Drabble #2

Prompt word: Snowflakes

Title: Snowflakes

Rating: T

Status: Complete.

Summary:After killing Carol Lockwood Klaus's need for revenge isn't sated. Takes place during episode 4x09.

Many thanks to my lovely beta Klovec

Disclaimer: I own nothing

When she returned to her home, she expected to come to an empty living room and finally be able to get some rest. She needed to close her eyes and pretend that this night was of no importance.

Tyler wasn't picking his phone. April was nowhere to be found. Elena was with Damon. Stefan was suffering and all Caroline could think of, in the midst of all this chaos, was snowflakes. Freaking snowflakes.

She didn't lie to Klaus when she told him that she got vibes of loneliness out of his painting. It was real and deep in her heart she was trying so hard to not feel guilty for sending Klaus to his doom. She shouldn't feel anything, and certainly not compassion, for the man that kept destroying their lives ever since he came to this town. Yet, there she was with her mind filled with memories of him and feeling confused and lost. She should be worrying about Tyler, about Elena and Stefan, about everything else but him. But all she could think about was crystal lonely snowflakes.

But as she walked in her house, all feelings of guilt and confusion vanished. They were replaced by undiluted terror.

She froze and she even stopped breathing.

Klaus was there. Covered in blood, the crimson liquid dripping from his hands and face and coloring his snow white shirt.

However, what created terror in Caroline's heart was not his appearance or the fact that he stood there unharmed, which meant that Tyler's plan had royally failed.

It was the fact that his hand was wrapped around her mother's throat. He was holding her mother against the wall crushing her windpipe while Elizabeth Forbes couldn't do anything to help herself.

Caroline trembled but didn't dare to move.

"Please don't," was the only faint whisper that escaped her lips. She would do anything. Anything he wanted. Anything he asked her to do. Anything in return for her mom's life.

"How nice of you to join us sweetheart," he said in a casual tone as he tightened his grip around her mother's neck and Liz whimpered unable to breath.

Tears fell from Caroline's eyes. This couldn't be happening. Her mom stared at her in fear. She couldn't lose her.

"This is our thing love. You are meant to be a distraction and I am always there to fall for your charms," he said in a menacing tone.

Caroline gulped as the memory of their latest encounter came at her mind. She was a distraction again and foolish enough to think that he wouldn't realize it.

Her heart beat faster and faster and she saw that her mother's face was turning blue and her eyes were slowly closing. Caroline sped towards him without thinking but his free hand wrapped around her neck too, keeping her in arm's length with no effort. Her hands gripped his hand trying to push him but he wasn't relenting. He wasn't hurting her but she couldn't do anything to help her mom. He kept his hold on her.

"You are beautiful Caroline but I am not one to tolerate betrayal and you…" he stopped for a moment to see her beautiful eyes staring him with fear. Silently pleading him.

"And you have betrayed me more than once!" his voice was a low lethal whisper.

"Then kill ME!" she screamed at him crying and time stood still.

He saw her fear and she saw his pain.

The idea of killing her was unbearable to him. He masked that foreign emotion by telling himself that if he killed her mother then he would hurt her more, like he did with Carol. This punishment was far more cruel.

Caroline would have to face a life of loneliness and guilt just like him.

The only thing was that he didn't want that fate for her. He didn't want to be the source of her despair. Snuffing her light would not only hurt her. It would hurt him too.

A vampire's greatest weakness…

His own words from centuries ago echoed in his mind. Taunting him.

He was weak.

"Please, I'll do anything just don't do this. Kill me," she completely surrendered and she begged him while her tears kept falling on his hand.

He let go of Elizabeth Forbes and she fell on the floor. She had passed out of the lack of air but she was alive.

He didn't let go of her. Not just yet. They stood there as he studied her features. He knew that she would do anything he asked her to do now. She could be his for all eternity. All he had to do was command her to follow him and she would.

But this was not the way he wanted her.

She seemed to have resigned to her fate. The fear had vanished from her eyes. She thought that he was going to kill her so when his grip became gentler and his bloody thumb caressed her wet cheek she stared at him with wide open eyes feeling shocked and lost.

He retrieved his hand and took a step back. She immediately went next to her mother. Kneeling beside her and holding her protectively. She heard his voice and her gaze locked with his. It was in that rare moment that she could see the human inside the beast.

"Immortality is gift and a curse. Sooner or later you will be left alone in this world. Your only companions will be your sins and your memories. We remain but everything else fades. They fade," he told her while pointing at her mother with his finger.

"We are meant to walk this earth alone. Forever."

With those words he turned to leave and she looked at his figure feeling grateful that he spared her and her loneliness was not going to begin tonight. She held her mother tighter in her arms, still feeling shaken up and wondering why he had shown mercy to her when it was true that she had betrayed him.

"Why?" she asked him.

He halted and closed his eyes. Why did he spare her? Why didn't he kill her and everyone she loved? Why didn't he ask for anything in return? Why was he showing her that even in his darkest moments he wasn't able to hurt her?

"I wouldn't have done it for anyone else," he said.

And he really hadn't. Just for her.

She couldn't move. She saw him disappear in the blink of an eye and she just held her mom tighter.

And yet again for some reason all she could still think about was snowflakes.