Changeless ( Sequel Of Timeless.)

Chapter 8

Stefan arrived at the Mikaelson mansion and they all watched as Klaus pulled the dagger out of Kol's heart. They all knew that when Kol woke up, he would be angry. It would be Stefan's job to help Klaus make sure Kol didn't cause too much damage with his temper tantrum. "It's not really a tantrum when you were the dick who daggered him in the first place," Stefan commented, not thrilled that he was volunteered to help with Kol control. Klaus would be impervious to Kol's more violent nature, Stefan on the other hand, could actually be killed.

Klaus ignored him, wiping the blood from the dagger and taking it away to hide it once again. Caroline remained, staring at Kol's greyed skin and closed eyes. Her fingers curled around the coffin, just brushing the lush, pillowed interior of Kol's resting place. Bonnie came up beside her.

"I don't know," she said. "I think I like him better this way." Caroline snorted out a laugh and Bonnie smiled. "Not randomly showing up at the grill on a Friday night and pretending that we had plans to have a date and it must have slipped my mind."

"That was a bold move," Caroline recalled.

Bonnie scoffed. "Yeah if by bold you mean irritating."

It would be a few hours or so until the sleeping Original came back to the world. The foursome split up, to pass the time until Kol awoke.

Klaus stashed Vaughn in what Caroline and Stefan referred to as his Red Room of Pain. He chained the hunter up and left him to hang for the time being, until they might need him again.

Bonnie retreated to the library with Shane's book of Runes, still attempting to translate anything. They were hoping that Kol would get over his anger quickly and be willing to help them.

Stefan lounged in one of the sitting rooms with a bottle of scotch, waiting for the moment he was needed. Even though he complained about helping Klaus, Caroline suspected that he was secretly glad to do it; perhaps not as a result of any friendly feelings toward Klaus, but because it got his mind off Elena and Damon.

Caroline slipped out the back door and headed for the garden, seeking a quiet place of her own. It was her favorite part of Klaus's home.

In a mansion of that size, finding solitude wasn't usually such a difficult task. The Mikaelsons's home had been different. Rebekah always seemed to be flitting from room to room, talking about redecorating and making some sort of plans, or just chattering away to Caroline. Kol always had a knack for popping up at inopportune times-or maybe opportune moments, from his point of view. Sometimes even finding a moment or two away from Klaus was difficult. Not that she didn't love being with him every moment she could, but she didn't want to be co-dependent. A girl needed her space.

Things had changed now. Kol had been daggered, Rebekah was missing, and Elijah had been away for months now in parts unknown-what was once a warm, welcoming place now seemed like an empty tomb.

She walked to the gazebo, taking a seat in the large swing in the center of it. Floral cushions welcomed her body and she laid back and closed her eyes, pulling in a deep, soothing breath.

The gazebo had been a birthday present from Klaus, modeled after a gazebo that she had spent many lazy hours lounging in when they were staying in the south of France. She had enjoyed waking up early in the mornings, watching the sun rise with a cup of peach tea, and letting the motion of the swing rock her into contentment. In that swing she had dreamed about her future, ignoring how silly it might be to do so. She thought about what it would be like to marry Klaus, even if she didn't want to make that commitment for many, many years.

Caroline knew that she spent too much of her teen years watching and loving romantic movies. She would use them for inspiration, picturing herself in a white dress, train flowing behind her as she stepped toward Klaus. She imagined what his tuxedo would look like, black with a little blue flower pinned to his jacket, the color bringing out his eyes. He would protest, of course, but she would insist.