I cracked open my eyes the next morning and leapt out of bed, tugging of my clothes to take a shower. I wasn't the type to sing or hum but I couldn't help uttering a couple of notes every now and then while the water was running over my head and down my back. It was almost as warm and comforting as Caroline's smile directed at me the day before while her boyfriend was lying on the floor with a broken neck. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been filled with such hope. Maybe back at the last Mystic Falls dance, but nothing had ever come of it. I had a feeling that this might eventually.
I wrapped a towel around my waist and slipped out of the shower, soaking the floor in little blobs of water, slightly resembling feet. I found Rebekah downstairs dancing around the kitchen with earphones in her head, and singing along. I'd forgotten how angelic her voice was. She was just in a very large t-shirt and baking something. When she finally noticed my observation of her ministrations, she tugged one earphone out and shot me a grin.
"Why aren't you dressed?"
"I just wanted a glass of blood and alcohol. What are you making?"
"Cookies!" Rebekah cried. "We have a new neighbor and I thought I would welcome them."
"What's his name?"
Rebekah paused for only a moment before she said, "Christian, I think is what he said. It might be Calvin though."
"And how do you intend on winning his heart when you don't even remember his name?"
Rebekah slapped me on her way to the oven where she popped the cookies in and set the timer for ten minutes. "To be honest, I'm not sure it matters. I got the sense it wasn't his real name."
"So now you want to date a liar?"
"How about you don't worry about who I date. You don't want to ruin my good mood. I've been so nice to you." She handed me a small glass filled to the brim. "60 percent blood 40 percent bourbon. Just as you like it."
"Thank you. I will go put some clothes on now."
She gave me an exaggerated thumbs up before dipping her index finger into the dough and licking it off with a smile.
I strolled back down to the kitchen where Rebekah had changed into a sleeveless black dress with a long necklace adorned in a couple large charms collected together. She had done her hair as usual and was wearing a pair of brown boots. She had the plate of cookies in her hand and was glancing around the kitchen to see if she'd forgotten anything.
"I'm heading out. If it goes well I won't be back for a while. If it doesn't or he just doesn't feel like company I'll be back in ten."
"Good luck." She smiled as she walked out the door and I collapsed on a couch and grabbed Heart of Darkness off the side table. My plans for the day consisted of absolutely nothing, not even scheming, and it felt wonderful. It felt like I was always doing something and for once I had a chance to relax.
That is, until my phone rang. It was Rebekah.
"I'm in the bathroom," she whispered, "I don't think we're being overheard. His name is Connor, Klaus. Connor."
I racked my brain trying to understand why this mattered to me until a flashback of a girl in a tight purple dress sitting on the lap of a young man in a brown leather jacket. They were flirting heavily and I had gone up to them with only one thought in mind. Leading the woman away and draining her of every single drop of blood. And I did just that but not before I bit the young man when he came running out with a gun and his face was splattered with my blood from a small gash on my neck the girl had managed to created with her fingernails. He wasn't instantly healed but my blood was in his system and he had died. And his name had been Connor.
"Shit," I groaned.
"I have to go. I don't know what he's doing here but you should be careful, Niklaus. I'm worried."
"I can trust the flirtation has not gone according to plan then."
"It's actually been great. I think I might be the only thing between you and him right now; that's how much we hit it off."
I shook my head. I should've known that my maybe impending death wouldn't matter too much to her when it came to the "perfect" man. I'm sure she even blamed me for his desire to end me; at least I assumed that was reason who moved in next door.
I crawled out of the dip in the couch and dialed, my brother, Elijah's phone number to call him for back up. But then I realized however much he cared for family he would say I deserved whatever comes to me in this situation, being the highly moral creature he is. So I tried to come up with anybody else who would be here if the shit hit the fan but there was no one. I kept thinking of Caroline, but I think it was more a desire to see her, than confidence she would actually stand behind me on this. Plus, I still had Tyler to worry about. I shouldn't pull his girlfriend away, especially when that seemed to be my greatest fault to him.
So, unlike anything I would've done just a week ago, I went for a walk to clear my head of the feeling that everybody wanted to kill me. I understood it had always been that way, but this time around I could die. And I wasn't ready to die. I sunk down on a wall beside a house on the sidewalk and placed my head in my hands. Just in time for Caroline to walk by, apparently.
"Klaus?"
I jerked out of position, and made a move to get up but Caroline waved me off and sat beside me, leaning against the wall just as I did.
"What are you doing here?" I sighed.
"I was just going over to the Salvatore's. I figured someone should let them know Katherine's dead if they don't know already."
"Yeah, I bet you money they didn't find her."
Caroline laughed and agreed but suddenly became silent. I glanced over at her to notice her watching me with a degree of worry in her eyes.
"You're worried about me?" I murmured.
She delicately rested her hand on my forearm, which my eyes automatically flicked to. She brought her head down and desperately tried to make eye contact. Eventually her luminous blue eyes bobbed into focus and held my attention.
"I am worried about you. Why are you sitting against a wall in the middle of nowhere with your head in your hands? It's not you."
"I," my voice cracking, "I could die. I'm not ready to die." I knew she sensed the vulnerability in what I said because she slid her hand down to mine and squeezed it gently. But instead of letting go she left it there. I twisted my fingers in and out of hers and her eyes burned into mine.
"Listen to me. You aren't going to die. I will promise you that right now. I don't believe you deserve that."
"You're about the only one," I groaned.
"Since when have you been a self-loathing, self-pitying pile of shit, Klaus? Pull it together."
"Wanna hear a secret?"
"What?"
"I've always been like that, Caroline. I've just never had a reason to show it."
"And you don't now, either," she replied, stubbornly. "Everything will be okay. You're intelligent, self-involved, which in this case is helpful, and you are still a vampire. Your strength is not so badly diminished that you have no hope of winning any fight."
"I just..."
"I know. I get it," Caroline interrupted. "I do. But it's time to move on. Everybody deals with some life altering event once in their life and everyone eventually moves on. So make the conscious decision to move on now before they get to you first."
"But I've had multiple life-altering events."
"No, you haven't. You've just had multiple lifetimes. And, look, you made it through."
"Did I?"
"What do you mean?" she questioned quizzically.
"Do you like what came out?"
She leaned her head against my shoulder and whispered, "I've seen much worse."
