What happened is, we grew lonely
Living among the things,
So we gave the clock a face,
The chair a back,
The table four stout legs
Which will never suffer fatigue.
We fitted our shoes with tongues
As smooth as our own
And hung tongues inside bells
So we could listen
To their emotional language,
And because we loved graceful profiles
The pitcher received a lip,
The bottle a long, slender neck.
Even what was beyond us
Was recast in our image;
We gave the country a heart,
The storm an eye,
The cave a mouth
So we could pass into safety.
Things, Liesel Mueller 1996
Placing her flats next to the front door of the apartment she shared with Klaus, Caroline willed her tired feet to carry her for a couple more minutes. Klaus' continued absence from the city had left her ruling New Orleans in his stead and she was exhausted. The day had been relatively uneventful in comparison to the rest of the year. She and Marcel had caught a few young vampires conspiring against Klaus in the inner circle but no harsh sentence had been dealt. Caroline was kind-hearted and it was the 24th of December. She didn't want to condemn anyone on Christmas Eve. Marcel was equally perturbed by the situation and they had eventually agreed to simply confiscate the offender's daylight rings, planning to re-evaluate the sentence at a later date.
Looking around the apartment, she checked that everything was in place. The lights were up, the tree was beautiful, and she had placed her neatly wrapped present for Niklaus under the lowest boughs of the tree. She was especially excited for tonight. She hadn't seen Klaus for over a week now, and when he had visited it had only been for a little more than an hour. He was constantly away on secretive business endeavours that she was 'not allowed to worry about'. This would be their first Christmas together as a couple and she wanted Klaus to remember it for its simple beauty. She wanted this night to be the one he would treasure above the countless Christmases he had experienced in the past millennium.
She began to waltz her way towards the door when she heard a distinctive 'knock' resonate throughout the apartment. As she walked, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, wondering why Klaus had arrived so early. It was only 5:30 and he wasn't due until 7. She wondered why he had felt the need to knock on their apartment door, when he had multiple copies of the key. Pushing open the entrance to her apartment, she was greeted with a sight she hadn't expected to see. One of Klaus' nightwalkers was standing outside her door, holding a large, enclosed basket in his hands.
"Hello…" she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
"Seth. My name is Seth, uh, your greatness." The blue-eyed vampire in front of her attempted to bow, as she did her best to stifle her laughter. He looked perplexed at her carefree amusement, obviously anticipating a stony attitude from his sire's girlfriend doubling as Marcel's partner-in-crime.
"Most people call me Caroline, but 'your greatness' works just as well. I can't say it's not an entertaining nickname," she giggled, causing another look of puzzled alarm to spread across Seth's face. "Tell me Seth, what are you doing here? I thought this apartment was off-limits from nightwalkers except when Niklaus or I require them."
Seth looked just below her eyes, unmistakably trying to show her that he was not a threat. "I… Klaus told me to bring this to you." He hastily shoved the large basket at her, but when she tried to look inside his eyes widened, silently begging her not to open it until he was gone. She nodded once to reassure him before placing the package on a small table behind her.
"Thank you Seth. Please tell Niklaus that I look forward to seeing him later this evening," she flashed him another gratifying smile before closing the door, cutting herself off from the juvenile nightwalker. Although she had shut the door quickly, she hadn't missed the guilt that flashed across his face in response to her gratitude. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided that his emotions were not something she could remedy. She just hoped that the package was in fact from Klaus and not a bomb delivered into her hands from yet another group of conspirators. Caroline did not fancy the idea of spending her Christmas Eve healing from the grievous burns she would contract from an assassination attempt. Most of her enemies were newbie vampires: ones who didn't understand that Niklaus was a strong and powerful original, a man with many connections. He'd managed to convince a witch to spell their apartment so that none could enter without his or Caroline's express permission and they could not be killed within the walls of their home.
Picking the basket up from the low-lying table close to the door, Caroline brought it into the package room. After numerous attempts of arson from those conspiring against her, she'd grown tired of constantly replacing burnt furniture and fixing the flooring and walls. Eventually, she'd had an extra room installed where the floors and walls were made entirely of concrete. It was always empty, used only to open packages from people she was unsure about.
Setting the basket in the middle of the room she grasped the lid, squeezing her eyes shut in nervous anticipation. Niklaus had told her to call one of Marcel's guys to open her packages for her but she was too compassionate to allow anyone else to take the brunt of her enemy's actions, especially when she had a protection spell around her making her practically invincible inside her home. She was relieved when the basket was opened without any ensuing explosions, her face quickly lit by a dazzling smile when she saw her name written on a gold envelope in her boyfriend's handwriting.
Moving the basket out of the package room and into the living room, she sat herself down with the gift on her lap. Quickly scanning through the contents of the basket, she grinned as she saw her that it contained her favourite foods. Although she didn't need to eat food, she preferred to feel as human as possible, and Caroline had always been a girl who had enjoyed eating. The basket also contained a small box similar to the packages her dresses from Klaus had always arrived in.
She pulled the envelope from the top of the gift, leaning backwards into the lounge chair and placing the basket to the side. Her smile slowly dropped as she quickly read the contents of the letter.
Caroline,
I'm incredibly sorry, love, but I am unable to make it tonight. There is more business I must attend to. I doubt I will be able to return to you for a few weeks, but I promise that when I do I will make it up to you. Merry Christmas, sweetheart.
Niklaus
Caroline felt tears well in her eyes, one lonely drop escaping and dripping down her chin. Finding it difficult to keep her composure, she ached with the anguish of feeling lonely all the time. She had met the reality of his continued absences with vigour, but she had just wanted this night to be theirs. He hadn't even bothered with a phone call, opting to send one of his nighttime minions to deliver the message in a basket.
Trying to be positive, she reasoned that at least she wouldn't have to worry about dinner and there was always the gift in the box. Perhaps it would be one with heartfelt sentiment behind it and, although this wouldn't have remedied the situation, it may have tempered it a little. Caroline's only Christmas wish was to have Klaus there to share it with her. She no longer wished for material things, finding most trinkets worthless and replaceable. Pulling the box open, she looked inside to find a pair of silk pyjamas. He's insulting me, she realised. First with the letter and now with this.
Red-hot anger travelled through Caroline's veins and into her heart as she threw herself off the couch and vengefully searched for her mobile phone. He hadn't been courteous enough to grant her a simple phone call, but Caroline wasn't about to treat him with the same disrespect he had displayed for her. Tonight, Niklaus was going to understand exactly what she thought about his last minute Christmas arrangements.
Finally spotting the Nokia on the kitchen bench top, Caroline went straight to speed dial, calling her absent boyfriend. She began to grow impatient as the phone continued ringing, making her less and less sure that someone would answer. She started when Klaus' alluring voice made its way through the phone, redirecting her to voicemail. He couldn't even answer the phone for me. The thought drifted across her mind as she waited for his answering machine to permit her to leave her message. After the resounding 'beep', she allowed her pent up frustration to flow freely through her words.
"Klaus. I don't know why after spending my whole day doing your job, I got home to meet one of your little nightwalker minions. I don't know why I got home to receive a basket of insults attempting to make up for your broken promise. You were supposed to be here. I know you have business to attend to, but honestly Klaus? All I wanted was for you to give up one night to be with me. Just one night, Niklaus. I gave up my whole life to be with you and you can't even give me one night in an eternity of nights? You know what, this is how it's going to work out. You either get your selfish ass over here or I'm leaving and this time I'm not coming back. You have until midnight or we're done. No second chances, no do-overs. You have until midnight or it's over."
She quickly ended her bitter message and threw her phone back onto the table. Caroline wasn't about to waste her whole Christmas Eve pining after Klaus. She had decided that she would look at the positives of the situation. Her night could be spent relaxing by herself, reflecting on the good things that had happened since she'd moved to New Orleans. This was the perfect opportunity for her to Skype Bonnie and Elena, an action she'd wanted to take for a long while but she'd never found the time. For the next few hours, she would forget that Klaus had ultimately abandoned her.
After taking a quick shower and pulling her pyjamas on — ones she had bought herself and not the insulting pair she'd recently acquired from Klaus — she pulled her laptop from the electronics cupboard and sat herself on the bed. Opening the Skype icon on her browser, she checked to see if her two best friends were online. She smiled when she saw that Bonnie was available on her chat, and didn't hesitate to call her immediately.
"Caroline, how are you?" Bonnie cried when the video finally opened up. "You were supposed to call me every day! Don't tell me we'll end up being the friends who only call on birthdays and Christmas!"
Caroline laughed with her exasperated friend, remembering the day she had moved to New Orleans. Her friends in Mystic Falls had been beyond confused at her decision to depart with Klaus, arguing that she'd always expressed an innate hatred for the original hybrid. Still, they'd let her go with him, determined to remain unselfish in their wishes. They'd made her promise two things. Call us every night and don't fall too far in love with Klaus. Caroline had broken both of her oaths.
"I've been busy, Bon Bon! I have a city to run now, haven't you heard?" The two girls continued to tease each other, gratified that they were finally able to communicate. "Where's Elena?" Bonnie's amused expression quickly sobered up as she looked at Caroline, seeming lost for words.
"She's… out with Damon for Christmas. Yep. They're… well you know them." Caroline was a little suspicious of Bonnie's hesitation, however she just put it down to the knowledge that both she and Bonnie disapproved of Elena's relationship with the oldest Salvatore brother. She would have much preferred to see her best friend with Stefan: a guy who was much more responsible, respectable, and reliable.
"Things haven't changed at all then." Caroline shrugged her shoulders and gave a sad smile, before shrugging it off with more amiable giggling. "And where's Jeremy, hmm?" She winked at her friend before laughing some more.
"You look like you're drunk Care, and I know you well enough to know that you only get like this when you're really upset. What's going on?" Bonnie scrutinised Caroline's cheerful expression, quickly noticing when her friend's smile morphed into a painful grimace. Soon enough even Caroline's tinkling laughter had evolved into more sinister, heart-wrenching sobs.
"He's abandoned me, Bon, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. He promised to be here for Christmas Eve and I don't understand why he can't just give me one night! I haven't seen him in over a week! I don't see him anymore… I thought I'd gotten better at this, that I had learnt how to get a man and keep him. I guess I'm still just an easy catch though. Second to everyone, especially when Elena's involved." Caroline barely breathed as the words streamed out, laced with frustration and bitter self-loathing. "Dammit Bonnie, I'm in love with him! And I don't know what to do and I'm not in control and he doesn't care and now I have a city to run and-"
"Breathe, Caroline." Bonnie cut into Caroline's long-winded rant, sending her a tentative smile in an effort to calm her down a little. "I'm sure he has a good reason, you just have to be patient and wait until he's ready to tell you what's going on."
"He'd better be ready to tell me now Bonnie. If he's not here by midnight, I'm coming back home to Mystic Falls." Violently pushing the tears away from her cheeks, Caroline remembered her earlier resolve to forget about the Klaus situation. As she looked back at her best friend on screen, she remembered that although she loved Klaus far too deeply, it wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't feel the same. When she'd moved to New Orleans, she'd known that there was a chance that his stone heart would grow bored of her after a while. After all, it hadn't been moved by love for many centuries. Who was she to think that someone as mediocre as her could sway the Original Hybrid's heart?
"I really think you should give him a chance, Care." Bonnie looked nervous, as if she was omitting an important piece of information from their conversation. "Either way, this will work out well for me. If you make up, I'll know that my best friend is happy and where she needs to be. If you decide to leave, I'll have you back forever and I swear I will do an anchoring spell so you can't desert me again."
"You still have Elena." Caroline's smile was a sad one. She hadn't heard from her other best friend in almost a year and, although they'd had many trivial arguments, she missed her almost as much as she missed Klaus. Bonnie's smile faltered for a split second, before being painted back on her face. When it returned, her mouth was set in less of a happy smile than a forced grimace.
"I have to go now, Care. Jeremy just got here. You'd better talk to me again soon." Bonnie adopted a pseudo stern expression, earning a small giggle from Caroline and easing the melancholic tension. Caroline waved to her friend as she hung up on the call and shoved her laptop shut once more. Checking the time, she saw that it was already 8pm. 4 hours left, she mused, hoping that Klaus would care enough to show up and save their relationship.
For the next few hours, Caroline alternated between watching her favourite scenes from the movies she adored and planning the re-decoration of the guest room. By the time she was happy with her design, it was already 11:51pm. Only nine minutes left. He's not coming. She was dismayed and upset, but above all of that she felt betrayed, broken.
Walking into one of the guest rooms, she tucked herself into the spare bed. The space felt so cold, so empty, and she'd never felt more isolated in her life. It felt as if a shard of dry ice had been created in the centre of her heart and was slowly spreading out, creeping through her coronary blood vessels and clawing a destructive path through her heart. Curling into a ball, she let herself cry as she tried to conserve her body heat, feeling herself slip farther and farther into an eternity of winter. Three minutes left.
The dimples on his cheeks, his delicate accent, his layered persona that could go from incredibly angry to incredibly gentle in a few seconds — none of this should have been enough to convince her to give up her life for him. Stupid, so stupid. Two minutes left. Her judgment had always been a little off. Caroline knew she was the girl who went for the wrong guys and was never sought after by the right ones. She was too controlling, too envious of those who'd been better off than her.
In a little while, she'd be on the hunt for someone new again. Or maybe she'd give up on love. It was far too much trouble anyway. One minute left. She gave in to uncontrollable shaking, disappointed that she hadn't been able to conceal her grief with calm smiles and laughter. Caroline was unable to fathom why love existed. It was too much trouble, too much pain. She should have learned her lesson after Tyler had abandoned her for revenge. Perhaps, she wondered, there was a universal law stating that she could never have a simple or peaceful love life.
She pulled the blankets up around her body, trying to hide her tear-stained cheeks from herself. Ten seconds. He's not coming. Nine seconds. He's really not coming. Eight seconds. Marcel can handle New Orleans on his own. Seven seconds. Uncontrollable shaking. Six seconds. Racking sobs, a cacophony of lost love echoing around the room. Five seconds. A pillow, tossed away from a suffocated mattress. Four seconds. A scream encompassing a night of emotional torment. Three seconds. She'd tossed the blanket and now there was nothing to hide her from herself. Two seconds.
"Caroline". She barely heard it. A whisper of a dream she thought she'd never have. "Caroline, look at me love." She looked up and he was there. He was almost an image concocted by a mixture of nightmarish dreams, and instead of being overjoyed that he was there, Caroline was angry. She was overwhelmingly, irrevocably furious.
"How could you put me through that, you bastard? Do you know what I've been through for the past few hours?" The tears continued their treacherous path down her face as she hit his chest as hard as she could, trying to push him away from her. Her efforts were to no avail however, as Klaus was too strong and he didn't feel like moving. "I was convinced you had abandoned me! Do you know how that feels? To love someone and think that they don't care about you? It hurts. How could you put me through that? You couldn't even afford me a single phone call to tell me you were coming! Nothing! I have half a mind to leave any-"
"Marry me, Caroline." He interrupted her mindless fuming, putting his face close to hers so that he could look into her eyes. She was dumbfounded for a second; trying her best to process the words he had just spoken, the commitment he had asked of her.
"What?" Her reply was the only word that Caroline could formulate. She felt as though her bank of words had been locked up: as if she could not make a transaction until she paid her due with coherent thoughts. Klaus cupped one of his hands around her cheek, a small smile on his face.
"I'm a thousand year old original hybrid. Through the centuries, I've killed and I've pillaged and I've been selfish. I always get what I want and it is for that reason that my siblings have never been my friends. I thought I could be guaranteed everything I wanted. Until I met you. I never wanted love. It's a burden — a ridiculous emotional sacrifice in my opinion. I never wanted love but it was given to me anyway. Unfortunately, the girl I loved wanted nothing to do with me for a very long time. Imagine my joy when she eventually decided to join me, to be with me in New Orleans. I thought I had everything, but for such an old man I was very naïve. Caroline, I'm pure evil and trying to be good for you nearly ruined our relationship. I wasn't here tonight because I was in Italy trying to find a suitable engagement ring. I'll be damned if keeping a secret from you was ever easy. I was going to wait until New Years to do this — you know 'new beginnings' and all that — however, someone informed me that if I didn't hurry up I would lose her forever. Truth is Caroline, I can't have everything until I have you. All of you. So marry me. Run away with me. Be my wife."
He held out a mesmerising silver and gold band, three diamonds intertwined with the metal in an intricate and delicate dance. Smaller diamonds decorated the edges causing the light to reflect on them in an enthralling Menuet.
"What kind of a proposal was that? First you tell me that you're pure evil and then you tell me that you're a naïve idiot? You've got to be joking." Finally finding her voice, Caroline gave him a flat look, still trying to get over the shock and devastation she had experienced in the past hour.
"For the first time in a millennium, I've felt my heart beating. Really beating." Klaus captured one of Caroline's hands, bringing it up to the left side of his chest in a last ditch effort to prove to her that he loved her, that she'd finally made him feel. "Answer the question, sweetheart. Will I be the man who gets to have all of you?" Klaus gave her an encouraging smile, the tips of his mouth doused in nervous anticipation.
"Well, love," she mocked him, her eyes crinkling at the corners in the first sign of happiness Klaus had seen all night, "you already have all of me."
He slipped the ring on her finger as they sealed their promise with a kiss.
A/N Hope you enjoyed it! Constructive criticism is welcome and very much appreciated . This one shot is pre our other story, Requiem, so if you liked it make sure you go check that out! It's set a few years after this :) Merry Christmas to all of you beautiful people! x
[edit] For those of you wondering about Damon and Elena, Serendipity is in progress. It deals with Delena's story and will be up on New Years :)