A deleted scene and continuation of S5x12, A Tale of Two Wolves. Caroline decides to take a risk and interfere with Klaus' plans by taking a page from his playbook.

Disclaimer: I do not own TheOriginals, all rights to the show belong to Julie Plec and the CW.

Okay, so I know there is at least one other story out there like this one, and there will probably more takes on this moment in TO, S5x12. I hope you enjoy it. On with the show…

Not Entirely Altruistic:

Altruistic: showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish.

Pausing, in Mystic Falls' Town Square, Caroline Forbes could stand and stare at Klaus Mikaelson. He watched his daughter, seemingly unaware of Caroline's lingering presence. He planned on sacrificing himself for his daughter which was entirely noble of him and she wished she could bring herself to admire him for his actions. But she couldn't. Hope needed him. And Caroline did too, although she would rather be set on fire than admit it…

Caroline could not move through the town fast enough. She found Elijah headed toward the closed library. Yeah, closed to everyone but us, she thought wryly.

"Elijah!" Caroline called to him.

Elijah stopped and turned on his heel to face her. His lips turned upward in a smile but the smile died when he saw the look on her face. "What is it, Caroline?" he demanded, moving so he stood two inches from her. She knew if she did not spit it out in the next two seconds, Elijah would compel it from her.

"It's Klaus," Caroline breathed. And then she felt tears burning at the back of her eyelids. She'd been through this scene, with Elijah, years ago; only this time it was Klaus' choice. "He's got a plan. And we have to stop him," she related, forcing the tear down and steeling herself for what had to be done.

Elijah's frown deepened. "Tell me everything." Caroline told Elijah as much she knew.

"I need more time," Caroline told him. "Just distract him. Slow him down. Somehow. And I will fix this." Her words held more conviction than she felt in that exact moment. But she had to stop. She lost Stefan. She lost Tyler, long ago. There was no way she would lose Klaus, too. Not after all the progress he'd undergone. She would not let him walk into his death. Not like this. Not today. She had a plan.

~0~

Klaus woke to find himself in an unfamiliar bedroom. He laid on a bed and stared at the ceiling. The last thing he remembered, he'd felt the full effects of The Hollow and knew that he had very little time before she took hold and caused him to destroy everything he cared for. He would not allow that to happen.

"Hey," Caroline called and Klaus turned his head to look into her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she looked like the girl he'd known in what felt like a lifetime ago. He remembered her having this exact same reaction when he'd hopped into Tyler Lockwood's body after Alaric, in his Original hunter state, attempted to kill Klaus with the white oak stake and Caroline believed Klaus to be dead. Of course, her concern had been for her boyfriend, the Lockwolf.

"You're okay," Caroline reassured him, bringing him back to their current crisis.

Klaus sat up and looked around the room. "Where am I Caroline?" he demanded.

"You're at the old Lockwood home," Caroline replied, brushing tears off her cheeks and collecting herself into the woman he knew her to be now.

"Why?" Klaus demanded, moving to stand up, and looking down at the Sherriff's uniform he wore. Narrowing his eyes, he felt dread pierce his heart. "Caroline, whose body am I inside?" he demanded. He thought he already knew.

"Matt's," Caroline said, and Klaus closed his eyes, burying a billion insults for the former busboy. "He's being kind enough to allow you to use it. But it's on loan, for tonight. Then we're popping you back into your old one." Yes. Caroline was taking his old trick and using it against him. He wondered if Bonnie had helped Caroline and would also be the one to return him to his old body. Hopefully she would be feeling vengeful and cast a curse on him as well.

Opening his eyes, Klaus shook his head, smirking at her. "You sent Elijah to buy yourself time?" he questioned her, and she nodded. "Taking notes from my old deeds?" He couldn't help but feel amused. "I thought you would prefer to be rid of me," he joked, moving toward the doorway.

Caroline sighed. "I thought you might still be useful." She offered him a mock serious expression. "And Hope needs her dad."

Turning to her, Klaus crossed the room and grabbed her by the upper arms. "And you, Caroline, do you need me?"

Avoiding eye contact, Caroline looked around the room. "Maybe."

"Caroline." Klaus caught her eye and Caroline stared back at him. "Yes. I do. Happy now? I need you. Seriously?" She let out a laugh and Klaus felt like he'd been given the best gift in his entire lifetime, aside from his daughter, of course.

"Right then. I would kiss you…" Klaus trailed off, smirking, thinking maybe he'd do it anyway.

"But you're in the wrong body," Caroline finished for him and grinned.

"Perhaps a dance?" Klaus said. "I think we can find a musician or two to compel." He held out his borrowed hand and Caroline took it. Her smile made his heart soar.

~0~

The next day Klaus found himself back inside his own body. Hope, Elijah and Caroline were waiting for him. A less than happy looking Alaric Saltzman eyed him. "He's back. Now, he can go," he told Caroline, who nodded.

"I'll be back soon," Caroline told Alaric, patting his arm and then walking over to Klaus. She shouldered a bag.

"Bye, mom," her girls called as they came over to hug her and then ran off to do whatever they ordinarily did.

On the way across the lawn of the boarding school, Klaus paused. "There's something I need to do before we leave here," he told Caroline. Caroline's eyebrows rose, a question forming on her lips when Klaus caught her by the waist and silenced her with his lips.

"Oh. Wow," Hope cried, somewhere close by and she let out a giggle. "Okay. That's not going to make school any more awkward than usual."

"Hope, shall we find the car. Perhaps you can drive us to the airport," Elijah said and Hope let out a happy sound, followed by her feet taking off across the lawn. "We will see you are ready, brother," Elijah called and Klaus could picture the smile on his brother's lips.

Pulling back from Caroline, Klaus looked into her eyes. "Was that worth the wait, darling?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes. And it was worth every single minute of waiting for you, and this," she kissed slowly before pulling back. "And us." She pressed her forehead to his and Klaus thought he could die a happy man, although Caroline would bring him back. "Let go, before Hope decides to drive back to New Orleans."

Klaus grinned and arm in arm, they headed toward his brother's car, his daughter bouncing giddily in the driver's seat. "Try not to kill us, love," he called to Hope.

"Good-bye, Mystic Falls," Hope called, waving to anyone who might be looking out the windows of the boarding school.

~0~

Caroline no longer felt guilty about her thoughts about Klaus Mikaelson as she snuggled up to him in the back seat of his brother's car. She felt happy, maybe for the first time, in her entire life; she felt free.

As Caroline passed the leaving Mystic Falls sign, she thought she saw her mother who waved at her and Caroline waved back. Klaus pressed a kiss to her forehead and Caroline looked up at him. "Klaus Mikaelson, I intend to be your last love," she whispered and kissed his lips as his expression turned into one of shock. She could not wait to spend the next thousand years shocking him and being willing to confess that she loved him, tonight, and many more nights to come.

The End

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

Peace,

Jessica