Hey! So this is my first time writing a FanFic, so... yep. I'm not gonna ask you guys to go easy on me when reviewing though, because being brutally honest with me about what you did and didn't like in the chapter helps me on what I am and am not doing right. I'll skip all of the boring talk though, and just go straight to the disclaimers, I guess. :P

I do not own the Vampire Diaries, or any of the characters.

Well, actually, I think that's about it. Awkward. But I will bring in some original characters later on in the story, and I'm pretty excited for that.

And if you guys read this and think Klaus is too lovey-dovey, don't worry, he'll become more 'Klaus-like' again later on.

Eh, most of ya'll who actually bothered to open my story have probably already skipped over this. I know I would've :P

But if you're still reading, I hope you enjoy!

Otherworldly

Chapter 1

Anger. And jealousy. That was all she could really describe it as. Or all that she wanted to describe it as. She was too infuriated to even want to think about it long enough to try to find more elegant words for such horrible emotions. She felt like she could explode, and yet every complex emotion that rushed through her, could be said in just two extremely simple, non-complex words: anger and jealousy.

"Caroline?" a smooth, accented voice chimed from her right.

She looked down, and shook her head lightly.

She stayed still for a few moments, as the orchestra music flowed through her, and the chocolate-haired man next to her waited patiently.

Looking back up again, she saw Tyler and Haley together on the dance floor. That wouldn't have bothered her that much, if they weren't completely pressed up against each other as he whispered things in her ear, and kissed her cheek. He wasn't Haley's boyfriend. He belonged to Caroline. Sure, they were pretending to be broken up because of Klaus... but Tyler didn't have to try so hard to convince him.

It had been a couple hours since they had crowned the new Miss Mystic Falls, April Young, and the sun was setting.

"I'm fine." the blonde said suddenly. Klaus looked at her, contemplating. Caroline focused her blue eyes upon his, and he couldn't help but think about how much he hated the sadness in them, but secretly adored the aqua specks floating around in the various shades and pools of blue.

"He doesn't deserve you, Caroline."

She didn't know it, but he knew that they had not truly broken up. He had studied her eyes far to many times for her to be able to lie to him. Her eyes gave away it all.

All of it, always.

Smiling softly, she sighs. He can sense a little bit of her tension melt away, but she still felt awful.

"Yeah," she says, "maybe not. I dunno." Her anger somewhat disappates into sadness. She looks slightly down again, and squeezes her eyes shut.

He pauses.

"I know."

She stays silent.

He looks towards the setting sun, out in the distance.

"Sweet Caroline, would you like to go for a walk?"

Usually she would've said something along the lines of 'Hell no' followed by some sort of snide retort, but right now she just felt sick, and she wouldn't mind getting away from everyone. More importantly, getting away from Tyler.

Nodding slowly, she slowly opens her eyes. She feels Klaus's hand move to the small of her back as he had begun to guide her away, and she can tell that the gesture wasn't a romantic one, but rather one meant to comfort.

As they weave their way through people caught up in light conversation and gossip, she continues looking down. They soon start to reach the end, as the crowd thins.

As soon as they cross the barrier of the beginning of the thick forest, she slowly breaks the comfortable silence.

"Why are you being so kind to me?"

He responded immediately.

"A sad Caroline Forbes isn't as fun as a happy Caroline Forbes," he answered simply, "and it is quite saddening for others when the life of the party is acting so lifeless."

Letting out a meloncholy chuckle, she pauses before speaking.

"But I am lifeless, remember? I'm a vampire." she stated, looking up again.

He smiles softly.

'You're anything but lifeless, love,' he thought to himself, 'Anything but.'

She looked forward as they continued their trek.

And he quietly admired her from mere inches away.

Her mind wandered, and she became curious of how everyone's night was. She figured Elena's probably wasn't going too well, she had just been nearly killed by her little brother. Stephan was out there somewhere stressing out about how to get the cure, she was almost 100% certain. She bet Tyler was happy dancing with Haley though... but then there was Bonnie, April, Shane-even if he did seem shady-and she even wondered about Damon. She wondered if all of the guests were enjoying themselves, and how many people had left by now.

The sun had set by now, and the silky moonlight spilled onto the forest.

Klaus had thought about asking her what was on her mind, but decided against it, as he was already too caught up in the far away look in her eye.

After a few more minutes of her wondering about her friends, and him stuck in wonder of her, they stepped foot into a small clearing.

Caroline walked out into the middle of it. Klaus stayed back at the edge and watched her.

Her movements, her expressions, her emotions.

Her.

She looked upward directly to the moon, and sighed.

She moved to sit down on the soft grass.

She laid down.

She was beautiful.

He hesitated, and then moved to be next to her, and laid down.

She had become glued to the moon, just as he had to her.

Softly, she asked.

"Klaus, do you think there's an afterlife? For us, anyways?"

He answered honestly, and slowly.

"I've never really thought about it, Caroline."

He continued to stare at her, and the way the moonlight would reflect off of her perfect porcelain skin.

He heard her let out a shaky breath.

He was unable to tear his eyes away.

"Sweet Caroline." he said softly.

She closed her eyes, feeling his words and the soft breeze.

"Tyler and I didn't actually break up, you know."

She didn't know why she told him, but something in her wanted her to, and something in her was glad she did.

She moved her eyes to face Klaus, and then opened them. He was staring back at her, and he replied with a simple,

"I know."

She smiled and rolled her eyes, then deciding not to question it, and looked up again.

"Everyone has probably left the party by now."

"Yes. Should I take you home, love?"

She sat up slowly. "No, it's okay. My car is still over there. Somewhere."

He stood up quickly. "Or we could walk."

She chuckled at the hybrid. "The entire way?"

"Yes, the entire way. You're a vampire, it's not like you can't handle it."

At this he offered his hand.

She looked up at him, smiling slightly, then rolled her eyes and took his hand.

He immediately felt sparks shoot up his arm, like vervain being injected into his system, only it wasn't as painful as it was pleasurable.

She let go of his hand when she was standing up and balanced, not noticing his disappointment to this flash across his face before he quickly covered it up.

"And thanks," Caroline chirped rather quietly.

"For what?"

"Just... being there, I guess. I don't know. But it made me feel kinda better, about Tyler."

He stomach churned the tiniest bit when she mentioned him, but he was just glad she at least felt better.

"Not a problem," he smiled, "it was quite relaxing, to be honest."

She smiled in a way that friends would smile at each other, and he couldn't tell if he liked or disliked that. It was a start, at least. Not exactly where he wanted to be, but better than a few short hours ago.

And then they started walking.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" she asks after a brief pause.

"I want to talk about you," he answers without hesitation. "your hopes, your dreams... everything you want in life."

She laughs. "Just to be clear, I'm too smart to be seduced by you."

He looks at her admiringly. "Well that's why I like you."

"I already know why, Caroline," he says to the beauty to his left. "I'm a thousand year old original hybrid, you really should give me more credit."

"Why aren't you upset about it though? You should be tearing my head off right about now!" she exclaims.

"Well, even if you do un-sire all of my hybrids, I'm still the most powerful creature on the planet. Besides," he replies, "Stephan will never stop looking for the cure. Not only will I not let him, but his love for Elena is too strong for him to just simply walk away. Once she is human again, I will simply be able to just make more hybrids."

She reviews what he just said, about to reply, but he cuts her off.

"I also happen to find all of the extra time with you quite nice."

Caroline looks to her right and smiles, as Klaus continues to look forward with his hands clasped together behind his back.

"I like it too."

He looks out of the corner out of his eye to focus on her, and smirks. "Do you now?"

She rolls her eyes and chuckles. "Oh, c'mon, don't get cocky, Klaus."

He loved it when she said his name.

"Why shouldn't I? Love, I'm with a beautiful girl who just admitted that she likes spending her free time with me. Hmm... maybe this means that I'm not as bad as she thought I was?" He returned, turning upon his heal and stopping to look her directly in the eye.

She squints at him, stopping as well. "You killed my best friends aunt, you know. You tried to kill me and Tyler. You've hurt and killed and sucked dry thousands of innocent people," and just before his anger flares up and he can say anything, she states simply, "but to answer your question, yes. I'm someone who believes people can change."

He stays still, letting the silence consume them before he breaks it again.

"How can you be so utterly loving? Even the darkest monsters you won't mind forgiving. You could end up getting killed if you let people like me into your life."

"Or I could end up with a great new friend, one of which who will go on midnight strolls in the forest with me."

He chuckles, and gets lost in her eyes.

"I guess you could."

The soft sounds of crickets, rustling leaves, and running water fill up the atmosphere around them.

Caroline looks up toward the moon again.

"Maybe we should hurry this stroll up though, love," Klaus says slowly, tearing his eyes away from Caroline. "I don't want your mother to become worried about you too much."

She sighs, a sound expressing her disappointment of this, and Klaus is pleased by her not wanting to go.

After a quiet pause she speaks again. "Alright." She says dejectedly.

"Are you disappointed, love?" His smirk reappears as he says this.

"Yes," she says, making his smirk grow just a little more. "it's just that you help distract me from the whole 'Tyler and Haley' thing." And then his satisfaction disappates.

She continues. "...it just... seems like maybe they're not acting as much as I think," she breathes shakily. "like... maybe it's real between them."

He stands in place for a moment, before drawing even closer to her. He takes her face in his hands, feeling the smooth light skin underneath his fingertips.

"Caroline, you are beautiful, alright? It doesn't matter either way, if he's acting or not. You do not need him. Sure, you want him, but desires change. In the future,-maybe five minutes from now, or even five centuries from now-you'll move on. These things happen suddenly. You won't like hearing this Caroline, but you and Tyler aren't supposed to be together. Maybe for the time being you are, just maybe, but what you're thinking of, the extraordinarily overrated 'finding the one you'll spend the rest of your life with' thing, it is not Tyler. Trust me, love."

She takes a moment to register his words, then her eyebrows knit together and she reaches up to pull his hands away from her face.

"It's not that easy though. It can't be that easy. Just simply tossing whatever you want to the side, or simply letting it go? Changing it like that? How could it ever be that easy?!"

Her hands are still holding onto his, and even with their supernaturally sharpened hearing, neither of them can hear anything for miles. It's only Klaus, the girl he could die for, and the moonlight.

"I guess I'm just someone who believes people can change."

She breathes in sharply, and her face relaxes. She looks down at their hands, and can feel electricity run up and down her, spiraling, churning, stirring, within her. Like she needed to draw him in just a little closer. Like she could die right them and there, and it would be alright. For once, probably the first time in her life, she felt like it was all going to be okay.

And he felt exactly the same.

She looks back up into his eyes again.

She could swear the eyes she met were the vast, endless, wild, gorgeous, untamed ocean, and she could drown in all of it, happily.

Emotions swirling around inside them remind her of lightning. She searches them, sorting through every emotion she could see. Many appeared, but they all seemed almost dormant to one in particular. One particular emotion, appearing supernatural in it's own beautiful way.

Longing.

But after savoring a few more simplistic moments in the absolute euphoria that she had come to know as Klaus, she forced herself to tear her eyes away.

Dropping his hands, she says softly, "I need to get back."

She was careful to not look directly into his eyes again, for she knew that she might just really drown the second time.

If she had looked in that moment, she would've seen the overwhelming disappointment that had consumed him in less than a second.

He only wanted one thing then.

Not a huge army of hybrids,

Not overwhelming power,

Not the cure for Elena.

All he wanted was her.

Just to touch her, hold her hand again. Stare back into her eyes, and get so lost that he hoped he would never find his way back. Just to brush his hand across her cheek, and feel her skin. To feel the heaven-sent electricity that was becoming more and more familiar to him every single time they touched.

And there was only one way to do that right now, even if it could only happen for a minute.

So, he picked her up, and ran.

She was taken by surprise, and he had already been running for a few seconds before she realized what had just happened.

As the wind hit his face whilst he ran to Caroline's house, he ignored her words of protest, rather just listening to the sound of her voice.

Beautiful.

Running at the speed of lightning, he chuckled as he heard hear complaining.

But they had gotten to her house far too soon, and he had to let go of her.

She awkwardly got back onto her feet. "Thanks for the heads up."

He chuckled, and responded lightly, "It's no bother."

She laughed at him, and jokingly shoved him a little.

He hardly wavered whatsoever, but she kinda expected that.

"So, I guess I should get inside now." She looks down at the ground, and then back up at her house.

"I... had fun." She says unsurely, and he smiles softly at this.

"And I as well, beautiful Caroline."

She smiled appreciatively, and started to walk towards the front door. He watched her as she walked away, and when she reached the porch, she looked back, and he could see that something wasn't right. She smiled again, nodding her head as goodbye.

That's when he remembered something.

Caroline shut the door quietly behind her, hoping not to alert her mother of how late she was returning. She looked into the kitchen and living room, but her mother was present in neither. She walked softly up the wooden stairs, taking care to make sure they didn't creak. After, she walked down the short hallway to her white door with old stickers and decorations on it. She opened it, stepped into her room, and shut the door as quietly as possible.

She dared move a little louder in the safety of her room, struggling to not think about Haley and Tyler now that her distraction was gone, and went over her closet. After taking off her fancy and slightly above-the-knee dress, she changed into her favorite pair of pajamas, a spaghetti strapped purple top with butterflies on it, along with matching full-length pants. She had had these for forever, but for some reason she had just never grown out of them.

She stepped back out into the main part of her room, and heard a tapping on her window. Pausing, she listened for it again. It took another moment, but it happened again, just as before. Three short taps. She cautiously approached her window, and peeked through one of the blinds. She immediately pulled them up when she saw what it was.

Or rather, who.

She unlocked the window, and pulled up the painted white wood of it, opening it, glad that her distraction was back.

"Klaus, what are you doing?"

She shut the window behind him.

"Sorry, love. I just forgot something."

She rolled her eyes, and waited for him to explain.

"Well? What'd you forget?"

He reached into the pocket of his tuxedo, and pulled out an old, extremely fragile-looking piece of paper, and handed it to her.

She grabbed it from his hands, and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him.

"Well, don't just stand there, look at it." He said impatiently.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes once more, looking down at the paper. It was another drawing, of course-but it was beautiful.

She smiled down at the paper, taking in all of the details.

It was of Caroline, sitting in a booth at The Grill. It was simple, but it was lovely.

She looked up again at Klaus, and he reflected her smile, pleased with himself and his drawing.

"I was going to give it to you earlier, but I had forgotten," he said. "So naturally, I climbed up the tree next to your window, knocked, and waited for you to open it for me."

"...naturally." she chuckled.

She looked away from him, and all around her room for a good spot to hang it. After a little contemplation, and walked over to the space in between her bedroom door and her nightstand, and tacked it up against her yellow wall. She stepped back to where Klaus was, and smiled, taking a liking to where she decided to put it. Klaus's eyes had followed her the entire time, and he had found amusement in watching her actions.

"I love it," she stated, then she looked over to smile at him. "I really do."

She looked back at the drawing again, and then she heard Klaus speak up.

"I guess I had better leave then. You need to sleep." He remarked, silently taking notice to the slight bags under her eyes.

He moved away, and began to open the window again.

"Or you could stay." Caroline accidentally blurted out. Of course she wanted him to stay though, but she didn't mean to ask him to. She just wanted Tyler off her mind right now.

"Of course, love," His smooth voice replied from behind her. Suddenly, she was being picked up. "But you still need to sleep."

He went over and placed her delicately on the bed, and removed the sheets from underneath her, and covered her with them.

Like a flash of lightning, he was already resting on the other side of her bed, laying on top of her green sheets. He leaned over and turned off her lamp, the room then illuminated by the moon seeping through the blinds. Looking to his left at Caroline, he noticed she was already looking at him, peeking at him from under the soft comforter.

"What's on your mind, love?" He asks softly, as he scoots a little closer to her.

She shakes her head. "It's not important."

He raises his eyebrow, but she still doesn't answer.

He sighs into the blanket, and nods.

Quiet honestly though, she was thinking about that moment in the forest. The beautiful one where she didn't feel like she had to worry about the whole vampire thing, or Elena falling for Damon, or Jeremy going all rouge psychopath, planning any fancy parties or celebrations, or worry about Tyler.

"Alright love," he says finally, "just go to sleep."

And quite honestly, he was thinking about it too. Just the simple joy of the small journey of looking into Caroline's eyes, and simply forgetting this world, and melting into her.

Little did either of them know, in only a few short days, they would be going on a journey together that was much bigger than that.