The Monster Underneath [FINISHED]

Chapter 15: Mikael

Caroline opens the door to the barn and peeks her head in. When she sees that it's empty she opens the door completely and steps into the middle of the room. "Hello?" Something speeds past behind her and Caroline whips her body around. "Is someone there?"

"My dear Caroline, how lovely you still look." Caroline whips back around to face the man who had ruined her life.

"Mikael." The words are lined with malice.

"Surprised I'm still alive?" Mikael smirks and twirls the wooden stake between his fingers. "Niklaus could never find me, not with all the witches I have protecting me."

"You mean these witches?" Caroline points to the open barn door as Mikael's 'witches' pour into the room. Mikael gapes and his face whips to Caroline with a glare.

"How did you get them?" Caroline smirks and crosses her arms over her chest.

"That's none of your business, now is it?" Mikael's face scrunches up and he speeds over to one of the witches only to be stopped by Klaus, the wooden stake dropping from his fingers and clattering to the floor.

"Keep your monstrous hands off of them." Both men struggle as Klaus starts pushing Mikael towards the wall. Mikael is about to break free when Kol and Elijah speed in and help Klaus pin him to the wall. Caroline looks to her right when Esther walks out of the shadows with a white oak stake in her left hand.

"Esther." Mikael's eyes widen when he sees her, the love of his life. His eyes slide down to land on the white oak stake and he frowns. "What are you doing?"

"Ending this." As Esther approaches Mikael, her sons move to his side still holding him. "I'm so sorry, my love." Mikael pleads with her as she raises the white oak stake into the air. He gasps as Esther slams into his chest and they all back up as Mikael bursts into flames. His body slides to the ground and the flames die down to reveal a charred body.

"Let's go." Klaus grabs Caroline's wrist and starts pulling her away but she tugs her arm out of his grasp. "Caroline."

"Esther." The original witch stands staring blankly at the corpse of her beloved. "Esther." Esther snaps out of her daze when the female vampire touches her shoulder.

"Y-yes?" Caroline frowns and then wraps her arms around the older woman in a hug and Esther finally breaks down as the sobs rack her body.

"It'll be okay." She rubs Esther's back and then backs away when the older woman stops crying. "You should go home and lie down." Esther nods and walks away slowly on trembling legs. "Nik we have to bury him."

"Bury this bastard? He doesn't deserve a-." Caroline holds her hand up to stop him.

"I know how he felt about you, believe me, I do. But your mother still loved him and you should respect that." Klaus goes to talk but Caroline holds up her hand yet again. "Please."

"I'll compel some men from town." When Caroline goes to object Klaus continues. "I want to show you something."

****

Caroline adjusts the gloves on her hand as she and Klaus walk up to the building. Klaus points up and she gasps. Princess Caroline Forbes Memorial. "For me?" Klaus nods and she smiles as a tear falls down her face.

"They would have a picture up but they weren't available in the 18th century." Caroline giggles and then turns to Klaus. "What?"

"You really missed me that much huh?" Caroline bites her lip and then smiles as Klaus's head falls on her shoulder. "Klaus." He raises his head back up and smiles at her.

"I missed you that much." Caroline's smile grows wider and she leans forward to press her lips to his. Her hands rest on his neck after the kiss as she leans her forehead against his with a smile on both of their faces. They're interrupted by someone clearing their throat. They both turn to see a man standing in front of the memorial building with a camera in his hands. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I uh- I was wondering if I could get a picture of the both of you in front of the memorial. The author Arthur Matelli needs a cover for his book and you two look like the main characters. It's astonishing really."

"Wow, that's amazing." Caroline looks over at Klaus with a quizzical look and he can't say no. "Yay."

"Okay, just stand there in front of the fountain." The man points to the fountain and tells them how to position themselves. After he snaps a few pictures, he pulls the camera down and gives them the number to call if they want a free book. Caroline smiles and thanks him as he walks away.

"Wow, we're going to be on a book cover." She turns to Klaus and then takes his hand. "Come on, let's go back. I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are."

****

Bonnie paces the room as she stares at the space that Caroline had disappeared from. She looks up when Elena enters the room. "What?"

"I was just coming to see how Care was doing. Where is she?" Bonnie bites her lip as she looks away from Elena's eyes. "Bonnie!"

"It wasn't my fault. Some other witch did this." Elena furrows her eyebrows. "I think it was past Esther bringing Caroline back for something. It must be important if she had to grab her from the future."

"Is Klaus gone too?" Bonnie is about to answer when Klaus walks through the door holding his head.

"What is this sorcery witch?" He winces as more memories flood through his mind. "Why do new memories of Caroline keep appearing in my mind?"

"Esther pulled her out of this time and into another. That must be why you're receiving those memories. You're probably just remembering Caroline when she first came back." Klaus winces again and then gasps as he holds his head and falls to his knees on the floor.

"Make it stop. Bring her back." Klaus crawls forward while still holding his head and grips the couch with his other hand. "BRING HER BACK!"

"I can't. Your mother is too strong in the past, we have to wait for Caroline to make her way back on her own." Bonnie walks past Klaus as he pulls himself onto the couch and to a table in the back of the room. "I'll make something to help you endure the pain."

****

Bonnie hands a vial of liquid and Klaus takes it hesitantly. "Just drink it."

"The memories of her are from 1954." Klaus downs the contents of the vial and sets it on the table. "I remember heavily feeding on humans then, I was upset about something but I had no idea what it was."

"Guess it was about Caroline." Bonnie starts cleaning up the room. "That warlock erased your entire memory and your family was powerless to stop it."

"We had no idea he was a warlock, do not blame it on us." Bonnie smiles as she picks the last book up off the floor. "What are you on about over there?"

"You know even without those memories, Caroline still found herself falling in love with you." Klaus's face softens and Bonnie smiles again. "She found the good in the worst monster in the world."

"She did, didn't she?" Bonnie was surprised. She had been expecting Klaus to scream at her or threaten to kill her entire family for that comment but instead he'd been calm. In his own little world.