Beautiful madness, Ch.3: Bloodlines
Beautiful madness
Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.
Chapter 3: Bloodlines
"Excuse me?" Caroline exclaimed in amazement at the raw fury on Tyler's face as he stared her down.
"You heard me," Tyler said through gritted teeth, his muscles tense, as if he was only holding back from hitting her as he spat out each word bitterly, "You lied to me."
"About what? Tyler, what the hell are you talking about?" Caroline said, genuine confusion plain on her face, even as her neck prickled with the realization of the truth.
"Everything, Caroline, everything," Tyler said rounding on her, "You made a fool out of me. You led me to believe that you were just as lost as I was…that you're the only vampire in town! For what, Caroline? Why?"
"I did it to protect you!" Caroline exploded, shaking and unsteady on her feet as she met Tyler's rising tone, "If Damon…if he knew that I told you about what I am, about him and Stefan, he'd kill you without a second thought."
"Like what you all did to Mason? You killed him!" Tyler said accusingly, "Being supernatural doesn't excuse you from the crime, Caroline; because whichever way you look at it you were part of a murder. Did you even try to stop them or did you just watch? Did you even bury the body or did you just toss him like he was a piece of trash?"
"I…" Caroline opened her mouth helplessly, unable to defend herself, finding only the guilt that tore her apart whenever she looked at Tyler. "I'm sorry." Caroline said softly, "I'm sorry, Tyler."
"It's not enough," Tyler said, his voice breaking slightly as the betrayal hit home once more with Caroline's apology, "It won't change anything so don't waste your breath lying to me. I'm done listening to you."
"Please just let me explain...it's a lot more complicated than it seems," Caroline said grasping at anything, wanting just a few minutes to tell him about Katherine and how his uncle was in league with her, and what danger that meant for everyone else, "Please, Tyler, you have to listen…just hear me out…"
"Oh, I know all about the complications, Caroline," Tyler spat out bitterly, "At first, I thought, wow you must really care that you'd sit with me through my transformation, at the risk of your own life. I thought it actually meant something. But now I know it's just guilt."
"No, Tyler, I was with you because I didn't want you going through it alone. You have to believe that," Caroline pleaded with him, tears already streaming down her face as she fought a losing battle.
"Stop lying!" Tyler howled, slamming his fist on the wall, "Admit it, Caroline, you stayed because it was better than sitting at home and thinking about how you didn't tell me there is a way to break the damn curse. You knew, and you did nothing. You could have saved me from that, Caroline, but you didn't. You let me turn into a monster….You."
"No…no…no…no…" Caroline sobbed, feeling her world crash around her, reaching out towards him but Tyler only swatted away her hand.
"Get out." Tyler said void of emotion, "And stay away because the next time I see you, I'll drive a stake through your heart myself."
"Tyler, please, you can't be this way. The curse…Elena's life is on the line here…you can't break it without killing her…she's the doppelganger. Believe me, if there was a way to keep you from all that pain, I'm all for it but not this way…Tyler…" she said, her voice fading into nothing as she watched Tyler's hardened expression as he gestured for her to walk out, holding the door open for her.
"Then she dies." Tyler said without remorse, "She's the reason why all these vampires are here, killing people to keep her safe and warm. Walk away, Caroline, because I might just change my mind and get my revenge right now."
Caroline's eyes flashed with anger and in an instant she pushed Tyler up against the wall, with one hand on his neck in a crushing grip, "I'd like to see you try. Whoever fed you all these half-truths should have also told you that you're only strong during the full moon. So that makes any other day mine to win, you got that? Elena is human and innocent. She doesn't deserve this fate-none of us do, for that matter, but we take what we've been given. Try and do the same, Tyler. I care about you but I'm not letting you near anyone else I care about. Be a little bit more understanding and while you're at it, stay out of my way."
With that Caroline dropped Tyler on the floor unceremoniously and left without turning back.
The shrill ringing of the phone made Elena jump in surprise, even as she kept her eyes trained on the photograph of Klaus in the book that Stefan still held out for them to see.
"Are you going to get that?" Damon said rolling his eyes heavenward in annoyance, "Or do you want me to reach into your pocket and answer the call, if only to stop that idiotic ring tone before it gets to the chorus?"
Elena glared at him before answering the phone, "Hello?"
Damon shook his head, temporarily forgetting everything else as he listened in on the call, registering Caroline's frantic voice on the other end.
"Elena? Where are you?" Caroline asked shakily, "Please tell me you're somewhere safe."
"Yeah, I'm with Stefan and Damon." Elena said exchanging a look with Stefan, who prompted her to get Caroline to keep talking, "What's wrong?"
"It's Tyler…" Caroline started, her voice small and unsure, "He knows, Elena. He knows…he knows I lied"
"About what?" Elena asked
"About how I'm not the only vampire in town," Caroline said trembling
"You told him what?" Damon said sharply reaching out to snatch the phone away from Elena, who evaded him, shooting him a look that told him to keep quiet, which he ignored, "Of all the stupid and idiotic…he's a werewolf, Caroline. He can kill you. Is there no one in this town left with a sense of self-preservation?"
Caroline sighed before she replied, "I know, Damon, I know. But he needed me…anyway, that's not the worst part."
"Like I expected any good news to come out of that," Damon said sarcastically, "Let me guess, he threatened to eliminate all vampires in town."
"No…well, yes, that's part of it but…" Caroline said taking a deep breath before continuing, "He knows about the moonstone...and the sacrifice to break the curse. He knows about Elena."
Damon's stare hardened as echoes of what Elijah said rang in his ears, "Caroline," he said without breaking eye contact with Elena, "Get Bonnie and anyone else who can help to this house within an hour. Those wolves are not seeing another full moon."
"Caroline, go." Damon ordered, ignoring the alarmed look on Elena's face, "Don't think for one second that Tyler isn't considering killing you if he finds an opportunity, not when you're standing in the way like this. Move."
"But he's my friend," Caroline whispered mostly to herself, "I can't…"
"Caroline, listen to me," Elena emphasized, daring Damon to contradict her, "No one will hurt Tyler okay? He's going be just fine. We're all going to be fine."
Stefan reached out and took the phone from Elena, "Caroline, just come here and we'll figure it out okay?"
"There's nothing to figure out, Stefan. Stop pretending. Don't soften a blow that's inevitable." Damon retorted as they all her the line go silent, "He's one of them, meaning he dies with them. End of story."
"Damon, just because he's a werewolf that doesn't mean he's our enemy," Elena said angrily, "I know you're still upset over what happened with Rose but Tyler wasn't a part of that. Don't take it out on him."
Damon inhaled sharply and narrowed his eyes at Elena, grounding out his words, "I am not upset, Elena. This isn't about Rose or Tyler."
"Then what is it about?" Elena challenged, "Because I'm not letting you touch, Tyler, he's my friend, Damon!"
"This is about you, Elena!" Damon exploded, "I'm trying to protect you! It doesn't matter if he's a wolf or even just a ferret-if he threatens you in any way then he's on my list. Stop questioning my motives because it's just going to be about you. It's always about you."
Elena's breath caught in her throat as she listened to the silence that followed Damon's admission, both of them turning to Stefan for his reaction, wondering why he kept his silence all this time.
"I agree, he's a threat," Stefan said reasonably, holding one hand before Damon, "But I think we can still reason with him. He's still new to all of this and I don't think they've poisoned his mind yet about us being enemies…he's been around Elena, been her friend…It's probably just the shock talking and he'll come around. We just need to try."
"And if you fail, Stefan, what then?" Damon said evenly, his eyes not leaving Elena as he questioned his brother.
"It won't come to that. I can't let that happen," Elena said in a hollow voice.
"You don't have a choice," Damon said in a low voice, "I'm not giving you one. I'm not losing you."
"Oh, wow, intense," Caroline interrupted shakily from the doorway, "Sorry, I let myself in. Bonnie will be here soon. So, what did I miss? Have you started on a game plan already?"
"Yes. Step one, kill all the wolves. Step 2, bury the bodies. Is that good enough for you?" Damon said casually leaning against the wall as Elena deigned to glare at him again.
"No, that's not it. Damon, will you stop that, please." Elena said tiredly as Stefan placed an arm around her, squeezing her shoulder in support as he intervened.
"Stop it, we won't get anywhere by arguing. Let's just wait for everyone else to get here okay? Besides, this isn't our only problem at the moment, in case you've forgotten," Stefan pointed out, gesturing to the book in his hands.
"What's Damon's picture doing in an old book?" Caroline asked, transfixed on the photograph, running a finger down the page, stopping abruptly when she came to the name, "Wait, why do you look like Klaus?"
"Get in line." Damon said impatiently, "You're not the first person to ask and I'm getting the feeling you won't be the last. Whatever the reason is, it's not urgent. I've looked the same for over a hundred years so that means, I've shared this face with that man long enough without anything happening to me so it can wait until after we save Elena's life for the nth time."
"What if it means something?" Elena said slowly, pacing in the middle of the room, "What if it's connected to breaking the curse and why Klaus is after me?"
"You're reaching, Elena," Damon said impatiently, "Not good enough. It doesn't change the fact that Tyler is a threat to your life and all the vampires in this room."
"She's right," Stefan said agreeing with Elena, "Maybe figuring out your connection to Klaus will be the start of really unraveling this whole curse and just how we can save everyone-including Tyler."
Damon pushed himself of the wall silently, walking towards his brother and reaching out with one hand for the book, turning to Elena after, "I'm doing this for you. Not because I think it makes sense or because I'm crossing my fingers right along with you, hoping for an answer that will never come. Only for you, Elena. But let me make this clear-you can't save everyone. People die. It's a fact and it will hurt like hell. And I'm done with pain, Elena, so don't expect me to be the town hero because I can only afford to save you."
"I don't want to be saved, Damon," Elena said softly, "The only thing I need is for everyone I care about to be safe."
"Then you should never have let me fall for you," Damon whispered so softly, leaning in so that only Elena could hear, then walking out before anyone could say anything else.
"And they keep coming back for more," Katherine said from the shadows of the cave she melted into so seamlessly, "Back so soon, I see, Damon. Miss me?"
"Yes," Damon answered deadpan, "Life just isn't the same without your lying and cheating ways. Katherine, please break my heart, won't you?"
"No, thanks," Katherine said sweetly, "Elena's doing a fine job all on her own. Why mess with a good thing?"
Damon's eyes blazed with blue fire as he fought to keep himself in check, standing still as he looked at Katherine's amused expression.
"What do you want, Damon?" Katherine said breaking the silence, getting to the point quickly, "You're beginning to bore me and I've got enough of that in here, so either you start talking or I'll go back inside to ponder life's meaning."
Damon maintained his silence as he opened the book to the photograph, showing it to her, raising his eyebrows in question.
"I've seen Klaus before, what's your point?" Katherine said nonchalantly with a shrug.
Damon snapped the book shut and threw it down the ground, closing the distance between them in a second, stopping exactly where Katherine couldn't reach, "So, what, it just never occurred to you to mention that I looked like Klaus?"
"Oh I'm sorry," Katherine said mockingly, "It seemed unimportant at the time. I was too busy falling in love with Stefan to find the time to tell you that you look like the vampire who wanted to drain my blood when I was still human."
"Well, seeing as you have nothing but time on your hands, I would recommend you start talking, Katherine," Damon said seething, "Let's start with this question-Is this why you turned me? Did turning me have anything to do with the fact that I look like Klaus?"
A smile played on Katherine's lips, her eyes danced in mischief as she regarded him, visibly amused, "Wouldn't you just love to know. And I want to tell you, I really do, but it's not going to come free."
"Here, I have blood," Elena said from behind Damon, holding up a bottle full of the crimson liquid, "I've got more as long as you keep the answers coming."
"What the hell are you doing here, Elena?" Damon hissed, pulling her behind him, hiding her from Katherine's sight, snatching the bottle from her, "Aren't you supposed to be with baby brother figuring out a way to tame the wolf?"
"I am but someone had to make sure you're not about to do something stupid," Elena answered back, "So I'm stuck with Damon patrol."
"Are you two done flirting now?" Katherine called out in an irritated voice, "Or should I come back in an hour or two?"
Damon breathed out in frustration and faced Katherine again, "Fine, you get a bottle for every answer. Take it or leave it."
"My freedom from this hellhole for all the answers you want." Katherine said flatly, "I walk out of here and I'll tell you everything. I'll even throw in a bonus-my help for whatever comes after, and that includes Elena's safety."
"Yeah, ask for something I can actually give you, Katherine," Damon said exasperated, "Do I look like Elijah's BFF that I'll be able to convince him to compel you out of there? I don't think so."
Katherine laughed humorlessly, "Consider this a freebie, a token of good faith-I didn't ask you to ask Elijah to break the compulsion. I asked you to get me out of here."
"I can't override Elijah's compulsion…I can't even compel another vampire to begin with," Damon said crossing his arms in front of him, looking Katherine straight in the eyes as he continued, "Duh."
"Any other vampire won't be able to, I guarantee that. But you can. I know this will fall on deaf ears but I'll say it anyway-trust me." Katherine said, one corner of her mouth teasingly turning upwards, "Besides, it won't hurt to try."
Damon stepped forward, untangling Elena's hand from his arm as she tried to hold him back. He stared straight into Katherine's eyes and spoke, "You're free to go. Walk out of the tomb as you please."
Elena watched with baited breath as Damon took a step back as Katherine blinked once, and then a second time before her lips spread into a triumphant grin.
Katherine traced the invisible barrier between the tomb and the outside world with her toe before placing her foot outside, followed by the other. She took a deep breath as she stood right outside the entry, taking a deep breath as she lifted her face to the night sky, eyes closed as her smile widened.
Finally, Katherine looked at Damon, eyeing him as he stepped in front of Elena protectively, a shocked expression on his face as the realization of what he had done hit him fully.
It was Katherine who broke the growing silence, "Very good, Damon. See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Of course not…after all, you are your father's son."