Deal

Caroline had just gotten home from the village when she noticed her parents running around the house in a panic; packing everything quickly. She didn't really want to ask, but something told her everything she knew was about to change. When her mother noticed her standing in the doorway, not fully inside the house, she told her she needed to go and pack quickly. Without getting an explanation Caroline backed out of her house and started running; if she had to leave, she would tell her friends goodbye at least. She stopped to catch her breath as she turned to make sure neither of her parents had followed her before pushing on to her friend Bonnie's house, knowing Elena would still be there as well. When she came upon the house, she noticed they were still outside, sitting under the tall maple trees at the side of the house, so she ran up to them.

"Hey Care, what happened?" Bonnie asked and Caroline held up a finger to indicate she still couldn't speak from breathing so hard. Bonnie nodded and looked to Elena, as they both wondered why Caroline would have run all the way from her house.

"When I got home my parents were packing. They told me to pack too but I ran here. If I can't stay, then I wanted to be able to see you guys and say goodbye."

"They didn't say why?"

"No, but they looked like they were in a hurry so I don't know what's going on. I can't stay; I have to get back. If we don't leave, I'll come back tomorrow. I'll come back and visit when I know something. I love you guys." Caroline replied before dropping down to her knees beside the girls and pulling them both into a hug before standing and running back towards her house. The whole way back took longer than usual as the rain started to drizzle down and Caroline had to pull the hood of her cloak up. As the rain began pouring harder, she started sliding in the newly formed mud puddles along the path. She nearly fell when she had to dart off the path as a carriage and some horses passed her, but she quickly recovered and kept running. She decided to cut through the forest for the last part of her journey back as she felt the dread rising at what would await her. When she was close to her house she could hear raised voices and pulled the last reserve she had to break through to the edge of the tree line and froze. She saw her parents being restrained by two men while another man was questioning them; from the looks on their faces it wasn't anything short of life and death. When she saw her father being thrown down and the man holding him pulling a sword she broke into another run and hoping to get there in time to stop the men.

"Stop!" She yelled hoping it would distract them as she ran forward. The man that had been speaking held up an arm to pause the man with the sword pointed towards her father. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked furiously as she tried to keep the fear out of her voice and face.

"It's quite simple really sweetheart. These two made a deal a long time ago and I came to collect. They told me that they no longer have their part of that deal, so their lives are forfeit."

"What part?"

"Why are you wondering love?"

"What is the debt they owe you?" She persisted and walked to stand in front of the man. He didn't look much older than she was, but she could tell he was barely humoring her as it was and she didn't want to push him too far.

"I saved their lives while the woman was with child." The man paused for her to see the gravity of the debt. "They've informed me that the child did not survive."

"When?"

"Why are you asking love?"

"Tell me and I'll tell you."

"18 years ago. Your turn sweetheart." The man said with a smirk and Caroline held up a finger and started figuring up the math in her head. She was who her mother would have been carrying at the time of the deal, but how would he have saved them? He didn't look old enough to have been able to save them 18 years ago.

"I'm almost 18" She whispered and looked at him questioningly. "You wanted the child?"

"Yes and since that's not a possibility, then there's no need…"

"It's me."

"Caroline no!" Her mother hollered from the side and the man behind her covered her mouth.

"Kill me… don't take her; she's all we have." Her father shouted and the man behind him hit him in the head. Caroline went to move to her father, but the man she had been speaking to blocked her path.

"If what you say is true then you have a choice to make sweetheart; come with me and their debt is paid or they die."

"What do you want from me?"

"That will be sorted later. I need your decision now though."

"Do I have your word they won't be harmed or killed and that their debt is paid?"

"I will give you my word as long as you do not leave when you come with me. The moment you try to run you set their fate for them."

"I understand."

"What will your decision be love? I'm running out of patience."

"I'll leave with you." She whispered and looked to her parents as she finally released a tear, but quickly wiped it away before turning back. "May I have time to get my things and say goodbye?" She asked as she fought further tears from breaking loose.

"There's no need; everything will be provided for you. Let's be on our way sweetheart." He replied as he reached for her arm. Caroline's heart seized in a panic and she looked to her parents again and he started to drag her to the carriage.

"Please… just let me say goodbye to them." She said louder as she ran around to face him again. She thought the action angered him as he grabbed her other arm and pushed her against the carriage. The action hadn't hurt, but she widened her eyes slightly when he stepped up closer and looked over her face.

"They lied to me about you; they don't deserve to say goodbye to you."

"I didn't lie to you. I could have said I wasn't their daughter to escape whatever fate you have in store for me, but I didn't. If I'm to never see them again… I just want to say goodbye." She said as calmly as she could, trying to reason her point with him.

"They never even told you about this did they love?"

"No."

"Do you not feel betrayed? Do you not wonder why your parents would trade your life before you were even born?"

"I may never have the answers to those questions, but I would always regret not saying goodbye if given the chance." She replied as she hoped he would stop trying to sway her from her request.

"Very well love. However, I need some insurance that they won't try anything to get you out of this." He said before he bit into his wrist, causing her to gasp, and held it over her mouth. She fought against his hold over her mouth and the blood that was sliding down her throat, but she watched as he wasn't even fazed by her struggles until he released his hold. She gasped for air and looked to his arm with wide eyes as she saw it healing in front of her before looking back to his face. He reached his hand to her mouth to wipe the blood that had escaped her mouth and was running down her chin off and she froze. "Can't have any accidents now can we sweetheart?" He said with a smirk as he released her and she walked around him speechless and wondering what he was. She would no doubt find out later so she turned and went to her parents. The two men who had them stepped back to give her a moment with them and they rose to their knees to meet her as she dropped to hers in front of them.

"We're sorry sweetie…" Liz cried and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"Mother don't apologize. I just wanted to be able to say goodbye, so just give me that. I couldn't let anything happen to you. I love you both no matter what." She stressed as she tried to hold them both as long as she could, hoping he wouldn't come over and drag her away. "Don't look for me or try to get me out of this. I don't want you to die trying; it would kill me so just listen to me."

"Caroline you need to know what's ahead of you."

"Father I'm about to know, so just live for me. Take mother somewhere far away from here and travel the world. See everything I won't see, do things I won't get to do, and just remember that I'll always be your little girl."

"But you won't be when he's done with you." Her father countered and she dropped her head. "You don't know his intentions for you. He's going to make you like him; a monster." He informed and she raised her head to look at them before hugging them again and moving to stand. Her mother quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her to look at her again. She reached up and took the necklace off of her neck and placed it around Caroline's before kissing her forehead. The two men standing behind her parents came up and took hold of them again, forcing Caroline to choose once again; either walk back to the man at the carriage or watch as her parents died. She closed her eyes and took a couple steadying breaths to renew her will before wiping her face and turning back to the carriage. The man was watching her curiously as she forced herself to move towards him; each step harder than the last until she was directly in front of him again.

"Are you ready now love?"

"Yes." She breathed as she feared she would lose control of herself if she had to answer anything else. He seemed to understand and simply held out his hand to guide her into the carriage. She looked at his hand for a moment before releasing a shaky breath and placed her hand in his. He gave her another smirk before he placed his other hand at the small of her back and guided her up and into the carriage. When he had secured the door he sat directly in front of her and leaned forward. "What?"

"I assume you have questions love?"

"A few."

"Ask away. We have a little bit of distance before we arrive and your parents neglected to tell you your role in life."

"What do you want from me?"

"That question can wait a little longer sweetheart; ask another."

"Who and what are you?"

"My name is Klaus. As for what I am I figured it would be a bit obvious."

"Your arm healed in seconds… and you made me drink your blood. The only thing I can think of is a vampire."

"You're half-right; I'm a hybrid. I'm part vampire and part werewolf."

"So werewolves are real too?"

"Yes. Matter of fact it was werewolves that attacked your family and I intervened."

"Why?"

"I don't know why they attacked…"

"Why did you intervene?"

"A witch gave me a message; I was to intervene and ask for you in return."

"Why me?"

"You're not ready to know that yet love. I was given visions from her regarding your future; as well as visions of a future without you in it. The witch made it perfectly clear which route I should take from there."

"This doesn't make any sense… what am I expected to do?"

"Your birthday is a week away and on that day you will become mine completely."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that in a way you will become my wife and I will claim you."

"What are you talking about? I can't just marry you; I don't even know you."

"Oh but you will sweetheart." He said with a smirk and looked her over again. She started feeling her panic setting back in and it clicked in her head why he had been looking her over since he'd seen her. As her panic grew it became hard to keep her breathing steady and she slowly started to lose control.

"I can't just marry you." She stressed and he tilted his head before rushing forward and grabbing her arms to pull her towards him.

"What's stopping you? You agreed to leave with me."

"I agreed to leave with you; I didn't know that meant marrying you too."

"Tell me something Caroline… how many have courted you?"

"What? Why do you want to know that?"

"Because… one I want to know which one still holds your affections and secondly it is needed information."

"3."

"And how far did these courtships go?"

"I was in the first courtship for a month, the second for 3 months, and the last for nearly a year."

"Is the third courtship where you were coming from when you arrived home?"

"No. I saw my parents packing and they told me to pack. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to my friends."

"Friends?"

"Yes my friends. The last courtship ended a couple weeks ago."

"What ended it?"

"A couple things I'd rather not discuss."

"Well it appears you will have to discuss them with me love."

"Firstly, he asked me to marry him but my father refused his offer of marriage. A couple days later I went to visit him after he swore he wasn't going to give up and he was with another girl doing inappropriate things. Does that satisfy your curiosity or do I need to further explain?" She explained and asked with a glare. Inside she was still screaming in heartache from witnessing the spectacle and having to explain it to a complete stranger only made it hurt worse for some reason; especially since he still had a hold of her arms.

"He was wrong to use you like that."

"Wouldn't be the first time." She mumbled looking down and bit her lip to keep quiet.

"What?"

"Nothing." She replied hoping he wouldn't probe further, but looking back up at him told her otherwise.

"You know I did actually hear what you said love; I was just hoping you would further elaborate."

"It doesn't matter alright? I don't know you and you don't know me, so we are NOT having that discussion."

"Very well. What else would you like to know?"

"Why are you supporting this? Just because a witch told you?"

"She did more than tell me; she showed me the visions. Do you have any idea what I'm capable of? You do not know the things I have done to become the most powerful being on the planet. When I saw those visions… it was enough to make me switch my focus a bit."

"What did you see?"

"A lot, but you aren't supposed to know yet. All I can say right now is that if you died there would be millions of deaths and it wouldn't have stopped. The only way you can die and avoid that is to become a vampire yourself."

"I don't want to be a vampire."

"You won't be yet love; there are still a few things you have to do as a mortal."

"What things?"

"Well sweetheart… what is normally required when two people are married?"

"I'm not sleeping with you…"

"You will and after you've given an heir you will be turned into a vampire."

"Do you hear yourself talking right now? And how on earth can you have a child? I thought vampires weren't supposed to be able to have children?"

"I'm part werewolf love and it's just one of nature's loopholes. It was news to me too, but I've already seen it in the visions."

"If all I'm useful for is giving you an heir then why make me a vampire after? I don't want to be one; I don't want to hurt or kill anyone."

"You are to be my queen and you cannot do that as a mortal after you've given an heir."

"I'm not a queen or royalty of any kind, so I don't see how you came up with that…"

"I didn't come up with it. The witch showed me and now I'm telling you what WILL happen. You will become my wife and queen, then you will provide an heir, and then you'll become a vampire and finally rule by my side." He explained again as he started getting irritated and his eyes started glowing gold, causing her to pause as she started to counter his statement. When Caroline tried to pull back again, he pulled her out of her seat and into his lap, wrapping an arm around her to hold her in place. "Do you understand me or are you going to keep resisting?"

"I understand what you want, but that doesn't mean I won't resist. I agreed to leave with you, but I didn't agree to this. When I made the agreement I thought I was to be a slave or servant; not this and certainly not a vampire."

"So you were prepared to be a slave or servant, but not a queen? Do you value yourself so little?"

"I just know where my station is in life. I do not wish to marry you so you can gain power and make me a queen. I never wanted to marry for power."

"Tell me sweetheart… how is this any different from the arranged marriages you're used to?"

"You're not even human and you're saying I only have a week until I'm bound to you. Why me? What is different about me that keeps you from picking someone else?"

"What do you know about werewolves love? Do you know that each one has a partner designed for them?"

"It can't be me… I'm not a werewolf."

"Mates can be humans, and since I'm a hybrid… you can be a vampire and that link wouldn't be severed. I will not make you into a vampire until we have created an heir though."

"Why do you need an heir? You're immortal… the whole point of having children is to continue your bloodline after you've died."

"Consider it being a family who won't die."

"A family? You can't force me into this with you and act like we'd be anything like a family." She replied as she was slowly rising to hysterics.

"You fight me now, but you won't in the future. Just remember that this is going to happen as part of your agreement to leave with me, because if you try to get out of it the deal is off and your parents will be left to a fate I decide for them." He finished and placed her back in her seat. She swallowed as she tried to fight the tears threatening to break loose and turned to look out the small carriage window. She didn't want to believe that this is what her life was to become; she wanted to live and eventually marry someone she loved that loved her in return. She noticed they had already traveled farther than she had before and the territory was completely new to her. "I assume you've not traveled since you keep looking at the scenery."

"You assume correctly."

"Is that why you asked your parents to travel?"

"How did you hear that?"

"Because I'm a vampire love. There are a range of abilities that open up when you become one; you'll see. Your father may think it turns you into a monster, but it only amplifies who you already are inside."

"I don't want to talk about it. I've already expressed that I don't want to be a vampire, but you've already said that you will make me one regardless of my wishes. What more can you gain by talking about it further?"

"You have fire in you. You know… normally a person would be completely wrapped in fear at this point and would not be reacting like you. I'm the most powerful creature on the planet and you've either stood up to me or you've been gazing at the scenery passing us by."

"That doesn't mean I'm unafraid. I just know it wouldn't do me any good to let it rule me."

"And that is precisely my point sweetheart. I'm sure you've heard the tales of me as you grew up; legends past through the villages of the monster that ripped through them without a second thought."

"That was you?"

"Me and many others."

"And that's what you want me to become?"

"You won't be me. You'll still be you; just more. Everything will be heightened for you."

"Why did you kill all those people?"

"Some people know no limits when it comes to betrayal and I react. Other circumstances were sometimes present, but it was usually someone going against me."

"And if I go against you? Are you going to kill me too?"

"I won't kill you, but I will find other ways to punish you."

"By killing my family?"

"If I need to."

"Once you kill them you'll lose the only thing you have holding me here with you. What else would you use against me?"

"There are countless ways I could punish you love. I'd rather not have to break you. I can give you the world at your feet, but I can also take it from you just as quickly."

"I don't want the world. I want to be free; not stuck in a loveless marriage for all of eternity."

"You will stay with me and be loyal to me in every way."

"You insist on my loyalty, but you've not given me any indication of yours. I've seen the arranged marriages in the village and none of them ever looked happy. The men required the same thing you're asking of me from their wives, but every night they would run to the tavern or another house. I never wanted that; I wanted a choice." She finished and looked back out the window.

"You'd do well to remember that I didn't ask for this either. However, you are my mate and I will have your respect and loyalty or you will suffer the consequences." He warned and she turned to look at him again. Seeing the yellow in his eyes she turned back to look out the window. She continued watching the scenery pass by until she fell asleep from exhaustion over the events of the day. Klaus watched her as she slept and moved her so she was lying down instead of propped up against the side of the carriage. As he continued watching her sleep a smirk crossed his face at the thought of entering her dreams and tempting her. Klaus focused in on her dream and looked around when he entered it; she had been dreaming of sitting by the falls. When he approached her she saw his shadow and swiftly turned and stood.