A/N: Another update in less than a week? Weird, right? Enjoy!

"Mother!" Kol said in surprise, his voice at least two octaves higher than usual. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he had just gotten caught trying to sneak a cookie before dinner.

Had the situation been any different, I would have laughed at him. The situation wasn't different, so my lips remained tightly closed.

"I repeat, what is going on here?" Esther said. She annunciated every word. Her voice was steady and calm, but I could hear the edge.

"We were just…," Kol started.

How was he going to finish that sentence? Jumping into the rarely used pool in our clothes wasn't something Esther would understand, and he couldn't really create a good lie.

"Bekah," Henrik breathed again. He smiled before he rolled off the raft.

I watched in surprise as, soaking wet, Henrik ran to wrap his arms around Rebekah's waist. Rebekah didn't even pause before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her chin on the top of his head.

"I'm so glad you're back," Henrik said quietly into Rebekah's shoulder.

"Henrik, I believe it is past your bedtime," Esther said.

Henrik turned to his mom but didn't disconnect his arms from Rebekah. "Mother, it's Friday," he said, "and you've just gotten back."

"It's been a long day, Henrik," Esther said, flipping her short blonde hair. "Get yourself cleaned up, and go to your room."

There was a moment before Rebekah squeezed Henrik and whispered something to him. He nodded and let her go.

He turned to me. "Bye, Caroline," he said with a small smile before walking out.

Then, Esther turned her eyes on Kol and me.

"Kol," she said.

It was like Esther had supernatural powers. All she had to do was say his name, and Kol got up, grabbed his shirt, and wiped down his chair.

"You need to show your guest out," Esther said.

It sounded like guest could be synonymous with trash or slut.

Kol gave me a pointed look, and I struggled to the steps to pull myself out of the pool. Kol came over to help pull me out. As we made our way out of the room, Esther gave me a death glare. I didn't know if it was just because I was, well, me, or if it was because Rebekah had told her I was the cause of Stefan calling off the wedding. Either way, I grabbed Kol's hand and practically pulled him out of the room.

When we reached the first floor, Kol said, "Well, that was nice while it lasted, wasn't it?"

I glowered.

Kol ended up sneaking me up to his room so I could shower and grab some dry clothes before he took me home. Kol and I were sitting on his enormous bed while I towel dried my hair when there was a knock at his bedroom door. I shot him a look for some direction on what to do. If it was Esther at the door, I would be more than willing to hide in the closet like a fourteen-year-old boy.

"It's Bek," Rebekah said quietly through the door.

I might jump out the window. It would probably be safer to jump from a second story window than face Rebekah.

"I know she's in there," Rebekah said.

Kol sat up slightly and looked at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Let me in, Kol," she said.

Kol looked at me again, like he was asking permission.

"If she kills me, I'll haunt you," I said.

Kol gave me his signature grin before he went to unlock his door.

Rebekah was standing there, waiting.

"Why, dear sister, what a surprise!" Kol said theatrically. "I would welcome you to my humble, humble abode, but as you see—."

"Shut up, Kol," Rebekah said blandly.

"Well, aren't you perky?"

Rebekah shot him a look.

I shifted on the bed unconsciously, and it squeaked, which made both Mikaelsons look at me. I looked back with wide eyes.

"Caroline, may I speak with you?" Rebekah asked.

"Bekah—," Kol started.

"Please," Rebekah almost pleaded. Yes, Rebekah Mikaelson, almost pleading.

I nodded and joined Rebekah in the hall. Kol stood in the doorway and looked between us.

"Don't you have some porn to watch or something?" Rebekah snapped at Kol.

There's the Rebekah I know.

"Not everyone is as dirty in their private time as you are, dear sister," Kol said with a cheeky grin.

Rebekah almost smiled.

"Scream if you need anything, Caroline," Kol said before he shut the door.

"We should probably go somewhere else," Rebekah said. "Mother doesn't like visitors after nine."

I nodded and followed her down the long hallway to the room at the end.

I had never seen Rebekah's room. I had never had any reason to. In my mind, Rebekah's room was full pictures of me with darts in forehead or my eyes crossed out and plans of world domination scrawled on the walls. In reality, it looked like it was decorated for a much younger Rebekah than had ever lived in the room.

The walls were a light, Pepto pink, and the windows, bed, and furniture were covered in frilly, lacy white material. Even the carpet was a shade of pink. It was so girly it made me want to puke.

Rebekah shut the door behind us, and I jumped.

We looked at each other for a moment before I burst out, "What do you want?"

Well, that was smooth.

Rebekah frowned. "Nice to see you too, Caroline." She walked over to one of the antique blush chairs by the window and sat down. "Do you want some tea or something? Agnes is working until one."

Tea? Rebekah was seriously asking about tea?

"I'm fine," I said.

I crossed my arms for something to do. Rebekah just sat in her chair with her legs cross and her hands delicately in her lap.

"Come sit," she said, gesturing to the other blush chair opposite hers.

"I'm fine," I repeated.

Did she expect me to have a tea party with her? I had caused her fiancé to call off their wedding. I highly doubted she wanted to have a chat over scones.

"Please, Caroline," Rebekah said. "You're making me nervous hovering like that."

I shuffled to the chair and threw myself into it.

"Thank you," she said, slightly relaxing into her own chair.

Pleases and thank yous? Was she literally trying to kill me with kindness?

There was a long silence before I said quietly, "I didn't ask him to call it off."

Rebekah's jaw tightened. "I know you didn't."

"What do you want from me, Rebekah?" I asked.

What did she want? To kill me? To torture me? Neither of those sounded particularly favorable. Maybe she just wanted to yell at me.

"I need your help," she said quietly.

"What?" I asked. I was sure I had misheard her.

"I need your help," Rebekah repeated, not looking at me. "That's what I want from you."

"My help?" I asked. "You want my help? Seriously?"

She turned to me at the shrillness of my voice. "Yes, Caroline. Did you go deaf while I was away?" she almost snarled.

I quickly got up. "Well, it's been great talking to you, but I don't like to be yelled at after nine."

Rebekah grabbed my arm before I could reach the door. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "You know how I am. I don't ask for help, much less help from you."

I glared. "So close," I said, trying to get my elbow back from her.

"Please, Caroline, please," she said. "I need your help. I need Stefan. Please."

When I turned to look at her, that was when I really saw Rebekah. She was wearing the same jeans and sweater she had been when she had appeared at the pool, but the outfit didn't look up to her standards. The jeans were ill-fitting, like they were made for a heavier person, and the sweater hung much the same. Her hair was slightly greasy, and she wore no make up.

But it was her eyes that really caught my attention. Usually Rebekah's light blue eyes looked like they held fire and plans, but after her initial panic that I was leaving had passed, her eyes were almost dead and sad. She looked like she had slept in all the time she'd been away.

Although it was sad to see her like this, a part of me remembered this was Rebekah. This was the girl that had hated me for years. She had put my cheerleading skirt through an industrial shreader. She had spread a rumor that I had lipo the summer before senior year. She had made me cry and scream more times than I could count. Why should I help her?

For Stefan, I answered myself. I should help her because Stefan loved her. He hadn't been himself without her, as much as it hurt me to say.

But that didn't mean I was going to help without getting some things out in the open first.

"Why should I help you?" I asked. "You have done nothing but hate me since the moment we met."

Rebekah's face fell further. "I know."

"Why?" I asked. "What did I ever do to you? Why do you hate me?"

"Because you're you!" Rebekah yelled suddenly.

I flinched back in surprise at both her volume and her statement.

"Everyone loves you," Rebekah continued, pacing away from me. "You're little Caroline Forbes. Head cheerleader, Miss Mystic Falls. You're basically the town's sweetheart."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Rebekah continued.

"You had every guy wanting you in high school, but you had the most popular boy in school," she said. "Stefan has always loved you more than he had ever loved me. He always worries about you. 'I wonder if Caroline is okay?' 'Caroline has been having a rough time lately.' 'I hope Caroline is being careful with Klaus.' Do you know how hard it is to hear about you all the time?"

"Now, you've got Kol and Nik. They're my brothers, and they love you more than they love me. Do you know how hard it is to be loved by people who love you?"

I stood there for a moment letting her words sink in. So she hated me because people liked me?

I slapped her.

Rebekah gasped and grabbed her cheek. She looked at me with wide eyes before she returned the slap. I held my own cheek.

"What in the hell is wrong with you!" Rebekah yelled.

"ME?" I asked. "What's wrong with you? You dislike me because I have friends? You dislike me because others like me? You're an idiot!"

"I'm not—."

"I'm not finished," I interrupted. "It's not my fault that others like me. You can't hate someone because they are well-liked. As for your bothers, I like them. I like spending time with them. I'm growing to love them both. I'm sorry you don't like that, but it's unfair to take away happiness from them, especially when you're their sister. They could never love me in the way that they love you. You're their only sister. They love to protect you. They love to love you."

"As for Stefan," I continued, "do you have any idea what you did to him when you left? He's been absolutely miserable. He's buried himself in work and school, and barely spends time with anyone who's not on their deathbed. You broke him. He loved you more than anything, and you broke him. He might have called off the wedding, but he didn't leave. He didn't stop loving you. You did."

"I never stopped loving him!" Rebekah cried. "He called it off. He quit on me. Because of you!"

She pushed me, and I pushed her back.

"This was never about me," I said, making the realization as I said it. "It was always about you. You might have left me at that bridal store, but it was like you were leaving him. You know how much he cares for me. You know, but you've always been cruel to me. But you've never actually stranded me or seriously tried to hurt me. How could he trust you when you do that to someone he considers family?"

That was when Rebekah collapsed on the floor in sobs. She wrapped her arms around herself and cried. With her red nose and her tears running down her face, she looked more human than I had ever seen her. I dropped to my knees and crawled on the hideous pink carpeted floor to her. She stiffed momentarily as I placed my arms around her, but she slowly melted into my arms.

"I just want to know someone truly loves me," she sobbed. "I want someone to love me like they love you."

Suddenly, after years of knowing her, Rebekah became a real person. Instead of being a mean girl who hated me, she had emotions. Her hate for me had always been a defense. All she ever wanted was what everyone wanted—to be loved.

"You have five brothers who love you like only an only sister can be loved," I said, resting my chin on her head. "I don't have anything like that. You have parents who would do anything for you. I don't have that either. And you have a man who loves you so much he falls apart when you leave. I have never had that and am not sure I ever will. You are loved Rebekah. You just have to stop being too stubborn to see that."

Rebekah nodded into my shoulder before pulling away. She ran her fingers under her eyes to wipe away some of her tears. She studied me for a moment.

"Thank you," she said quietly. She wiped her eyes again.

I nodded.

"He's really missed me?" she asked with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"It's been depressing to see how much he's missed you," I said with a small smile.

She smiled to herself before she had some sort of realization. "He wouldn't take me back."

"You don't know that," I said. Even though Stefan loved her, I wasn't sure reconciling the two would be easy. Stefan was almost as stubborn as Rebekah, and he didn't like to seem weak.

"You know how he is," Rebekah said.

"We'll figure out something," I said, standing up.

"We?" Rebekah asked.

"He's my best friend," I said. "I want to see him happy. He deserves it more than anyone I know. You make him happy."

Rebekah started to get up before I opened my mouth again.

"But I have one condition."

Rebekah looked up expectantly.

"Truce," I said. "We don't necessarily have to be friends, but we have to be nice to each other. No more fighting, no more scheming, no more hatred. A true truce." I held out my hand. "Deal?"

There was a moment when I didn't think Rebekah was going to agree, but she tentative took my hand. I pulled her to her feet, then shook her hand.

"Deal," she agreed.

"So what's the plan?" I asked with a mischievous grin appearing on my face.

Rebekah smiled back.

A/N: So, there it is. Finally, a confrontation between Rebekah and Caroline. Is it a real truce? What do you guys think? How do you think their "plan" will work out?

Also, the real reason I updated so quickly is because I was so excited that I got nominated for the Klaroline Awards for Most Underrated Fanfiction! I don't know who nominated me, but THANK YOU so much! I'm so glad that you guys like my story and my writing. It makes it worth the time I spend writing to know that you guys are enjoying the story. If you guys want to vote, I think you can just go here: vote14 to vote for me or anyone else you like. Thanks so much, and keep the reviews coming!