Title: A bird in a cage; a slant on the subject
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries (TV series)
Characters: Caroline, Tyler, Katherine (Caroline/Tyler)
Word Count: Just over 1000
Rating: K/G
Summary: Caroline reflects on life without Tyler; Tyler and Katherine disagree.
( A bird in the cage; a slant on the subject )He’s already having second thoughts- Katherine makes him uncomfortable. She’s waiting outside the bank at the airport and he doesn’t bother to ask how she found him. He just sighs, adjusts the weight of his pack and trudges up to the bench where she’s sitting, legs crossed. She smells annoyed, and her foot is bobbing up and down in this antsy way.
“I thought you were
trying not to get caught.”
“Figured I’d need cash and the account’s under a fake name. He can’t track what he doesn’t know about.”
“Betting on him
not finding anything tied to you is foolhardy. You’re a vampire, Tyler. Take what you need from your prey and then erase the evidence. The best targets are older- they’ve had more time to save up. Not quite as tasty though,” she adds, wrinkling her nose.
He frowns and gives her a disgusted look. “I’m not stealing people’s money.”
She gives him a derisive smirk before slinging her leather bag over her shoulder. “Judgey, judgey. Don’t you know how the Lockwoods got so rich? I’ll give you a clue- most Founding families doubled their land holdings in 1864 after the vampires were all entombed.”
“What?”
“And you think your trust fund dividends come from corporations
without sweatshops and factories that pay slave wages? Don’t be so naïve.”
“…Did Mason…?” he starts, surprised, before stopping and shaking his head. “…Look, I’m just trying to do what’s right.”
She tilts her head and smiles. “And
I’m just pointing out that there are almost no “right” choices.”
“…Fine. But I’m not going to take money from little old ladies when I’ve got my own.”
She stands up and steps into his personal space so he has to take a step back. “You’re immortal, Tyler. You think your trust fund will last forever? Vampires have been doing this for centuries. In fact, the Mikaelsons take a certain pride in stealing from royalty.”
He makes a face when he hears that, but he gives her a look and explains. “I’m not living it up- my mom taught me how to manage money, okay? And maybe she didn’t think about the ethics or whatever, but I guess I can.”
“Being a stick in the mud can be fatal, you know. Things tend to
snap under pressure,” she snarls.
He gives her a cocky smile, meeting her eyes. “Well, you’re only stuck with me until we get Klaus. And I won’t need to visit another bank for a while, so hopefully this’ll be quick. Where are we going, anyway?”
She exhales. “Canada. Easier to blend in and then get back across the border. Are you going to whine about morals again if I compel us into first class?”
He shrugs and looks down at her luggage. “Probably empty seats there anyway. You want a hand with these?”
That makes her smile despite herself. She tilts her head and gives him an appraising look, considering.
“You’ll do, Lockwood.”
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A/N: Just wanted to say that this fic will probably end up AU, in case that isn’t your cup of tea. And sorry, I can’t seem to keep myself from making social commentary in my chaptered fics. :P
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