After what felt like a thousand years, Caroline reached water shallow enough that she could stand. She broke through the surface, gasping to fill her bursting lungs with air. She stumbled forward on shaking legs. Her clothes and her hair were plastered to her soaked skin and if she had thought the cold wind was biting earlier, it was positively slicing her to pieces at that moment.

She'd barely managed to take a step when strong hands grasped the tops of her arms, almost too hard.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he roared. She hadn't realized she was sobbing until she tried to speak through the lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't go, I couldn't-

"He will kill you!" Klaus shouted. She paused to look in his eyes and saw a flurry of panic and anger in them. She felt her own passionate heat rising in response.

"I don't care!" she screamed. "I couldn't leave you,"

"No, you have to!" he demanded. "You swim back out to that boat now, Caroline!"

They were suddenly screaming at one another, both unwilling to back down. They hurtled their words at each other, Klaus with his threats and Caroline with her defenses until both their throats were raw. Klaus' roar finally rang out over her's.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU DO THIS!" he bellowed. His eyes shone amber and he bared his teeth at her. She didn't even flinch.

Caroline let the veins pulse under her own red eyes as she screamed back at him through her tears, "Why are you being like this? I'm trying to tell you that I'm in love with you and that I can't live without you and instead of being happy-"

She was cut off by his lips crashing against hers. Finally she thought as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His hands moved from their position in her hair to wrap tightly around her waist, so tight that he lifted her off her feet. As their bodies pressed together Caroline felt that warmth shoot through her again, filling her up and soothing all the icy pain that had gripped her before. She had never felt so whole in her entire life, as if a piece of her had been filled that she didn't even know was missing.

She had forgotten they were still standing knee deep in the sea until a wave came up behind her and nearly knocked them over. Klaus picked her up and sped them away from the shore and before she'd even finished blinking they were in his tent. Caroline looked around in surprise; she hadn't ever experienced his speed before. A small smirk crossed her lips when she let herself revel in his power for the first time; the fastest, strongest, most powerful creature on Earth was in love with her, as she was with him.

His mouth consumed hers again and all thought was erased from her mind, outside of his delicious taste and scent. She was nearly in tears again she was so overwhelmed with emotion. She loved Klaus, really, truly loved him. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. He pressed himself on top of her and the heat radiating from his body was the most soothing thing she'd ever felt. Craving more, she ripped his shirt off, not bothering to break their kiss to pull it over his head. His hand was reaching for her sweater and she eagerly arched her back to help him peel the sopping material from her skin. The hair on her arms immediately stood up, her stomach covered with goosebumps. She reached for him, desperate for his warmth but he stopped.

"What's wrong?" she whispered. He was frowning down at her, his eyes filled with concern.

"You're freezing,"

She placed her arms around his neck.

"So warm me up," she smiled, trying to pull him closer. He relented for a brief kiss before pulling away again. Caroline huffed impatiently.

"As much as I'd love to sweetheart, that's not what you need right now." He laid down next to her and cradled her close to his chest. She was ready to protest once again when he pulled a thick blanket over both of them. He smiled at her audible sigh of relief.

"Told you, love," he laughed.

She closed her eyes and pressed closer against him, relishing in the heat against her bare skin. "I didn't realize I was so cold," she laughed softly. She also hadn't realized how exhausted she was. Her eyes were drooping heavily.

Klaus placed his hand gently on her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. Worry settled in again when he took in the bluish tint of her lips and the absence of color on the rest of her skin. He leaned her back a little and brought his wrist to her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open and met his, filled with confusion.

"Drink love, you need it," he murmured. She hesitated for a moment and then bit down on his wrist. She closed her eyes as the red veins appeared beneath them. Klaus gasped slightly as her fangs pierced his skin and she pulled his blood weakly in her mouth; he was relieved when her drinking intensified and she brought her hand up to cover his own. When she finally pulled away, breathless, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were stained a delicious red.

"Feel better, love?" he murmured, with his eyebrows raised in question.

Caroline nodded as she looked into his eyes. They were filled with so much love when he looked at her she wondered why it had taken her so long to give in to him; no one had ever looked at her that way.

"I love you," she whispered. He looked back at her in slight disbelief. She'd said it before on the island when emotions were running high but here, in the quiet calm it meant even more. He would say it back to her, a thousand times, he would tell her every day for the rest of forever how much he loved her. But first, he needed to know.

"What were you thinking, when you were on the boat? When you jumped off?" he murmured. She pulled his hand up between them and interlaced their fingers before she answered.

"At first, I wasn't thinking anything. It was like I was in shock," she shook her head slowly as she remembered the numbness and the haze. "Then I looked at you, and I just knew you thought you were looking at me for the last time, I could see it. And it just hit me," she shrugged. She drew a shaky breath and looked away for a moment. When she met his eyes again, they were filled with tears.

"It felt like my heart had left my body. The further I got from you, the more it hurt. I just couldn't take it anymore," she finished and he was looking at her with that intense gaze again. This time she did blush. He let go of her hand to smooth her hair back. It was almost dry now and a small voice in the back of her head hoped it wasn't all frizzy.

"You know I can't ever let you go now," he sighed. He was worried that she had acted on impulse, that she didn't really know what she was getting herself into. Was she really ready for forever?

Instead of her eyes widening in fear like he'd been afraid they would, she smiled her beautiful, golden smile. How many times had he wished for her to direct that smile towards him?

"Is that a promise?" she asked. He smiled back and simply nodded. Caroline sighed and cuddled closer to him. She noticed her legs were still cold and figured it was because they were still sheathed in her wets jeans. She rolled on her back to peel them off. Klaus simply watched in amusement. Part of her was really glad she'd packed her matching pink bra and panties set.

When she laid back down in his arms, she closed her eyes and sighed in relief. Every fiber of her being was happy. Her body was soothed and warm being pressed against his, her heart was overflowing with this love that she'd never let herself feel before. When Klaus pressed his lips against her hair, she was unable to keep a tear from rolling down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he wiped the tear away. "Nothing," she shook her head as she looked up at him. She brought her hand up to brush against his stubble. "I'm just so happy,"

Klaus leaned down and captured her lips in his once again. She sighed into them contently. She'd never known a simple kiss could feel so good. She was immediately torn between the drowsiness that was weighing on her heavily and the ache she felt between her legs for him. She deepened their kiss, deciding on the second one but Klaus just laughed and broke away from her.

"You need to sleep, love. I'll still be here in the morning," he grinned. She narrowed her eyes and was about to fight back but the thought of closing her eyes and drifting off with him was too alluring; the mix of her earlier shock and swimming her way through the cold ocean had completely drained her.

With a sigh of defeat, she rolled over so her back was pressed against him and the warmth on her exposed skin felt delicious. Klaus snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder and her neck, causing her to hum her approval. His other hand was absentmindedly running through her hair and Caroline didn't think anything had ever felt so good before.

"I love you, Caroline," he whispered in her ear and she smiled widely at the words she'd waited so long to hear. She nestled herself into his warm arms.

"I love you, too, Klaus. So much," she murmured and despite her growing desperation to kiss him again, her sleepiness took over and she drifted to sleep in his arms.