Chapter Text
Caroline gets out of the car. Bonnie is sitting in the front seat, knuckles creaking on the steering wheel. Elena is lying down in the footwell of the back seat.
“Wish me luck.” She closes the door before either of them can respond. She hears Bonnie sigh at her dramatics.
Caroline walks into the boarding house without knocking; it’s never locked, and Caroline doubts Klaus bothered. “Tyler!” She calls. “I brought you a burger.”
Caroline wrinkles her nose at Damon’s collapsed body next to the door. She wonders if Stefan called him. If he decided to bring his loose canon of a brother into this on purpose, she’ll be pissed. Caroline kicks Damon in the stomach just because she can, then walks further into the house to the room where she can hear Klaus and Rebekah talking.
Caroline enters to see Tyler sitting off to the side. She reaches into her purse to toss Tyler her burger.
“Caroline! What are you doing here?” he asks, catching the burger.
“Just dropping some food off for you,” Caroline lies.
“Really?” Klaus asks. “You come to the belly of the beast to offer your beloved food? I find that hard to believe.”
Caroline narrows her eyes at him. “So?”
“Well, I would appreciate it if you could cut to the chase about it,” Klaus says with menace that just makes Caroline mad. She doesn’t let it show.
“It’s not like this is your house. I needed some of Damon’s books anyway.”
“Damon Salvatore can read? I wouldn’t have guessed.”
Caroline stifles a laugh, saunters over to the bookshelf. She runs her finger along the spines of several books until she finds the one on ghosts, ghoulies and other undead creatures of the night. Alaric had said it had the most accurate information on vampires in it, and Caroline is hoping there will be something about Elena’s situation in the book.
“So, Stefan home?” Caroline asks in an imitation of ease as she flips through pages.
“Ah, no. I suspect he’s run off to hide.”
Rebekah makes a sound like someone who’s rolling her eyes.
Caroline nods. It just means one less person to worry about. Hopefully they can be done with this before Damon wakes up.
“So, what’s the plan for Tyler now that your great hybrid army plan is a bust?”
“Caroline,” Tyler says warningly. Caroline ignores him
“Suppose I’ll have to find other ways to vanquish my enemies."
“What the murder and torture wasn’t working, so after the first new plan fails you go right back to the classics that already weren’t working?”
“They were working just fine.” Klaus says. Rebekah’s eyes are darting back and forth between them. Caroline ignores this the same way she is ignoring Tyler trying to communicate with his eyebrows, SHUT UP.
“They clearly weren’t if you decided you had to build yourself an army.” Caroline says, putting the book in her purse.
“And what would you suggest if not the classics?” Klaus’s voice is less jovial now. She’s wearing on his patience. She needs to make her pitch before her big mouth gets her killed.
“Negotiation maybe.” Caroline says trying to stay nonchalant. She’s sure everyone in the room can hear her heart pounding though.
Klaus laughs, strides three paces closer to her, a threat. “You must be confusing me for my brother.”
Caroline gives a sharp smile, “Then I suppose you don’t want to hear about a way to build that hybrid army of yours.” She shrugs. Grabbing another book at random to help her feign nonchalance, she puts in her purse and starts for the exit.
Klaus is in front of her before she can blink. All charm and sharp teeth he says, “Well, don’t leave in such a hurry. At least not until you’ve told me everything you know.”
“Well, I guess the first thing you should know is that Elena isn’t as dead as we presumed.” Tyler inhales sharply. Klaus remains impassive; very nerve wracking, he’s had a thousand years to perfect his poker face, and it shows.
“What do you mean? Her heart was stopped.” Rebekah asks, reminding Caroline of her presence.
Caroline shrugs, faux casual. “Not sure what she is but it might be something whose blood can still make hybrids.”
“Well? Where is she then?”
“We’re not just going to hand her over. We have a price.”
“And what might that price be?”
Caroline smiles. “Five million dollars, two tomes on necromancy and you leave us alone. In exchange you get a pint of blood every three months.”
Klaus throws his head back and laughs. “How about you give me Elena and I don’t kill everyone you’ve ever met.”
Caroline keeps smiling, refusing to flinch. “Well, we could give you Elena, but then you would want Bonnie’s help fixing whatever's wrong with her anyways, and Bonnie would want my help. So, instead, how about we solve Elena’s death problem with as many tomes of necromancy as we need. In exchange, you pay us five million dollars and you leave us alone, aside from a pint of blood every three months.”
“What’s wrong with Elena?”
“Great question. Hoping some of these books can tell me but these are mostly human speculations.”
Klaus’s voice is louder now. “My witches are more than capable of figuring out whatever you claim to be plaguing the doppelganger.” Caroline knows it’s stupid to get mad about him not even using Elena’s name, but here she is anyway, already juggling three other stupid things so what’s one more. In a quieter but somehow more threatening tone he continues, “I have no need of you or your witch. And to further imply that I do would be… a mistake.”
Caroline makes the risky choice. “But it was your witch who fucked up the revival in the first place? What makes you so confident the next one will be any better?”
Klaus doesn’t respond immediately. Long enough that Caroline starts to get worried. Right as she’s thinking of ways to backtrack, Klaus says, “I recommend you stop doubting my capabilities.”
“I have full confidence in your ability to intimidate a witch into doing what you want.” Caroline resists sneering but thinks some might have fallen through the cracks in her facade anyways. “I doubt the dedication of your witches. But I have full confidence in Bonnie’s.”
Still looking at Caroline, Klaus nods at his sister, “Rebekah, be a dear and fetch the witches grimiore.”
Rebekah rolls her eyes and exits the room.
“Six million dollars for a pint of blood every two months,” he says.
“Six million dollars for a pint every three months, or a pint every two months and you leave us alone.”
Klaus is smiling wide. “But why would I leave now when I’m just now getting to know the most interesting person in this town?”
Caroline is taken aback for a few seconds before she recognizes it as an opportunity. “We can get to know each other a bit more over coffee if you leave my friends alone. And you can’t tell Damon or Stefan Elena’s alive.”
Tyler responds before Klaus can. “What the fuck, Caroline?” he half yells.
“Shut up, Tyler,” Caroline calls. “Now is so not the time.” She doesn’t take her eyes off of Klaus. She worries for a second about Klaus ripping Tyler's head off before she realizes that wouldn’t be strategically beneficial to either of them, and she decides to worry about it slightly less.
“Yes, do shut up, Tyler.” Klaus said not looking at him, smiling at her. Tyler, surprisingly, listens.
Rebekah scoffs a laugh as she enters. She effortlessly throws a hefty spellbook at Klaus. Who catches it with one hand. He flips open the book to a page in the middle.
“What exactly would coffee entail?”
“Updates on our progress helping Elena and we can get to know each other.”
“Hm, how about dinner instead. Lovely place a little while out from town.”
Caroline doesn’t really want to spend a whole dinner with her friend's murderer, but she wants Elena alive more than her own comfort.
“Happy to” she says.
“Lovely. When is Elena available to make a donation? And you might want to break Damon’s neck quickly, if you desire his continued ignorance.”
With that nudge Caroline notices a heartbeat slowly returning, from the entryway. Caroline nods. “I can take care of that.”
Caroline flashes down the stairs and to the entryway on light feet. She doesn’t really want to draw Damon’s anger, so she’s aiming to be quiet. Sadly, he is collapsed facing the stairs, and his eyes are already open, staring at her.
“Caroline?” Damon groaned.
“Damon, you need to leave.”
“It’s my fucking house?” he says as he gets up.
“Yeah, and it’s been invaded by freaking Originals! Get a new house!” Ok, that hadn’t been the best response, but she’s under a lot of pressure here.
“What are you even doing here?”
“Trying to save me and Bonnie’s lives. Why are you here?” She figures he’ll see Bonnie in the car on the way out, but she’s hoping Damon isn’t tuned in with his surroundings enough to sense Elena hiding in the car.
“Stefan called. Heard that bastard dug up her grave. Here to do something about it.” Damon walks further into the living room stopping at his bar cart.
"Too little too late. Stefan isn’t even here.”
“Then who is?” Damon poured whiskey into a glass and offers it to her.
Caroline shakes her head. “Klaus. He wants something.”
“And you’re negotiating with him. The man who killed your supposed best friend?” Damon throws the whiskey back.
“Not all of us are at liberty to just leave.” Caroline's voice is bitter. She was happy Damon left and furious he didn’t stay away, but fuck, she doesn’t want to be here either in this town haunted by memories and occasionally Original Vampires.
Damon just scoffs.
Caroline says nothing, just stands with her arms crossed. Caroline wonders if she can get him to leave in the next three minutes and decides if she can’t she’ll snap his neck then.
“Leave. Stefan’s not here.”
“Well, I am. And someone's gotta deal with Klaus.”
“So, the plan is to get yourself killed, not to help Stefan. Got it.” Caroline sighs heavily. She's changed her mind. She walks closer to the bar cart at regular speed, trying to remain unsuspicious.
When she’s standing slightly into Damon’s blindspot, Caroline reaches an arm out with all her vampire speed and snaps his neck. She smiles wide as Damon drops to the floor.
Caroline speeds back upstairs.
Once she’s back in front of Klaus, she says, “Sorry about that delay, where were we?”
“Discussing Elena’s availability to make her first donation.”
“Yeah, let me give you my number.” Caroline opens her spiral notepad, writes her number and rips the page out, holding it out to Klaus. “If you don’t mind me making a call, I can check if she’d be ready to do it now.”
Klaus takes the paper, nodding. “Please go right ahead.”
Caroline takes out her phone, calling Bonnie. “Hey Bon, can you ask Elena if she would be down to get her blood drawn soon?”
“Got it.” Caroline hears the muffled voices of Bonnie and Elena. Bonnie must have put her phone to her chest. She rarely actually used the mute button.
“Elena says sure. Where.”
“A hospital, not the Mystic Falls one. Oh actually one sec.” Caroline mutes her phone and looks at Klaus head on again instead of out of the corner of her eye. “Could you get us like an ambulance or a blood mobile?”
Klaus raises a brow. “Of course I can.”
“Cool.” Caroline unmutes her phone. “We’re gonna do it at the Salvatore house. Go get Elena an iron rich smoothie and by the time you get here hopefully we’ll have a blood mobile like from when we put together that donation drive.”
There’s an inhale. Caroline tells herself it doesn’t sound like Elena’s dying gasp. Like the one Caroline would just think about. As if she was there herself for the last breath one of her best friends ever drew, instead of hiding from Tyler and being broken up with by Matt. Caroline tells herself it sounds like Bonnie. Not the phantom ringing of her best friend's heart stopping.
“Sure.” Bonnie speaks quickly, car engine turning on outside in time with the phone call just at the beginning, before Caroline hangs up as quick as she can.
Fuck okay. So Caroline is sending away her get away ride. That is fine and normal because she and Klaus already have a deal that he could break, and the only ally she has is Tyler. Who has been silent for waaay too long. Sending Bonnie away for a bit is risky, but especially because Caroline knows Klaus also heard the car engine.
Caroline smiles neutrally at Klaus, slight and acknowledging. “Do you want a smoothie? Elena’s favorite place is a town over, so Bonnie’s gonna spring for that. We haven’t really had time to celebrate her getting back yet.” Klaus’s posture shifts slightly. She smiles and looks down at her phone
She texts Bonnie: Don’t come back til i say so phone call. Get me a banana mango concoktion. xoxo go to the good place pay u back
Caroline looks back to Klaus. “I’m gonna get a banana mango thing.”
Klaus was already looking at her with an expression Caroline can’t quite crack. She finds this inconvenient but reasonable in a very detached part of her brain, given the amount of adrenaline coursing through her veins right now.
“Strawberry Banana.”
Caroline texts it to Bonnie
Deciding to address the Tyler weirdness, Caroline asks, “Want your protein thing, Ty?”
Tyler's jaw is clenched. He exhales and puts a hand to his brow, removes it. His jaw is still clenched. “Yea. Sure, Caroline. Not like this is–” Caroline’s gaze sharpens and he redirects. “I’ll have it, yeah.” Tyler leans back and forward. “So when's the dinner party?” He asks like the fucking idiot he is. Caroline immediately feels bad for this thought. But she doesn’t have a single new grimoire in her hands yet.
Caroline turns to Klaus. “We can figure out scheduling after Bonnie figures out how much time she estimates needing.”
“We shall discuss. And get Rebekah something berry.”
Rebekah levels her brother a look but seems happy enough about it.
Caroline types as she speaks aloud “Something berry too.” Polite overture of smoothie acquisition done with Caroline puts her phone away.
“So Klaus, I wanted to get a headstart on the reading and see if there's any spells or records that look like they could be helpful.”
“We can talk more while I look for the relevant articles.”
“Awesome. I think me and Tyler ought to go put Damon in the basement.”
“Tyler was just leaving when you got here actually.” Klaus turns from her to Tyler, “Weren’t you Tyler?”
Tyler tilts his head in conjuring the memory, “Oh yeah my Mom needs me.” Ok great. Sure. Now she’s alone in the Salvatore house with two Originals and Damon Salvatore. Fine.
Caroline nods and grabs her purse. “I’ll walk you out.” She thinks for a second. “Why don’t you take Damon’s car? His keys were out.”
Klaus turns to Rebekah. “I ought to escort our guest out.”
Tyler looks like he’s fuming but nods. Caroline might have to deal with whatever’s going on with him soon, too. Caroline appreciates his concern but the jealous boyfriend act will just get him killed.
Rebekah rolls her eyes. “You have fun with that.” She flops back onto the couch and grabs a laptop.
Klaus sighs but nods. He starts out of the room. Tyler follows. Caroline grabs a last book from the shelf before going with a wave to Rebekah that is not returned.
Klaus waits for her at the doorway. Tyler it seems he has ushered on. As they go down the stairs Caroline catches sight of another supernatural monster dictionary and she puts the one she's holding in her purse and grabs that one too.
The books she chose were half a ploy to trick herself into remaining calm but she really does need to get research done. Elena’s periods of heart stoppedness, (technically, medically, probably, cardiac arrest but (It's not death. She woke up.)) (But so did Caroline.) seem to be getting shorter, but Caroline refuses to do nothing and just hope it resolves itself.
Bonnie’s already gone by the time Klaus opens the door to the Salvatore house.
“I’ll see you later.” Tyler says. He gives her a long look before glancing at Klaus, nodding to himself and leaving.
Caroline exhales in a way that is not a sigh and even if it way would not be that bad, because it would not be a scream. She walks past Klaus.
“I’m going to drag him to the dungeon.”
Caroline is grabbing Damon's arms and pulling by the time Klaus walks over. He grabs Damon’s legs and they walk in sync. Caroline is able to configure them so Klaus is the one who has to walk backwards at the next turn. He does it with ease.
“So why don’t you want Damon Salvatore to know Elena is back? He was a big proponent of her safety last time she was alive.”
Caroline sees no reason to lie. “Yeah but he’s also an idiot. We had a plan to keep Elena alive and he fucked it up.” This part isn’t a lie. “I think his messing it up is why she came back… I don’t want to say wrong but like, different.”
They’ve reached the stairs. “And what were the elements of the resurrection plan?”
“Was originally a potion Eliah had. Then Damon fed her vampire blood and the potion wouldn't have worked so she didn't take it. Bonnie tried to trade Elena’s uncle’s life for Elena’s. But it didn’t work. Not sure why.”
“And what makes you think Bonnie will be capable now when she wasn’t then?”
Klaus kicks open the dungeon door behind him. They walk in, Klaus first, to put Damon down. Caroline isn’t particularly gentle and neither is Klaus.
“Your resources. And besides, she’s already mostly alive. Just got to keep her that way.”
Caroline exits the doorway and goes to Damon’s blood bag stash. She hears the lock on the dungeon door click shut. Caroline looks through the blood until she finds a B positive. Klaus walks in right as she takes a sip.
“What’s your favorite blood type?” Caroline asks.
“O neg.”
Caroline looks through the stash some more. “Damon really needs to work on his hospitality, not even having his guests favorite blood types.” Caroline jokes. “I’m only seeing O positive. There's also a bunch of AB.”
“I’ll take the O positive.”
Caroline tosses Klaus a bag of that.
Once they’re upstairs Caroline situates herself at the rarely used dining table. She gets out one of her new books on the undead; Checks the vampire section first to give her a sense of how accurate the book may or may not be. The first one’s vampire lore is way off, so Caroline puts that one down and gets a different book. By the time she has gone through three chapters of incorrect vampire lore she realizes lack of vampire knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean the whole book is incorrect.
Caroline sighs and decides to start asking questions.
“So, why do you even need an army? Aren’t you supposed to be the biggest baddest out there?”
“How do you expect me to remain the biggest and baddest if I don’t keep ahead of the game?”
“What is there, some sort of supernatural cold war style arms race?” Caroline flips to the next chapter, she doesn’t think Elena has the qualifications to be a cyclops
Klaus smiles, not even a threatening thing, just amused. “No, of course not, that would require larger opposing powers than we tend to allow.”
Caroline hums, decides the best move is to ignore the feeling in her gut that something in that might be a lie even though it aligns with their research. Instead, Caroline reads more about headless horsemen. Headless horse people, she supposes. Given that Elena both has a head and lacks a horse, Caroline is pretty sure she can dismiss this option too but she may as well be through about this.
“Have you ever seen a headless horseman?”
Klaus glances at her before returning his eyes to the road. “I can’t say I have. My brother once said he did but I’ve never been sure if he was trying to pull the wool over my eyes on that one.”
Caroline taps her pen against the book. Scribbles down, possible sighting source OG fam, on a post it note.
Caroline flips to another entry at random, turns the page back till she gets to the intro for the species and asks, “Ever seen a ghoul?”
“By what definition?”
Caroline clears her throat. “A demon-like being or monstrous humanoid associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. Hm well, she hasn’t done cannibalism yet. Hopefully, it stays that way. The graveyard thing is more of a dirt thing, too. Hm.” Caroline twirls her pen around her hand as she thinks. “I’m going to take the lack of response as not having seen a ghoul?”
“Yes you would be correct.”
Caroline nods, settling in to read some more.