"I've waited a hundred years
But I'd wait a million more for you"
It's been 100 years since she left that cursed town… okay, 103 to be exact. A century filled with actually viewing the world from outside of the surprisingly dangerous confines of the small town in Virginia.
The idea of stopping by a certain supernatural friendly city with a certain more-than-friendly Original Hybrid was too tempting to pass up. But she did.
She started all around the States, then the rest of the continent, and finally decided to cross into international waters. London was a new experience. Barcelona turned into nights filled with way too much alcohol and drunken confessions to strangers that just assumed she was crazy to be talking about vampires, witches, werewolves, and hybrids. It just wasn't real.
Oh how they were wrong when the beautiful blonde flashed her fangs and blood red eyes and just as the fear finally registered into their minds, she was quickly draining them of their sweet blood, up until the slow tell tale sound of their fainting heartbeats brought her back from her bloodlust. Quickly compelling them to forget they've seen her and that when they wake up the next night, all that will be to remember the night was a killer hangover, a sign of a pretty damn good time.
After quite the episode in Spain, she made short trips all around the world, but long enough to enjoy the feeling of being anywhere but home. After 20 too many years in that town of the damned, it felt strange to wish to be anywhere but there considering her human self would've just kept her there for the rest of her life. Now she has an eternity and she would be damned if she didn't take advantage of it.
It wasn't until 40 or so years into her escapade that she started to feel something in the pit of her stomach that she hadn't felt in decades. Loneliness.
She shook it off as not having a companion around to enjoy these sights with. But even with Enzo popping in on her every so often, or the occasional boyfriends and in between bedfellows, she still felt that lingering emptiness.
With only a few constants in her life, it was easy for her to grin and bear it. Although Stefan tried to stay attentive to his friend whenever he'd drop in, he still struggled with trying to shove Elena out of his heart, and Caroline, being the ever-understanding friend she is, consoled him and always shoved him into bar and drank the night away. Damon… she liked to stay as far away from him as possible, but on the occasional times she would see him due to him being her childhood best friend's boyfriend and her other best friend's brother, she put up a good front, acted civil around him, even when he pestered her with nicknames and the not-so-subtle name drop of a certain hybrid, but let's just say that one of these days, he shouldn't be so surprised when her right fist meets his left cheek.
It wasn't just Damon that liked to name drop, though.
Let's just say when Caroline was enjoying a lonely white Christmas in Berlin, she ran into the Original Barbie herself. Something about being fed up with her brother's constant need to be alone that she finally gave him what he wanted. Ventured to the snowy city and the two unlikely blondes hit it off quite well with no other impending issues to care for and both put on a friendly front. Even when a certain brash doppelganger happens to turn up in the bar the two were occupying. Things may or may not have gotten a little messy, but all the while, Caroline pulled them out of their quite crass banter and sat them down to put differences aside, Rebekah on one side of her and Katherine on the other, for the sake of their lack of Christmas spirit and shoved countless shots in both their hands for the remainder of the night. And that's how Caroline Forbes found herself in the company of a very temperamental Original (like brother, like sister) and the bane of her existence that very white Christmas in Berlin, and let's just say, that the constant tug of loneliness for the past 64 years was slowly starting to dissipate.
It seemed that the odd trio stuck together for quite a while. Rebekah insisting on the two to become a second and third guiding voice when it came to her shopping habits. Katherine denying that she enjoyed their company, but claiming she had nothing else to attend to.
Caroline learned more of the two than she ever thought she would. Minor things they liked or took interest in or what set them into a frenzy. She found unlikely friends through people that she fought against so many years ago.
She knew once Elena found out of her new neighbors, she would guilt her into believing she was in the wrong for befriending them. But she'll cross that bridge when she gets there… or if it ever comes.
Once again, it was a surprise to have Rebekah and Katherine follow Caroline down to Melbourne. It seems they really do think of each other as more than travel companions. Everything is unexpected once Enzo decides to crash into what is usually girls night (typically every night) and it's the predatory gaze Rebekah sends Enzo that has Caroline playing matchmaker. All she can hope for is a successful match, considering she hasn't done this in a near 9 decades.
As Caroline sits with Katherine, observing their other blonde friend from afar, she notices the brunette pouring shot after shot. It's a first for Caroline to see the doppelganger so… inebriated. She spouts words about the loss she felt of not being able to care for her own daughter, the strong need she felt to be free from always running, and she even spilled her thoughts on how she always thought what her life would be if she ever decided to humour herself with a little happiness in the company of a certain suit-wearing Original. That's when you really know Katherine Pierce is completely gone when she talks about lost hopes and dreams of freedom.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't you ever let yourself be happy?"
Caroline shuts the front door behind her as her and Katherine follow shortly behind Rebekah and Enzo, "I think you're completely missing the happy grin on my face."
Katherine gives the blonde a smirk as she shakes her head, creating an ethereal sway of her glossy curls along her back, "I've known you for quite a while, Blondie, and you're a terrible liar."
Glares are exchanged between the two, "Then I should be asking you the same question, Miss I'm not in love with Rebekah's brother."
Laughter shook Katherine's figure, "Now who are you talking about? Considering we're both in love with her brothers." Caroline paused in her tracks, dumbfounded. No. She's not in love with him. She hasn't seen or heard from him in a century! It's not even possible that he would still think of her after all these years.
"We know how much you hate being late, Gorgeous, so maybe would you mind getting a move on before another century has passed?"
Knowing her words started causing inner turmoil in the girl, she knew it wouldn't be long until she was packing her bags.
With all these unfiltered thoughts rushed on by, Caroline stubbornly shrugged her jacket off and thrown it on the lounge chair in the corner of the room. She huffed as she kicked her stilettos off and made her way into her closet to step out of the white, long sleeved, bandage dress she adorned for the night and into an oversized nightshirt. As she walked out of her closet and threw her hair up in a ponytail, she notices a familiar rectangular, blue velvet box sitting on her bed, wrapped with a pretty ivory ribbon.
She finds herself anticipating what she'll find inside with every step she takes towards her bed. Hoping she'll find another beautiful sketch inside to replace the one she regrettably guided into a shredder. She held it as if it were made of porcelain, her eyes not leaving the box but her mind in a different place, a different memory a hundred years ago. Was it really that long ago? She thought to herself as she scoffed to herself. What a coincidence, is it not?
The ribbon slowly glides off the box as Caroline pulls at an end. Hesitation has her hands trembling as the ribbon falls on her bedspread. She sits herself down, the small box settled on her rested hands in her lap, her eyes trained on the object. The weight she's feeling in her chest makes her feel like she's holding Pandora's box.
The grandfather clock in the sitting room ticks on, reminding her of the actual value of time. Was it necessary to waste time away from people she loved, away from someone she could come to love? Sure, she had all the time in the world to give into Klaus' promises… If they still stood. But maybe this was a sign? His sign of telling her to forget his promises because he found someone better, or because he found that love doesn't exist. Or to reassure her that his offer still stands and that he's waiting for her in New Orleans, ready to actually start what has been nagging her for the past century. She found herself wishing for the latter.
She finally found the nerve to open the box, but shut her eyes before she saw what sat inside.
One hand slowly made it's way to brush it's fingertips on the object. Cold.
Her eyes shot open. Now she really felt as if she was 18 again. That bracelet from all those years ago, there it was. She didn't know whether to feel happy that she was seeing it again, or dread because she was seeing it. Fear seeped inside of her, wondering if this was a parting gift between the two.
Her fingers delicately picked up the ancient, yet, astonishing, bracelet, only to find the cushion that it laid on to slightly protrude upward from the lifted weight. Reluctantly, she set down the jewelry next to the ribbon, then removing the cushion to see a piece of parchment rolled up at the bottom of the box.
Discarding the box next to the gift that sat inside not so long ago, her hands were quick to unravel the parchment.
The resemblance of the drawing was unreal. How he was able to remember every detail of her appearance from a hundred years ago had Caroline reeling. It wasn't the exact same drawing, considering she was in a different perspective than the first. She gathered that this was the exact moment she walked into that room. The moment she felt his eyes on her and just a second later, their eyes met. She remembered it all too well.
All the while, she tried not to let this get to her. To prove that she didn't feel this pull in her unbeating heart.
But of course, against her will, her wall finally fell.
As she looked below the drawing, there was that familiar penmanship.
"Every year is worth the wait.
Happy Birthday, Caroline."
Nothing was making any sense in her mind. All she knew was that this century was more than enough time to decide what she wanted for the rest of her life. Maybe she knew all along what she wanted, but it took getting away from judgmental friends and finding unlikely friends, with her has-been-enemies, to finally not care if she's in love with a monster.
Was she in love with him?
Everything was a blur. From her way back into her closet, to her rushed paces down the stairs. If she was going to live for an eternity, might as well spend it with people that enjoyed being with her, right?
Caroline was set in motion, ready to text Rebekah and Katherine of where she'd disappear to, if it weren't for the lone figure standing on her porch, back turned from the front door, outlooking the starless sky.
"Klaus…?"
The figure stiffened over the sound of her quiet voice. A voice he yearned to hear for a lonely century. He turned towards her, completely taking in every aspect of her as if she were going to run off any second.
His eyes spoke volumes to her, but she couldn't bring herself to decipher those emotions, figuring they would speak nothing but of lonely nights, worries of rejection and abandonment. She shook them all away just to see the hope and longing. Secretly, she enjoyed the fact that he really did wait a century for her, and by the looks of it, he would wait even longer if it meant he could hold her in his arms for the rest of forever.
"Would I be right into assuming that I won't be waiting another century?"
Hell. She fought herself for way too long to hold back anymore.
She launched herself into his waiting posture, quickly catching onto her intentions, his arms wrapped around her waist as her hands found their way into his short curls, both eager close the physical and mental distance between them.
God, how has she forgot how perfect this felt? To be in his arms. To feel everything he felt for her in just a simple kiss. She dismissed his intimate gestures back then due to the fact that they were just letting off the building sexual tension. She was a baby vampire. What did she know of epic love? Now she knew.
She does love him.
And maybe it wasn't her that turned up at his door, but nonetheless, she still made the decision to see the world through his eyes, hand in hand.
"With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees"