A/N: I don't own any characters or aspects of TVD
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Pride: Part 3
Caroline shuffled from foot to foot outside the Lockwood estate. She was still shaking from the news of Jeremy's sudden departure from the world. He was the little brother she never had and was just as much a part of her family as he was part of Elena's. Oh god. Elena. She must be FREAKING OUT right now! And BONNIE! Poor poor Bonnie!
Just thinking about her best friends roused the large tears to fall from her puffy red eyes. What they must be feeling! Caroline wanted nothing more than to go to her friends the minute Stefan had conveyed the news but alas they were still stuck on that damn island – and far from her reach. If only she had gone with them! Maybe she could have stopped this somehow! She knew it wasn't her fault and really there was nothing she could have done but that didn't stop the guilt from bearing down on her shoulders like a tonne of bricks.
The tears poured freely now. She was in shock and the tears welled up inside her only to burst at random moments when she thought she had her emotions under control. She honestly couldn't believe Jeremy was gone. She grew up with him, saw him through his wetting the bed stage, his cootie stage, his smart-arse stage, his stoner stage and finally she saw him become this mature protective guy who would do anything for his family and friends and that she adored with her whole heart. How could somebody she knew forever just be gone. She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye… At least with her dad she was able to send him off.
Her shoulders shuddered with misery, all the emotions she had held in while she was forced to stand by and watch her father die. The feelings of helplessness, vulnerability, rage and sadness all overwhelming her body, bursting through her like a busted flood gate. She always reminded herself no matter what crap things happened to her she had to be strong. For Elena, for Bonnie for Matt and Tyler. OH GOD, TYLER!
She wished with all her heart at that moment that Jeremy and Tyler were still enemies. That they never bonded over dead parents, over drawing, over Vicky, over anything at all! It even surprised her how close that had become in the few years since Vicky passed. It would be stupid do deny the comradery that had been built between them and It just made it that much harder for her to tell him. Every fibre in her being wanted to wait until Stefan got back, so she could send in the Vegetarian vampire to be the bearer of bad news, but she knew she couldn't. Tyler was already so fragile since his mother had passed. He needed her; she had be the one to tell him. Though how? How can I tell him something I can't even believe myself!
She wiped the tears from her checks and straightened up her navy blazer. She was Caroline Forbes; Miss Mystic Falls 2011 – there was nothing she couldn't do.
Finally she got the guts to ring the doorbell. Within seconds, Tyler answered.
"Hey Care, what are you-" he stopped himself as he saw her puffy eyes and noted the watery smile that attempted to play itself off as cheery. "Care what's wrong? Are you alright?!" he asked worriedly, quickly scanning her body for any sign of harm, especially the mark of a werewolf bite. He had noticed that his girlfriend had quite a knack for getting herself bitten by others of his species.
"T-tyler I-" she cursed inwardly as she felt water run down her cheek.
"Care! What is it?!" he asked alarmed grabbing her shoulders and holding her at arm's length trying to determine what had happened.
"T-tyler, can I c-come in?' she gulped and moved inside the house as he nodded. She passed him and only when she heard the door click shut behind her did she continue.
"There I-is something I-I need to t-tell you," she paused as he searched her eyes, finally catching on to the severity of the situation.
"What is it?" his voice was hard and he was quickly becoming frustrated with his girlfriend's tendency to dance around the topic.
"It's about Jeremy." She finally said, looking down at her ballet flats.
"What about Jeremy?" Caroline took his hand in both of hers and led him over to the lounge.
"I am so sorry Tyler, J-Jeremy… he's dead."
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"I am curious brother. Why is it you wanted to see me so out of the blue? What's your agenda?" Elijah cautiously stepped into Klaus's living room, looking every bit the smart, manipulative, precautious vampire that he was.
"Can't I just want to see my own brother? Do I have to have an agenda?" Klaus questioned charmingly, rocking back on his heels with his hands clutched passively behind his back.
Elijah didn't even bother tearing his eyes away from where his hand was running along the smooth polished surface of the liquor cabinet "Yes."
"Seriously brother, come, have a drink with me" Klaus beckoned, grabbing two scotch glasses and filling them with the proverbial poison.
"I didn't come here to drink Niklaus. You said you had something you wished to say to me. So say it." Klaus's blood began to bubble as his elder brother thwarted his attempts to play this off casually. He was hoping he could charm Elijah into shrugging off a thousand years of his sins. He should have known he wouldn't be able to. Elijah was more manipulative than he, and he refused to admit it aloud but he was considerably more cunning as well. He shouldn't have kidded himself by thinking he could beat around the bush with the eldest Mikaelson.
"Brother where have your manners gone to! I-"
"Niklaus" Elijah growled menacingly "If you don't reveal your intentions to me in the next five seconds I'm leaving."
"Fine." Klaus grumbled angrily. "I was trying to set the atmosphere but if you just want the truth than I'll give it to you."
"Yes?" Elijah tapped his foot impatiently.
"I called you because I wanted to…well I want to say that…" He couldn't believe he was doing this. He, Niklaus Mikaelson was about to APOLOGIZE of all things!
"Spit it out Brother!"
"I want to apologize Elijah, I am sorry," Klaus paused waiting to gage his brothers reaction.
"You're sorry for what?"
"For making your life hell for a thousand years. For staking you and our family. For all the pain I caused you, with Tatia…with Katarina." Elijah smelled a rat. He knew his brother better than anyone. He had never seen his brother do anything without proper reason.
"I am not a fool Niklaus. Tell me what I am really here for. No lies this time brother." Klaus narrowed his eyes, but he did not blame Elijah for being distrustful of him. He hadn't exactly offered him any reason to trust him lately.
"I am not lying to you brother. I am trying to be a better man. Like you Elijah. I want your trust. I want our family to be together again. I've always wanted that though I admit I may have gone the wrong way about it" still noting Elijah's scepticism Klaus knew he had to do something bigger. Words weren't enough to heal a thousand years' worth of damage. 'Actions speak louder than words, Klaus' Caroline's voice echoed through his head. "I'll prove it to you,"
It was in Elijah's nature to be sceptical. He didn't trust anybody but himself. And he found it increasingly hard to believe in his brother after he had daggered him more times that Elijah could count on his fingers and toes combined. And his suspicions were further aroused when his brother reappeared with a small navy cushion in his hand. On the cushion were two silver daggers. Ones that were all too familiar to him
"What are you doing?!" Elijah asked alarmed. Klaus moved towards him and Elijah instinctively moved back. He would be damned if he was going to let Klaus betray him again.
"What do you think I'm doing. I am trying to make amends!"
"By putting a dagger through my heart and by throwing my body in a coffin. You truly are twisted brother!"
"No Elijah! You've got it all wrong! You know how hard it is for me to apologize! To swallow my pride! Will you just stop and listen to me!"
Elijah looked into his brother's steely green eyes and realised just how serious he was being. He felt the anxious clench in his stomach relax, he didn't know how he knew but he did. His brother was not going to kill him.
Klaus breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw the submission in his brothers hazel eyes. "Good. I am doing this to show you how serious I am. I have no intention of breaking apart this family ever again and to prove that to you I'm giving you these. They are the only two I have and you may do with them whatever you wish." Elijah flinched a little as Klaus moved towards him, but it was more a reflex than anything. And when the smooth silver edge of the dagger touched his hand this moment truly became real for him. It was not a dream. His brother was finally, after all these years trying to redeem himself. What had suddenly changed? Elijah pondered inwardly when it hit him. A perky blue eyed blonde, that's what.
"Although I have not forgiven you for everything you've done Niklaus I can could never hate you. And this act on your behalf shows me just how serious you are. You are my family and in time I will find it within myself to trust you again." Elijah reached out his hand which Klaus took gladly knowing that was the most he deserved from Elijah at that point in time. "I never gave up on you brother, but I am your family I am not allowed to see you as a lost cause." Elijah paused, taking a deep breath and squeezing his hand a little to make sure his brother heeded his words. "But she isn't. Don't give her a reason to lose hope in you Niklaus."
And with those last words he was gone. The front door whirled shut confirming his exist. Klaus dropped to the lounge and skulled down both glasses of scotch in one go. That was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. Those silver daggers were power to him. And he had just willingly relinquished them over to his brother, losing all the leverage he had on him. Yet at the same time it felt like a weight he never knew had existed had lifted off his heart. He felt free and hopeful. Two emotions that were strangers to him.
He knew what he had done was right. Even if he did lose a miniscule amount of his power doing so. He may have lost a little but he will have gained a lot in the progress as well. Caroline. Elijah's knowing words stuck in his head. Don't give her a reason to lose hope in you. He really hoped he hadn't already.
He now realised that cornering her against her wishes was a bad idea. His body yearned to be next to hers. His lips cried out to touch hers yet he wouldn't. He couldn't unless she asked him too. If he managed to salvage their relationship he couldn't risk stuffing It up again! He was not going to lose her because he was an idiot.
He would get her one way or the other. There was no doubt about it. He would just have to be more subtle than previously. But now that he had officially apologized to his brother he could go abandon his pride for the second time that day and apologize…. to the girl he loves.
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"Tyler! You need to calm down!" Caroline cried watching in horror as a teary Tyler began throwing clothes into an open suitcase.
"No. He's gone. Another person gone! I can't lose any more people Care I just can't!" Tyler yelled back grabbing a whole armful of stuff and shoving it crudely into his bag.
"I can't either Tyler! Please, don't leave!" her voice cracked as she spoke. She couldn't lose him and Jeremy in one day. She didn't think she'd be able to deal with it. Tyler paused, turning to look at her. His girlfriend. The love of his life. The girl that stood by him through thick and thin. Surely she wouldn't let him down now. Not his Caroline.
"You don't have to lose me Care…you could come with me." Tyler answered earnestly. Caroline eyes opened widely, and she took a step backwards.
"What! I can't just leave Mystic Falls. What about my mother? Our friends! They need us!"
"Caroline we need to look after ourselves first. Please come with me. We can be free of all this supernatural shit! We can have a nice life, a normal life. We can escape all this drama!" Tyler made it sound so tempting, escaping the hell hole that Mystical Falls had become.
"Where would we go?" Tyler reached out and held her hands in both of this. They were warm and a little rough. Just like Tyler himself.
"We could go anywhere we want. Wherever the road takes us. What do you say?" he could see her wavering and couldn't help prompting her to follow him "Come on Care, you promised. Always and forever remember."
She did say that. Always and forever. Tyler and Caroline, like it was written in the stars. His deep brown irises compelled her to answer him in that moment. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car. She had no time to think, only enough time to react.
Everything had come down to this single moment. She knew he was being serious. She could either run away with him and spend eternity with him worry-free or stay in her home town and try to protect the people she cared about with every last inch of will power that she had.
His eyes glimmered with hope and she could practically read the unspoken words on his lips. Always and forever.
"What do you say Care? Are you with me?"
Oh god! What should I do?!
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Hope this chapter was up to everyone's expectations. I know I am a total arsehole that hasn't updated since the Jurassic age! I AM SERIOUSLY SOO SORRY! I empathise with how damn annoyed you must be right now. But I made this chapter long – well what I define as long to make it up to you. I know that it probably doesn't cause It has been like a month since I last updated! I seriously can't believe it has been so long!
In my defence, I have had many many assignments to do and not much time to do them! Seriously Assessments are total bull! And you know what else is BULL – the lack of KLAROLINE in VD as of late. SERIOUSLY! Is anyone else super annoyed with that. I am super in love with the latest episode though. I thought many of the most recent episodes have been really bad and nothing really happened in them at all, but seriously this latest episode the tears were falling and everything! SO GOOD – despite there being no Klaroline action. PS: HOW GOOD WAS the like pilot episode for the 'originals' TV series! I am that excited for that.
Annnyywwhoooo, many thanks for all of your tireless support and many reviews! I am hoping to get *FINGERS CROSSED* just as many as before, even if they are just to abuse me for not having written in so long 3
Anyways So I hope you like this chapter and I'd like to hear what you think the next sin will be out of …. Lust, Greed, Wrath and Envy :D Personally they all sound like a lot of fun, but hint hint. Lust I feel will be a bit later when Klaus is no longer on the outs with Caroline.
Okay Okay I'll stop now! I really hope you loved the chapter and there wasn't too many spelling errors!
Many Loves!
Xoxo
Wisteria Clove