Disclaimer: not mine. A/N: It's christmas soon, and While you were Sleeping is one of my favourite Xmas movies - I wanted to explore the concept with Klefaroline. Everyone is human. I couldn't picture Mikael being a doting father so Esther is married to Ansel, he is their step father and Mikael is long gone. The Mikaelsons have adopted Stefan, he's Klaus' best friend and brother. Finn is based on Soul, and Freya on Elsie. Written for my own amusement x

It was While you Were Sleeping

Part I

Caroline Forbes is decorating her blue spruce tree in her apartment, layering tinsel and placing baubles the way her mother taught her. Christmas was time for family...it was depressing to think she was the only one in Mystic Falls not to have any, at least it felt like that - Liz, her mother, was Sheriff and had to work Christmas - like mother, like daughter - Caroline thought to herself, she would be working on Christmas too - collecting tokens and watching those happy people live up their holidays while her toes froze off. Things were different ten years ago when her father was still alive. Caroline had once asked Liz when she knew she was truly in love, and she said, it was 'when he gave her the world...', metaphorically speaking. Caroline glanced at the bookshelf, and picked up some more ornaments to hang onto the tree. Beside them is a lamp in the shape of a globe - they used to close their eyes and let their fingers point out destinations, and then as Caroline grew older and her mother grew busier, the thought of leaving Mystic Falls for anywhere became only a dream.

Caroline is working her shift alone, sliding the tokens towards her miserably as she thinks of her boss and all her friends celebrating Christmas with their families. It's cold, she tugs her pink beanie further down her ears, and then somebody wishes her 'Merry Christmas' - she looks up and sees him smiling at her warmly, and then he's gone. She slaps herself in the head for staring at him like a codfish, and losing her voice - she had waited for this moment for three months - god, she was so stupid! There's a yell and Caroline looks out the window to see two teens hassling her crush, they toss his red scarf in his face, laughing and then he's tumbling backwards and Caroline is half way out of the stall, she's running hard and fast, and there's nobody to come help her. She's shouting at the man, but he's unconscious and she's really panicking now because the train is coming, and he's lying, dead still on the tracks. Caroline jumps onto the platform, she grabs his trench coat, taking in a whiff of his aftershave. 'God, you smell good!' she whispers to herself, then she sees the train.

'Please wake up, please, please! Oh god, Mister? Misterrrrr, there's a train coming an it's fast - it's an express...' Caroline realizes rambling to an unconscious man is not productive, and she clutches his coat, grits her teeth together and with only minute - the train bearing down on her - she rolls them both to safety.

'Are you family?' a nurse said, suddenly.

Caroline has his coat bundled up in her arms, and she watches them wheel the man into the closed ward. She doesn't know his name, but she finds herself walking towards him - she just wants to see if he's ok. The nurse bars her exit, repeats his question and Caroline mumbles 'no' - she's told to stay where she is, and she knows she's not going to see him again, she murmurs 'I was going to marry him...' which is overheard by Elena Gilbert, a new intern. Caroline is shown to Klaus Mikaelson's room, and she sees him sound asleep in the hospital bed - he looks peaceful, despite cuts and bruises, and Caroline almost feels like brushing away the bits of hair stuck down by dried pieces of blood. She comes closer to him, and hesitates, raising her hand, slowly...then voices, lots of them, and she's suddenly surrounded by a doctor, and Klaus' extended family. She feels suddenly out of place, and moves to the back of the room, almost reaching the door when a policeman with blond hair and blue eyes folds his arms across his chest.

'Are you the woman that saved his life?' he asked.

Caroline half smiles, then realizes the entire ward is listening in on their conversation. Elena smiles, 'it gets even better than that, she's his fiancé...' and then Caroline lost her voice for a second time, as chaos erupted around her. She steered Elena from the room, getting a strange look from Sergeant Donovan and demanded in a hushed whisper why would she make up such a thing?

'I'm not engaged, I haven't even spoken to him. I was speaking to myself,' Caroline hissed.

'Well next time, tell yourself you're single and be done with it.' Caroline couldn't blame Elena, this whole mess had happened because of her own fat mouth. How was she going to tell Klaus' family it was all a misunderstanding? She wrung her hands nervously and Elena looked empathetic.

By the time they returned to the ward, Klaus' family were assembled around his bed. Caroline took her time, assessing each family member, seeing Elena plumping his pillows and checking his vitals in the corner of her eye. Klaus' mother was brushing her fingers through his hair like mother's do, and Klaus' father was tall, with an unshaven beard and bright eyes - he was in deep discussion with the doctor who kept reminding him to keep his voice down. Caroline listened while she took in the rest; two siblings in their teens, each one holding one of Klaus' hands each. At the end of his bed, wearing a concerned expression was Elijah, the older brother. The two younger ones kept looking at him for answers - he gave them a reassuring wink instead. Behind him, playing cards were Finn and Freya - the older twins, she had picked up their names from the younger two, Rebekah and Kol.

'How did this happen?' Ansel demanded to the doctor. Caroline saw Elena glance at her alarmed, but she shook her head, and let the story play out, she had no counter argument planned yet.

'He's in a coma... he was pushed from the platform at the station...'

'For heaven's sake, Ansel, don't yell at him. If only Stefan was here.'

The doctor looked stressed, he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and his knuckles squeezed the clipboard tightly in his hands. Elijah smiled at Elena, who took her leave, squeezing Caroline's shoulder gently in compensation. Maybe she could sneak away too, Caroline thought...

Oh, the rude nurse spotted her. He came storming into the ward pointing fingers - she was so dead. Elijah moved between her and the nurse and in a casual voice, hands in his suit pockets said: 'What seems to be the problem?' Caroline felt everyone's eyes on her - she bit her lip, keeping quiet. 'She's not family, what's she doing here?' The doctor looked just as confused as the rest of them. Elijah remained calm, raising an eyebrow and to Caroline's surprise said, 'She's Klaus' fiancé, she is family.'

Caroline is sitting alone beside Klaus, the others had given them some privacy and the male nurse left, fuming. Caroline sighed, sifting through memories of Klaus and sharing her first thoughts with him. She had read in some magazine that talking to trauma victims when they were unconscious helped, so she rambled on, inching her hand closer to his and staring breathlessly into his handsome face, hardly daring to believe she was there with him.

'I think you should know your family thinks we're engaged. I didn't mean this to happen. I don't know what to do.' She squeezed his hand hopelessly, and felt comforted by his steady breaths.

Caroline woke up the next morning, still partially holding Klaus' hand, and wiped her eyes. After a moment she said: 'do you believe in love at first sight? We saw each other, and I smiled and I knew my life would never be the same.' Knowing she would be late for work if she stayed any longer, she gathered up her things giving Klaus one more glance and collided with Finn in the doorway. He wasn't smiling, and Caroline had a mini freak out that he had overheard everything she had said to Klaus. She hung her head guiltily, knowing it was time to be honest with them and herself. Finn stepped forwards and told her: 'You know something, you saved his life. In fact, I think you saved the whole family.' He smiled at Caroline's bewildered expression and took the same seat as yesterday. Shortly, the rest of the Mikaelsons joined them and Caroline says a quick hello and goodbye, thinking over Finn's statement. Had he overheard her? Would he tell the rest of the family? Should she be worried?

She is waiting for the lift when Ansel jogs up to her waving a business card - she smiles, and he invites her to celebrate Christmas with his family, giving the card to her before she has time to say no. Rebekah catches up to them, beaming. 'Stefan's going to be there too. Kol, you've been ages!' Kol steps out of the lift, ladled with trays of coffee and gives Rebekah a smirk. The lift threatens to close, Caroline sticks her arm out to stop it. Another nurse, one she hasn't met yet is running towards her.

'I'm sorry Mrs Mikaelson, these are your husband's things.' A large box is thrust into her face.

'He's not my husband!' Caroline snaps, realizing Kol was still there, and still staring at her.

'I'm sorry, your fiancé,' the male nurse leaves in a hurry, and Caroline attempts the lift again, hoping Kol forgot her outburst - instead he gets into the lift and when the door closes and they reach the ground level, Caroline knows even more of Klaus' history than she wants to admit. She bids Kol goodbye and hurries back to her apartment to feed her cat.

Ten minutes into her two-minute noodles and Caroline is regretting her decision to not accept Ansel's invite. She had fed her cat and listened to her voicemails, Liz had left one to say they would have to celebrate Christmas again another day. She deleted the message, and checked her phone. There was a text from Bonnie, inviting her to their work party on friday night. Caroline texted back 'I'll be there' and pulled the business card off the fridge. Ansel owned a furniture business - she made an impromptu decision and found herself climbing out of a cab and walking up to a massive house covered in fairy lights. She wondered what it had been like to be a child in that house.

She is still gaping at the house like an idiot when Finn wanders down the path, a lit cigarette leaving steam in the brisk air. He mumbles something about being banned from the house and asks her to keep him company. He tells her he's Klaus' godfather and oldest brother, smiling coyly in her direction and takes another drag. 'My wife passed away two years ago, you remind me of her actually - feisty, hardworking, loves deeply. You two would have become fast friends. I wanted to officially welcome you to the family. Our mother has been cooking up a storm all night, and Freya has made her traditional eggnog, just warning you - it's strong!' Finn winked just before the door opened and soon Caroline was being hugged by both Esther and Rebekah, and Kol leaned against the door, paranoid she might confess his secret about Klaus.

Caroline finds herself on the lounge between Kol and Rebekah with a family album on her knees - millions of photos of Klaus with his siblings, saving squirrels, high school proms and graduations. She smiles into a particularly handsome one of him at she realizes is Elijah's wedding, and is stunned by his bride.

'That's Katherine,' Rebekah states. 'She's Elena's twin sister, you know, the nurse from the hospital?'

Caroline finds a young Rebekah in the bridal part and also, a younger Finn with his arms around a beautiful girl with red hair. 'That's Sage,' Rebekah explained. 'She died of breast cancer two years ago.' Caroline felt a lump in her throat and closed the album. She sees Esther hanging a stocking above the fireplace with her name on it and felt grateful, yet guilty for being there. Elijah squeezed Finn's shoulder comfortingly and Ansel carved the turkey. Kol had left the couch for some eggnog, and Rebekah was handing around presents, saving the largest one for Caroline. 'I hope you like it,' she beamed.

Caroline was wearing her new Christmas jumper over her clothes and was toasty warm, covered in fluffy blankets on the couch. She heard whispers in the hall and gathered that Stefan had finally made it home, the other brother she had not met. She felt her heart jump at the thought of meeting him and smiled into the lounge when Rebekah began to rouse on him for speaking too loudly.

'Don't wake Caroline!'

'Who's Caroline?'

'Klaus' fiancé!'

'No!'

After Stefan and Rebekah had gone, Caroline nodded off to sleep and woke up an hour or two later. She gathered up her things and made sure to tidy up the couch, leaving it presentable. She crept from the lounge room to the front door, almost there, when someone startled her. Stefan was sitting on the stairs with a newspaper on his knee and a coffee in his other hand. Caroline greeted him nervously, and apologised, telling him she was running late for work, really late.

'Caroline, hey, welcome to the family...' Stefan smiled, and Caroline was just grateful he didn't accuse her of anything, though he could have. Her shift went quickly and soon she was sitting on her bed, finally having time to sift through Klaus' belongings. His wallet was filled with lots of notes, and a photograph of his whole family, there was that pang of guilt again but she wasn't in it because he didn't know she existed. She picked up a brown bag and tipped its contents out - house keys and cat food.

Caroline opens up Klaus' apartment and is instantly stunned by the row of paintings and sketches on the grey walls. The furniture is modern, and she wonders if it is from Ansel's furniture business. As she looks out at the cityscape, a lone raven walked across the balcony. She walked through the house whistling for the cat, barges open the kitchen door hard and it hits Stefan right in the bridge of his nose. She gasps, standing back to see a bent over and groaning, man. She has no idea what he's doing there but grabs some ice, anyway.

'What are you doing?' Stefan asks holding a tea towel of ice to his bleeding nose.

'Feeding the cat,' Caroline said, trying to look normal by the kitchen counter.

'Klaus doesn't have a cat.' Stefan tells her as a ragdoll meows suddenly. Caroline sees the cat is called 'Fluffy,' petting it and putting it onto the counter to eat its breakfast. Stefan is looking confused, then the phone rings - Caroline lets it go to the machine but a suspicious Stefan picks it up. It's the hospital asking them to give blood. Caroline tells Stefan she met Klaus September 17. Stefan begins to grill her on everything important to Klaus like his favourite colour, favourite food, first girl he kissed, favourite sports team, favourite band...

'The Beatles,' Caroline finished, standing at the end of Klaus' bed, surrounded yet again, by Klaus family. Many of them, including Elijah were disapproving of Stefan's methods, and twice Freya announced, 'if she wanted to prove it, she'd prove it...' Thankfully Kol wasn't in the room when she told them about Klaus' missing testicle and how Klaus had lost it playing a basketball match with him. Caroline turns to Esther who agrees, seeing Caroline's story is true. When Caroline is about to leave Finn draws her aside and says 'I know everything. Don't look so worried, I'm not going to tell on you. In fact, I don't think you should tell the family at all. Meeting you, it's like they have Klaus back, don't ruin that. You are family, now.' Finn looked up as Stefan walked briskly passed. 'There's an engagement present from our parents downstairs, why don't you follow Stefan, and see where you want to keep it.' Caroline didn't know what to say, so instead she smiled gratefully at him for keeping her secret and hurried up to Stefan who was waiting for her in the lift. She folded her arms.

'Where do you want it?' Stefan asks as he climbs into the truck.

'Oh, it's perfect,' Caroline gushes, looking straight at a beautifully, handcrafted rocking chair.

'Well, too bad...yours is the couch,' Stefan said unloading it down the ramp.

'Oh, I'm sorry!'

'Don't be, I made it.'

'It's beautiful,' Caroline whispers, then she turns to the couch, which is white with green spots.

Somehow they get the couch across the marbled floors and into Klaus' apartment 57G - there's a bit of difficulty in pushing it through the doorway, and a huge mess after it sprung into the air and smashed a vase of flowers onto the carpet. 'I think it should go right there,' Stefan said, and it did.

Caroline and Stefan walk back to his truck to find that someone has parked him in and he's stuck there for the night. She waved him goodbye but he's surprised she might leave him behind, and offers to walk her to her door, not for her protection he assures her, but for his. They talk about lots of things, walking across the promenade and listening to the tide coming in. Caroline shivers, pulling her coat tighter around her and wishing she had remembered to wear her gloves.

'You need a better coat,' he tells her.

'It was my dad's,' Caroline explains.

'Well he's probably freezing,' Stefan adds, and Caroline giggles before adding that he'd passed away.

'Oh, I'm sorry.'

Caroline sighs, thinking of the light globe on her bookshelf. Stefan kicks some loose stones across the bridge. 'He liked maps,' she smiled to herself. Stefan nodded, 'Yeah, I live by maps - if there was one place in the world, where would you go?' She doesn't even need a minute to think on it, she answers 'Florence' immediately and shows Stefan her passport she carried in her bag and how there were no stamps in it, but how she wanted Italy to be the first. 'You know in a very small way, you remind me of him.' They reach her apartment and she warns him about how the path gets slippery, especially at night - it's covered in sleet and snow and she is surprised by how nice he's being.

'It's okay, you don't have to walk me to my door,' she told him, then as if karma had it in for her, Caroline's foot slid out from beneath her and she grabbed Stefan to stop herself from falling. He offers words of comfort and encouragement and suddenly the whole situation seems especially funny, and just as she steadies herself, Stefan takes a step backwards and falls, bringing them both down onto the cold, wet, path. Caroline hasn't hurt herself. She checks on Stefan, her eyes bright with joy and laughter spills out of her. He's complaining about his pants which have ripped in the fall, and Caroline needs to stop laughing because she can feel tears in her eyes. Her nose is red and she pulls herself up, still giggling and wishes Stefan goodnight.

A/N: Please review! Part II almost done.