"Listen to me, you can't fix people. Your love won't make him stop hating his father and your devotion won't cure her of her childhood. All you can do is be there, violets sprouting out from your ribs, acceptance on your lips, your own woulds still bleeding and all you can do is be there and sometimes that's enough, sometimes that's everything."

~Unknown


"You can't be serious."

Caroline stood by the window. The day was unseasonably cold for a summer's day. In the distance grey clouds were advancing and the trees were shaking violently. She could smell the rain coming, could feel the pressure change in the air. It gave off an eerie feeling as she kept her back to her fuming friends. They weren't the slightest bit happy about her decision.

"I don't know what else to say." Caroline whispered.

Elena scoffed. "You can explain, Caroline! Leaving makes no sense to me!" she turned to Stefan. "Say something to her."

Stefan was already watching her. There were a few ideas swirling around in his head as to why she was choosing this way. It was a given that he would respect her decision even though it unforchantly involved leaving. But why would you want someone around who obviously didn't want to be there?

"Elena," he sighed. "I can't."

Caroline spun around from the window. "Thank you," she breathed.

"Where would you even go?" It was Bonnie now who spoke up, her small voice coming from the other side of the room. Jeremy was next to her, a hand on her knee as he looked to his sister. He was frowning but said nothing.

Caroline licked her lips slowly. She knew they would be next to livid when they heard. But what was the use in lying?

"I was thinking of...visiting someone."

"Visiting someone?" Elena repeated, an edge to her voice. "Who in the world would you visit?"

At that exact moment Stefan knew and his eyes closed. He didn't want to be here for this.

"I just need to get away. I can't stay here anymore."

"You're not answering my question." Elena took a step forward. "Who are you going to see?"

Everyone was watching them, the tension building with each silent second passed. Elena wasn't an idiot. Caroline knew she had an idea of who this mystery person was. But she wanted her to say it, to admit what she's been suppressing for months now. And Caroline would gladly do it. She wasn't afraid of what they thought anymore. After all, Elena's loved a ripper herself. She's had her fair share of psychopaths. Caroline simply stopped feeling guilty though she's only had one.

"You really want me to say it?" Caroline spat.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. It was answer enough.

"Fine!" Caroline threw her arms up in the air, the duffle bag crashing to the ground. "I'm going to New Orleans! I'm going to see Klaus!"


Caroline blinked a few times. She was slowly being brought back to reality, the surroundings of the bar registering. But then her eyes met another pair of blue and it clicked.

She was in Nimes.

And Klaus was standing right in front of her.

"Hello, Klaus." It slipped from her lips without permission, his name burning her tongue. Her emotions were running rampant as too many things circled in her at once. The uncertainty, nervousness but most surprisingly some courage. She didn't fear him, not even in a state like this.

His face that had been hard and rigid only moments ago had softened, his eyes questions and confused as he searched for something. He tried to speak, multiple times his lips moved though no words came out. It was almost as if he couldn't fathom that she was there, right in front of him.

"Caroline," he whispered, his voicing shocking all of them. You would have never guessed that just moments ago he was draining away the lives of two women, completely oblivious to the world around him. But nothing seemed more clear than her.

Caroline shifted in her spot and felt Kol step closer, breaking the intimate moment between the two.

"Nik," he said, too cheerfully. "Look who I found."

His eyes squinted. Something flickered across his face but she couldn't pick up what it could be.

Within in the next three and a half seconds Caroline was taken forcefully by the throat and shoved out through the door. People scattered all around her, making room for the King. He was dragging her against the concrete, her feet limp as he threw her. She didn't know if Kol was following them or if he'd butt in soon. Both those questions were probably answered with a no and when she finally stood up again she realized he was nowhere in sight.

They were standing in the middle of the street only inches from each other. She hasn't been this close to him in years.

She missed him.

Caroline regained balance, brushing herself off before finally looking to him. He wasn't pacing or fidgeting but remained completely still. His eyes glinted with a predatory stare, as if he was a lion preparing to devour an elk.

She swallowed hard, took a step back and rolled her shoulders, trying to appear unfazed. "You should handle people with more care. That kind of hurt." Her fingers brushed the forming bruises on her neck although she knew they would be gone within hours.

"I would offer an apology but I stopped lying seventy-five years ago."

"And the other billion?"

He merely shrugged.

"Well if you don't mind," Caroline motioned to the bar, "I would like to go back inside and get a drink. It's been a long day."

"You're not going anywhere."

It's the words she's always wanted to hear. Though the timing was wrong and she was 87% sure he was imagining all the different ways he could kill her. She prayed that one of them didn't involve torture. God knows she's had her fair share of that over the years.

"And why not?" There was some bite to her voice, an edge that was dangerously crossing lines. However she stopped caring ages ago.

"Because I said so." He stepped towards her. "Because you will obey me." Another step. "Because I am king."

"Congratulations on that, by the way. Your kingdom is just lovely, really." Her uncaring tone of voice only seemed to fuel his anger more.

Again his hand came around her neck. He didn't squeeze but she knew he could. His fingers grazed her artery and a faint smile came to his lips before he brought her even closer. She stopped breathing the minute his hands grabbed her and with all the strength she could muster Caroline tried to keep her eyes away. With one look into his eyes it would most definitely mean death. They'd remind her of everything he's done, everything she wanted and couldn't have and her unbeating heart would break even more, would tear her apart and destroy her. And with only a look.

"I didn't ask for your criticism. I haven't asked anything from you." He squeezed her neck now. "Yet, here you stand. How odd."

She couldn't speak.

He knew that.

"I have a thought as to why you're here but I could be mistaken. Travelling perhaps? Or did my brother drag you here unwillingly?" His voice was so casual, as if he was conversing with a long time friend. She hated how his eyes kept scanning her, leering at her. And it wasn't simply her face but her body. Everything from her chest all the way down to her legs. Back and forth, up and down they went. Though there was one place he refused to even give time to.

Her lips.

Caroline struggled against him, silently begging. "I-"

"Oh," his hand immediately slipped but it didn't drop. Figures. "Silly me. I was crushing your windpipe."

Caroline grimaced. "I was travelling when I ran into Kol. I came to the city for a change but I found something else instead." her eyes connected with his. "Consider me an extension of your worrying family."

She didn't know why he kept trying to strangle her. But every time she disobeyed that hand of his would shrink, each finger curling around her creamy skin. Perhaps it gave him some sort of power, a feeling of control that he always seemed to lose with her.

"And with what permission have you been given?"

"How about you release me so we can have a civil conversation?"

And finally she looked at him and a piece of her shriveled up inside.

"No." He said through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't be here. I don't want you here."

Despite her lack of breath and inability to move, Caroline glared at him. "Well someone has to clean up your mess."

For some reason, he let go. "You call this a mess?"

"I'm calling you a mess."

"I'd watch your words, love. I'm not nearly sober enough to deal with this." he smirked. "My decisions may come out rash and not well thought out."

She crossed her arms over her chest, almost daring him. "I'm not afraid of you, Klaus, I never was."

"But you will be."

She swallowed hard and licked her lips slowly. He was only doing this to push her away. His words didn't mean anything.

They could be though. If his emotions were really gone then he wouldn't think twice before ripping out her throat. She'd be dead in seconds.

"I don't want to fight with you." she said softly, averting her gaze now. "I'm going to be traveling with Kol for a while and you're just going to have to accept that."

"What, your little Mystic Fall's gang deserted you?"

Her eyes glistened with that a sadness that should have softened him. "They didn't want me after I made my choice."

And it seemed like something snapped back in him. His body recoiled and she watched as his eyes bugged out of his head. Klaus stumbled back, clutching her chest tightly before quickly regaining balance. She saw his eyes scan the area around him, confusion coloring his face as he came back to her. It startled him at first, her presence, and panic quickly set on his face.

What the hell happened?

"Caroline." his mind was registering slowly as his breathing increased. "What-"

"Klaus?" she stepped closer, hope washing over every part of her. Was what she said a trigger? Did she just snap him back out? "Klaus."

And she was so close to him now, dangerously near that their skin brushed against one another. She was about to kneel down but he quickly moved away from her, shaking his head profusely in her direction.

"No," he choked out, though he didn't seem to be talking to her. His eyes came up the sky, lips parting. "No, stop, stop."

She whispered his name this time, a sweet tone coloring her words. "Klaus, it's okay."

"Leave." he roared, now collapsing to the ground. "LEAVE!"

Caroline stopped then, her head tilting to the side. It didn't make sense. Why is he in so much pain? What did she say to him cause this reaction? It was like he couldn't handle the hurt. There was a deep rooted pain in his eyes, and a fear that seemed to be directed towards her. She evoked something in him that seemed to snap his hard outer shell and what couldn't be more terrifying?

She wasn't going anywhere now.

"Just let me help you." she whispered faintly, her hand barely reaching out to him.

"I don't want your help, Caroline!" he hissed, righting himself up. "I never did and I never will. You are nothing to me. NOTHING!"

She stopped then, hand floating in mid air as the tears bubbled up in her eyes. There's a voice in the back of her head that whispers he doesn't mean it...tells her to leave him be for now. But she can't help but recoil, as if he slapped her straight across the face. It was like their time together never happened. That every kiss and touch was just a distant dream, fading away before her eyes. She tried with all her might to hold onto that image, to hold onto the love that no one else had ever expressed towards her. She wanted it back, all of it with every cell of her body she needed it. His words weren't enough to send her away completely, but enough to make her scarce.

Without another word she vanished, a single tear staining the pavement from where she stood. Her legs had a mind of her own as she ran. But all she wanted to do was distance herself from him, from all of this. Just a moment of peace.

Her cries rang out through the small village, not a soul to save her. But from a few feet away she her a door close. She spun around at the sound, eyes trained on the man jingling his keys to lock up. He's younger, perhaps a few years older than her, and is humming some song she doesn't recognize. The store above him his a small cheese shop, Le boutique du Fromage, the sign read. But she wasn't paying much attention to that, more so on this beating heart. The steady, slow beating of the lively muscle lodged deep within his chest. And she was on him in the matter of seconds with tear stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. Her hand came around his throat as she brought him into the alley beside the store, pushing him up against the brick wall.

"Miss-" he struggled underneath her, his accent slightly coming through. Was it British? That only made her squeeze harder. "Miss-"

Her pupils dilated and the man stopped struggling. "It's okay," she whispered. "You'll be fine."

He nodded his head blankly.

Caroline sighed, tears still falling. "I just...I hate men, you know? I mean I've been alive for over a hundred years and you would think they'd get better...maybe evolve a little...but no! They're exactly the same."

The man was about to speak but she shook her head.

"I don't need your input." she said and her fingers brushed his neck. "I just need something...because this is so hard already, you know? This man-" she scoffed, "this man I'm trying to help is so...mean really. Total jackass. And I just need something to take the edge away."

The man looked at her quizzically. "What do you want, love?"

Caroline grew still, her eyes pinching together, staring at him through the slits. "Don't ever call me that."

He shook his head. "I'm-"

But she was already tearing through his neck, letting the fresh blood flow into her mouth. Her fingers clasped around his shoulders, bringing him in closer as the life from his eyes began to drain. She tried to ignore it and focused mainly on his heart beat, when it slowed down too much then she would stop. This control she mastered took years and too many lives but it was worth it now. Soon he would wake up with no recollection at all, just a memory of falling and hitting his head. It was her trademark.

A few seconds later she pulled away, pushing his body against the brick wall again. His eyes were dazed as he stared off into the night sky, blinking too rapidly to be considered normal. Caroline sighed and brought him to her as she dilated her eyes.

"You will remember none of this. In a few minutes you'll wake up with the knowledge that you slipped, fell and hit your head." her voice lowered. "Thanks."

And then he fainted against the wall as she pulled him back to his shop, setting him down gently on the steps. She didn't look back as she flashed away as the guilt already began to rise in her stomach. Even after all these years those feelings of remorse still stirred her well being, even if she didn't kill him. It just proved she would always have that weakness in her no matter how long she lived. It was simply a part of her.

She was wandering the streets for what seemed like hours when the bar Kol took her too came into sight. The spot where her and Klaus once stood was empty and she ran a hand through her hair, trying to shake the feeling away. The man's blood from earlier sat warmly in her stomach, almost making up for what happened before. But before she even reached the door she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Darling, Caroline." his voice breathed down her neck. "The night is over."

She didn't jump. Not much scared her nowadays.

"Mmm, did someone step away for a midnight snack?" he chucked.

"Are we going-" What would she call this? Home? But nothing was her home anymore.

Kol nodded, motioning to the street before them. "I have a small villa a few miles away. It'll take a few minutes to get there if that's alright."

A sudden wave of exhaustion hit her as she slowly nodded her head. She felt the stress digging into her bones and seeping into her bloodstream, carrying every piece of doubt along with it. God, he was even in her veins.

Nothing was hers anymore.

He started running and kept a good pace between them with him leading the way. She let her mind wander as she took in the scenery around her. In the distance ocean waves sounded and almost...almost...a small smile came to her face. There would always be a place in her heart for the water. She didn't know what it was about it that made everything in her turn soft. But the cool sensation it gave her brought her back to simpler times. When the sky was clear and nothing troubled her, where no grey clouds resided and the sun was always shining. Why couldn't it be like that again?

So pure and free.

It only seemed like seconds that they were running before Kols stopped. His hand reached back to steady her before letting go and heading up a hill.

"Only a few more steps. I took the liberty of having you things taken here already. Though you do travel lightly."

Caroline shrugged. "I don't need a lot."

"Understandable. The older you get, the less things matter. You realize that certain items are replaceable and that others don't matter as much as they used too."

She looked down to her feet. "Do you have many things?"

He hesitated. "Well, darling, I was in a box most of my life so I wasn't able to acquire much. And the things I do have...I don't keep with me."

Caroline didn't feel like prying and only nodded her head.

"There." Kol pointed to a small cottage like house only steps away from where they stood now. He took off at a human pace, a smile wide on his face as he led the way. "You can choose any room you like, not excluding mine." he wiggled his eyebrows as he opened the door. "I'm assuming your things are in the living room but I could be wrong. Enjoy the hunt and we'll chat in the morning."

Caroline watched as he disappeared around the hallway and the small gust of wind he left behind ruffled her shirt. She stared off into the space and noticed how it seemed very un-Kol-like. Everything was warm and inviting, bright colors and comfy pillows with a TV in the corner. Through the next hallway she expected a kitchen and perhaps a bathroom or two. But she had no energy left in her to explore. Her feet dragged against the floor sluggishly and she bent down to pick up the duffel bag that sat on the couch. It took everything in her not to fall on the cushions right then as she turned towards the hallway.

She took the room at the very end, wanting some distance between her and Kol. She was still uneasy about him and didn't have a clue as to where they stood with each other. With each passing minute she reconsidered this whole decision. Staying here to help Klaus of all people...what on earth was she thinking? He didn't even want her.

No one wanted her.

Her foot nearly busted down the door as she entered. The room was small with two windows on one wall and another above the bed. White cotton curtains swayed with the breeze and there was a light on illuminating the en suite. She tossed her bag by what she assumed to be the closet and collapsed onto the bed with a huff. Her blonde hair fanned out onto the pillow and sleep was tugging at her eyelids. She felt herself slipping, the cushions too soft and the sheets so inviting that it took little to no time for her to fall away.

And that's when he slipped out from the shadows. His footsteps were light and his movements were soundless, not even a creak echoing in the room.

He approached her slowly, hinting with much hesitation. There was an uneasy feeling stirring his stomach and for some reason his hands couldn't stop shaking. It's been a hundred years since he's seen her and about ten since he's completely shut her out of his mind. She was too much for him, hell, she's always been too much. This girl has always evoked this emotion within him that surely, without her help, would have taken him over completely. And it was because he felt it back. Oddly enough he was able to feel what no one ever thought possible.

Love.

Such a simple thing, a feeling that people display unknowingly to the world. Yet it rips and tears people apart, it brings out the worst and best of them until there's nothing left. Until they're nothing but ashes, too burnt from the flame to withstand anything more. And he felt himself crumbling, with just one look at her again there was a part of him breaking. God, how he wanted this torture to end. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was never supposed to see him again, not after everything he's done. There were times in those years where it's completely black...where he can't even remember what he's done. Even now, he doesn't know why he's standing here. He doesn't know what's compelling him towards this girl that should be labeled as insignificant.

Though she's so far from it.

His hand hovers over her cheek. She won't feel him, he knows it. There was a certain exhaustion he noted in her eyes tonight, an evident toll that had been taken on her features. They were worn out with bloodshot eyes and bruises coloring under them. He remembered a shaking to her hands and a trembling of the tongue as she tried to speak. She was always strong but nothing could have prepared her for seeing him tonight. Not even he could fathom it.

And then slowly his fingers brushed her soft skin, trialing over it absentmindedly until she stirred. He froze for a moment, studying her movements before relaxing. She wouldn't wake up although the possibility lingered in the air around him. But he just wanted a few seconds...a few milliseconds to see her. Because tomorrow it couldn't be like this. He felt the switch coming back on in full force, begging to be flicked off. It was becoming too much, everything he's pushed away all those ago were coming back. And she did that to him. With a single look on her it all came flooding back without his control. Why was it like that? Why did he feel like there was no control left in him whatsoever?

What if he wanted it to be on now? What if he was willing to take this chance for her? She was here, after all, she said she was going to stay. So why, why-

But he wouldn't let himself finish the thought. In the matter of one breath from her his hand had retracted, curtains blowing into the room with the gust of wind that signaled his departure.

She shot up from the bed, gasping for air, sweat dripping down the side of her face.

There was a cold breeze blowing around the room.

Moonlight illuminated the space white sheets, making them glow.

Crickets chirped from far beyond.

A frog now.

She tried to breathe but with each intake of breath a pain resided in her chest.

And for some reason….

Her cheek was burning.


After waking up in the middle of the night, Caroline only managed to get a few more hours of sleep. It didn't matter much though, she wasn't a good sleeper now anyways. Ever since her mother died she's been gifted with nightmares. Horrid, bone shattering, fear inflicting nightmares that had her shaking throughout the night. They were worse when she was alone, completely by herself without a hand to hold. So she learned to adapt without much sleep, balance herself out with energy and a few hours, just waking up before they started.

She was in the living room now, flicking through the stations on the couch. Every channel was in french, fast-talking, incomprehensible french that made her nose wrinkle up and her eyes squint. No matter how hard she tried, Caroline couldn't pick up the language. She knew a few words here and there, enough to let her settle comfortably. But she could never hold a conversation. It's why she loved it here. She didn't have to talk to anyone or make friends, she didn't have the desire to nor could she even if it was there.

"Good morning, darling, I trust your sleep was well?" Kol's voice traveled into the room and she could almost feel his grin as he approached her. "Are we ready for today?"

Caroline stood up and flashed in front of him, her forehead creasing. "I want to get some things straight first."

Obviously he was liking the close proximity as the smile on his face grew wider. "Whatever you want."

"Good." she took a step back. Where should she begin? "First, I want you to remember that I am here for your brother. I am helping you to try and fix all of this. We will be friends and when I say friends, Kol, I mean the true, slap on the back, punch in the shoulder kind of friends. You will not touch me or hug me or kiss me or make any creepy little moves on me, okay?"

Her little speech seemed to anger him. In the matter of seconds he had her pushed against a wall, head smacking up against the drywall as a gulp of air escaped her lungs.

"And what if I don't want to?" his eyes raked her form. "What if I say no to your stupid, insignificant rules?"

She knew there was an advantage here. Klaus may be a psycho and completely emotionless but Caroline truly believed, from the bottom of her heart that there was something inside of him. Something functioning and whole. She was a part of him whether he wanted to see it or not. And she would love to see how long Kol would last if he ever, ever tried something on her.

"Go ahead." she whispered. "But let's see how long you last with Klaus. Sure he doesn't have his emotions back on now but he will one day. And I won't be quiet about these times."

Kol released her immediately but kept the proximity. His breath tickled the back of her throat but she could see the fear in his eyes. He tried to see if she was bluffing or not, if there was some ulterior motive behind her words.

There wasn't.

Of course there wasn't.

"You're threatening me." Kol said.

Caroline only stared back at him, trying to let her confidence shine through.

"Very well," he said defeated, "I give you credit though. It takes a lot to stand up to someone like me."

She rolled her eyes. "You're just an original. Nothing separates us except age. And age, Kol, is just a number."

He stepped closer to her. "A rather large one at that."

She shrugged. "I don't want to fight you. I want to be your friend so we can work together."

Something flashed in his eyes then as he looked down on her. There was a warmth seeping through them, setting into her bones as he tilted his head closer. She saw the sadness in them, the yearning for something she wasn't quite sure of as he let out a shaky breath. There was an urge to reach out and grab him, to pull him in for a hug and reassure him that everything would be okay. Maybe that's what he needed. She couldn't imagine all this time without someone, just chasing after you crazy brother because no one else will. Rebekah's dead and Elijah abandoned him who knows how long ago. He's been alone all this time, without anyone. Was it a shock that someone was staying? That someone wanted too?

"Darling, do you truly understand what you're getting yourself into?"

She laughed weakly as he stepped away. "Not really." she said. "But I need to stay. I need to know-"

Her voice caught in the back of her throat and she swallowed the rest of her words away. There were a lot of things she needed to know, wanted to know so desperately that it hurt. Kol wouldn't understand. No one understood the feelings she had for Klaus, not even Stefan could wrap his mind around it despite his gracious efforts. Caroline didn't care though. She thought she needed everyone's approval for so long but she learned that none of their opinions ever mattered. It's what she thought and what she wanted. And it only took her seventy-three years to figure it out.

Kol nodded his head then. "I never thought my brother could love anyone. And I'm not sure of his feelings for you. But if you're not prepared to discover them then you should leave. He's not very pleasant anymore...well...not that he ever was."

Caroline slid her back down the wall, sighing softly. "Yeah, I got a taste of that last night."

"It's only the beginning. Getting him back to his old self won't be easy and who knows if he'll ever be the same."

"I just-" her lips pursed up, twitching slightly. "I miss him."

"I missed him for eighty years, the past twenty I've just grown annoyed." he shrugged and came down to the ground with her.

Caroline smiled lightly. "You miss him. He wasn't so bad." She saw it in his eyes, the small glint of sadness at her discovery. Kol could say what he wanted but she knew.

"My brother had many sides to himself and the good ones were always tucked away. He's a master at protecting himself."

"I know."

There was a silence shared between them as they became lost in their own thoughts, Caroline more than Kol. She closed her eyes as memories came back, warmth and happiness invading her mind. But Kol's voice broke her away, dragging her back into reality.

"Do you really think this is possible, darling? Are you so confident in yourself that you believe we can bring Nik back?"

Her answer was immediate. "No." she whispered. "But I want to try."

He held his hand out to her. "So try we must."

There was no hesitation this time. Her fingers slipped into his and for the first time in years, she didn't feel hopeless. His smile was genuine and his strength was comforting. And it was the way he was looking at her, not like earlier but different this time. It almost reminded her of how Klaus used to look a Rebekah. This brotherly tint in his eyes. It made her heart clench.

"We should get going." Kol said now. "I usually begin tracking him in the morning."

Caroline nodded. "I'm right behind you."

"You're not so bad." he called from behind her, speeding away in his room. "I might actually like you." he whispered before closing the door.

"And I might actually consider tolerating you." she said, a small smile creeping on her face.

There was this feeling settling within her stomach. It was warm and comforting, new and exciting. Something she hasn't felt in years. It gave her an energy, a confidence that nothing else seemed to drive. She wanted to smile and laugh, twirl around and scream to the world. What was it? What made her feel like she could do this? That possibly, this was all possible?

What?

What?

What?

And then the smile faded. Fear set in her heart.

Oh.

It was hope.


Happy Easter All! (: I hope you liked this chapter and I would love to know your thoughts so please review! Have a great day and enjoy the rest of your week!