Title: Through Another's Eyes 1/1
Title: Through Another's Eyes
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Stefan finally understands the relationship of Caroline and Klaus.
Notes: I realized after I wrote that that I did almost this exact same story from Elijah's POV. Oh well! Since I copied off of myself I even made the title similar.
"Where?" Klaus asked as he sat on the side of the bed.
"My hip," she whispered.
Klaus flickered his eyes down and reached for the blanket.
Stefan moved to step forward, preventing Elena from doing so with his outstretched hand, but Klaus turned his head sharply, glaring at them in warning.
"It's fine," Caroline said to them.
Stefan only marginally relaxed, but he stayed put as Klaus carefully peeled back the blanket, revealing Caroline's lower body, pants long ago shed by Elena to ease the pain. He looked at the side of Klaus' profile, watching the hybrid's face turn dark.
"This isn't new," Klaus growled and turned to face them. "Are you trying to kill her?"
"We didn't know," Elena defended.
Turning, Klaus glanced at her and then Stefan again. "If it was your precious dopplerganger you would have known she was missing."
"You can't lay this blame on me," Stefan responded carefully, but it wasn't enough. Klaus had him pinned to the wall in seconds.
"I will blame you," Klaus snarled. "I'll hold all of you responsible."
"Klaus, stop, please."
Stefan didn't turn his head in the direction of the weak voice. Instead he watched the hybrid in front of him, the way his face suddenly changed as if he was struggling with something internally. To Stefan's on confusion Klaus released him and stepped back.
Turning slowly Klaus made his way back to the bed and sat at the edge again. Stefan stepped only slightly closer with Elena now gripping his arm. He watched as Klaus pushed his sleeve up, and with the other arm slid it beneath her back to pull her up from the bed. She gasped as her body shifted, but Klaus shushed her gently. With the bared arm he raised it to push sweaty strands of hair from her face.
"You'll be alright love. You should have called sooner."
The reprimand was gentle, nothing like the one that Stevan had just received.
"And owe you my life for a third time? No thank you." Caroline's voice was soft, lacking the fear it should have when in the dangerous arms of Klaus.
"I'm not keeping count. It isn't my intention to have you in my debt."
Stefan could see her eyes look up to meet Klaus' and it shook him. It was everything it shouldn't have been. There wasn't a trace a fear or disgust in her face. She looked up at him as a woman might look at a man that had saved her life numerous times. Stefan saw wonder, thanks even. She looked up at him with a weakness that she shouldn't have been comfortable baring to an enemy.
When Klaus raised his arm without question Caroline sunk her teeth into his skin. Stefan heard Klaus inhale sharply. It was disturbing the way the Original hybrid held her against him, the proximity of his face to her own and the way their eyes met. When Caroline pulled away, licking her lips of Klaus' blood, Klaus raised a hand and wiped the remianing blood with his thumb.
"Look at me," Klaus whispered.
"Stop," Caroline said in response.
"Sleep Caroline," he compelled, "it's for your own good. You'll wake in the morning." As her eyes closed Klaus frowned and brushed his lips over her forehead before settling her back against the bed. Carefully, he pulled the blanket up and stood.
Just like that the anger was back.
"I'm leaving you in charge of her, friend." The word 'friend' wasn't said with the same care as Klaus usually used, instead he seemed to be mocking it. "If she doesn't improve call me."
Stefan said nothing, but Klaus must have felt his message was relayed properly, because he left without another word. It was Elena that broke the silence.
"I don't like this," she said, turning from Caroline to face him.
"What?" He asked, still staring at the blond vampire sleeping.
"The way he looks at her. That isn't a man that's just infatuated Stefan. He's got real feelings for. The way he talks and looks at her. I mean, he stopped attacking you when she asked. What does that say?"
"I don't know," Stefan responded, but he did know. Klaus made the comparison of Caroline and himself to Stefan and Elena. Klaus practically admitted how much Caroline meant to him. Stefan saw the looks. Caroline would only resist because she should, but Klaus had centuries to wait for her and he suspected the Original would. Those who were infatuated, obsessed didn't treat a person with the care and respect Klaus showed Caroline. The Original hybrid would wait for Caroline, that Stefan was sure of, and he was pretty sure one day Caroline might willingly return the affections she had for Klaus that she guarded. Yet Stefan couldn't bring himself to tell her any of that.
"Do you think he loves her?" Elena asked, almost fearfully.
Stefan didn't respond to that either, only stared at Caroline, and he suspected Elena didn't want the answer, because she never asked again.