The Wolf - Klaroline

14. Le Grand Guignol

Season 1 Episode 14

Notes:

So I really did decide to put two chapters together in order to make the story more dynamic. Certain things that work well on TV don't work so well on a written story. So this chapter is a combination of episodes 14 (Long Way Back From Hell) and 15 (Le Grand Guignol). I decided to name it after the second because I feel it's the most significant one. I hope it doesn't feel confusing or rushed.

As always, I have to thank coveredinthecolors for being super kind to take her time to read through two chapters in just one week. If you still find any mistakes there, they're all my own and I apologize beforehand.

Thank you so much to everyone still reading this story, especially to the incredibly kind folks who stop by to chat on tumblr or drop me their comments here. You guys rock and are the true reason I'm putting so much effort into moving forward with this asap. ❤

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

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The sky is still dark when Caroline's eyes fly open, sleep lifting off her body all at once like a blanket that's been suddenly removed.

She rolls over and takes the phone on the nightstand to check the time. Less than three hours of sleep. It seems about right; she doesn't feel rested at all.

Caroline didn't even want to take three hours to restore. If it was up to her, she would've started searching for Klaus and Rebekah straight away, but Elijah insisted that she should replenish her energies before pouring all the little strength she still had into using her powers. As much as she objected on principle, he made some valid points.

It wasn't so much for her sake that she agreed to lie down for a bit, though. It was for the baby. If she says the ridiculous amount of stress she's been put under hasn't taken a toll on her, it'll be a blatant lie. Twice she felt a stab of pain in her lower belly that sent little alarm bells ringing. It wasn't the same as when the baby hits a particularly sensitive spot with her tiny potent kicks or even the sore muscles she gets after tiring days. This was... Different. Not yet worrisome, she wouldn't say, but enough to give her pause.

Caroline brushed it off as her body telling her that she needs to take a serious break from near-death experiences, but the truth is... She was a little bit shaken. It could be a number of things, including nothing at all, but with Klaus and Rebekah missing, she simply doesn't have time to find out, make sure everything's fine. She didn't tell Elijah, obviously; he'd tie her to a bed, lock her up and compel an entire medical staff to come fix her. But she couldn't exactly rebuke him when he insisted that she needed the break. He had no idea how true that was.

She doesn't feel like it did much for her, but she hopes it was at least enough for the baby's healing powers to kick in. Three hours is as much sleep as her high-strung brain would allow, even after a powered up chamomile tea, but it'll have to do for now. When this is all over and Klaus and Rebekah are safely returned, the first thing she'll do is see a doctor.

And anyway — lingering exhaustion aside, everything feels normal. No pain, no bleeding, no other symptoms... The baby is even kicking a little. It's not entirely reassuring, but it's enough to calm her down.

The whole time she was asleep, Caroline had vivid, troubled dreams. At first, it was just her in the fire. She was trapped in the house while everything around her exploded in flames. She tried to scream, but her voice wouldn't come out. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't move. And then Klaus showed up, walking out of the fire all beaten and bloodied, a hole the size of a fist where his heart should be. He looked straight at her, his eyes bright gold but filled with disappointment. You couldn't save me, Caroline, he said. And you couldn't let Elijah do it either. How do you expect me to save you now?