A/N: I just want to give a quick thank you to everyone who got this fic on their favorite and follow list, you guys are the best! Thank you so much!

Also, thanks to VampireAddictForever and Hellzz-on-Erth for reviewing! You literally made my day!

As I promised; Chapter 2! Enjoy!


Chapter 1

Her savior

Two days earlier… Mystic Falls… the night of the fire…

Klaus stood on the tip of the highest hill watching the town burn.

Finally, he thought, no one will think of crossing him ever again now. Klaus smiled thinking of all the other towns that will surrender to his rule once the news of this town's fire reach them. He didn't even remember the town's name; just that they didn't surrender so they had to be punished. It should be easy from now on, soon enough he'll have all of the north under the rule of the Mikaelson family, a thing his father would have never accomplished even if he ruled for twenty years, Klaus thought proudly. It was true that it was his elder brother; Fen, who was on throne right now, but everyone knew that Fen would never hurt a fly. Fen was just an image and everybody knew it. It was Klaus and Elijah who were holding everything together. Besides, Fen isn't the one conquering each town after the other now, is he? It was Klaus and Elijah as it always has been; Klaus in the north and Elijah in the south.

It's true though that it was his father that began all of this. It was Mikeal's dream after all. All of his life; Klaus remembers nothing that the old man ever talked about other than the Mikaelson family lost glory. It was the only tale Klaus ever heard his father telling. How the Mikaelson family lost their birthright to the Gerard family.

Klaus remembers the tale very clearly, all the nights his father kept talking about how they lost everything. Mikael used to babble every night after he gets drunk about how Klaus' grandfather was killed and their castle burned, how the Gerards claimed everything to themselves and took everything that rightfully belonged to the Mikaelsons. But not once, Klaus dared to ask him how they were still alive. If the Gerards were all so bad, why were he and his siblings still living under their rule? For years Klaus thought his father was lying or, at least, exaggerating; the Gerards couldn't be that bad after all, they let them live, didn't they?

It was a couple of days after his eighteenth birthday that Niklaus knew the whole truth, and from his mother. Ester told him everything, and it was true; the Gerards let them live but it wasn't without a price, the price was Mikael help in letting the kingdom fall. Klaus almost didn't believe it; his own father? Letting generations of the Mikaelson family fail and help his father's, the rightful king, enemies claim his thrown?!

It was later that Klaus knew the real reason behind his father's actions. It turned out that Klaus' grandfather; King Edmond, had taken Mikael's birthright in being the next king and gave it to Mikael's half brother. Ester tried to explain it to Klaus as best as she could that Mikael did what he did so that he can get his right back, but it didn't convince Klaus. Either way; as it turned out, Mikael was betrayed after all. After he gave them the clues to kill king Edmond, the man who conspired with him; Richard Gerard, had had his own plan since the beginning; he almost killed Mikael as well, but he let him live eventually in an exile far away.

Of course, it wasn't all the generosity of KingRichard; it was because the Mikaelsons weren't completely powerless even as they lost the thrown. Ester came from a really strong family; the Salvatores. King Giuseppe was her uncle and she was a princess before marrying Mikael; a political marriage, but it all came in handy after what happened. The Mikaelsons still had some of their fortune and with their relations with Salvators even King Richard couldn't get rid of them that easily; he too needed some good relations to secure his new position and by loosing the Salvatores he'll be loosing a lot of his supporters.

When Klaus knew that, he couldn't stand being with his father in the same room anymore, he couldn't even look at the man without disgust. He knew his father had been plotting something, but he honestly didn't want to be a part of whatever it was, so he left. Klaus told his father that he wanted to train himself on living on his own -not that Mikael would care but he honestly needed the money- and after he managed to convince his father, he packed his personal belongings and was gone by the next day.

Klaus didn't even say goodbye to anyone; not his brothers or sister who he loved more than anything else in the world, he knew they were old enough to handle themselves right now but he couldn't help missing them.

Months just went by after that and Klaus went everywhere, he's seen the world, a thing he wanted to do since he was a little kid. Mikael has always denied him that, and Ester would always explain it as a form of protection; that he was afraid of what the king would do if they were ever noticed. But Klaus never really saw a point in it, they were already forbidden from even leaving their exile back to their country, so what was the point?

So with that, Klaus spent more than seven years wondering around, he had never spent more than a few months in each city –after all, he still didn't want to be noticed. But he made those months count, he was determined to see everything so he always introduced himself as Klaus Smith and told no one of his family or the source of his fortune. His father kept sending him money for a while but after he stopped his mother continued helping him without his father's knowledge from her own fortune. He traveled and learned, read books and met educated and cultured people. He made friends easily and lost them just as easy. He met girls that weren't all strict like all the ones he knew back home, they were reckless and fun, and he fell in and out of love so many times than he couldn't even count. In short, he lived the life his father denied him and his siblings all of their lives. Klaus knew that his father was afraid of might happen if the king becomes angry with them but never had he really understood why his father was the hardest only when it came to him. Mikael had always hated Klaus; he used to hit and scold him in front of his siblings and anyone for that matter. It never mattered to Mikael where they were or who they were with, he always found something to criticize in Klaus. So, Klaus felt like a prisoner that was sent free when he left his father's castle.

But all things must come to an end, Klaus was right; his father has been plotting something and after seven years it paid off. Mikael managed to get the thrown back, Klaus had no idea how he managed to, but the news came to him and a personal litter from his father arrived a few weeks later asking him to come to help.

Klaus didn't argue; he knew his father could easily send anyone to drag him home if he refused or ignored the order. But he didn't want to, he had built a life and was even about to get married to the girl of his dreams. She was everything he ever wanted; she was beautiful, smart and amazing in everything she does, and above all she only saw him as her Klaus, never cared about his past or his family and loved him for who he was, not what everybody else wanted him to be. He loved her more than he could ever imagine he'd love anyone and, in just a year, Caroline Forbes became his whole world.

He couldn't just leave her! So Klaus planned that they would get married and leave somewhere Mikael would never find them. But it all crashed one day; when Klaus decided to go and make his proposal official. He went to Bill Forbes, Caroline's father, and asked Caroline's hand in marriage. What Klaus hadn't planed was what he told him. Mr. Forbes told him that Caroline doesn't want to get married and was afraid to tell him, he told him that she had second thoughts about them and she doesn't want to be with him any longer.

Klaus got furious at what he heard. He didn't even talk to Caroline and went home directly. All what he could think of was Caroline's refusal, and he felt like he lost everything.

When Klaus got home he didn't even had the time to think of anything, there was another letter there from his father telling him that he will be dragged back and cut of all money if he didn't return home immediately.

Klaus didn't really know what to do; his heart wouldn't allow him to leave Caroline like that, even if she didn't want him anymore. There was one thing that Klaus was one-hundred percent sure of; Caroline loved him. He wondered if he could talk to her and try to make her change her mind. He wondered if she'd leave everything for him if he asked, but what life was he offering her by running away? The money that was with him was barely enough for him to leave home and he knew his mother would cut him off if he crossed Mikael. He was a fool for thinking that he could start a life with her. He would be only destroying her life if she married him; she was right in refusing him, her life would be a lot better without him, so he left.

When Klaus came home, he was heartbroken and angry. He thought he might kill Mikael if he saw him, Mikael always wanted to destroy his life and he was finally succeeding, but it all changed once he stepped into the castle, everything has. As it turned out, in the years he had left, Mikael managed to gather all of the Mikaelson supporters that were scattered across the country and with help from the Salvatores; he managed to kick Richard off the thrown and now was planning the proper way to get back. Klaus almost didn't believe it; if Mikael was able to do that in seven years, then why hadn't he done anything for the past thirty five years? Klaus later found out that the key to his father's return was the Salvatores, and since King Giuseppe was a good friend to King Richard, he never wanted to cross him, but it all changed now; Giuseppe was dead and his sons; Damon and Stefan had no problem knocking Richard down. And so it was, Damon, who was the eldest, became king after his father's death and, after securing everything back in his kingdom, helped Mikael to get back what was rightfully his.

Unfortunately, not the whole country was happy about the Mikaelsons being back; a few towns here and there refused to bend down to their rule again and Mikael spent the four years he ruled the country trying to put everything back together. That was why he sent for Klaus. Mikael had already sent Elijah north, Fen was still by his side, and once Klaus arrived he was sent with Kol, his younger brother, south and they both started to take town after the other. It was difficult at the beginning, but things started to get easier once Klaus found that people responded easier to the display of violence than simple words. Klaus was happy that he was with Kol when he made his mind to kill anyone who'd oppose them. If it was Fen or Elijah he would have a moral lesson if he even mentioned it. Kol loved it, he –though Klaus hated to admit it, was so much like him.

So, the two Mikaelson siblings ended up burning city after city and town after town, they took everything they wanted with force. Klaus knew if he didn't make people fear them others might think of crossing them and then they'll lose everything again.

It's been a year now since Mikael's death and Fen becoming king. It didn't anger Klaus as many expected it would; it didn't even matter to him. He knew they needed a figure to rule the country and no one else filled that role better than Fen. Fen was like Elijah; moral and honorable, and made a better king than any of them, he was more like their mother than their father. Klaus knew if he becomes king, he'll end up killing half of court the next day with his temper. For now, these battles seemed to give him a way to unleash his anger. Before this, Klaus learned how to control his temper, in fear of his father, but now he didn't need it. He killed and slathered and destroyed not caring about anything or anyone, and he liked it. No one crossed Niklaus Mikaelson and lived to tell the tale; he was his father's son and he accepted that, though if it was up to him, he'd drive a sword through Mikael's chest himself. Mikael had destroyed them with his pride, he destroyed this family and he didn't even seem to care.

To Klaus it seemed his father only wanted one thing; power, and his children were just the mean to that, it wasn't just Klaus' life that was destroyed on his father's hands but all of his siblings as well. Mikael used each one of them to get more power and influence so that he never has to bend to anyone ever again. All of the Mikaelson children were put into political marriages once Mikael became king; Rebekah was sent to marry some old king in a far kingdom, Elijah was married to a lady of the Petrova family named Katherine, even Fen was denied to marry the woman he loved in order to become king. Klaus suspected that if it wasn't him and Kol that were securing their rule in the south his father might have set them in one of his planes as well.

Klaus had never knew what a father was like or should be like, the only thing he learnt from Mikael was thirst for power, his father created this monster inside of him. Klaus now was only feeding it. He shut everything out and forgot everything that made him feel; he shut her out of his mind and decided to do anything that will make him forget her.

Klaus sighed as the image of Caroline's smiling face crossed his mind. It always gave him comfort in the darkest times of his life, he knew he had lost her the minute he chose to go back to his father and leave, yet even that thought never seemed to push her away from his mind for so long, it felt like she was always with him, she was the last thing he thinks about before going to sleep and the first thing he thinks about when waking up in the morning. She was with him everywhere and every second of every day, and before he went with Kol, he thought he might actually come back to her one day and start a new life away from all of this. But once Klaus realized what this war has created in him, he knew he wouldn't be able to, he wasn't that same person anymore, he wasn't her Klaus; he was Prince Niklaus Mikaelson, a murderer and a monster; a man his name would shatter men apart before his sword does. And he knew he'll never be able to go back to her, not now, not after everything.

Klaus spent five years trying to shove Caroline Forbes away from his thoughts, but he couldn't shove her away from his dreams, he dreamt about her every night, about how it'll feel like to have her in his arms again, how it'll be like to hear her calling his name once more. He dreamt about her smile, about her curly blond hair, about everything in her… He saw her everywhere and no other woman could ever fell her place. He tried; he tried to forget her, to convince himself that she must have moved on, that she must have forgotten him; that she might have found someone else or even got married and was with children now. But it was all in vain, his body seemed only alive just for the hope of seeing her again.

Kol knew that something was wrong with his brother with time, and Kol being Kol knew it must have been over a woman, so in his way, Kol tried to make his brother forget. He threw parties each time they conquered a new town and made Klaus join him. Klaus hated it at the beginning, but then learned to enjoy it and he indulged himself into the pleasures his new position gave. If he wasn't out killing during day he would be in his chamber with a new woman trying to forget a certain blond one. He had a new mistress each night; they were his way in trying to forget the only woman he truly craved; Caroline. He often tried to imagine that it was her in his arms each night, he tried to imagine her lips, her hair, her body, but no woman was like her and it only angered him more…

Klaus' thoughts of Caroline were suddenly interrupted when he heard a horse from behind. He imagined it was Kol; he must have already drained town's alcohol supplies for his party by now, but when Klaus turned he realized it was only one of his men. The man stepped off of his horse and came closer to speak to Klaus.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked calmly returning his gaze back to the flames.

"Sir, prince Kol wanted me to tell you that he needs to speak to your highness immediately; he said it was argent,"

Klaus nodded annoyed and the man bowed slightly. He didn't like being interrupted when he thinks. This better be good, he thought as the man left and Klaus took his own horse following him down the hill.

It was a few minutes later that Klaus was ridding his horse between the burring houses in the town streets. It felt somehow familiar, Klaus thought as he slowed down taking time to look at the burring houses. No one was in the streets and Klaus wasn't surprised; they were his orders. Each time they burn a town he forbids any of its inhabitants from trying to extinguish the fire until the damages that were made satisfy him. He could hear the screams that came from everywhere as everyone was trying to run away from the fire. But that didn't explain to him why he felt he's been there before. He tried to squeeze his mind to remember the town's name but with no use, it was only then that he realized…

Klaus stepped off of his horse and motioned to the man behind him to do the same. In a second the man was by Klaus' side.

"What's the name of this town?" Klaus almost snapped at the man like it was his fault that he couldn't remember.

"It's called Mystic Falls, your highness." The man seemed confused.

Klaus' mouth dropped open hearing the town's name, how could he have not known? He turned around to his horse and ran like crazy in the opposite direction where he knew her house was in. He only prayed he wasn't too late.

It took Klaus a few minutes to get to the Forbes burning house, it was exactly as he remembered, but he didn't have time to go down memory lane; he has to find her! He imagined her in the house stuck between the flames and unable to get out because of his stupid orders not to let anyone put the fire down, that thought alone almost got him crazy.

The other man must have followed him for Klaus saw him when he turned around trying to find a way to get inside the house, "Get me Kol! And get anyone inside the house out, NOW!'' Klaus screamed as he jumped without thinking inside the burning house, the man stared at him in astonishment.

The flames were everywhere consuming everything that came in their way. Klaus tried to think hard of the place he knew Caroline's room would be in, he knew it was upstairs, but where exactly he didn't know. Then another thought ran into his mind, what if she was already hurt and unable to get out? What if something worse had happened to her? Klaus walked like a maniac among the flames when those thoughts crossed his mind… he can't lose her, if something happened to her he won't be able to forgive himself, ever.

"Caroline!" Klaus screamed the name he swore to himself he won't even whisper again, "Caroline! Caroline!" he tried to raise his voice over the screams that filled the place. God, he needed to find her before the fire consumes everything.

No one answered him for a few seconds and he almost thought he had lost her already, "Caroline! Where are you?!" Klaus screamed again with panic and desperation.

"Here! I'm here!" He heard her voice answering strongly from behind, he turned and she continued; "Please! I'm here!" Klaus finally managed to locate the place her voice came from and he headed there.

"Caroline!" Klaus tried to scream in the direction he knew her voice came from, trying to acknowledge her that she was found, "I'm coming! Caroline, stay where you are!" Klaus added going straight to her.

Klaus was there in a second and he saw her. She was standing at the top stairs holding the handrail with all she was. She gave her back to him and he only could see her because of the flames that were behind him lightening her figure. She wore her night gown and her hair was scattered in a beautiful mess down her back, she was coughing and he ran to her holding her waist tightly to him, she fought his hands at first but he didn't let her move. The only thought in his head was to get her out of there.

"No, no, no! My mother! My mother is in there!" she screamed while still trying to fight him, Klaus hesitated for a second; Elizabeth Forbes was still in there? He remembered the woman who took him in her house and treated him as a son. Mrs. Forbes has always been good to him unlike her husband and he felt angry with himself for not knowing.

Klaus then remembered the man who was ridding behind him on the horse; he must have gotten her out, he specifically told him to get anyone in the house out. Klaus held Caroline tightly and turned her over in his arms till she faced him. Her face was buried in his chest and he felt a shiver going down his spine as he held her like that. She looked up at him for a second but he knew she couldn't see anything; he was blocking the light from her with his body. Klaus didn't realize how much he's missed her till she was in his arms like this. The only thing he wanted to do right then was to hold her up to him, to hold her in his arms and never let go, but he had to get both of them out first. He had no idea how much time she spent in there inhaling all that smoke.

"Please… my mother… please," Caroline's voice came again suddenly pleading with coughs, her coughs were the thing that made Klaus snap out of his thoughts and he realized she was falling, his arms went to her knees and he held her up against him, "Caroline, your mother is safe, do you hear me?" Klaus tried to shout over the screams around them that were getting louder now, "your mother is safe."

Before Klaus knew it, Caroline's body seemed to relax in his arms and her eyes were closing. "Hey, hey," his voice was panicking again, "Caroline, Caroline, stay with me. Keep your eyes open for me, love, come on, we're almost there, come on, sweetheart…" he tried to wake her as he went running to the door. Her eyes suddenly snapped open and she looked at him. He didn't have time to look at her; he needed to get her out. So in a matter of minutes they were out and a man came from nowhere trying to take her from his arms.

Klaus, though being exhausted, snatched Caroline away. He didn't run with her in his arms through the flames just so another man can hold her from him.

"Brother, it's alright," Kol's voice came as he walked to his brother and he placed his hand on his shoulder, "it's alright, I'll take care of her myself…" Kol tried to take her as well but Klaus almost snapped at his brother too, his exhaustion and Caroline being in his arms prevented him from throwing his brother down. "No!" he shouted.

Kol backed off as apparently seeing the anger flashes in his brother's eyes. He turned around and brought a blanket throwing it on Caroline and another on to put on Klaus' shoulders.

….

A slash of pure white blurred before Caroline's eyes as they popped open. The blur before her cleared and she stared at the ceiling rising high above her for a few seconds trying to get some of her equilibrium. She tried to get things clearer in her head with no use; she sat upright trying to orient herself. She knew she wasn't in her bedroom; that was for sure, the room was enormous and the bed she sat on was comfortable. She felt like she could lay her head back and let sleep take over her again, it was just when what happened the night before hit her… there was a fire, and it… it burned Mystic Falls. They had finally caught up to them… and Klaus… Klaus was there and he saved her. She shook her head; was it all a dream? It seemed all distant and unreal. She didn't want to think about it, she made herself look around, scanning the room quickly with her eyes till she saw him.

Klaus was sitting in a chair in the far end of the room, watching her carefully. It took her sometime to see him clearly, by the time she was sure it was him; he had left the chair and was standing by the bedside.

The first thing that popped to her mind was to run to him, to fall into his arms like she always did, but when all the memories flew back to her, she stopped herself from standing and just looked at him waiting for him to talk. It was true he saved her but he also had left her for five years without a word! She still needed some answers before she could think about forgiving him.

"Does anything hurt?" was the first thing he asked her.

Caroline felt a little surprised but answered; "No, I'm fine." she didn't expect that to be his first sentence, how about; sorry for disappearing for five years without a word! But Klaus only nodded at her answer showing no expression, though not meeting her eyes now. He dragged a chair to set right next to her.

They stayed like that for a long time, unlike Caroline's talkative nature; this was the very first time she didn't know from where to begin so she waited. She can tell when something is wrong and everything about the way Klaus was sitting next to her told her that.

"Klaus?" Caroline said at last, to make him at least look up at her.

Klaus opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped and put his eyes on the ground. His eyes refused to meet hers; he looked beyond her, around her, at his hands, at her hands, at his feet. His mouth was set in a thin line. Even his hands were fidgeting slightly. There was nothing serene or confident about him. Klaus was nervous and now so was she.

Klaus talked at last, he was barely saying the words. "I had no idea what the men were doing till I saw it was your house…" Klaus began explaining looking away again, he was looking beyond her. Caroline had no idea what he was talking about. He saved her life, right? He was there to save her…

…And… the picture started to get clearer in her head; Klaus wasn't there to save her; he was… with them?

"What are you talking about?" Caroline was confused, she swallowed saying that, her mouth felt dry; like her throat has just turned into a piece of wood, "Klaus, why were you with these men?"

"I… Caroline, you have to understand, I couldn't tell you… I…" It was the first time in her life she sees Klaus not finding words, but finally, he raised his eyes to hers.

They were full of ill-concealed panic.

"I don't understand." She answered, or maybe she didn't want to…

Klaus breathed and Caroline realized it was not panic exactly, something more culpable; guilt.

"Caroline, my name is not Klaus Smith. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. My father was King Mikael." He didn't move a muscle while he said it.

Caroline couldn't even manage a 'what'. Instead, her jaw lay open. Klaus held her gaze strongly now.

Before he could not look her in the eye and now he would not look away. He watched her like a hunter anticipating its prey's flight. Now she could see clearly the guilt on his face and she understood.

"You lied to me… You lied to me all this time?" Caroline finally managed to breathe out.

"No... No, Caroline…" he came closer to her and sat on the bed beside her, "I've never lied to you… my feelings were true… I swear…" he tried to hold her, but she lent away from him.

"Caroline…"

"Don't… Don't touch me…" she managed to breathe out, "Oh my God… my father… my father was right… I-I trusted you… I loved you…" Caroline's sentences started to come out angrily now. "And all this time, you were… how could you do this? How could you do this to me?" her last question came out before she could stop it. "You left me without saying a word for five years! I thought you were dead! And now you're telling me you are the one who killed all of theses people?! That you are the one who burnt our house?! That you are the one that burnt my town?!"

"I swear to you that hurting you was the last thing on my mind, I couldn't tell you, I knew how you'd react and… Caroline, I didn't know anything about my father's plans, he did the whole thing while I was away and then he sent for me…"

"So you couldn't tell me? You couldn't even write me anything telling me you were leaving because of your father?" Caroline got her voice lower but crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

"You're asking me why I left like that, Caroline?" Klaus breathed at last and then decided to stop his attempts trying to get near the now furious Caroline; she had no right talking to him like that! She was the one who didn't want him!

Caroline looked at him again in confusion, what was he talking about now? "What?"

"Oh, come one, Caroline, it wasn't me who didn't want the other!"

"What are you talking about?" Caroline was completely confused now, she didn't want him?

"Your father told me! He told me that you didn't want to marry me! He told me you wanted me to stay away from you!"

"I didn't…" Caroline started but then stopped understanding what just happened, her father told Klaus that she didn't want to marry him. She almost laughed at herself for not seeing it; it was her father who destroyed her life after all.

"What?" Klaus looked at her for a second as if he too just understood.

It took a few minutes for both of them to calm down but in the end Klaus sat back beside Caroline and finally managed to place his hand on her shoulder and she didn't shrug away which gave him the courage to continue. "I had no idea, I swear… I thought…"

"And you believed him? You believed that I didn't want to marry you?" Caroline couldn't help but answer back, she knew that she probably would've reacted the same if it was her, but couldn't he have at least talked to her? Ask her if that what she truly wanted? She looked away from him to the wall.

"Caroline, look, I'm sorry; I know I should have talked to you but…" Klaus took a deep breath and tried gently to make her look at him, "Caroline, you have no idea what your father said made me feel… I wanted to stay, but then my father's letter came… I had to leave and with you not wanting me…" Klaus sighed, "I had no idea what my father wanted from me till I got there and…"

Caroline was looking away but when he said that she looked at him, how could she be so stupid? She just realized that the man she's in love with had killed all of those people and now she's worried about an explanation for why he was away? She honestly could hit herself on the head! She decided to leave the subject of explanations and apologies and understand what was really going on here. "If you're saying the truth then what were you and your men doing last night?"

Klaus was a little confused for a second for the sudden change in subject but he finally said; "I said I didn't lie about my feelings for you, but that doesn't mean I'll deny who I am or my origins." His voice was calm as he spoke, yet cruel, which made Caroline flinch unnoticeably at his words. He moved his hand away of her shoulder when he felt her shrug.

"What do you mean?" Caroline managed to control her voice as she asked him. If she was going to ask him to explain then she won't let her feelings control her reaction over it. "Aren't you one of the Mikaelsons we all heard about? Are you the one that caused all those deaths?" she added the last question quickly. She was scared of the answer, she almost didn't want to hear it, but she had to, she had to know what she was stepping into.

"Yes, I am." Klaus answered simply with no expression. He stood up.

"Yes, you're what? Yes you're one of them or yes you caused all of this?" she looked up at him.

"Both."

A deafening silence.

"You were the one who burnt our house?" Caroline already knew the answer to that question but she still needed an answer form him. She asked calmly.

"I didn't know it was yours. If I did, I would have never allowed it." Klaus answered plainly as if this answer justified everything happened.

"What about all of the others? Would you have spared their lives too? Would you have not lit the whole town on fire if you knew that?"

Klaus didn't answer, instead he looked at Caroline like he was saying; you already know the answer to your question. His look only made Caroline feel angry but after all the shouting she didn't have the power to shout again, instead, her voice came out smaller than she intended, "Why? Why would you do that?" she looked at him strongly.

"They crossed me; they had to be punished so that others would learn not to make the same mistake."

Klaus' voice was calm, but Caroline learned that this voice usually meant that Klaus' anger was boiling to the surface and she could feel it, she knew Klaus could hardly control his temper, but he used to be able to control himself around others at least! Maybe this new way of life taught him he didn't have to anymore, that he can hit and punish whoever opposes him. Well, if he thought he could do that with her then he was wrong. Caroline looked at him strongly, she had to let him know that she wasn't scared of him, that he can't control her like one of his servants, he can't just intimidate her to listen to him. "They were people's lives, innocent people; children; women… how could you?" Though tears were glittering in her eyes threatening to be spilled, she didn't let them; why in the world she was crying anyway? She spat her last sentence in his face.

"I'm not here to discuss the reasons of my actions with you, love." Carline didn't expect that answer or his reaction, Klaus was ending the discussion there with that sentence. And somehow, Caroline seemed to agree on ending the subject; Klaus was stubborn, she knew that, maybe even more stubborn than her. He had already done what he's done…

"Then why are you here, Klaus?" Caroline asked. His name felt so odd on her tongue now, it did feel sweet to be able to say it after she thought she'll never be able to again, but after what she heard, it almost seemed childish, even more like a lie to call him with that name, she continued anyway. "Are you here to tell me this and then kill me just like all of the others? Then do it! You made your point! I fell for you and now you took everything away from me! Kill me and get it over with!" Caroline was still looking strongly at him; he became as white as a ghost at her words.

"I can never do that." Klaus barely mouthed the words, "you have no idea what you mean to me, Caroline." he murmured that more to himself than to her. "I can never hurt you."

Klaus sat back beside her. "You already did …" She covered her face with her hands as she spoke unable to hold her tears any longer, "You took everything from me; my family; my friends; everyone! What do you want more?"

"Caroline, listen to me, I'm here to make you an offer." Klaus said in the sweetest voice possible as he bent down to get closer to her.

"And what's that?" she raised her face from her hands and looked at him throwing her hands in the air in frustration. He was too close to her that she could feel the heat coming from his body, she felt so disparate just to throw herself into his arms again. She knew he had caused all of this, yet she felt that throwing herself into and his arms was the only solution to feel safe again.

"You have two options." Klaus said slowly and then paused, letting what he's saying sink in. "You can stay here. I'll give you everything, everything we have ever dreamt of, remember? We can travel everywhere, I can show you the world… we can buy a house and leave everything behind. We can build the life we've always dreamt of, Caroline." Klaus smiled, "I can make all of that a reality now, love…"

"We?" Caroline felt like laughing at his word but her whole energy gone after shouting at him; even if she forgave him for leaving like that, is he really expecting her to forget everything else? "I don't even know who you are anymore." Caroline whispered, she looked at his lips that were so close to her right now she could just lean a bit to place hers over them.

"I'm still the same parson that you fell in love with." He answered in the same calm voice.

"The man I fell in love with can never kill anyone." She said strongly, sobbing, and she turned her look to the blanket that covered the lower half of her body, surrounding herself with her arms.

Klaus came even closer, he reached his hand and turned her face towards him, she didn't protest. His hand stayed on her face, cupping her cheek while his fingers played with her hair, "there is a whole world out there waiting for you, for us." He whispered to her, "great cities and art and music… genuine beauty..." He smiled whipping her tears away gently with his thumb. Caroline felt like she hadn't seen his smile in ages, she stared at his lips again for a second and tried to forget his thumb that circled her lips now, she tried to concentrate on the words he was saying, "And you can have all of it, I can give you all of that, all you have to do is ask."

Some time passed that neither of them spoke in; she just looked at him as he sat beside her. Klaus dropped his hand still smiling a sweet smile and played with one of her curls before tugging it behind her ear.

Caroline looked into Klaus' blue eyes, the eyes she loved more than anything in the world. They seemed so different now that she knew the truth. For the first time, his eyes didn't give her the safety and comfort she always felt around him, she was scared. A few years ago, if someone told her she'd be scared with Klaus with her in the same room she would have never believed it. But this man wasn't Klaus, he wasn't her Klaus, he wasn't the man she fell in love with. He was a murderer, blood was on his hands and he wasn't even ashamed of it.

Yet, the worst thing wasn't only that, it was what he was asking of her; despite of everything he's done, Klaus was now a prince. Princes never marry girls like her. The Forbes family wasn't a weak family, they were strong and can be called rich enough, they had good relations and her father managed to make a small fortune that held the family a good position among the families of Mystic Falls, but she was in no way a noble, and her family wasn't even remotely related to nobility. So Klaus wasn't asking her to be his wife, he was asking her to be his mistress? That was the thing that made her unable to even look at his face; he was asking her to be that for him? He really thought so low of her to think she'd accept that life even with the man she loved? With that thought crossing her mind, Caroline realized she couldn't bear looking at him any longer, and so she just turned her head at last and just stared at the wall across the room.

"What's my second option?" she said taking a deep breath.

Klaus didn't seem to have expected that response. Maybe he thought she'd agree once he mentions the things he's capable of right now or maybe he thought that announcing himself as more powerful that she'd drop at his feet, begging him to take her to his bed. Well, if he really thought that, then maybe he hadn't known her at all.

He didn't answer; maybe thinking she'd drop it if he stayed silent. But Caroline didn't let it go; she turned her head around and looked at him. She was determined to get an answer.

"You can go back to your town." Klaus barely said it, as if not even considering that possibility. "I promise…" he paused a second, "I promise you would live in peace with no interference from me or any member of my family."

Caroline couldn't believe what she was hearing; he was actually going to let them go just like that? "You?" she repeated his word, if he was giving her options she needed to see the whole picture.

"Neither you nor your town." He answered in the same manner. "Of course, Mystic Falls still has to answer to us just like any other town." Klaus added with a smirk which made her know what he meant by his words; they'd live in peace if they stay under their rule. It should have been obvious.

"Fine, then." Caroline said after a while, "I want to go back."

Suddenly, Klaus stood. His move made Caroline jump and his look made her feel scared. Did she push the wrong button? Did she anger him? Was Klaus capable of hurting her?! Questions started popping in her mind as she watched his chest heaving up and down, when his breath returned to normal she dared to look at his eyes.

"Very well," he added not looking at her as he suddenly went to the door, "you'll have your wish." He added opening the door.

And with no other words added Klaus left the room, leaving exhausted Caroline to her thoughts.


A/N: Hope Klaus wasn't too ooc here, if he was; sorry… Poor Caroline, she just had the biggest shock of her life. If it was me, I would jump to go with Klaus anywhere! Hahahah! I mean come on! What would you guys do? xp

Don't forget to let me know what you think of this chapter! 'd love to know what you guys think!

I'll try having the next chapter by tonight for you guys! Stay tuned! ^.^