Klaroweek Day 2: Season 3

Prompt: Klaroline missing scene in 3x15, before the "What did you do" part.

In which she tells him about her hopes, dreams, and everything she wants in life.

Caroline sat down on the bench feeling awkward. She really needed to stop letting her friends talk her into being the 'blonde distraction' for Klaus. Especially when she was pretty much in the dark about their plans. You'd think since she was the one taking all the risk she would know exactly what was going on, but nope, they never told her anything.

She looked at the man seated next to her, a smile on his face. Why was he even interested in someone like her? She wasn't anything special, just plain old Caroline. Yet the look on his face as she turned slightly to face him told her he would rather be here with her than anyone else. And she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

She inhaled through her teeth anxiously, not sure what to even say to him. What did you talk to a thousand year old hybrid about? Caroline pressed her lips together, gathering her courage before she spoke, "Sooo, what do you want to talk about?" she asked, feeling ridiculously nervous as she gestured with her hand, and she had no idea why.

"I want to talk about you," he said in all seriousness, looking intently at her.

Caroline looked away from him, scoffing. Is he for real?

"Your hopes, your dreams," he continued, ignoring her derisive laugh. "Everything you want in life."

She shook her head in disbelief. Who was this guy? "Just to be clear, I'm too smart to be seduced by you," she informed him, tilting her head.

"Well, that's why I like you," he said with a grin, causing her to smile in response, even though she knew she shouldn't.

"Okay, well, I don't know what you expect to hear, I'm not that interesting," she said, pointedly ignoring his admission as she settled back against the bench.

Klaus merely smiled, leaning his arm across the back of the bench as he got comfortable. Caroline narrowed her eyes for a moment as she eyed his fingers, which were now quite close to her shoulder.

The blonde sighed when she realized he wasn't going to drop it. "Um, I don't even know where to start," she admitted, blushing at the hybrid, much to her embarrassment.

He continued to grin at her, apparently enjoying her nervousness. "How about the ever popular question, 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'" he asked, starting with something simple.

Caroline side eyed him for a moment, trying to determine if he was messing with her, though she figured he would be above such things. "Well, since I'm never going to actually grow up now," she said, a small amount of anger seeping into her voice, "I have no idea."

Klaus gave her a surprisingly sympathetic look. "I take it you were not turned by choice, then?"

"That's an understatement," she scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I know the feeling," he admitted, causing Caroline to look at him in surprise. She had heard a bit about the Original's history from Elena, but she never expected Klaus would share any of it with her. And she certainly never expected them to have anything in common, besides their love of horses, apparently. "But let's not focus on me, shall we?" he said, a neutral look replacing the almost vulnerable one on his face.

She blinked at him a few times, confused by the sudden change. "Well, I guess I was interested in being a reporter for a while," she began, still unsure why she was telling him any of this. "But being perpetually stuck at 17 kinda puts a damper on that," she joked, oddly pleased when she drew a smile from the hybrid.

"If it's any consolation, love, I think 17 looks quite good on you," he said as he ducked his head slightly, looking up at her from under his surprisingly thick lashes. Wait, why was she thinking about that?

Caroline blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, I guess," she mumbled, not knowing what to say. She wasn't used to people saying such things to her.

"What about after you finish high school?" he continued, watching her intently as he waited for her answer.

She sighed, the reality of her situation really hitting her at that moment. What did it matter what she did? She wouldn't be able to stay in any one place for very long without raising suspicion. She supposed she was resigned to a nomadic lifestyle. Caroline had always wanted to see the world, but she had never been far outside of Mystic Falls before, how was she supposed to navigate the rest of the planet?

"This is depressing," she sighed, not really meaning to say that aloud. She looked up at him, giving him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it's just, I have no idea what to do anymore," she admitted, once again shocking herself with how easy it was to be honest with him. "I always thought I would go to college with Bonnie and Elena, marry some fraternity boy, or Tyler," she didn't miss the frown on Klaus' face at the mention of Tyler and other boys. "Then probably move back here and have kids and a dog and take over the Mystic Falls committees and I dunno, be normal! Now I have no idea," she said exasperatedly, finally letting all her frustrations about the new life which was thrust upon her out. She looked at the hybrid, immediately regretting her outburst and wishing she could crawl into a hole.

But Klaus merely chuckled, causing her to raise an eyebrow indignantly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," he apologized, actually apologized, to her, giving her a small smile. "But I believe I told you before, you have to change your perceptions when you become a vampire," he said gently, trying to pacify her. "I meant what I said, you can have the whole world, Caroline. I could give it to you."

She was at a loss for words, blushing furiously. How could he say these things to her? He couldn't honestly expect her to believe him, even though she realized she did. She actually believed he wanted to show her the world, that he was being sincere when he offered her things she had only dreamt of before.

"Klaus…" she began until she was interrupted by the hybrid suddenly rising to his feet, gasping. She looked back at The Grill, wondering if her friends had finally done whatever it was they were planning. "What is it?" she asked, standing up next to him.

Klaus clutched at his chest, hand over his heart, as he looked up at her with shock and betrayal clear on his face. She was surprised to feel guilty at his hurt look. "What'd you do?" he rasped.

"Nothing," she insisted, actually glad that she was being honest.

He surged forward and grabbed her none too gently by the arms. "What did you do?!" he demanded loudly, shaking her slightly in his anger.

"I didn't do anything, stop it!" she cried, looking anxiously around her for some source of help, fear beginning to seep in. A fear that she probably should have felt the whole time she was with him.

Klaus must have noticed the frightened look in her eyes, because he suddenly let go of her arms, allowing her to stumble back a step. His face looked regretful, but the hurt was still clear in his eyes. He turned from her, looking at The Grill intently. "Kol," he whispered before flashing off, leaving Caroline alone and confused.

She stared after him for a few minutes, unsure what to do. She sat back down on the bench in a daze, offhandedly realizing it was probably a bad idea to stick around with an angry hybrid on the loose, but unable to really care over her worry. What was she thinking, indulging him and his questions? She really needed to get a grip before she did something she would really regret, like admit to herself maybe Klaus wasn't as bad as everyone thought.

Caroline quickly shook her head, ridding herself of that ridiculous thought before she pulled out her phone to call Stefan, determined to give her friend a piece of her mind for sending her into the lion's den unarmed. Well, mostly unarmed, she thought as she glanced down at her chest, smirking slightly.