“Stefan didn’t doesn’t know Klaus and Caroline.” He didn’t. Did he? He’d seemed as surprised as the rest of them when they’d first found out about them. Or was that all just an act so that he wouldn’t have to explain how he already knew them?
“Maybe not anymore but he was definitely friends with both them and Rebekah back then. rumor was that he and Rebekah were together, and that they had the most gruesome double dates with Klaus and Caroline. Apparently they met in Chicago and that’s also where everything went to hell.”
“What happened?” She’d deal with Stefan keeping secrets from her later. Right now she needed to know why Rose was so freaked out about what happened back then.
“Well, the version I always heard was….”
“Ah Ripper, entertaining my darling sister again I see.” Klaus wasn’t sure if he approved of Rebekah spending so much time with this one yet. Every time she got her heart set on someone it always ended in tragedy, tears, and bloodshed. He did not want to see that ending for his newest friend.
“Where else would I be Klaus, with Rebekah’s company as an option all else pales in comparison.”
“Well put, my friend.” He would give him this much however, he did know how to turn a phrase fit to turn his darling sisters head.
“It is only the truth.”
“As it should be. Come along now Caroline is waiting for us.” Turning on his heels he quickly made his way through the crowded club. It was a Friday night and it seemed like the entire city of Chicago had decided to turn up for a night of relaxation and booze.
His darling girl had gotten it in her head that this Stefan Salvatore was the perfect vampire for Rebekah and she was determined to help them stay together. He would never deny his better half anything, so here he was going on what she teasingly dubbed double dates with his little sister and her newest beau.
As he approached their table he caught sight of Caroline in her new dress, that was in the new style, leaving little to the imagination. He still could not decide if he loved it or hated it. While it gave him an enticing view of her lush body which he loved, it gave everyone else with eyes the same view which he loathed.
“Darling, look who I found. Turns out they were just swallowed up by the crush, no need to fret at all.”
“Yes, because I was the one who was concerned.”
“It’s good you admit it sweetheart.”
As expected she reached over and gave him a light shove for his audacity which he quickly turned to his advantage and by the time their playful struggle was over she was sitting on his lap laughing.
“So Rebekah, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?” Klaus knew Caroline was hoping for something romantic and awe inspiring unfortunately he was going to have to disappoint her with that.
“Actually, Stefan and Rebekah will be keeping you company love while Elijah and I take care of that little problem I was telling you about.”
“I don’t need a watcher Nik, they can enjoy their night together.” He loved the way she would scrunch up her nose when she was upset. It always made her look less intimidating and more like an angry bunny.
“I disagree love, you’re not as strong as Bekah is, she will keep you safe while I can not be at your side. Please just humor me in this, I need to know you’re safe while I am away. You don’t want me distracted now do you?” He knew it was a low blow, and really only had a fifty-fifty shot of working, but he needed her to do this for him. Besides, all is fair in love and war is it not.
“Of course not, not that it would change anything if you were, but I will humor you in this just this once. However, I expect a shopping expedition for my troubles.” That’s his girl, she would give in when needed, but never without a price.
“Of course darling, whatever you want. Now that all that is settled, I must be off. I’m meeting Elijah beforehand and you know how he is about punctuality.”
“Go on then, we will entertain ourselves, won’t we Bekah?” She looked so fierce and determined, like she was going to have fun weather she wanted to or not.
“I am sure we can think of something to do while he’s away. We’ll see you soon Nik.”
“See you as soon as it’s over, and remember you’re not to leave this club for any reason. Understand?” He knew he had already told them this a thousand times before that night, but he always felt this way when he was forced to leave Carolines side. Like she would be gone when he got back, like he would never see her again. For all her strength she was weaker than they were, more easily hurt or killed. He needed her to be safe.
“Yes, Nik, now go.”
Leaning down he kissed his lady love one last time before he sped off to meet his brother. As long as everyone followed the rules everything would be perfectly fine.
“I have a feeling that they didn’t follow the rules.” Not, that she really blamed them, she knew how stifling restrictive rules meant to keep you safe could be.
“No they didn’t, and like he thought, like he feared when he returned Caroline was gone. She had been taken.”
“Why? By who?” What happened to them? That was what she really wanted to know but she didn’t dare ask it yet. She would find out soon enough she knew, and she had a feeling even that would be too soon.
“The meeting that Klaus and Elijah had gone to was with a local coven of witches. They wanted the Originals to leave Chicago, they thought that their presence was responsible for most of the horrible deaths that kept happening in the area at the time. What Klaus and Elijah didn’t know was that the witches had a back up plan, much like the one you and your friends had. They knew that talking to Klaus wouldn’t work, that he was far too stubborn for their words alone to reach him, so they decided that they needed some leverage.”
“Caroline.”
“Caroline. The witches had gone to a group of men, brothers, whose sister had been killed by a vampire and told them that Klaus and Caroline were responsible. While the witches demanded a meeting to separate them and distract Klaus the men went to the club and took Caroline.”
“Had Klaus and Caroline killed their sister?” Did they deserve what she was sure the men had done. Had she deserved it.
“No, Stefan and Rebekah had.” What!
Klaus paced the room back and forth as he recounted the entire tale of their time together in Chicago. He’d long since sent Caroline upstairs; she had lived through it once he didn’t see the need for her to have to hear it rehashed now. He knew that Stefan didn’t remember any of this, but that only made it all so much more satisfying. He could have just as easily compelled him to remember but the look on his face as he described to him a part of his life that he did not recall was far too entertaining. Not to mention their enraptured audience, they were all wondering if it was all true, while at the same time deep down they knew that it was.
“There I was, my dear brother at my side, walking into a witch trap. Nothing new for us mind you, but irritating none the less. We walked into the warehouse where the meeting was scheduled to take place and once we stepped past a specific point in the room we were paralyzed by magic. A spell like that is only temporary mind you, it does wear off fairly quickly, lasting only an hour at most, so we weren’t worried. We thought that perhaps it was just a safety precaution on the part of the witches. Something to ensure that we would listen to them, and listen to them we did.”
“Ah, so you decided to accept our invitation.” They were surrounded by witches, as soon as the restraining spell had taken hold they had melted out of the shadows. A bit dramatic really.
“So we did, the bondage portion of the evening however was not mentioned when the invitation was issued. Rude of you.” Klaus knew he had nothing to fear from these women, they barely had the power between them to hold him and his brother briefly, they most definitely did not have the ability to do anything of significance.
A woman stepped forward, obviously the leader, though she did seem a bit young for the role. She was in her early twenties, and very much a woman of her time, she was brash and arrogant thinking she had the upper hand and that nothing could ever change that. He would be more than happy to correct that delusional thinking if the occasion called for it, and something told him just from the sight of her that, that would become very necessary very soon.
“Oh, that is nothing more than some added security for us. We are well aware of your reputations. You can not blame us for being overly cautious with this meeting.”
“I can actually, but that is neither here nor there. Can we just get on with this ridiculous meeting please. I do have a life to be getting back to.”
“Yes of course, I’ll get straight to the point, we want you and your murderous family to leave Chicago.”
The fact that the ballsy bitch could even make that demand with a straight face amused him. Looking over at his brother he saw the signs of his own mirth shining through his usual stoic exterior. How dare these little upstarts think to demand anything of them.
“Me and my murderous family, huh. Now why would you think even for a moment we would comply with such a request?”
“It is no request.”
“Yes, I realized that from your very disrespectful tone when you demanded that I leave a place I have no intention of moving on from just yet. I am curious however, as to why it is that you want us gone so badly.”
“You, your brother here, your stupid cow of a sister and her newest conquest, and your whore have been bathing our city in blood since your arrival and you have the nerve to ask us why we want you gone. Does your arrogance know no limits?”
Klaus could feel his fury rising within him at the way they spoke of those he cared most for. How dare they say such things! At the same time that his rage was taking over he recognized one flaw in their logic that he still wanted to understand.
“What in the world made you think for even a moment that we would comply? You are nothing to us, insignificant and without any true power, how was it you thought you could force your will upon us all?”
“Easily now that we have your whore at our mercy.”
They had taken Caroline. His vision began to fill with nothing but red. Red, the color of rage and blood, was all he saw for the next twenty minutes. When he could finally see the world around him again every witch that had surrounded them was lying on the ground in pieces and his brother was standing off to the side out of the line of carnage still as a statue waiting for his senses to return and the danger to pass.
“Caroline?”
“We will find her brother, I swear it to you.”
“So the witches took Caroline and he ripped them apart for it. Is that the lesson I should be learning here?” Elena knew it was a good lesson, one that she would take to heart but at the same time it wasn’t something she hadn’t already worked out on her own from all the hints that Rose had been dropping all along.
“No, the witches were killed in the heat of the moment it was what happened after that kept everyone talking about it for the past ninety years. Klaus killing someone, or even entire groups of people, while in a rage is nothing new. Someone taking Caroline had never happened before and what he did about it was equally new.”
“What did he do?” What could be worse than tearing an entire coven of witches apart?
“After finding out about Caroline’s planned abduction Elijah and Klaus raced back to the club where Klaus had left her with Rebekah and Stefan. When they got there they didn’t find any of them, at least not at first.”
“They are not here brother. Where would the witches have taken them?”
“Maybe we would be better equipped to answer that had any of the before mentioned witches stayed in one piece.”
“Yes, yes, I know I should never have acted on instinct alone. Now will you help me rectify this brother. They took her.”
“I know brother, and our sister as well, I shall do everything in my power to-”
“Nik, Elijah, what are you two doing back so soon. We did not expect you for another hour at least.”
“Bekah?” Good, they had gotten there in time, she would be fine.
“Bekah, where is Caroline I do not see her with you.”
“Oh, she’s right over-” His sister had stopped speaking as she gestured towards their now empty booth.
“She’s where sister?” He was beginning to lose his temper again. He had left Caroline with Rebekah for her safety and now it seemed that his sister had left her alone, and now she had been taken.
“Nik, she was right there-” His sister sounded so confused, almost like she couldn’t understand why Caroline wasn’t where she had last seen her.
“When? How long ago did you actually see her? The witches set a trap, they meant to take Caroline all along. If they have taken her recently then there is a chance we will still be able to find them before they hold up somewhere.”
“Well, you see Nik, Stefan and I…”
He didn’t need to hear anymore her guilty look and mention of Stefan had said more than enough. She and her newest fellow had snuck off upstairs for a tryst leaving Caroline on her own.
They left her to be taken.
“Niklaus keep calm, your anger while justified will do nothing to help you save Caroline. You need to keep a level head for the moment.” He heard his brother’s voice, he understood his words, but at the same time what he said held no meaning for him.
“What I need is a sister who isn’t such a whore. I asked one thing of you, ONE THING! I asked you to keep Caroline safe when I am not at her side. In the last nine hundred years, tell me sister, how often have you had to do this for me? Hmmm? How often?”
“Nik please, I-” NO! Now was not the time for pleading. He would not listen to it, not from her, not now, not while Caroline was still so far from his side.
“The answer you are looking for is three. Three times in nine hundred years, that doesn’t seem unreasonable does it? Asking you to do so little for me, while I in turn give you everything. While Caroline goes on shopping trips with you, and talks with you about all the boys you fancy from one moment to the next, while she helps you through each and every heartbreak that you’ve suffered. She has been there for you every day of your miserable little existence and how do you repay her? By leaving her alone to be taken and harmed while you while away the time rutting with your newest boy toy.”
“Niklaus I think-” He did not wait for his brother to finish with his words of reason. Didn’t he understand that the world held no reason without her.
Taking a step forward he backhanded his sister across the room of the crowded club, the impact of her body against the far wall causing the music to stop and every eye in the place to turn his way. That was fine, he loved an audience. If the witches of Chicago thought he had bathed their city in blood before, he was certain they would not know what to think in the days to come. Turning towards Stefan he looked the younger man right in the eyes and spoke as he felt his own begin to dilate with power.
“Stefan, don’t worry I don’t find you as culpable as my dear sister in this mess. In fact I have forgiven you and intend to set you free, but what kind of friend would I be to let you go without a parting gift. You will spend the next three days with no companion by your side but your thirst. You will not leave Chicago for those days, but you will hunt your fill, after the sun sets on the third day you will be free to leave the city limits but you will not remember me, or my family, unless I allow you to. Now, tell me you understand.”
“I understand.” Even as he spoke dark veins were appearing beneath his eyes. At that moment he was a ripper in full form.
“Good boy, bon appetit.”
Turning on his heels he left the club with his siblings at his back and the sound of screams echoing in the night as his compulsion fully took hold of Stefans mind.
“Nik please you can’t-”
“I can, I have, it’s done. Now for you dear sister, I think you’ve become far too spoiled spending so much time with me, your doting brother. I think it’s time you spent more time with the rest of our family.”
He saw the surprise fill her eyes when she felt the dagger pierce her heart, before it quickly began to drain from her like everything else. ” Say hello to Finn and Kol for me would you.”
“Klaus killed his own sister?” She knew the daggers didn’t really kill them, but it was close enough, they were dead to the world after all.
“No, not killed, contained. He boxed her up into a coffin alongside their other brothers Finn and Kol, as far as I know he still hasn’t let any of them out yet.”
“What? It’s been nearly a hundred years.” That was one hell of a long time out.
“Even longer for Kol and Finn. It’s been nearly a hundred years since Rebekah was daggered, the others have been contained for centuries.”
“What about Elijah?” That was the part that didn’t seem to fit.
“What about him?”
“Why did he let Klaus do it, and why hasn’t he let them out himself?” He was their older brother after all, wouldn’t he have wanted to free them.
“Well, as far as I know, Elijah agreed with Klaus about daggering Rebekah. I doubt he realized just how long he would keep her locked away, but she had betrayed them and she needed to be punished. As for why he doesn’t just let them out, rumor is that Klaus plans on letting them all out once the curse is broken. My guess would be he’s just waiting it out, not to mention that it’s been said that Klaus hid the coffins decades ago and even Elijah doesn’t know where to find them.”
“So Klaus is willing to tear his own family apart for Caroline?”
“You’re missing the point. Caroline is his family.”
Yeah, and you do anything for your family.
“So what happened next?”
“Klaus went to find his love, with Elijah at his side.”
Kasey1939 