Familia • Klaroline [SLOW UPDATES] ✗

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘯

♔

The sound of tapping on glass took Hope's attention away from her apparent sibling. Kol's expression was a strange combination of worry and amusement. The shrill ringing of his phone broke the peaceful silence within the clearing and Kol answered it without hesitation.

"I can imagine you're a bit angry with my right now."

The furious voice of Klaus Mikaelson could be heard down the line.

"Of course I bloody am! Where are you?" Klaus demanded.

"Before I tell you that, I need you to visit dear Caroline."

On the other side of the phone, Klaus went quiet. He knew that he was going to have to face Caroline eventually - in fact the latest he could really put it off was tomorrow. But to be ordered by his little brother to go and visit someone he hadn't seen in nearly two decades?

Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't be so hesitant. What was some regular vampire to the Original Hybrid? But the difference was that he cared about what Caroline thought. He'd made her a promise to never return to Mystic Falls and he'd broken that promise. Regardless of the fact that he'd broken it for his daughter's benefit - a broken promise is still a broken promise.

He saw Freya spreading a map on the table and he almost sighed in relief. His behaviour may be controlling but he hadn't survived a thousand years by taking risks. All he needed now was to stall Kol long enough for Freya to complete her locator spell.

"And why exactly do you need me to do that?"

Kol could hear the change in Klaus' voice. The anger was still there, but there was a hint of relief in his words. He'd connected the dots before he even heard his sister beginning her spell. He had very limited time before his siblings knew where they were and they came to find him.

And if they did find him before he'd told them the entire truth, he was screwed.

He needed to find a way to end the conversation quick and make his escape - most likely back to the boarding school - with Hope and Lexi in tow. If Klaus knew that Hope was at the boarding school, it would at least get him there. All Kol needed to do was give him more of an incentive to speak to Caroline.

Which unfortunately involved throwing his young friend under the bus.

"Because Caroline has been keeping a rather important secret from you for the past 20 years and it's about time you learned the truth." With that he hung up the phone and began walking back to the car, taking Hope's hand as he went.

"Jeez, know I know why you were in such a rush to kidnap me earlier," Hope started, "hoping to reunite the entire family before nightfall?"

Kol chuckled at her. Hope had a talent for easing tension with wit. Just like Lexi did.

He turned back to Lexi, still in her wolf form. "Meet us at the school?"

The wolf nodded and turned back into the treeline, disappearing from sight. Hope looked like she wanted to follow but Kol continued to move, forcing her to follow.

It wasn't until they were both in the car and speeding away from the clearing that Hope spoke again.

"You do realise that my dad is going to think Caroline is conspiring against him right? You've made her day incredibly difficult."

Kol scoffed light-heartedly. "I'm aware. However, because she's Caroline he won't hurt her - besides yourself, she's the only one who could pull him back from a rage like this. In fact I very much doubt he'll believe me. Which is why we're going to the school. I need to get him there so Caroline is forced to explain. If I left it to her Lexi would probably tell Nik before she did."

Hope paused. "Lexi? Her name is Lexi?"

Hope vaguely recalled Kol mentioning a Lexi earlier. But she was to preoccupied trying to figure out why her Uncle had dragged her to the middle of nowhere to take any note of it.

"Alexia, named after a friend of a friend." Kol said before he began tapping on the menu in the car's dashboard, pulling up Davina's contact and pressing call. She picked up on the first ring.

"Hey."

"Hi Darling, I seem to have found myself in a bit of a predicament."

"A very common occurrence with you." She said it light heartedly but there was an undertone of worry. Davina was well aware that Kol had a habit of angering his siblings, just as she was aware of the power behind Klaus' rage. "What happened?"

"I kidnapped Hope, told her about Lexi and told Nik that Caroline has been keeping a secret from him. No doubt he's got Freya tracking us now."

Davina made a sound between a laugh and a sigh. "I'll avoid the house even more than I already have then. Where are you going?"

"The school. Meet us there?"

"Someone is going to have to do damage control before Klaus flies off the rails." She joked.

"See you soon Darling."

Almost immediately after hanging up Kol began tapping again, his attention far to focused on the screen for Hope's liking. This time he called Caroline.

"Yes?"

"Prepare the fort, love. Klaus is coming and he's demanding my blood."

"Seriously! What did you do?"

"Kidnapped his daughter - not yours don't worry - sent him on a bit of a wild goose chase and I may have thrown you under the bus to make my escape."

".....you couldn't have given me more warning than this?"

Kol grinned, "I have to keep you on your toes."

That was definitely one way to put it.