Hello! If you're reading this thanks for sticking with me! In this chapter we see what happened between Klaus and Caroline after graduation. This story is mostly told from Lily's point of view after this but stick with me guys. I will eventually make Klaroline happen!

Don't own TVD :( Enjoy!

Klaus went to check on his daughter a few hours later and was relieved to see that she had finally fallen asleep.

He was not surprised that she had asked for the Golden Girl story before she fell asleep. It was her favourite story and she loved the way he told it and he was the only one who told it to her. Hayley had been completely blindsided when Lily had asked her to tell the story. Of course, she knew how Klaus felt for the girl but she hadn't expected him to make their daughter aware of Caroline's existence. Hayley flat out refused to tell the story to Lily because it reminded her too much of Tyler and Hayley found it difficult to cope with the fact that he had chosen Caroline over her. She also found it hurt that even her daughter seemed to prefer Caroline to her.

Rebekah was a different story. When Lily had requested the story from her whilst Klaus was away dealing with business, Rebekah hadn't had a clue what it was about. Lily's explanation had worried her and after settling the little girl down for night, she had called for Elijah right away. The siblings had quickly deduced that their brother was very much in love with the blonde baby vampire otherwise he would not have told Lily anything about her. When Klaus had returned to New Orleans, they had demanded that he told them the truth about his feelings for Caroline and the nature of their relationship.

Klaus sat nursing a glass of whiskey as he recalled the memory he had recounted to his brother and sister that night. The day that had changed everything.

xoxoxo

He drove fast through the streets of the place he swore he would never return to. His birthplace, his home, their home. Mystic Falls. Supposedly a sleepy little town in Virgina. If only the residents actually knew what went on behind closed doors, what incidents their police department covered up and what the people they knew actually were.

Klaus thought when he had left for New Orleans he would never come back to this godforsaken town but he just couldn't help himself. He found himself being pulled back to her. He tried to convince himself that he was only doing what a friend would do. Waving her off to university and wishing her a bright and happy future. Of course, deep down he knew that it was just because he wanted to see her face again and show her his proudest achievement.

As his supernatural instincts overtook his driving, Klaus worried about what her reaction would be to his news, the picture burning a hole in his pocket. She must know by now. Katerina's surprise transition back to human would have made her angry, bitter and spiteful. She would have hit out at Caroline because she was an easy target. Although she put on a strong front, underneath Caroline hurt more than most.

Yes, she would know by now.

Klaus was surprised to find himself in front of her house. He had been so caught up in his inner thoughts that he hadn't even registered how far away he was from her. It was to be a flying visit. A quick goodbye and good luck and then he would be gone.

Her voice suddenly shook him from his thoughts and he watched in awe as she opened the door, dragging a suitcase behind her shouting to her mother.

"I love you mum! I'll call you when I get there."

He heard her mother's faint reply but his attention was focussed almost solely on her.

She was halfway down the footpath to her house, sunshine curls flying, before she even realised he was there. When she caught sight of him, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Klaus." She breathed.

His heart sang when she said his name. He loved the way it tumbled freely from her lips, her mouth forming the word perfectly, spoken with care. Oh, how he had missed hearing her voice.

"Hello, Caroline."

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought perhaps I could drive you to the airport. You start university next week, correct?"

A look of guilt flashed across Caroline's face but it was gone so quickly Klaus couldn't be sure if it was really there.

"Um, yeah. Sure, that would be helpful." She offered him a small smile before climbing into the passenger seat of his SUV, allowing him to place her luggage carefully on the back seat.

The drive to the airport was silent and awkward between them. It was also surprisingly quick and soon, much too soon, they were pulling into the car park and unloading her luggage. They stood awkwardly across from each other, Caroline inching slowly towards the entrance.

"Well, thanks. I better go..." Caroline said gesturing towards the building. She turned away from him, her hand firmly grasping the handle to her suitcase.

"Wait!" Klaus cried, grasping her arm. She stiffened at his touch but didn't flinch away.

"I know, Klaus. You don't have to say it." Her back was still turned to him. He couldn't read her reaction at all.

"You know?" Klaus cursed himself for saying it. Of course she knew!

"Yes, I know. I know that you're a dad and I know that Hayley is the mother of your child." She turned around to face him with the saddest smile he had ever seen fixed in place.

"Congratulations." She said sincerely. She didn't miss the way his eyes lit up at the mention of his baby and it hurt her. She would never be able to have what he has.

"Thank you." He responded.

"What is it?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I have a daughter. Her name is Lily Mikaelson. I have a picture."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. It was a picture of him holding a tiny baby, no bigger than a loaf of bread. Her eyes were barely open but Caroline could tell they were his eyes. A confusing mixture of blues and greens culminating in the loveliest shade imaginable. Her hair was Hayley's, thick tufts of chocolate brown hair covering her head. Caroline smiled widely at the picture, running a finger softly over the image of the little baby. She looked more closely at the image of Klaus in the photo and saw the pure joy and love radiating from his face. It was so different to how she had seen him before and she thought it suited him.

"She's beautiful, a real heartbreaker." Caroline said to him, smiling happily.

"She is." Klaus agreed with her proudly, never letting his eyes leave Caroline's. She shuffled uncomfortably.

"You know what this means, right?" She asked him uncertainly.

"What?" Klaus asked but he knew. He knew it was over before it even began.

"This," she gestured between the two of them, "will never happen."

"Why?" He asked angrily. He had known that it was the truth but he still couldn't bring himself to relinquish his hold on her.

"You're a dad, Klaus and I will never, ever be a mother. We're in completely different places and we'll always be like that. Forever. You have responsibilities. To your siblings, to New Orleans, to Hayley and to Lily." She said sadly.

"I'm not with Hayley nor will I ever have a relationship with her. She was a mistake, Caroline-"

"A mistake that led to the best thing that has ever happened to you, Klaus." Caroline said firmly.

"But it took me away from you." He said quietly, looking closely at her.

He could see the pain and sadness in her now. Of course, part of it was because her best friend was dead, Tyler had left her even when he had permission to return to Mystic Falls and Stefan had abandoned her too. But he could also see that some of it was because of him. He had caused her pain.

"You were never really mine and I was never yours, Klaus. But you do belong to Lily and she belongs to you. As does New Orleans or so I'm told." She said, smirking.

Klaus returned her smirk. Yes, he now ruled over New Orleans and Marcel had been ousted. The witches belonged to him as did the vampires and werewolves that flocked to the city. Now, he even had a princess to follow in his footsteps.

But he didn't have a queen.

"This is the end isn't it?" Klaus murmured.

Caroline didn't say anything just smiled sadly. Yes, this was the end.

He should never have left her.

"I'm not going to college." Caroline said suddenly laughing at the surprised look on his face.

"And why not, love? I always thought academic success was your priority?"

Caroline shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm going to go eventually but I'm taking a year off to see what the world has to offer." She said knowingly.

Klaus's lips twisted into a rare smile.

"Well, I better be off as my flight is leaving soon. And Klaus? Please don't look for me. I couldn't handle that." Caroline said seriously.

Klaus nodded in response.

"Goodbye, Klaus." She said and gripping her suitcase she walked to the entrance.

"Caroline?" Klaus called.

She turned to look at him and he swears the image would be burned in his memory forever. Blonde hair flying, blue eyes aglow with a thin sheen of tears and cheeks flushed red with excitement for the journey ahead of her.

"Yeah?"

He pauses before continuing.

"If things were different, if I hadn't gone away, if I hadn't sent Tyler away or sacrificed Elena or any of those terrible things, could you have loved me?"

Caroline's eyes shone a bit brighter and her lips pulled into a bitter smile.

"Yes." She whispered. And then she was gone.

xoxoxo

Klaus was broken from his memories when the front door closed. A few seconds later, Elijah reappeared holding some letters very close to his chest. With a brief nod, he flashed upstairs to his room and Klaus heard him go across to his desk.

He hadn't relinquished his hold on Caroline. He refused to believe that it truly was the end for them and that one day she would come back into his arms. But it was difficult to believe that with each passing year and no contact from her and the hope faded a little every day. Klaus had kept his word. He had no idea whereabouts in the world she was. He had wanted to keep tabs on her originally but the more he thought about it the more it seemed to him that it would be more painful for him. He didn't know where she went on her travels and he didn't know if she really did go to university. Hell, he didn't even know if she was still alive but a part of him was sure he would know if she were dead.

He longed for her but knew he couldn't do anything about it. So he sat as he did every night, drinking whiskey and staring into his fireplace, tortured by memories of Caroline Forbes.