Unexpected Encounters (SPN/TVD)

Chapter 7

Klaus

Klaus buried Tyler where nobody would ever find the body, and was just entering the Salvatore mansion once more when he heard Elena answer the phone.

"Hello?" she greeted, water running and making it clear that the phone would be on speaker as her hands were occupied.

"Elena, it's me." Klaus went absolutely still for a moment and then flashed to the kitchen even as Elena's voice went shrill with surprise.

"Caroline! Where are you! We've been looking everywhere for you! Stefan thought you'd been kidnapped by someone who claims to be the King of Hell, whatever that means, and that Tyler ran you into him, the low life bastard." Klaus stood in the doorway, and Elena looked up at him, breaking off and waiting for Caroline to respond. When she didn't, Elena piped up again. "Caroline? Where are you? Are you safe?" Klaus could taste Elena's worry and it only acted as a fuel for his own.

"I'm safe." she said, but the words were bitten off as if she wasn't allowed to say more. The thought made Klaus angrier but he didn't speak yet and Elena looked between him and the phone before speaking again.

"Were you actually kidnapped by the King of Hell or whatever that means?"

"I can tell you he isn't nicknamed that for his shining personality." Was Caroline's reply but it was pained, proving just how much Crowley had hurt her and it tore a low growl from Klaus' throat. Elena looked up in alarm but he was still staring at the phone.

"Care, why won't you tell me where you are?" they both practically heard her swallow before she spoke.

"It isn't safe. I-" she broke off for a second. "I escaped. He didn't let me go. He's looking for me." there was fear there now, just a taste of it, and it made Klaus want to run to her and wrap her up in his arms, killing anybody who dare approach her, but of course he knew he couldn't do that yet. He had a sudden thought that her clipped answers were due to something more than just being in hiding and he reached for the pad of paper on the kitchen counter, grabbing a pen as well. He scribbled on it and turned it towards Elena, who frowned but nodded.

"How did you escape, Care? Are you alone?" there was a moment of blaring silence during which Klaus realized she wasn't alone and it became all too obvious why she sounded a little bit distant – it was because she wasn't actually by the phone which meant it didn't belong to her and somebody else was in the room with her.

"No, I'm not alone." she finally replied after a pregnant pause. "I got help from – well you're never going to believe this – a pair of hunters." Elena and Klaus exchanged looks of alarm, and in the back of his mind he found it amusing how well they were getting along considering how many times he'd tried to kill her, but he brushed that aside.

"Hunters, Care?" Elena asked, not hiding her skepticism, and on the other end of the line Caroline paused again. They heard her give a huff of annoyance before she spoke again.

"Yeah, hunters. Who apparently want to remain anonymous while they decide that I can't come back to Mystic Falls because it's too dangerous but who incidentally couldn't have escaped without me either." her words clearly weren't aimed at Elena and there was a gruff sound of annoyance on the other end of the line. A very male sound of annoyance.

"Caroli-" the male voice grew muffled and they realized the mouthpiece was covered, presumably to hide the conversation from those on the other end of the line. They both drew closer to the phone, frowning, and caught Caroline's voice, seething with anger.

"Seriously? I swear to god-"

"Bite me, sweetheart." Klaus stiffened at the pet name and Elena, without even thinking, reached out a hand of comfort. Both of them looked at her hand on his arm in surprise, but neither of them moved, both turning back to the phone instead.