Punishment

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything and all of it belongs to those who created ‘The Vampire Diaries.’

There is a multi-part drabble that will begin mildly dark and adult and then steadily get more adult and dark as it goes. This first chapter is fairly light with a few swear words here and there.

Caroline Forbes was very nervous.  Nervous never suited her though as she paced the halls of her house at midnight because she was unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she was afraid Klaus would come barreling through her front door with an army of compelled vampires to drag her away. Tyler had seriously screwed up, and Caroline felt sorry for him. Now they were all at risk because they had all been dragged into Tyler’s plan to take down Klaus. At first she’d pitied Klaus, even felt guilty about manipulating him again. Now all she felt was a burning hate because of what he’d done to Carol Lockwood and the twelve hybrids in Tyler’s pack.

Tyler wasn’t answering her phone calls either. He wouldn’t talk to anyone and he was hiding out at his house on a sofa drinking beer and watching re-runs of his favorite TV shows.  He was paranoid and scared now, constantly watching his back because he felt like Klaus was coming for him at any moment, just like everyone else felt.

The beginnings of Caroline’s troubles began however the day she found a note on her pillow one morning a month after Carol Lockwood died.  It had simply read:

I prefer you in red.

Caroline snorted at this brash comment and crumpled the delicate piece of paper up in her hand, tossing it into the trash can beside her desk across the room. She had a very good idea who the note was from, as she finished zipping up her sky blue cocktail dress. She was helping to host a party for the new mayor of the town, Bonnie’s own Dad Rudy Hopkins.  When Caroline was finished getting ready she went downstairs and grabbed her car keys out of the bowl by the door, calling to her Mom with a cheerful tone “I’m off to the event, see you there!”

Caroline heard her mother call back in response with a sober tone of “See you there Caroline, be safe!”

The drive to the event was normal, the sun was out and shining and people were mowing their lawns and checking the mail.  It was a typical Saturday morning, the sound of one of her favorite bands ‘Muse’ blasting on her stereo as she sang along with it cheerfully. Caroline was determined to stay positive about all of this even if everyone else had sunk into an abyss of depression.  She parked her car outside of the founder’s manor house which was a respective and tastefully decorated building smack dab in the middle of Mystic Falls.  It was the center of all respectful government functions such as this one to which Caroline was lucky enough to organize.

“Morning!” Caroline said politely with a bright smile as she weaved her way through the crowd of people already gathering inside the building, “Oh, Elena!” Caroline said, waving her best friend over.

“Hey,” Elena said with a soft smile as she brushed a stray lock of dark hair back behind her ear.

“Hey how are you?” Caroline asked with a half-smile.

“I’m alright…you know…taking it day by day.” Elena said with a sigh and a nod.

“I hope that maybe…maybe we can put our differences behind us a little?” Caroline asked hesitantly, her eyebrows raising hopefully.

“I can’t pretend I’m not still mad about what you did Caroline,” Elena began slowly, “you had no right to tell Stefan about me and Damon.”

“I know,” Caroline said quietly, “and I’m sorry about that really…he backed me into a corner and I couldn’t just let him go on thinking that he still had a chance. I mean….I felt bad for him…he loves you so much and it wasn’t fair to just let him go on thinking…”Caroline trailed off at the sad look on Elena’s face.

“Yeah I know, you’re right,” Elena said quietly, “so let’s just…get this day over with and talk about all of this later.”

Caroline nodded, knowing that it would take a lot more than just a small apology to smooth over the wrinkles in the fabric of her friendship with Elena. Caroline had told Stefan something personal and it had created such havoc between the Salvatore brothers and Elena that she thought Elena would never forgive her.  Their lives were still trying to settle back into a normal rhythm, what with the aftermath of Rebekah and Kol trapping them in their own school and terrorizing them for hours on end until Klaus himself had shown up to end the fight.  Rebekah was keen on their destruction and now that Klaus had made up with his siblings they posed even more of a threat.

“Hey, you guys ready?” Jeremy asked as he approached them with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah, let me get my speech out,” Caroline said as she dug through her pretty teal colored purse and brandished a couple of cue cards from a side pocket. She caught Jeremy staring at her and flashed him a polite smile, looking at him expectantly, “hey, are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy said with a half-smile and turned his gaze away, “I’m doing ok.”

Jeremy had been practicing being a hunter for over a month now with Klaus as his personal tutor. Despite the odds that were against them all Klaus was still bent on finding a cure for Elena and though he had a personal vendetta to settle against them all he took the time out of his busy world domination schedule to teach Jeremy how to fight. Damon didn’t exactly approve of it, but he didn’t have much of a choice considering that Klaus threatened to rip his tongue if he didn’t shut up and let Klaus do as he pleases.

Not that it would stop Damon from speaking his mind anyways.

“If Ms. Caroline Forbes would come to the stage please?” called one of the guests from the stage, waving Caroline over cheerfully with a polite smile.

“Oh that’s me,” Caroline said with a smile and handed Elena her purse, the cue cards clutched tightly in her hands as she walked with a dignified grace towards the stage. She was once Ms. Mystic Falls after all, she had to look good.

Once on stage Caroline gave them all an epic speech about Carol Lockwood, complete with video display behind her in memory of the former mayor. “and now,” Caroline said with a polite and graceful smile on her lips as she turned to face Rudy Hopkins at the side of the stage, “I would like to introduce to you the new mayor of Mystic Falls, Mr. Rudy Hopkins.” Caroline said with a bright smile and clapped along with the others as Rudy Hopkins took the stage and Caroline stepped aside, letting him perform his speech.  Caroline carefully climbed down off the stage and went to meet Elena and Jeremy over by the champagne table, looking between them both expectantly. “Well, how was it?”

“It was good,” Elena said with a nod, “you did good.”

“Thank you,” Caroline said with a happy smile, “I was worried I might have sounded a bit edgy.”

“Well considering who’s got a personal vendetta against us I can’t blame you for being nervous,” Jeremy said with a shrug as he reached for a glass of champagne only to have Elena swat his hand away and glare at him with a shake of her head.

“Oh come on, nobody’s going to notice Elena,” Jeremy said irritably.

“No,” Elena said pointedly through gritted teeth and then turned to flash a dazzling smile at Mr. Hopkins when he approached them.

“I hope you all enjoyed my speech,” he said with a polite smile.

“Oh it was wonderful, really great,” Caroline said with a charming grin.

“I was hoping to find Bonnie here,” Hopkins said thoughtfully as he glanced around the crowd.

“Bonnie’s not feeling to well,” Elena told him regretfully, “she was going to come but she decided to stay in bed today.”

“Oh,” Hopkins nodded, “I’ll have to go by and see her sometime today then.”

“I’m sure she’d like that,” Elena said with a polite smile.

No she wouldn’t.

Caroline thought quietly to herself, carefully keeping the charming grin on her lips as Hopkins turned to motion someone over, “hey guys I want you to meet one of our generous donators towards the event.” Hopkins stated as a very familiar set of blue eyes and a striking smirk came into view. Caroline’s grin faltered, Jeremy almost chocked on the glass of (non-alcoholic) sparkling cider, and Elena’s eye twitched ever so slightly in one corner.

Klaus smiled charmingly at them all and then turned that same bright smile on Hopkins who patted his back cheerfully. “Klaus has been such a help in these tragic turn of events. What with Mayor Lockwood’s death and all…he’s been such great support to us all.”

“Has he,” Caroline said with a grin that was just a little bit too bright.

“Oh don’t act so surprised Caroline,” Klaus said with a smile as his gaze met hers, “you know I’m nothing but generous.”

“Oh yes,” Caroline replied as she suppressed the urge to yank the wine glass from Jeremy’s hands and throw the contents in Klaus’s face, “very generous.”

Klaus smirked at her and then shifted his gaze to Hopkins, “I think I’ll go mingle with the other guests for a bit Rudy.”

“Oh of course,” Hopkins nodded politely, “enjoy.”

“Oh I will,” Klaus said with a dazzling smile as he raised his champagne glass towards Caroline and the others, though his gaze was on Caroline as he did it, “Oh and congratulations on your success by the way.”

“Thank you Klaus,” Rudy said with a smile and watched him go.

“I need to go check on the appetizers,” Caroline said suddenly and grabbed Elena’s hand, “Elena would you help me?”

“Yeah sure,” Elena said, sensing the urgency in Caroline’s voice and followed her to the kitchens.

“Ok, what the hell is he doing here?” Caroline snapped irritably as they burst into the kitchen.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Elena said with a sigh.

“What the hell is this whole thing about him donating money? His name wasn’t on the list! I would know Elena, I made the list!” Caroline said through gritted teeth.

“Ok let’s just calm down for a minute ok?” Elena said taking a deep breath, “Nobody knows what Klaus did and he’s probably just doing this to piss us off.”

“How dare he come here! How dare he act like a fucking saint after everything he’s done!” Caroline snarled angrily.

“Easy Caroline,” Elena hissed as she glanced around at the chefs who had stopped to stare at them, “Just calm down.” Caroline took a deep breath and relaxed her tensed shoulders before catching sight of the entrée’s sitting on the counter.

“What the hell is that?” Caroline asked with a frown as she looked at a nearby chef, “I said I wanted spinach artichoke dip on rice crackers,” Caroline said steadily as she tried not to snap at the chef in question, “not Ritz crackers with olive oil dip…this is a government event not a picnic, fix it!”

“Caroline,” Elena said firmly, seeing that her friend was about to go on a rampage.

“I’m fine…” Caroline said as she took a deep breath, “it’s fine…whatever…it’s fine.”

“I’m sorry,” The chef said politely as he rushed over to fix the entrees, “I must have misread the information slip.”

“I made a list!” Caroline snapped, “Does nobody ever read the list?”

“Caroline,” Elena said patiently and Caroline paused, closing her eyes as she took in a deep breath. She couldn’t let Klaus-mother-fucking-annoying-bastard Mikaelson get to her.

“Let’s go get some fresh air alright?” Elena offered helpfully.

“No,” Caroline said with a frown as she shook her head and tried to recover her rational mind, “I need to go and make sure the dinner tables are ready for tonight.”

Elena sighed and watched Caroline go, her friend firmly on a rampage of control-freak behavior.

 

Later that evening when the dinner had been completed and Caroline had ensured that not one thing had gone wrong she deemed it necessary to go home and have a nice hot bath.  She deserved it after all, having to tolerate Klaus being present for the event even though he was careful to stay out of her sight for the remainder of the evening.

Somebody seriously needed to clue Rudy Hopkins in on Klaus.

When she got home she haphazardly took of her cocktail dress and tossed it on her bed and went to start the bath. Klaus had gone way to far today, Caroline thought bitterly as she undressed and sank into the warm of the bath. He’d done horrible things here lately and now he was acting like he was the one single handling saving the town from certain doom.

She wanted to punch him in his smirking handsome face.

 

When she finished her bath she dried off and pulled on a silk sleep shirt, wrapping a warm fluffy light blue robe on over it.  Upon entering her room however she saw on her pillow another note. Caroline picked it up and glared at it, staring down at the neatly scrolled words across what appeared to be tinted parchment, it read:

I changed the list.

“That bastard!” Caroline shrieked and tossed the note into the garbage. He was not only screwing with their lives but now he was screwing with her carefully organized and tastefully designed events.

 Nobody messed her events damnit.

Caroline huffed a little too dramatically and shut off her bedside lamp before tossing her robe onto her desk chair and climbing into bed.  Tomorrow she had go into town and help organize the yearly fundraiser event that sponsor’s the town remodeling.  Tomorrow Caroline was determined to have a Klaus free day in which she would handle the organizing and make sure it goes perfectly without a hitch.

The next day Caroline was not prepared for what happened next. She was on her way into the large white tent where the fundraiser was being set up and came face to face with Barbie Klaus herself.

“Rebekah,” Caroline said with pressed lips, “what a surprise.”

“Good Morning,” Rebekah said so cheerfully Caroline could have punched her in the face.

“What is this?” Caroline asked, noting that the decorations were very different from what Caroline had ordered weeks ago.

“This is the fundraising event that I’m setting up,” Rebekah said pointedly with raised eyebrows.

“No,” Caroline said firmly, “you know what I mean…where are the decorations I ordered…not to mention this is my fundraising event and I’m setting it up.”

“Not anymore you aren’t,” Rebekah said with that same sweet cheerful voice and that same sappy bright smile. ‘

“What does that mean?” Caroline said indignantly.

“It means that mayor Hopkins is fond of my brother and rather liked my idea on the fundraiser so he’s letting me organize it now, though if you really want to help there are some dishes in the back that need to be washed.”

Caroline stared at her with wide eyes, her mouth gapping open in shock as Rebekah turned and walked off with a spring in her step. Then after blinking several times and opening and shutting her mouth like a fish out of water Caroline turned and stormed off out of the tent.

“Son of a__” Caroline cut off as her mother turned to wave her over. Caroline took a deep breath and walked over to her Mom who was standing with Rudy Hopkins.

“Caroline, good morning,” Hopkins said politely with a smile, “I’m sorry about that, I had meant to call and warn you ahead of time but I was so busy this morning I forgot. I hope you don’t mind…I really liked Ms. Mikaelson’s ideas.”

“No,” Caroline said through gritted teeth as she forced a smile on her face, her Mother edging closer to her as she sensed the tension in Caroline’s stance, “Not at all.”

“Wonderful,” Hopkins said with a smile, “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind. I just feel like it’s time for a fresh outlook you know? Something new and exciting.”

“Oh course,” Caroline said with a smile and a nod, “I absolutely agree with you.”

“Caroline, I’ll be home late tonight,” her mother cut in gently, “Mayor Hopkins wants me to go over the town’s emergency protocols with him,” Liz Forbes said pointedly and Caroline nodded in understanding. The newly reinstated sheriff was referring to the town’s protocols against vampires.

“Ok, well…I’ll see you later tonight then I guess,” Caroline said with a smile and excused herself from the conversation. She drove home in silence, the anger she felt burning just under the surface. It did not help when she came home and found a package on her doorstep with her name on it.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Caroline growled under her breath as she picked it up and carried it inside. The box was wrapped in pretty red shimmery wrapping with a bright red bow wrapped around it. She stared at it and refused to open it, choosing to stuff it in her closet and slam the door shut with a rough growl in her voice.  She knew exactly who it was from and she was going to kick his ass if he kept screwing with her like this.

It was around midnight when the sound of ringing could be heard and stirred Caroline from her sleep. She sat up groggily and checked her cellphone on her bedside table but it wasn’t the culprit in question. So Caroline got out of bed and went towards the closet where she could faintly here the sound of a cell phone beeping in response to a text message.

“What…the hell…” Caroline said tiredly as she opened her closet and pulled out the large red box. Upon opening it she found a fancy looking touch screen phone that probably cost more than what she earned for an entire summer once working at the grill. Underneath the phone was a crimson silk negligée that made Caroline flush deeply and shove the suspicious lingerie back in the box with wide eyes. “Creeper…he’s a fucking creeper,” Caroline said aloud until she caught sight of the text message on the phone.

How do you destroy someone?

 

Those words left Caroline haunted for the rest of the night. Why would he text her something like that? What was his game anyways? Why the hell was he doing this to her? It wasn’t she murdered his hybrids herself or anything. Sure she helped Tyler set them free but she never intended for Tyler to do what he did, she never intended for Klaus to get locked in a damn box. I mean sure she went along with it, but deep down just like Stefan she’d felt guilty about doing it in the first place.

Caroline threw the phone out of her window before she’d gone to bed that night and much to her horror and dismay she found it sitting on her window ceil the next morning.  She then promptly dropped it into the garbage can outside her house on her way to school.

School went by quickly, and on her way out to practice Rebekah had caught up with her, the sound of her fancy heels clicking across the linoleum tile floor making Caroline grit her teeth in irritation.

“Caroline,” she began casually as she approached her.

“What?” Caroline said irritably.

“I’ve got practice today,” Rebekah told her pointedly, “Coach Drancy wants me to led the team tonight.”

“What?” Caroline asked in confusion, “I’m captain of the cheerleaders…I get to lead the team tonight.”

“Not anymore apparently,” Rebekah said as she shrugged casually, “she wants me to lead tonight.”

“This is such bullshit!” Caroline snarled angrily, “what the hell is your problem anyways? Why is your freaky ass brother doing this to me?”

Rebekah raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at Caroline incredulously, “My brother has nothing to do with your poor task management skills. You’ve been slacking off a lot lately Caroline and coach Drancy probably just got tired of it.”

“Whatever,” Caroline snorted and turned to walk off.

“Caroline,” Rebekah said after a long pause as she watched Caroline walk off.

“What?” Caroline snapped angrily and spun around to look at Rebekah.

“You dropped this,” Rebekah said and tossed her something sleek and black. Caroline caught it clumsily and stared down at it. Caroline opened her mouth to protest but when she looked up Rebekah was already gone.

It was the cell phone.

And it was beeping again.

When Caroline hit the unlock button she noticed a new text was waiting for her, this time it read:

Start with what they most hold dear.

Caroline growled in irritation and shoved the phone roughly into her pocket before heading out to her car. When she got home she found the red box was back on her bed and the suspicious looking negligee was spread out neatly on her bed.

“Ew,” Caroline said aloud as if he could hear her, “you’re such a pervert.”

Caroline then took both the red silk and lace lingerie and put it into the box before dumping them both into the trash can outside her house.  Once that was done and over with Caroline went back into the house and made dinner for her Mom.

Later that evening Caroline had fallen asleep on her downstairs couch watching a ‘Dancing with The Stars’ re-run when the tell-tale ringing began.  Caroline grumbled something incoherent and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  She had set the phone down on the coffee table in front of the couch and picked it up haphazardly, her fingers fumbling with the buttons until the text popped up on the screen.

I Rather Liked that Negligee.

Caroline rolled her eyes and tossed the phone back down on the coffee table before going back to sleep. An hour later the ringing happened again and this time Caroline growled and sat up, her fingers fumbling with the buttons once more.

You should be in bed.

“Please tell me you’re not being creepy right now and watching me through the window or something,” Caroline said aloud into the darkness of her mother’s living room.

It was only making Caroline a little bit nervous that he was texting her things like this. She was trying not to over think the situation as she irritably shut the phone off and tossed it into the kitchen trash can.

The next morning she woke up to find a note sitting on the pillow beside her head. Caroline sat up and stared down at it, wondering how close he had to have gotten in order to put the note there on the pillow beside her.

I take it you don’t like my gifts?

“Fucking weirdo,” Caroline grumbled and tossed the note into the trash can.

School was the same as and so was the car ride home.  The day came and went and she hadn’t heard a peep out of Klaus. It made her nervous because she wondered what he was up too. He was making her edgy and paranoid, jumping at every little sound she heard. Rebekah was annoying as ever with her weird perky attitude and her ‘world domination’ face.  It took Caroline all of her will power not to corner Rebekah and find out exactly what was going on and why Klaus was doing it.

She got the answer to that question when she came home and found him sitting on her bed.

“What are you doing here?” Caroline asked irritably as she entered her room.

“You’ve been ignoring me, I thought I’d drop by for a visit,” Klaus said with a smirk as he got to his feet.

“Get out,” Caroline said firmly, “You might scare everybody else in this town but I’m sure as hell not going to run away like they are.”

“Brilliant,” he said with a grin, “I like that….I don’t want you to run…it’s a lot more fun to break you that way.”

Caroline’s face dropped at his words and she suppressed the urge to take a step back as he approached her. He seemed to have completely ignored her request and chose rather to go into her closet, retrieving the red box Caroline was certain she’d thrown out days ago.

“I rather fancy this,” Klaus said as he removed the negligee from the box.

“Good, you wear it,” Caroline said cheekily.

“I’d much rather you model it for me,” Klaus said with a hint of darkness in his eyes that made Caroline flush pink.

“Get out,” Caroline repeated firmly, “and take your dirty lingerie with you.”

“Oh this is imported silk and lace,” Klaus chuckled, “Only the best for you darling.”

 “What do you want?” Caroline snapped at him.

Klaus grinned at her, his burning gaze darting across her body in one quick sweep before meeting her gaze again, “I’ve got an agenda to see too. Let’s put it that way.”

“What kind of agenda?” Caroline said steadily, trying to keep her temper under control.

“I told you,” Klaus said as his smirk faltered and his face became serious, “I asked you once didn’t I?”

“Asked me what?” Caroline asked in confusion.

“How do you destroy someone?” Klaus responded easily.

“Stop it,” Caroline said fiercely, “stop trying to threaten me.”

“Who ever said I was doing this to threaten you love?” Klaus asked with raised eyebrows.

“You have destroyed everything I worked so hard to achieve!” Caroline snarled at him, “I worked for ages to become part of the organizing council; I worked my ass off all summer to be cheerleading captain, not to mention you ruined a perfectly good event with your trashy appetizers.”

Klaus chuckled, “I admit it was terrible, though it was rewarding enough to see that look on your face when they brought out the horse radish dip.”

Caroline glared at him and gritted her teeth, “you embarrassed me!”

“You and your mongrel hybrid lover destroyed my only chance at having my own species,” Klaus said darkly as he met her gaze, “I thought it was only fair I return the favor.”

“You were enslaving them!” Caroline said as she threw her arms up in exasperation, “I was doing them a fucking committee service by helping Tyler set them free!”

“You’ve let them mold you into such a conniving little thing,” Klaus mused aloud, “You could be so much more than this.”

“Get out,” Caroline snarled, “before I make you get out.”

“How exactly are you going to do that Caroline?” Klaus asked as he stepped closer, making Caroline swallow thickly. She was all bravado and courage until Klaus stepped closer, making her rethink her actions. She wasn’t any match for him and she knew it. She was threatening someone who was ten times her age.

“Just leave,” Caroline said darkly with a frown on her lips, “I don’t want to fight you Klaus.”

“I doubt you’d be able to love,” he replied smoothly as he drew closer to her, his voice pure velvet and seduction as it rolled over her.  She disliked what he could do to her even when she was furious with him.  Then he stopped his progression and stuck his hands in his pockets as he watched her, “take some advice from me Caroline,” Klaus told her pointedly, “and forgive me because this is a rough translation and a rather rough quote…but…don’t let your alligator mouth overload you’re humming bird ass.”

Caroline gawked at him as he turned and walked out, listening intently as he walked smoothly down the staircase and out the front door. Then to make matters worse she let out a squeal of surprise when the sleek black cell phone she’d thrown out in the kitchen flew threw her bedroom window beside her and went clattering across the carpet by her feet.

“Keep it love,” Klaus called from down on her lawn outside, Caroline turned to lean out the window and look at him, “It’s much easier to reach you that way but if you really prefer me in your room at all hours of the night…” Klaus chuckled lightly and turned, walking back down the driveway in front of her house, disappearing into the night.

 

The next couple of weeks were very quiet. It was quiet enough to make Caroline go straight to school and come straight home. He sent no texts or gifts, nothing to ease her mind that he might be jumping out of her closet at any moment to yell ‘BOO!’

Caroline was sitting on her couch eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ‘Caramel Sutra’ when she got the text. At first Caroline ignored it, choosing to continue watching ‘Gone with the Wind,’ instead. Then with a heavy reluctance and the fear of retaliation if she chose to ignore him she picked up the phone and read the message hesitantly.

“When my love swears that she is made of truth,

I do believe her, though I know she lies,

That she might think me some untutor’d youth

Unskillful in the world’s false forgeries.”

“Quoting Shakespeare eh?” Caroline said aloud and rolled her eyes.

The night continued normally and when the movie was over and the ice cream was gone Caroline went to bed. The words of the quote from Shakespeare played over and over in her head again.

My love.

Why did he call her that? He was a creepy sociopathic momma killing hybrid, not some love sick puppy. Caroline debated on telling her friends what he’s been doing and then chose against it. She fell asleep shortly after that, her dreams untroubled and her mind at ease. She wouldn’t worry about the nutcase stalking her just yet. She wouldn’t let him intimidate her, and she was sure as hell not going to let him destroy everything she has ever worked for.

The next day she finds out her car has been towed because somehow it managed to park itself half way across town in a red zone. Caroline is furious and determined to get revenge for this slight against her. She starts with Rebekah, the perfect perky little Barbie Klaus who half the school adores at the moment. She convinces coach Drancy to let her back on the squad and then she gathers the team together for practice. Rebekah is furious when she finds out and Caroline couldn’t be happier to see the other blond storm off the practice field with a look of hate burning in her eyes.

Next she goes after Klaus, feeling childish in her actions but totally unrepentant when she steals the priceless vase from his house and uses it as a flower pot to which she plants bright sunflowers in and sets it neatly on his desk inside his studio while he was out. There was none more protective of priceless works of art then Klaus, and to hear the vase smashing against a wall in a fit of rage made Carol laugh as she ran home through the woods.

His retaliation wasn’t anything she expected.

She expected violence, she expected threats, she did not expect another text message.

“Her lips to mine how often hath she joined,

Between each kiss her oaths of true love swearing!

How many tales to please me hath she coined,

Dreading my love, the loss whereof still fearing!

Yet in the midst of all her pure protesting’s,

Her faith, her oaths, her tears, and all were jesting’s.”

Caroline stared down at it thoughtfully with a frown on her lips and did not like the tingling of regret she felt upon reading it. Or the slightest hint of guilt that was creeping up her spine and into her thoughts as she set the phone down on the table and went to make dinner for her Mom.

That night her dreams were troubled and unsettling. When she woke in the morning she was exhausted and it took her ages to get ready for school.  School was the same as usual, Caroline’s newly won power being returned to her once more. Rebekah was unusually quiet and she tried not to notice the smirk on her lips when Caroline passed by, making her worry that Klaus had done something Caroline was not yet aware of.

It didn’t take her long to figure out what Rebekah was smirking about.

“Hey that’s my car!” Caroline shrieked as she ran towards the tow truck loading Caroline’s car up onto the back of the truck.

“Sorry,” the man said with a shrug, “I’m just doing my job.”

“No wait a minute…why are you towing my car?” Caroline asked angrily.

“Unpaid fees,” the man said with a shrug, “you can get your car out of the impound lot once you pay your fee’s.”

“I paid everything…I paid everything!” Caroline said with a note of hysteria in her voice as she watched the man finish loading her car and drive off with it.  Klaus had to have done this, she knew it. She knew he was screwing with her again, clearly having compelled someone to change the records and have her car towed.

Again.

“Hey, whats happening?” Tyler asked as he walked towards Caroline.

“Klaus got my damn car towed again Tyler!” Caroline said in a huff, “he’s doing this on purpose…he’s punishing me!”

“He got your car towed? How?” Tyler asked with a frown.

“I don’t know, the guy said I didn’t pay the fees but I know I did,” Caroline said as she glared at the tow truck driving away in the distance.

“Looks like somebody needs a ride home,” Rebekah said brightly as she walked towards her car.

“I got this,” Tyler said as he caught Caroline’s arm and motioned here towards his truck.

“You need to be a practice Tyler,” Rebekah told him pointedly, “Coach Drancy told me to find you.”

“Oh shit that’s right,” Tyler groaned aloud and looked at Caroline apologetically, “I’m sorry.”

Caroline sighed loudly and glared at Rebekah before pulling out her phone, “It’s alright, go to practice. I’m going to call my Mom and see if she can pick me up.”

“Pity,” Rebekah said as rolled up beside Caroline in her car and looked up at the sky, “I think it’s going to rain.”

Caroline glared at her and fumbled with her phone as she waited for her Mom to answer. Rebekah continued on with that same bright smile on her face, “I’d offer you a ride but…I really don’t want too.”

“Then go away,” Caroline said with a fake grin plastered on her face as she walked away from Rebekah’s car.

“You know,” Rebekah called to her as she walked away, “that vase was three hundred years old.”

Caroline opened her mouth to reply but Rebekah drove off and Caroline screamed a cry of indignation. That asshole wanted a war he was going to get one.

It’s on bitch.

One taxi cab later because nobody for some reason was answering the phone Caroline entered her house soaking wet and mad. Once she’d stripped out of her clothes and changed into dry ones she set to work on her plan.

Four hours later she felt the epic failure looming over her head and cried out in irritation as she shut her lap top off and stomped around her house noisily just to fill the silence. Her Mom was working the late shift so she had nothing to do and nobody to talk too.  Elena was still not entirely at ease with Caroline just yet, Bonnie was off in her own witchy world and Tyler was hiding from the world at the moment.

Stefan, of course wouldn’t be able to help her even if she did call him. She couldn’t tell Stefan that Klaus was leaving her beautiful poetry and sexy nighties on her bed. She couldn’t tell Stefan about her troubles because she was supposed to be his support not the other way around.

“I rather liked that vase,” Klaus says casually from the couch in her living room.

Caroline jumps and spins around to face him, surprised by his presence because she hadn’t even heard him come in.  Caroline glares at him and yanks the magazine she’d been reading out of his hands because it was a lingerie catalog that she’d been looking at.

She couldn’t help the ideas that he put in her head sometimes.

“I rather like that one,” Klaus smirks at her and points at the white lace nightie on one of the pages before Caroline swats him on the arm and he chuckles much to her dismay.

“Can ya guess what I’m going to say right now?” Caroline said with wide eyes and raised eyebrows as she stares at him.

“How eloquent and artistic I am?” Klaus smirks up at her.

“Get….OUT….” Caroline said with a dark look on her face.

“Actually love,” he says as he stands and stretches casually, Caroline unable to tear her eyes away from the tiny patch of skin reveal at the top of his shirt where it was parted slightly. She watched his skin ripple with his actions and the light dusting of hair just peeking under the shirt, her mouth suddenly going dry. “I’m here on business.”

“What business?” Caroline said in confusion.

“I have an agenda to keep you know,” he said pointedly just before he flashes towards her and snaps her neck. He then hauls her up into his arms and casually walks out the front door, whistling some random tune that he knows as he disappears into the night.