Aramaic For Beginners

Aramaic For Beginners

"Seriously?!" Caroline swore loudly. "These damn travelers!"

Caroline looked helplessly and, foremost, angrily around herself. Stefan was half sitting half lying on the couch, breathing heavily; his eyes barely open to a slid. Elena lay next to him unconscious, but her expression one of agony and pain. Across the room Jeremy was attentively wiping the dampness of sweat off Bonnie's forehead and was by now drowning in worry concerning her unresponsive state, taking little to no notice of Caroline's monologue rant.

"...should have listened to me and not just stupidly charged right ahead, what we now know for certain was a big time trap; not that I hadn't been telling you this all along!"

"Caroline, we had no choice..." A weak voice tried to explain. "It was either take the chance or sitting ducks here while hoping Bonnie will come around miraculously, which we knew wouldn't happen since they put a spell on her."

"And look how that turned out, Stefan," Caroline commented sarcastically. "Not only have you not found a way to reverse the stupid thing, you two got yourself put under yet another spell of theirs." She pointed an accusing finger to both Stefan and Elena. "Sorry Stefan if I'm not all too happy about this situation."

"Drop it, blondie," Damon interrupted while he walked into the living room of the Salvatore estate. "At least we didn't come out of there empty-handed." He raised a thin older grimoire, which had seen better times during the last few centuries. He smirked and shook it lightly around in the air. "Now we only have to learn... well whatever language these travelers liked to dot down their creepy witchy rituals in. Any guesses?"

Caroline took a deep breath to calm herself down and after she managed to suppress her anger in order to concentrate on a solution rather than pointing out all the mistakes that have been made so far, she reached out her open hand to Damon. "Lemme see that." She regarded the cryptic symbols with a frown, which soon was slowly replaced by an expression of deep thinking. "I think I know which language this is."

"You do, Barbie?" Damon regarded her surprised and his words were accompanied with an underlying condescending connotation which Caroline chose to ignore.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure this is Aramaic." Her voice was steady, hiding the sudden rise of emotions that started brooding instantly inside her by the sheer remembrance of who exactly helped her once translate some passages of this dead language.

"You're taking Aramaic lessons in college or something?" Damon asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'm a drama major running several event committees, but I'm certainly not some geeky nerd learning Aramaic," she replied almost offended by the mere idea.

Damon sighed heavily. "Great. So how do we read these?"

"We could try the internet, though last time we tried that it didn't make much sense." She grimaced.

"Last time?" Damon raised a questioning brow.

"That time we were on the island trying to find the cure," Stefan answered for her. "You don't know, because we've gotten separated back then. We asked Caroline and Tyler to translate the readings on Jeremy's tattoos."

Even by the mention of his name Jeremy barely looked up. Of course he remembered the time he had been fed to Silas and had died as a result of it. However, he was keeping his focus on Bonnie who had not woken up for four days straight now.

"Do you know for certain these are the spells they had been using on Bonnie, Stefan, and Elena?" Caroline asked.

"Saw them reading out of this one when they slid my little brother's wrist to drain him of his blood. So yeah I'm certain," Damon answered, skimming through the pages in frustration upon not being able to make sense of any of it.

Caroline nodded once when, suddenly, the door sprang open; showing a heavily panting Matt enter the boarding house.

"Guys, we need to get moving. They changed their tactics to offense. Saw them getting ready to march right in here," Matt warned between ragged breathings.

"Shit is juuust piling up..." Dean murmured annoyed. "We should head somewhere safe for now and get these riddles," he pointed vaguely at the grimoire in Caroline's hand, "solved before we face them again."

"Sounds good, but where to?" Matt asked and was met with a brief moment of silence while everyone was thinking about that.

"How about the cabin at the lake?" An almost forgotten voice from across the room proposed. Jeremy's face looked way older than a 17-year-old's was supposed to look like. "The one we had been training at last year. Remember?"

"That will do," Damon decided quickly and made his way to his brother. "Can you walk or do I have to carry you princess style?"

"You do that and I'll kill you," Stefan mumbled and let himself be hoisted to his feet by his older brother. One arm around his waist lend him the necessary support he needed to overcome the short but exhausting path to the front of the mansion. Matt was carrying Elena to the car and Jeremy heaved Bonnie to his arms in order to do the same. Caroline followed hurriedly behind them, grimoire in her hands.

They took Stefan's car, since his SUV provided enough seats for everyone, if still cramped. Before Caroline could step a foot inside though, Damon halted her by grabbing her arm.

"Were you able to translate Aramaic successfully in the end or did the others stumble upon Sila's tomb by luck?" Damon narrowed his eyes questioningly.

Caroline swallowed and tried to hold his gaze. Blood heating up her cheeks from underneath as a result of flashes of memories appearing over and over in her head even though she tried desperately to dismiss them. But the feel of his lips on her skin and his hand firmly in her hair were not easily shaken off like that. In fact had not been since the moment they had parted. For good.

A brief but intense sting formed in her chest and although she hated this familiar feeling, she used it as a reminder that she had to get a grip on herself. This was not the time and place to relive the hot hybrid sex with Klaus in the woods a few months ago.

Slapping herself innerly she focused in order to answer Damon's initial question.

"We had a full translation by the end, but..." she started and nipped lightly on her lower lip.

"But?"

"It wasn't Tyler or me who translated it."

"Then who?" Damon asked slowly, recognizing that there must be a reason why Caroline was so reluctant to explain further.

"Klaus," Caroline answered with a sigh. "Back then Klaus had translated more or less the whole thing." She shrugged.

"So the only one who we know can read the much needed spell of undoing this mess is sitting somewhere in NOLA doing what might be slurping wine and tormenting his next generation of hybrids?" He brushed the palm of his left hand over his face in a sigh. "So it's back to Google Translate..."

Caroline thought about that for a moment and glanced toward her own car in the front yard.

"I can't believe I'm even considering this..." Caroline started, rolling her eyes. "How much time can you buy me? If I go now and don't stop on my way I can be in New Orleans by the end of the day. Can you get by for a day or two?"

"You want to ask Klaus for help?" Damon was still hung up on this part of the plan. "You two are now a thing or something?" He asked rather serious, his eyes slightly widened at the thought of this unusual pair.

"No," was all Caroline replied.

Though her usual response would have been a snarky remark, she found the whole situation between Klaus and her too complicated and exhausting, which was ironic since they had agreed on ending anything between them with this one carefree yet heated moment. It was already hard enough to concentrate on the problem at hand without the over the months build up roller coaster of emotions that had the name Klaus written on it.

"And also no, I rather not want to ask him for help" in fact she did not want to see him at all and that was really the truth. Whatever she felt for him she did want to be free from him more than anything else. "But do you have a better idea? We need to save Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan and the only way to achieve that is by breaking these stupid spells. We can't be picky now."

Damon contemplated her suggestion for a moment.

"You coming or what?" Matt asked from inside the car and was indirectly prompting Damon to come to a decision.

"Fine you go and ask the big bad wolf, but don't forget about us while you two hit it off- And now the image is forever burnt into my head! I think I'm gonna hurl..." Damon faked sickness half-heartedly.

Caroline just rolled her eyes at that and already rummaged through her pockets for her car key.

"Just remember to get the translation before you celebrate your reunion, okay? 'Cause if you don't Elena dies."

"Thanks so much for your consideration, brother. S'not like your own living blood is affected by the spell as well..." Stefan felt the need to muster up his little energy to comment on his brother's last statement. Damon and Caroline could almost sense the small smirk on Stefan's face while he was complaining. It made them chuckle as well.

"Keep me updated," Caroline commanded in full Caroline mode. "I'll be as quick as I can."

Damon was about to retort something, his mouth already in opening motion, when Caroline shot a dark glare in his direction. He wisely shut up and moved to the driver's seat.

"Good luck, blondie."

"Good luck, Damon." And with that last goodbye she went to her car and stormed off into the opposite direction of the rest of her friends'.

The drive had been long and her worried thoughts did nothing to shorten the time span; it rather made the trip feel like it lasted an eternity. Finally in New Orleans she had to admit she had no idea where Klaus was. She had deleted his phone number after an especially bad drinking session which initially did not even have anything to do with Klaus. But back then everything seemed to come back to Klaus, unfortunately. So where to start?

She spotted a bar across the street and considered that this was as good a start to look for him at as any other. It was still closed, but she could see someone working already inside. A blond young woman was cleaning the counter on the far end of the bar.

The door bells rang as Caroline entered and the bartender jumped around startled. Caroline could not put her finger on it, but she had the feeling this one was a little paranoid for whatever reasons.

"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you," Caroline started the conversation and put on her Miss Mystic Fall's smile.

"We're closed," the blonde did not seem so eager to talk and just continued her chores.

"I know, sorry about that too. I'm looking for..." the word had trouble sliding off her tongue, "a friend. And I'm kind of really in a hurry. It's literally a matter of life and death," Caroline chuckled nervously. "So I hoped you could help me out?"

The blonde turned around and after a few seconds in silence she seemed to had taken pity on her and decided to be a little more friendly.

"Yes, of course. Who are you looking for?" As the local bartender she was indeed the right person to come to. She knew the frequent visitors and even knew about many more, a circumstance she wished was not the case. Her life had been turned upside down since a certain vampire came into her life. Since then she had been involved in a war between vampires, witches, werewolves, and humans.

"His name is," she hesitated a brief moment before she said his name. "Klaus. Klaus Mikaelson. Do you know him by any chance?"

Yep, she knew him quite alright. The widening eyes, the gaping mouth, and the sudden rise of her pulse were certain indicators.

Oh my what did he do to her? Caroline thought pitying her. She looked scared and furious at the same time. Although the fury seemed to overtake slowly.

"How do you know him?!" The bartender stepped back warily.

In all her messy thoughts about remembering being compelled, about finding out about her brother, about being tossed into the world of myth there was one thing that kept her alarmed.

The girl had said Klaus was her friend.

Firstly, that meant she could be as evil as him and secondly, chances were good she was also a vampire, or a werewolf, or hybrid, or whatever mythical creature that was out there she had only months ago thought were all anything but real.

She quickly grabbed the next best thing that could be turned into a weapon and found a stake like piece of wood.

"Get out!"

"Woah, woah, woah, relax! I'm not gonna hurt you-" Caroline tried to reason, her hands held up in front of her in an attempt to give her no indication she was here to harm her.

"You said you were a friend of Klaus'! Didn't know he had many friends considering his murdering tendencies." She stepped further away from her.

Caroline immediately regretted her choice of words. But how had she been supposed to know Klaus had already terrorized the whole town?

Okay, that was a silly excuse, she thought to herself. She should have known, of course he had already traumatized the innocent humans since his arrival!

"That didn't come out right. And your reaction is totally justified. Really, I get you! I mean he's a psychopath who manipulates and kills and takes whatever he wants and doesn't care about anything, but power, revenge, and probably world domination. And suddenly there comes in a total stranger declaring she was his friend. I would be wary too," she ranted, pausing to take in a breath. "I really don't know what he did to you, I'm sure it's horrible, but I swear to you, I'm a good person. I- I just need to find him." Caroline gave her her most sincere look and hoped she would believe her.

And for some reason she did. The girl seemed honest and she actually had never heard someone bad mouthing Klaus in such a way. She wondered if he had heard it, would she still be alive? And she could not explain why, but somehow she had the opinion she would be able to say much more and could walk away afterward without so much as a scratch.

Her stance relaxed, though only a little. But it was a sign she was willing to believe her.

"Why are you looking for him?"

"There is something I need his help with. Given your reaction," Caroline briefly looked at the wooden stake, "you know what he is?" She said carefully and earned an affirming nod from the bartender. "So you know that he's been around for a while so to speak. And I need his expertise on something. Believe me when I say I rather not want to ask him for help, but I truly don't have any other options. Please tell me where he is."

Caroline waited a long moment for her answer. She seemed to contemplate her words, but luckily for Caroline she believed her.

"He's only two blocks away from here. Walk down the street and you'll already see where he lives. He's not one to live beneath his standards after all," she remarked venomously.

"Yes I know." It took Caroline all her restraint not to roll her eyes at that. "Thank you."

Caroline gave her one last grateful smile and vanished quickly.

"Well done, sister. You have yet again conspired against me and look at the results," Klaus said in an almost sing song voice while pointing at the corpses lying around them in the inner courtyard. At least twenty men were painting the ground red with their blood.

"You bastard! How did you know?!" A furious and also devastated Rebekah yelled.

"You mean your little scheme with that witch Genevieve?" An arrogant smirk formed on his face. "I knew all about your plans to 'take me down for good.'" He quoted her, a hint that he had been keeping taps on her all along.

"You knew from the beginning?! And you let me continue nonetheless?! Why? Because I wasn't a threat to you?! You pretentious overbearing selfish arse!" By now tears were forming in Rebekah's eyes and her emotions of anger and humiliation were struggling with each other for domination. Marcel sighed feeling pity for Rebekah, but he knew all to well this one Klaus had won.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out about your petty alliance with the witch? Sorry, sweetheart, but I made sure to have eyes and ears everywhere." He grinned content and gestured with one of his index fingers around him.

"What did you do to her?"

"What I've always done, what I always will do to the people you're in league with," he replied nonchalantly. "I kill them."

"I swear to you I will kill your sorry little ass one of these days! And if it's the last thing I do, Nik!"

"Please can we tone down with the insults and at least try to talk this out?" Elijah was annoyed about the constant fights between his siblings, but also concerned about the death toll it brought this time. He just wished they could get along finally. Especially now when the baby was almost due to arrive. He cast a brief glance over to Hayley beside him.

"Oh no please, Elijah, let her go on. I get the impression she has more to say," Klaus said not even trying to hide the smugness.

Yes, Rebekah had a whole lot she was eager to get out in the open.

She straightened her back and a condescending look filled with disgust formed on her face. "You might think you have it all: an army of servants, power, and the town WE have once build! But at the end of the day you're utterly alone. None of us is here because of loyalty or love! You just took what you wanted from Marcel, because you were jealous of his devoted followers. Jealous that he made something out of this town what you could never have done on your own! And seeing how you couldn't achieve the same by your means, you just took everything by sheer force. You might command them now, but that is all this is! You bark orders at them and they listen, because they don't have any other choice. Once they'll see a chance to throw you from your scrawny pitiful throne they will. And don't expect your family to stand beside you then. As far as I am concerned I wouldn't even reach out one finger to help you. Even our brother, who has tried to find a path of redemption for you for centuries will not forever tolerate your psychotic tendencies. And then who is left? Finn and Kol are already dead, their deaths not entirely unrelated to you! You have no one. Or do you think the woman you impregnated would even so much as stop in her tracks to look at you when you're on the ground. Or that baby? I feel sorry for the girl who will soon realize what a pitiful father she has-"

"That's enough!" Klaus silenced her. The smugness long gone. "I will hear none of it any longer. I advice you to be silent." He stared at her menacingly.

"Or what? You gonna dagger me again?" The disdain visible on Rebekah's face.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea..." Klaus said lowly, his patience running thin.

"Stop it you two! Nobody is daggering anyone. Nobody," Elijah emphasized with a stern glare at his brother.

"It might make her learn her place, being daggered for another fifty years or so," Klaus replied, knowing this one would sting especially.

"You cocky shitty bastard!" And they were back to the insults, Hayley thought rolling her eyes.

"Klaus, that's enough," Marcel stepped in, feeling very sorry for Rebekah by now. She was terribly hurt that even after a millennium spent to find a way to subdue her brother he still had his thump on her.

"Look at that. Your prince in shining armor is coming to your rescue. Funny, considering you chose yourself over Rebekah last time I daggered her," Klaus pointed out. His smug tone returned, although a keen ear would have noticed that it was marred with hurt over Rebekah's earlier spiteful words.

But they were more than enough to shut Marcel up. He did decide against Rebekah and for himself back then. Rebekah, on the other hand, felt new rage pumping through her veins and before she could stop herself she blurted out the words which should have never been uttered to her brother.

"Although that was unforgivable at least he tried to make it right to me afterwards!"

"Rebekah, don't!" Marcel tried to stop her, but she would not listen.

"What do you mean?" Klaus' voice was guarded.

"Who do you think brought Papa Tunde to this town and put him against you in the first place?"

Klaus turned around to Marcel shocked. And by the widening of Klaus' eyes Rebekah knew she found the right place just where it hurt. But she was not finished yet.

"Oh, that's not all. There is more," she said with a twisted but mostly sad smile.

"Rebekah!" Marcel tried to warn her again, to stop her from telling their secret. He could not even imagine what Klaus would do to them once he knew.

However, Rebekah did not hear him.

"Who do you think tipped off our father as to where you were?" She added menacingly.

That was it - the final blow. Klaus had had no idea about this revelation. His face was pale as a sheet and he could not find any words to respond. Even Elijah was frozen of shock and horror. Never could he have imagined his little sister was capable of doing such an atrocity.

Klaus had no control over his facial appearance anymore and the hurt in his eyes was palpable. Even Hayley felt sorry for him who knew only vaguely about their family history. But even she recognized this was a betrayal on a whole different scale.

The air was thick and silent with the aftershock. Nobody dared to say something or rather they were not able to say anything.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, vamp speeding its way into the inner courtyard and stopped right behind Rebekah, snapping her neck in one swift movement.

"Bitch!" A high pitched voice accompanied the sick sound of bones cracking. "That is even low for your standards."

Everyone looked at the new arrival curiously, only a few of them recognizing the beautiful woman standing in the middle.

One of them was Klaus.

"Caroline?" His eyes wide with surprise.

"Klaus," the familiar voice responded.