So it's been over a month since I have uploaded. Sorry about that. I haven't had time to just sit down and write. I don't have a system or plan or whatever so I'm as in the dark as you are. God knows how this fic is going to turn out but it will, hopefully, end up being a five-shot.

Thank you to everyone who is still reading, who has reviewed, followed and favourited. You're the only inspiration I have for continuing this fic!

Once again, I do not own TVD/TO.


Katherine walked into the empty dorm room after finally finding a vampire from the last sire line. Turns out the only way the doppelganger would return to her previous form was from obtaining the blood of a vampire from every sire line, the Original's who were still alive that is. After a spell from a newbie witch, Katherine was to take the blood and then die. If it works then she's back to being herself. If it doesn't...well she's dead. And if she has to be a human for any longer it's not as if she'd really mind. She's going to die soon anyway.

Of course, none of this would be possible if it were not for her blonde roommate It sure did pay off to have Caroline on her side. The vampire was surprisingly resourceful. From finding centuries old grimoires to tracking down vampires across the States.

The newly turned human was not in any way prepared for the sight in front of her. Caroline was sprawled across cold floor hugging something to herself which Katherine couldn't make out in the dim light. The vampire was sobbing, so faintly that it could barely be picked up on, and she was trembling on the floor. She was mumbling incoherently and the doppelganger approached her carefully. She tapped her blonde companion to gain her attention but it was useless. Caroline was stuck in her own world of sadness and grief.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" Katherine spoke softly, in a tone the human had not heard herself speak in centuries. Dismissing this fact, she turned to the blonde, trying to make sense of what she was muttering.

Finally, in between sobs, she formed a sentence."M-my mom...she, she's de-dead. Oh God! My mom's...she's...mom? Gone. She's not co-. Mom's not," the tears kept on streaming down her face and a strangled gasp came out as realisation poured over her. Her breath caught and she looked around the room as everything clicked into place. Caroline looked up at Katherine and the pain was evident in her voice and in her eyes, "not coming back."

Katherine put aside her pride for tonight. She could go back to being the heartless bitch everyone expected her to be tomorrow. But tonight, tonight, Caroline needed her to be there. The doppelganger had never had to comfort someone after a death but she would try. None of the usual gang had even stopped by and God knows how long the poor girl was on her own for.

"I'm sorry," that was all she said as she moved to take Caroline in her arms. It wasn't as awkward as she first thought it would be as she found that Caroline welcomed the hug rather than push her away; something Katherine was grateful for. Because she needed it too.

Liz's funeral was held a week later. Katherine was by the blonde's side the entire way. Screw everyone giving her dirty looks, she was there when they weren't.


"Oh good, you're awake! How's the neck holding up?"

"A little sore," the blonde simply put.

"A little sore? That's all you're going to say? We just kidnapped you, Care Bear. Two of the worst people to ever walk this earth, so to speak."

Caroline gave her companion a half-hearted shrug. Katherine wasn't as bad as she tried to make herself out to be. Yes, she did do everything they accuse her of and probably more, but she wasn't heartless. The doppelganger was just alone. And oh boy could the blonde vampire relate.

"You don't even want to know where we're going or what we're doing? What happened to, what the hell?"

"I'll just get off at the next stop."

"That's not happening," Klaus muttered.

"The next stop is New Orleans and big, bad hybrid over here, doesn't feel like rest stops are necessary. I mean not all of us are 1000 years old."

"You're half my age," the hybrid scoffed.

"So? That's five hundred years, not ten."

Caroline chose to ignore them and just tried to go to sleep. The pair at the front realised this and Klaus looked in the rearview mirror and frowned as he watched her. She was obviously hurting and the hybrid knew that he could never do anything to help her. The emotions he felt last night were coming to the surface as much as he fought them off. The feeling of helplessness that he felt last night was still fresh and he doesn't want to feel like that ever again but with the blonde in front of him it was inevitable. The pure fear that he felt gripped his heart in a way that hadn't in all his years as the monster his parents made him into and he was transported back to his weak, human days. Days he never wanted to relive. Ever.


It was early morning when they finally arrived in the Big Easy. A vampire walked out of the extravagant home and smiled as he saw them pulling up. Katherine vaguely recognised him from the time she was in NOLA over a century ago but she couldn't place him anywhere.

"Klaus Mikaelson! It's been, what, 7 years? Bring it in!" The dark-skinned vampire pulled the Original into a rare hug.

"Marcel, I'm sure everything is up to standards. You are running my city efficiently in my absence, right?" The hybrid challenged his protege.

Klaus had returned to New Orleans a little while after his father had burned the place down. He quickly realised his adopted son, Marcel, had survived Mikael's attack and was trying to rebuild the city they once called home. After years of repairing the damage and building the trust and community up, their city was finally complete. It was even better than before. Klaus couldn't stay in NOLA but he frequently came to see that everything was going well in his city putting Marcel in charge. Marcel's name may be Marcel Gerard but he was a Mikaelson at heart.

"Of course!" He brushed Klaus' half-threatening comments and turned to the women who were getting out of the car. "Now you didn't tell me you were bringing guests. And such beautiful ones at that."

He walked up to the pair and gave them his most charming smile. This would be too easy! He thought. Oh, how wrong he was.

"The name's Marcel. I sort of run this city. And you both are absolutely stunning. Could I get some names to match your pretty faces?" He held his hand out and the vampires just looked at him, then at his outstretched hand, then back at him. Caroline gave Katherine a "seriously?" look and the doppelganger just shook her head.

"Katherine Pierce."

"The elusive doppelganger who got away. Things are getting interesting. You're much more beautiful than the stories. Hopefully, you're not as bad."

"I'm worse," she gave him a fake smile as she looked to Caroline indicating she wants to move this along as fast as possible.

"What about you? I'd imagine you'd have a pretty name to match that face," he was laying the charm on thick and Klaus, Katherine, hell even Caroline noticed it.

"Not interested."

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that. All I want is a name."

"Klaus." From her tone, it was clear she wasn't calling the hybrid over.

"What?" Marcel was confused.

"You wanted a name. You got one. Come on, Kat, let's go. I'm sure these two can handle whatever luggage you brought along."

Katherine was speechless. That was the most Caroline had said in weeks; other than her break down the other night of course. The doppelganger knew she should just comply since the blonde was obviously in a mood. Plus it easily beats being stuck with the Original Hybrid who she was most certain would kill her when given the opportunity.

Marcel stared at the retreating women and his mind automatically thought of ways to get back on their good side. Klaus obviously knew what his protege was thinking. The Original walked up to Marcel, all attention immediately re-directed on him, and wrapped his hand around Marcel's neck.

"They're off limits," Klaus all but growled at him.

"I know you don't like to share but come on. One for me, one for you. Just like old times."

"Tread carefully, Marcellus. You seem to forget what I'm capable of and I do not like people taking what belongs to me."

"That blonde doesn't seem like she belongs to anyone."

"Back off, Marcel. This is your last warning. Caroline doesn't need you to try and get in her pants on top of everything else."

Klaus left without allowing Marcel to reply and the vampire was left wondering what the hell just happened.


He found them in the library and Katherine was helping herself to the scotch that Marcel kept in the desk. Caroline, however, was searching the bookshelf, being drawn to the alternate realities each book offered her. Klaus couldn't help but watch her expressions - real emotions were shown for the first time since the death of her mother. The library was quite impressive and he knew that Caroline could be content on being in her for days on her own, but he needed answers.

"Having fun are we?"

"Hm?" Caroline turned around and he picked up on the guilt that was in her eyes as she looked at him. But she soon looked away and she had suddenly lost all interest of the contents on the bookshelf.

"So..." Katherine needed to fill the silence. "What are the plans? Night out? I am up to get absolutely hammered. You could pick up a hot college guy, Forbes."

This earned a glare from Klaus and Katherine had to, yet again, contain her smirk.

"No, I don't really feel up to it," the blonde replied timidly.

"So if I go out you're okay with that? You won't off yourself again, huh? There's only so much saving I can do."

"No offence, Katherine, but I didn't ask you to save me."

Caroline was ready to die. That is the whole point of killing yourself, to die, to be gone, to just not exist. But maybe she didn't really want to die.

Or she just wanted to get rid of the old Caroline, her old life. Truth be told, Caroline just wanted the easy way out. And when you've been hurt as she had, you don't see any other way out. To give in the dark thoughts that had been consuming her mind for God only knows how long, seemed like a bittersweet reality that Caroline craved. To not exist, to not have to know the pain of waking up to an empty house, to not have the emptiness in her heart. To not have the darkness consume her every day and act like she's fine. Caroline just wanted it all gone.

Aren't you going to say anything lover boy?" Katherine pesters him. She so did not want to be in a room with this much tension. She would rather be human again. Okay, maybe she wouldn't but that doesn't mean this is something she wants to sit through.

There's nothing to say," his voice was cold and it cut through Caroline so deep she almost flinched. He was pissed. And Caroline knew exactly why. But she wasn't going to apologise because she wasn't in the wrong. Right? She was certain that she was. Then why do I feel so bad? Because you know what you did was fucked up!

"I'm trusting Klaus - did I just say that? - I'm trusting him to keep you safe whilst I live it up. Don't wait up, Care Bear!"

Then there was just the two of them and Caroline knew this wasn't going to go well.

"I don't need a babysitter," she muttered for whatever it was worth. Katherine had been long gone but hopefully, Klaus would get the hint.

"Yes, you do in fact need a babysitter," Klaus almost sneered at her. That's the only way that could describe his tone.

"I'm fine on my own."

"We can agree to disagree."

"I'm sorry, have I done something?"

"You know exactly what you did!" She did. But she wasn't ready for that. Klaus, on the other hand, was more than ready. "You tried to kill yourself, Caroline. In front of me! Are you so delusional as to not see the error of your ways?"

"Error of my ways? I wasn't putting anyone in danger. I didn't massacre a whole village. It was my choice!" Caroline knew what Klaus was getting at but she needed to deflect it, she needed to make herself feel better. What she did was wrong, she knew that, but admitting it out loud was terrifying. She also picked up on the lack of endearing nicknames.

"You were prepared to let me watch you die. I would never forgive myself if you did. Do you know how wrong it was for you to put me through that?"

"Put you through that? I was the one who was going to die! And I'm pretty sure you've seen plenty of people die in your life, you'll get over it. In fact, I can bet that 99% of the deaths were by your hand." Caroline was more than ready for an argument.

"It's not the same and you know it," Klaus spoke quietly and somehow this was worse than him shouting at her because she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You watched Kol die and frankly you're holding up fine," it was a low blow, she knew it was, but she couldn't handle all the guilt.

"Don't you dare bring my brother into this. This is between me and you."

"No, it's not! It's between me and me.

"It became between me and you when you decided to take your life in front of me."

And Caroline knew he was right so she did the only thing she knew would work. She turned her back on him. Klaus seemed to get the message as he walked out of the room.

Caroline laid on the couch in a fetal position finally letting the tears stream silently down her face that she didn't know she was holding in.

She was alone.


It had been almost 11 hours since he had left Caroline in the library. He had retreated into his studio and invested himself in a faceless portrait. Klaus hadn't even realised what he was painting until he finished it. He had painted a simple meadow and a faceless woman with her back to the painter was looking on at the view in front of her. She was small in the grand scheme of things but you couldn't help but be drawn to the woman in the picture. Even without seeing her face, her light shone through. And Klaus knew exactly who it was. He would recognise those curls anywhere.

Klaus walked past the library and listened in. Her breathing was even and Klaus knew she had probably fallen asleep so he went in to take her into her room.

When he reached her, he couldn't help but feel terrified that she wouldn't be here one day. Her hair was covering her face and he moved it out of her face. Once he did so, he could make out the clear tear trails on her face and his heart constricted as he knew he was most likely because of him.

The Original picked her up with ease and made his way to the room the maids had prepared for Caroline.

She shifted in his arms and her eyes fluttered open. "Klaus?" Her voice was laced with tiredness and looked up at the hybrid in question. "Don't you hate me?"

"Hate? No. Am I mad? Yes," he simply put.

"Did you mean what you said?" She asked sleepily.

"What are you talking about now, Caroline?" Klaus asked, exasperated. He really did not want to get into another argument with her.

"Last," she yawned, bringing her hand up to her mouth, "night."

Klaus thought back to the previous night. "I do care...You are so much more...Everyone sees it but you...But you came along...I could never hurt you...Don't do it." He remembered how he pleaded her. He realised at that moment he needed her. He needed her to live.

"Every word," he whispered and she tried to get closer to him.

Nuzzling into his chest, she tried to fight sleep but he knew that she'd be out of it in a few minutes. "Thank you," Caroline breathed out.

"For what?" He was genuinely confused. What did she have to thank him for?

"For caring about me," she finally succumbed to sleep.

"Anytime, love," he told her softly and put her to bed. She smiled in her sleep as he kissed her forehead as if she could sense his presence.

Things were finally starting to look up.


That was chapter 3! Caroline hasn't exactly apologised but she will come to terms with everything in the next chapter. Marcel was introduced. Just so I could have some jealous/protective Klaus. And Katherine didn't fit into this chapter as much I felt like this should be Klaroline-centric. But she'll make a re-appearance. I know this chapter wasn't the best but I just wrote it all and I really don't want to rethink everything so I'm gonna take a risk and put it out. Hope you liked it!

Thank you for sticking with this! Please review and suggestions are welcome! LOVE ALL OF YOU WHO ARE READING, REVIEWING, FOLLOWING AND FAVOURITING! HONESTLY, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.