The Very Next Day

4 - Silas

"What?" Carolines eyes bore into those of her brunette friend. "How?"

"We're not sure. We thought it was Stefan the whole time but we realized the little things he did wrong." The doppleganger rakes a hand through her hair and sighs. "We don't really know where Stefan is either."

"What about everyone else? Are they okay?" Elena nods and the blonde sighs in relief. "Do you have any idea where Stefan is?"

"He uh- he left soon after you." A tear slips from her eye and runs down her cheek. "He's not a vampire anymore."

Caroline is utterly speechless. Her best friend wouldn't be with her forever. "How long?"

"It happened right after you left. Valerie came and siphoned his vampire magic away." She wipes at her eyes.

"Well.. we have to do something about this." The brunette nods as Caroline pulls herself together. "Where's Valerie now?" 

"Buried in the ground." Caroline furrows her eyebrows at her friend. "When Damon found out- figured out what she had done.. he tore her heart out."

"Oh. Wow." Elena nods and heads towards the door. "I'm heading back to Mystic Falls in the morning. If you want to come.."

"I'll come. Is it alright if Klaus comes too?" Being the doppelganger he sacrificed, she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about Klaus. 

"Yeah." Elena leaves the room and reeneters the dining room with Caroline close behind. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Bye Elena." The brunette nods before exiting the room and Caroline turns to Klaus. "I have to go to Mystic Falls."

"Whatever for?" He takes a drink of the bourbon he'd poured and turns to his girlfriend.

"Silas is back and Stefan is human. Bonnie is-." She can't bring herself to say the word as a sob escapes her lips. Klaus speeds over to her and wraps his arms around her. "I wasn't there for her funeral."

"I'm sorry." He smoothes her hair with his hand as she looks up at him. 

"I want you to come with me." His eyes widen slightly at her confession. "I love you Klaus."

"Okay." A fresh tear rolls down her cheek and he wipes it away with the pad of his thumb. "I would do anything for you love."

"You're such a softie." He chuckles under his breath as someone clears their throat. 

"I'm deeply sorry to interrupt but there is a problem." Elijah holds a severed head in his hand. "I found this on the doorstep shortly after Miss Gilbert left."

"You don't think she did this." Caroline shakes her head at Klaus' question.

"No way. She wouldn't." Elijah sets the head on the dining room table and brings his hands together behind his back. "Does anyone have a grudge against you?"

"We're a thousand years old love. Hundreds of people have grudges against us." The blonde examines the way the head was separated from its body. 

"This wasn't a vampire."She points to the jagged cuts along the neckline. "It would have come clean off, no jagged marks. This was done with a knife or something."

"Interesting." He suddenly grabs her hand. "You could be a detective."

"Haha, very funny." He whispers some dirty words in her ear and she slaps his shoulder. "Klaus Mikaelson."

"Can we please not discuss your intentions in bed and find the person who did this?" Caroline nods and her eyes drift to her boyfriend. "Ms. Forbes."

"Oh sorry." She snaps a picture with her phone and quickly sends it to Elena. "Elena might be able to figure this out."

"Okay let's go pack." 

"Where are you going?" Elijah's voice stops them. "New Orleans needs its king right now."

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle brother." Klaus tugs Caroline's hand and she follows him upstairs. 

****

"Jeremy. Put the gun down." The younger Gilbert holds a pistol to his head as tears stream down his cheeks. "Please Jer. Nobody wants you to kill yourself."

"What do you care? No one has even tried to bring Bonnie back." His fingertip rests on the trigger. "Nobody even cared enough to save her."

"Don't you think we didn't try." Matt edges closer to his friend and Jeremy is backed against a wall. "No witch wants to help us Jer."

"I just want to be with her and if killing myself does that then I'll do it." He goes to press the trigger but Matt pounces on him, pulling the gun out of his hand as a shot goes off, hitting the front window of the house and it shatters. "Give it back!"

"I can't Jer." He jumps back as Jeremy lunges at him. "Damon."

"Nice job Donovan." Damon pins Jeremy's arms behind his back and drags him out to his camaro "I'll keep an eye on him until Elena gets back." Even saying her name is a jab to his heart. "Go home, get some rest." He takes his phone out of his pocket as it vibrates.

Hey Damon. I know that I shouldn't be calling you after what happened but I just .. I wanted to know how you were holding up. So um.. call me back. Bye. His heart breaks more at the sound of her voice. She had broken up with him saying that she wasn't in love with him anymore. He had almost switched off his humanity but Alaric had helped him through it. Damon slipped his phone back in his pocket, looking down once at the Gilbert in his back seat sleeping soundly, before getting in the driver's seat and driving off to his home.

****

"Thanks for coming." Elena smiles but it falters when her eyes land on Klaus' hand on her friends leg in the rearview mirror. "We really need the help."

"I would do almost anything for you guys." Her eyes meet Caroline's with an accusing look. "I hope you can accept this."

"I don't know if I can." Her eyes go back to the road as she lets out a huff. "Not after what he did."

"I'm right here Elena." Klaus folds his hands in his lap.

"You. Stay out of this." He holds his hands up in mock surrender as his girlfriend turns back to her friend. "Please Elena. I accepted you and Damon."

"Me and Damon aren't even together anymore." The blondes eyebrows furrow together. "I uh.. I fell out of love with him."

"I'm sorry." Elena stops the car at the nearest gas station as she feels her breath quicken. "Elena? Honey are you okay?"

"No. Not really." Her throat feels like it's swelling and she can't breathe. "Oh god. I can't breathe."

"What's happening? I don't know what's happening Elena." Caroline rubs her friends back as she starts freaking out herself.

"She's having a panic attack." Klaus' voice startles her as her eyes flick to his. "Just whisper soothing words in her ear and rub her back." The blonde does just that and soon her brunette friend is feeling much better. 

"Did I have-." Caroline nods and Elena looks down at her lap as she shakes her head. "That is so embarrassing."

"No it's not hon. When did these start?" Elena explains to Caroline  everything that had happened after she left and she could understand why her best friend was having these panic attacks. "Are you good to drive?"

"No. Can-." Her eyes Klaus' first and he nods. They switch spots and I hop up into the passenger seat. "I'm gonna take a nap."

"We should be home in a few hours." The brunette nods and as soon as her head hits the seat, darkness consumes her.