The One You Once Were

Tears, Blood and a Promise

The stench of blood never vanished. It contaminated the air and forced itself into my mind, making me fight the veins underneath my eyes from showing.

After a while, I could hear slight movements. Kol, Elijah and Finn had awoken.

Their father brought in a girl and forced them to drink her blood once more. Afterwards they left, disappearing into the night. They'd be back by sunrise.

Shortly after, I heard Klaus gasping. I wanted to rush to him but since I was pretending to be dead that choice was anything but smart. The next best thing was to open my eyes a little, so I could at least see him.

He touched his skin with care and disbelief. His wound had already healed, not even leaving a scar behind. His eyes wandered around the room. When he saw Rebekah, still dead, and me, who to him was no longer with the living either, his face dropped.

"Rebekah? Caroline? No! It cannot be!" he panicked. "I cannot lose someone else who is important to me."
Had he just called me important?

Rebekah's eyes flew open and she shot up like she'd had a nightmare. Considering her father had killed her, that was not even far from the truth.

"Rebekah!" Klaus hurried over to his sister.
"Blood," she realized. "What happened?"
"It'll be alright," Klaus said. "We will be alright!"

In that moment the door was pushed open, and their father entered with another girl. His children looked up at them terrified. I was certain, they could sense the pumping veins and beating life force of the poor young woman and were wondering why suddenly every bit of their being wanted to reach out and tear into her.

"What are you doing?" Klaus asked. Hs confused anger was plain to see. Mikael brought the girl closer, pushing her to the ground while talking.
"We must finish what we started. You must drink if you want to live."

Just like that he pulled out a knife and cut the girl's vein open, causing the blood to spurt out and drip down her skin.

Klaus and Rebekah watched, focusing on the red liquid with increasing hunger.

"Drink!" Mikael demanded. Klaus refused, fighting his natural instinct until their father won their short banter. Mikael pushed his son out of the way and turned to his daughter instead. As he took the girl's wrist into his hands, he urged Rebekah's head closer.
"Drink!"

Klaus watched his sister feed, fury and terror carved onto his face. At first, Rebekah struggled, but she was soon taken over by her bloodlust. When she finally stopped, her face told a tale of petrified satisfaction.

I closed my eyes again because Mikael shot a look in my direction. As a vampire he could actually hurt me. I'd die if he ripped my heart out.

I kept pretending my lifelessness even after I heard the man take a leave, scared of how fast he might return. Suddenly I felt a touch on my arm and held back a scream.

"Oh, Caroline, I am so sorry." It was Klaus. He gently caressed my skin.
"I wish I could help you, my love, like you've helped me the past days."

I wasn't able to restrain myself any longer. My eyes shot open and I looked right at him. He was crying.

"Caroline? How are you alive? Did he do the same awful thing to you as he did to us?" he panicked.

"No, don't worry. He intended for me to be your first meal and hit me, but I pretended to be dead and", I came to a halt as I noticed the blood around his mouth. "Are you okay?"

He slightly smiled.
"Here you are, having gone through so much, and yet you worry about me."
"Well, yes." I wiped the tears off his face.

His eyes didn't let me out of sight for even a split second. His emotions were heightened, I knew that very well but the look in his eyes held something more than that.

"Where is Rebekah?" I changed the topic. He cleared his throat and looked around the room.
"She dashed outside to calm herself. All the blood was making her sick."
I nodded.
"What about you? Why didn't you leave for now, to process everything?"

He nuzzled my hair.
"How could I leave when you laid there, cold and lonely?"
I started blushing.
"You stayed for me?"
"Of course."

I suddenly teared up, a sob shaking my body.
"Why are you crying?"
"I don't know," I sobbed. He pulled me closer.

"You were stabbed in front of me! You all were. And then he just," I stopped myself before I revealed information, I couldn't possibly know. He gave me a kiss on the head.

"It's alright, love. I don't know how but we're okay. It's okay."
I grabbed onto his clothes and he pulled me closer to his body.
"Mikael can't know about me being alive. He would kill me right away."

"Do not worry, love. He will not know about it. We can hide you somewhere. Just where?"
"Ayana. I can stay with her," I suggested.
"Good, that's good, yes. I will bring you there."

"That's not necessary. It could cause trouble," I told him. "I will be fine on my own. Tell Mikael that you couldn't stand seeing my dead body, so you got rid of it, okay?"
I slowly moved away from him.

"I have to go, before your father returns. We'll see each other tomorrow night, okay? And please, watch out for your siblings and yourself. You need each other now."
"I need you as well though," he said.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I tenderly touched his cheek and felt him tense. Startled, I pulled back and headed to the exit.

"Caroline." Klaus was behind me in an instant, his hand reaching out for a moment. Uncertain, he dropped it again and swallowed hard. I had almost forgotten, he was able to use vampire speed now. "Be careful, please. I cannot lose you. Promise me."

A smile crossed my lips.
"I promise."