Red Passion

Chapter 18

No matter the fact that she has only been away for two weeks, landing back in Virginia still feels almost surreal.

They have taken their time making sure that there were no loose ends left in New Orleans, making sure that they are prepared to rescue Elijah and for all the rest that is awaiting them; but as soon as they touch ground, all that Caroline can feel are her nerves and fear, threatening to quickly and surely make her lose her damn mind.

She has no intention of backing down, no intention of changing her mind, but no war is won without casualties and there is nobody else that she is willing to lose at this point. How can she protect Elena, and Bonnie, and Stefan, when they are nothing short of her enemies?

She sighs and Klaus, sat on her left, notices her turmoil. Through their bond, he can sense part of her distress sizzling in his own body, and he is glad to know that his presence can somehow help her keep everything at bay.

He takes her hand in his, and their fingers immediately link together as if it was the most normal of things–

–it is.

"It will be okay, love," his thumb draws lazy, soothing patterns on her skin.

Caroline nods once, not quite believing her own words. "I know."

Her gaze briefly wanders to where Stefan is sitting between Rebekah and Katherine, and if they weren't all about to risk their lives in a few hours' time, she would be laughing at how incredibly uncomfortable the young Salvatore looks.

Much to her surprise—although not to Klaus'—Stefan was immediately willing to tell her where, in Mystic Falls, they had hidden Elijah's desiccated body when she could finally ask herself. The older vampire admitted that he had a few days to ponder over his actions, and although he was blunt and honest and stated that he would not side with them if bad came to worse, he wasn't against settling the whole situation with a tentative truce either anymore.

"It's the right thing to do."—she remembers he concluded; as if she was the one needing to be convinced, as if they have always acted by following what's right and what's wrong before. It almost terrorizes her to think that he may actually believe so.

However, there are so many things, so many tiny words and signs, from which she can tell that Stefan feels genuinely sorry for what he and the others have put her through. It gives her some hope for the future—well, if they are going to have one (which is a dreary omen coming from a Miss Positivity such as herself)—but she isn't ready to fully forgive him yet. Not only for herself, either, but on the Originals' behalf as well, and for what he did to Rebekah over and over again. She's done being a hypocrite.

Barely twenty minutes later, the five of them plus Sophie and Lydia are all settling onto the plush, leather seats of the longest-car-which-is not actually a limousine, Caroline—she can still clearly hear Rebekah's almost appalled and slightly disapproving tone in her mind—as they speed towards Mystic Falls.

With the help of Bonnie's magic, Elijah's body has been safely stored inside the spelled cave that no vampire can enter, underneath the Lockwood's property; so they were left with no choice but to bring some magical help along themselves, hoping that the obstructing spell isn't necessarily connected to the Bennett bloodline.

The air is tense inside of the vehicle, and Caroline is pretty sure that she has never seen, nor will she ever again see, Katherine Pierce so worried. Her heeled foot is tapping impatiently against the dark gray mat covering the car's floor, her arms are crossed over her chest, and Caroline can actually feel the anxiety coming off of the brunette in large waves as the latter keeps on looking out of the window and steadfastly ignoring everybody else's presence.