AN: Hello out there, dear readers! This is my newest story. I haven't written a lot for it yet, but I wanted to get it out before the second half of this season starts. It's mostly cannon (I do take some liberties and ignore some story lines). As a warning, this story does include characters and some story lines from TO. But I am a hardcore Klaroline shipper, so don't worry. Any of the dreams in this story will be in italics. Please enjoy!
Caroline blinked her eyes a couple of times and tried to make out her surroundings. She was in a bar. But it was a bar she had never seen before in her life. She was standing in a corner, next to a table and there were at least twenty other people in the bar with her. She glanced around the place, until she had to do a double take. There was Klaus. He looked as good as she had remembered him. His hair was a little longer and ruffled. His clothes outlined his sexy body, but also made him look authoritative. He wasn't smiling, though and his eyes held some sadness. Caroline had to rub her eyes a couple of times to make sure she was seeing him correctly. It was definitely Klaus, but he wasn't there alone. He was sitting at the bar, next to a blonde woman. The woman reminded Caroline vaguely of herself, but she decided not to dwell on that detail of this very odd dream. She was concerned because it had been months since the last time she had a dream that starred the almighty Hybrid and she assumed that her subconscious was over Klaus. Caroline decided to be brave in this dream and she carefully made her way to the bar to talk to dream Klaus. Caroline was so focused on Klaus that she didn't notice some strange details, like no one in the room seemed to acknowledge her presence and that she could move through objects. Caroline arrived at Klaus to hear him softly talking to the blonde.
"I never meant to hurt you, Cami." Klaus said, as he reached a hand over to gently pat the blonde's hand.
"But you lied. You led me to believe she was dead. I thought I had a hand in killing her!" Cami whispered angrily.
Caroline's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the intimate conversation and the fact that Klaus had yet to notice her. Caroline went to tap Klaus on the shoulder and was shocked as her hand passed right through him. Caroline gasped and began to panic. "Oh my god. Something's wrong. Am I dead? How did I die? Why am I seeing Klaus if I died? The other side doesn't exist, though." Caroline began to argue with herself. Caroline ignored the rest of Klaus' conversation with Cami as she went on a rampage through the bar, passing through people and tables. Caroline could not make sense of this dream and she needed to. She passed through the door and stood out on a street. She looked up at the building where the bar was and read the sign. "Rousseau's. Where on Earth am I?" Caroline said to herself. Caroline closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. "Ok, I'm dreaming of Klaus and a bar I have never been to." Caroline began to talk herself down from her hysteria. "I must be dreaming of New Orleans. Ok, New Orleans. How can I dream of a place I have never been to? Also, what is up with this passing through, thing?" Caroline walked back into the bar, wondering more about the conversation her subconscious was imagining between Klaus and this blonde.
"I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but would you like to meet her?" Klaus said.
Cami smiled brightly. "Meet your daughter?" She clarified.
Caroline stopped breathing for the moment. She had heard that Klaus' daughter had been killed by witches. It had hurt Caroline when she learned that Klaus fathered a child with Hayley and never trusted her enough to tell her. She tried to understand, and she did. But it still hurt. Not that she would ever admit it. She watched Klaus nod. Her mind had made this woman, Cami, pretty important to Klaus. Caroline realized, as Klaus and Cami walked out of the bar that it also hurt to think of Klaus having moved on so completely. "Ugh, I need to wake up!" Caroline shouted. She stomped her feet and tried to force herself to wake up. This dream was breaking her vampire heart and she needed to be done with it.
Caroline gasped for unneeded breath as she sat up. She looked around and sighed in relief as she recognized her surroundings. She was huddled up on one of the Salvatore's couches, with Stefan, fast asleep, on the other side. The TV was stuck playing the menu screen of Netflix, as the movie they had been watching ended. Caroline's breath had evened out, just as Stefan was startled awake. Stefan also had the same confusion clouding his eyes. "You ok, Stef?" Caroline asked, carefully.
"Caroline." Stefan sighed, smiling. "Yeah, weird dream." Stefan shook his head, trying to shake out the confusion.
"Huh. Me too." Caroline looked around the room. "What did we drink last night?" Caroline tried to make a joke, but Stefan seemed a little concerned.
"I don't know. I'm going to grab a couple of blood bags." Stefan left the room and Caroline searched the bottles of alcohol. Stefan returned to see Caroline smelling the bottles of alcohol and reading the labels. Stefan tossed Caroline a blood bag and sat down with her. "What did you dream about?"
Caroline chuckled nervously. "It's kind of embarrassing."
"Please?" Stefan pleaded.
"I dreamt of Klaus." Caroline admitted, as a blush painted on her cheeks.
Stefan let out a little laugh. "I dreamt of Bekah."
Caroline was a little more concerned now. No way had the alcohol given them both weird dreams about the Originals. "Was there anything strange about your dream?" Stefan gave Caroline an odd look. "Ok, in my dream, I could see and hear everything, but it was like I was a ghost. I could pass through objects and people. And no one could hear me." Caroline clarified.
Stefan's eyes widened and his face drained of any color it had had. Caroline watched him curiously, as Stefan gulped down the remainder of his blood bag and chased it with half a bottle of whisky.
"Stefan?" Caroline whispered.
"Care, this is not a coincidence. My dream was eerily similar. Same ability to pass through objects. And Bekah couldn't hear me and didn't seem to be able to sense my presence."
Caroline nodded in agreement. They both sat there in silence, neither wanting to say what they were both thinking. Finally, Caroline gave in. "This wasn't just some dream, was it?"
"I don't think so." Stefan shook his head.
"Which only leaves one option. Magic." Caroline missed Bonnie, her best friend, every day, but it was moments like these that made her miss having a best friend who was also a witch. "What do we do?"
"We don't really have too many options. We could ask Liv to look into it or just wait it out." Stefan offered.
Caroline was disappointed. She really didn't like either of those options. "Does anyone else know of any witches?"
"I happen to know of a witch or two." A familiar accented voice offered.
"Enzo." Caroline half laughed, half scolded.
"Hello, Gorgeous. Stefan."
"What witch do you know?" Stefan asked, suspiciously.
Enzo smirked at Stefan as he made his way onto the couch, settling between Stefan and Caroline. Enzo kicked his feet up onto the coffee table and placed his arms on the back of the couch. "Apparently, a friend of mine from when I first turned has been very interested in magic. He is currently dating a lovely little witch, with ties to a powerful coven." Enzo offered up, nonchalantly.
Caroline and Stefan exchanged looks. Caroline tried hard to read Stefan's mind. She knew he didn't trust Enzo, but they both knew that Liv was way too occupied with her family drama to want to help them. And Caroline really didn't want to just wait this spell out. She didn't think she could continue to handle the pain of dreaming about Klaus doting on and showing his humanity to another woman. She needed to get out of these dreams and go back to pretending that maybe Klaus would still choose her when she was ready, unlike everyone else in her life.
Stefan subtly nodded and Caroline gifted him with a small, gracious smile. "Ok, Enzo. Where does your friend and his girlfriend live?"
An alarmingly devious smile stretched across Enzo's face. "Just outside of New Orleans."
This news didn't seem to affect Stefan, as it did Caroline. She paled and her mouth went dry. After what she saw in her dream, she was not ready to face Klaus. Not for another century or so. "Enzo, be serious." She tried, hoping he was just messing with her.
"I'm as serious as I have ever been, Gorgeous." Enzo retorted.
Caroline took a shallow breath and turned toward Stefan, silently asking him if it was still worth it. "Ok, Enzo. We will leave in the morning." Enzo got up off the couch, still smiling at Caroline. As Enzo left, Stefan turned to Caroline and took her shoulders in his hands. "Hopefully we won't actually have to go into the city. Ok?" Caroline nodded. "Go pack." Stefan pushed Caroline gently.
Klaus watched as Cami fawned over Hope. He understood it. His daughter was quite the beautiful creature. But there was something in his chest that was irking him. He tried to push it away, but deep down he knew. A part of him was wishing that it was a completely different blonde he was watching cuddle and coo at his baby girl. He had desperately tried to push Caroline out of his mind, knowing she was firmly imbedded in his heart. She was not ready for him, and he wouldn't pine after her like he was a love sick fool. Like Rebekah. He was the Hybrid and he had a kingdom to rule and a family to take care of. Caroline wanted no part in that, so he could not spare her his thoughts. But he did, no matter how hard he tried. Cami could not and would not ever replace Caroline.
"Klaus, she is just the most adorable baby I have seen." Cami gushed.
Klaus nodded at the blonde woman and walked over to Rebekah. "Bekah, I thought Hayley was supposed to be guarding Hope."
"She said she had something to tend to. I figured with the wolves or something." Bekah offered, as she texted someone on her phone.
Cami looked up from the baby she was cradling. "I saw her and Davina talking earlier today. Maybe they were working on a protection spell or something."
Klaus tried not to look at Cami suspiciously, but it bothered him that Hayley had disappeared. He was more concerned if she left with Davina. "I believe it is time for Hope to sleep." Klaus gently grabbed his daughter back. He gave her a sweet kiss and put her to bed in a small crib. "I will stay on guard. Little sister, please escort Camille home."
Rebekah nodded and gave her niece a kiss and waited at the door as Cami walked over to Klaus and wrapped her arms around Klaus' shoulders. Klaus was taken aback by the gesture and awkwardly patted Cami's back. "Thank you. For trusting me." Cami said as she slowly pulled away. Klaus curtly nodded and stepped away from Cami. Klaus didn't even watch Cami exit the safe house. He turned away and poured himself a drink and sat down on the sofa to rest, listening to his daughter's breath and heartbeats.
Klaus was startled when he looked around and he was no longer in the safe house. He couldn't hear Hope, but he did hear a voice he could recognize anywhere. Caroline. Klaus strained his eyes and realized he was in Caroline's bedroom. Caroline was standing by her bed, looking into a suitcase. She looked as lovely as ever, in her skinny jeans and tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a curly pony tail and she had a determined look on her face. She had her phone on speaker phone and was talking to the doppelgänger. "Are you sure about this, Care?" Elena's voice drifted into the room.
"Elena, we need to get to the bottom of this. Stefan and I both agree." Caroline said, focused on rearranging the items in her suitcase.
Klaus listened to their conversation as he walked further into the bedroom. He vamped up behind Caroline and was surprised when she didn't even flinch. "Hello Caroline." He murmured in her ear, but she didn't seem to hear him.
"I get that. But are you sure about trusting Enzo?" Elena asked.
Klaus looked curiously at Caroline. "Yes, Elena. Enzo is my friend. He promised to help us. I trust him."
Elena sighed through the phone. "Ok. Just be careful, road tripping with a ripper and a former Augustine vampire."
"Road tripping?" Klaus asked. "Caroline, who is Enzo and where are you going with him?" Klaus was getting irritated with her, ignoring him. "Caroline, answer me!" Klaus demanded as he went to turn her shoulders to face him. Klaus' hands passed through Caroline's body and Klaus immediately jumped back. "What the hell?!"
"Bye Elena." Caroline hung up and zipped up her suitcase, satisfied with her packing.
Klaus was confused and angry as he watched Caroline walk out of her childhood bedroom to go on some road trip with Stefan and some vampire he didn't know.
Klaus' eyes popped open. He looked around, recognizing the safe house. His ire began to die down, but confusion set in. "What kind of bizarre dream was that?' He asked nobody in particular. Klaus checked on Hope. Satisfied that she was safely sleeping, Klaus grabbed a sketch pad and began to aimlessly draw. "No more sleeping tonight." He mumbled, as he unknowingly began to draw Caroline.
