Body & Soul - Klaus Mikaelson

Thirty

The other side of the bed is cold when I wake. Caroline's form isn't lying next to me like it she last night. I roll onto my back, staring at the ceiling feeling hollow. Her house feels hollow. Though Bill Forbes couldn't find it in himself to be here, and Liz was always at work, the house always seemed full. It's as if the one lost soul that used to live here emptied the entire house all on its own.

It echos. Mine did too when the first soul left. Then two more did and the house rattled under my footsteps. It felt like the roof was going to cave in. Coming home to that house for the first time after leaving it for three months was the scariest thing. There was no one to welcome me home, no one to say hello to. It was a shell, one I couldn't live in.

Caroline's home has had an echo for years since Bill dipped from her life. But he was still out there somewhere, available when he wanted to be a proper father. Now he's gone and now the echo is real. Bill Forbes isn't out in the world just a phone call away. He's gone. If he's lucky, he found peace. 

Taking a heavy breath, I swing my legs from underneath her covers.  I can hear her moving downstairs. I pull myself out of her bed. I pull clothes from her closet, configuring something that looks like an outfit that I would wear. 

I trudge down the stairs, freezing at the bottom as I listen to Tyler's voice ringing through the air. He sounds tired, exhausted as if the road has a heavy burden. It is, at least he has a destination. Some of us travel without one and that's even more exhausting. 

I watch Caroline's face fall at his confession. I want obvious to Tyler running off without telling her. I know how much it hurts her. I know how much she really needed him last night and he was nowhere to be found. I watch her shoulders sag again as I continue to listen. City sent me somewhere safe, somewhere people can help. 

She glances at me with heavy eyes as the message finishes. They're a mix of regret and thankfulness. Regret that he's not here but thankful that he's somewhere safe. Somewhere he can get help. I know she'll help him. Just like she helped me. 

The messge ends withe a beep. Caroline glances at the floor, "Thank you, City."

I nod, "Of course."

"Is he safe?"

I give her a small reassuring smile, "I sent him to see a friend. I trust them more than most."

She nods, "Does...does Klaus know?"

I try to hide the hurt from my face at her words. I doubt Klaus has noticed the absence of Tyler Lockwood, his focus has been on his family. Even if he did, I'd gladly take the blame for Tyler's sudden disappearance. Klaus doesn't need to know where he is or what he is doing. Tyler needs his freedom and I'll be the first person to help him get it, regardless of the consequences with Klaus. 

It hurts. Her trust is fading and I can't quite pinpoint where it began to deteriorate. I've ignored it. I've ignored all the signs that all the others have slowly begun to trust me less the closer I get to Klaus, the more I accept what I have with him. It's the simple details that they omit. Our negotiations for peace which was actually just a scheme to overthrow Klaus. The way that Damon now lies to me straight up rather than omitting the details that were never really important. 

They're changing. I guess I am too. It's been years since I've been able to trust someone new. Klaus is slowly gaining that trust with each passing night. Regardless, that doesn't steal from the trust I have with my friends, the ones I depend on every day. I didn't expect everything to be perfect when I finally admitted what I had with Klaus to them, but I didn't expect them to completely pull away from me. I didn't expect them to entirely revoke the trust we had just months early.