could see that he'd just crossed a line.

'You do not tell me what to do Klaus,' she whispered venomously; looking like an ancient and terrible goddess soaked in blood as she was. 'How many times-'

'Enough!' Elijah interrupted, raising his voice only enough to be heard clearly by them both. His tone brooked no argument.

Caroline swallowed her fury, and stalked over to the other side of the bar. Klaus' narrowed eyes followed her movements closely, his jaw clenched and his fists bunched at his side.

Camille felt a shiver run down her spine. How could one word from the man sound so singularly terrifying?

A few seconds of solid silence filled the bar. The sound of the rain bouncing off the windows outside was deafening in such stillness. Caroline stood with her back to them; silhouetted against a rain-soaked window; the weak orange light of the street lamps outside setting her aflame. Without turning back to face them she whispered:

'He would do it for us.'

Klaus scoffed, midway thorough helping himself to a quart of bourbon from behind the bar.

'Perhaps he'd come for you love. I think our friend Stefan would rather enjoy the thought of me rotting at the bottom of a lake.'

Caroline turned then; her eyes finding Klaus' even from right across the room.

'No.' The certainty she held in that one word caused Klaus to pause mid-sip. 'If the roles were reversed, he would help me save you; because it is the right thing to do.'

Klaus didn't say anything. His face did not reveal his thoughts at all. It was a fascinating thing for a psych major to see. Camille was once again struck with the intense desire to study him. The few things he had revealed to her so far alone made him a psychologists dream; but it was the parts of him that he kept hidden that intrigued Camille.

It was Elijah who broke the stalemate.

'I will go with her to Mystic Falls,' he offered. His words were casual, but Camille could see the tension in his body as he broached the subject with his brother. He hadn't blatantly said so, but in offering to help; he'd made it clear he agreed with Caroline and not Klaus.

'No.' Klaus growled, sending a sideways scowl in the direction of his brother.

'Niklaus be reasonable-' Elijah attempted to argue.

'I need you here Elijah.' Klaus interrupted him. 'I trust you and only you to take care of our home while I accompany Caroline to Virginia on this fool's errand.'

Despite the implied insult; Camille saw Caroline breathe a sigh of relief; the tension visibly easing out of her body.

'Thank you.' She murmured quietly, smiling happily.

She was suddenly alight. When she smiled it was as though the sun shone from within her. And suddenly Camille understood. She could see exactly what had drawn this dark man to a girl like Caroline.

'Well we aren't going anywhere dressed like that. Go and wash yourself up.'

His words were commands, but there was a softness to them that Camille had never heard in his voice before. Despite his clear misgivings about the danger they would be in; he seemed secretly happy to have made her happy.

Camille took that as her cue. She showed Caroline to the small staff bathroom tucked away behind the office and Sophie's kitchen. After showing her how to work the hot water on the shower, and bringing some of her own clothes from her locker to the bathroom for Caroline to change into, she left the girl to it.

Klaus would have to shower too before they could step foot outside she assumed. But there wasn't anything for him to change into here. She was about to head back to the bar to tell him so when she hesitated suddenly at the door, catching the sounds of the brothers having what sounded like a heated discussion.

'Silas is a formidable adversary Niklaus. There is every possibility that you may not return. And you are needed here. I think it best you allow me to accompany Caroline instead.'

Elijah's words were strong enough, but Camille thought he sounded tired; as though he'd been arguing with Klaus for days. Based on what she knew of Klaus' nature; that could very well have been the case.

'I will not.' Klaus said abruptly.

'I swear, Niklaus-' Elijah began, impatience flooding into his tone.

'I do not have to justify my decision to you Elijah.' Klaus snapped, ignoring whatever his brother had been about to say.

'You have responsibilities here Niklaus. I continue to step in and take your place; such is my dedication to the redemption of this family. But I can not be you. You and you alone are the child's father Niklaus and I-'

'Oh enough.' Klaus spat, interrupting Elijah with impatience. 'I understand Elijah. I do. But Hayley is now out of the witches' hands and safely in yours. Sophie Deveraux will not dare target Hayley or the child after you yourself threatened to annihilate every witch in New Orleans as retribution. She is a stupid girl, but she is not so stupid as to bring extinction upon the very community she fights for.'

'I hope that you are right Niklaus, I really do.'

Camille barely dared to breathe. She certainly didn't think she was meant to hear all of that.

Klaus was about to be a father? Was that even possible given that he was... well, undead? And Sophie, her friend Sophie, had threatened the life of this unborn child and the mother?

Camille had only known Sophie a couple of years, and sure the girl was a bit wild and rebellious; but nothing about Sophie had ever suggested to Camille that she was capable of murder. Or even threatening it. Had Camille read her friend completely wrong? Was that possible?

God her life had grown significantly more complicated since she'd been introduced to the supernatural community.

After a moment of silence passed between the two men, Klaus spoke again.

'It is not that I do not trust you to protect Caroline brother, I do.' Klaus words were slow and considered, as though he was hesitant to say what he was about to say. 'It is simply that I cannot, I-'

'I understand.' Elijah replied gently, cutting him off; seemingly sensing that his brother was struggling to explain himself.

Camille composed her thoughts and walked purposefully out of the door and around to the front of the bar. She didn't like eavesdropping; and if she was honest most of what she had just heard was information she would have preferred not to know.

After a lengthy discussion about whether or not Marcel's men might be staking out Klaus' apartment; Elijah had made the trip of just a few blocks; returning without incident; and carrying with him clothing and supplies for the trip to Virginia. He'd also helped Camille clean the bar, and dispose of all traces of blood and bloody clothing whilst Caroline and Klaus were cleaning themselves up. It had been a strange experience for Camille; mopping the floor with a thousand year old man at her side. But he'd refused to allow her to clean up alone.

A couple of hours later; they were ready to leave. Camille unlocked the back door that opened out into the alley behind the bar. They'd all agreed that it would be safest if no one knew they'd come to the bar tonight.

Klaus went first. Camille assumed he was checking the surrounding areas for any more of Marcel's men.

She closed the door after him as he'd requested and they waited for him to come back.

Elijah put a hand on Caroline's shoulder.

'I am sorry about Bonnie, Caroline. I did not know that she had passed.' He murmured; his hazel eyes soft and kind as he looked down at her.

Caroline smiled up at him sadly. 'I miss her.'

'Bonnie seemed perfectly capable of reaching out to you from the other side once. Perhaps you will see her again.' He said kindly, squeezing her shoulder.

'Let's hope she doesn't do that again while I'm in the quarter.' Caroline laughed but the sound of it was cheerless and miserable. Camille could see the unshed tears sparkling in her eyes.

Elijah pulled her to him gently for the briefest of embraces. 'Death is not always the end Caroline. You and I are living proof of that.'

There was a knock on the door; it was Klaus. Apparently the coast was clear.

He and Elijah exchanged words quietly whilst Klaus collected the bags. Caroline's things had been destroyed in the fire at the hotel; but Camille had given her a few of the bits that she kept in her locker at the bar. They would keep her going for now.

Dawn was breaking over the Quarter when Klaus opened the door again. He bid goodbye to his brother, and thanked Camille before gesturing to Caroline that they should leave.

The door clicked shut behind them and Camille turned the key in the lock.

She was worried for them both. Klaus and Elijah were presumably the most lethal beings in the world; and yet even they had been wary of Silas. She just hoped Klaus and Caroline would be safe.

Elijah helped her turn off all the lights and make sure all the doors were locked. He really had very good manners. Camille liked him too. She'd had the same sense of instant trust in him that she'd had when she'd first met Klaus. And even after tonight's madness; she still stood by her instincts. Underneath the violence and the blood; these were good men.

The air was cool when they stepped out of the bar; and the rain had finally stopped. She yawned widely, trying to cover the gesture with her hand.

'Would you allow me to walk you home Camille?' Elijah suggested.

She nodded tiredly. She could take care of herself, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of company on the way home. It was six am after all.

Elijah offered her his arm. She accepted it, smiling at his formality. He was very sweet.

They set off arm in arm, as the sun rose over the Quarter.