I'm sorry it's taken a little while for this chapter to come out! But I enjoyed writing this one. It's a bit lengthier than the other chapters have been, and there's a lot of description. So I hope you guys like it! (:
Although it seemed like much longer, three hours had passed and Caroline had just begun to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Klaus already awake and smiling over at her. "You're up just in time," he said. "We're about to land."
"Don't do that." She said groggily in annoyance as it had been obvious that he must have been looking at her that way for quite a while. She rubbed her tired eyes before continuing, "It's rude to stare."
He chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry, love. But you're equally at fault, you know. Maybe if you weren't so lovely while you were sleeping, it would be easier to look away."
After Caroline replied with a roll of her eyes, the plane had finally landed in their destination. Klaus stood up and walked towards the back of the plane, retrieving two suitcases and a large duffel bag which he hung onto his shoulder. He made his way back over to Caroline, slightly lifting the suitcase in his right hand. "This one is yours."
"First you drug me to kidnap me, and then you break into my house to pack my stuff?" She asked, mortified.
"You should really try and hold off on your assumptions before hearing the explanation." He said with a slightly teasing tone. "Although these are not yours originally, they are now. I acquired a few things I thought you might need for this trip beforehand." He clarified.
By the size of the suitcase, it seemed to have everything she would need for much longer than the allotted time she had given him. She narrowed her eyes before reminding him, "Two weeks, Klaus. That's all you get, and don't you forget it." And with that, she walked out the plane with him following close behind.
Once they reached the bottom of the stairs from the plane, her breath was taken away. They were on a beautiful island that seemed like it went on forever. But it wasn't just an island. There was stunning architecture which must have been themed around seashells and all things underwater, because everything had such an aquatic and tropical feel to it. It looked as if it were a city that anyone would crave to run away to; the perfect exotic getaway. All of the structures centered in on the central part of the island while the areas that surrounded it consisted of beautiful beaches and gardens and mountains that she couldn't wait to explore. And as if all the beauty around her wasn't enough, she took notice of the striking castle that stood in the heart of all of it. The enormous building looked as if it could be made completely of seashells itself. It glimmered tall and proud and the intricate designing caused Caroline to believe that it must have been the main structure of the entire city.
He had been right; this place was completely beyond anything she could ever imagine. But instead of confessing that, she breathed out in a daze, "Where are we?"
Klaus smirked over at her reaction, satisfied that he finally did something right by taking her here. "Some like to call it the true Lost City of Atlantis, since the number of people who have the privilege of knowing its location is vastly limited. But its correct name is Delacourt Island. The population was under 100 when I came across it many decades back, and the locals were stunned that I had actually found it. I was sworn to secrecy, but I thought you might be an exception." A smile played on his lips.
This flattered Caroline, and she her bit bottom lip to suppress herself from saying so. She wasn't sure of Klaus' facial reaction because he was behind her and she didn't dare look back. But to her relief, a limo pulled up in front of them before she had the chance to say anything at all.
"We should get going then." Klaus said with enthusiasm. He walked over to the trunk, putting their luggage inside before opening up the door for her. Once Caroline got in, he slid in next to her, and they drove off into the streets that led into the magnificent city.
The streets were narrow and the limo barely squeezed through. But it made sense because there was not a car in sight; she assumed driving was a rarity here. What would be the need in driving anyways? Everything looked to be at a comfortable walking distance in the city, except for the more adventurous places that stood on the outskirts of the island. But she wouldn't have minded the long walk if it meant being able to explore its wonders.
As they drove along deeper through the city, Caroline noticed there was another thing out of sight: people. She knows he had told her there weren't many others on the island, but shouldn't she have seen at least a few wandering around? "Where is everybody?" She asked him.
"I may have used a bit of compulsion." He confessed. "As I said, I want these next two weeks to be focused on getting to know each other, without any distractions. We don't need the locals around to bother us."
"You compelled 100 people to leave their home?" She turned, looking at him incredulously.
"Actually, I had my hybrids do it while we were flying over here. Don't be so upset, love. I'm sure they think of it as a little vacation of their own. They'll be able to return in two weeks when we leave."
Caroline frowned disapprovingly. "You can't always just use compulsion to get what you want."
"I don't." He grinned charmingly at her. "I haven't compelled you, but you're what I desire most."
She looked at him with loath. "That's because you and I both know that if you compel me, it doesn't count. It wouldn't be real."
"Precisely." He agreed. "And we wouldn't want that." Just then the limo came to a stop, and Klaus got out, holding the door open for Caroline.
Once she stepped out, she couldn't believe they were standing in front of the castle she had just been admiring a few minutes ago. "Don't tell me this is where we're staying?" She questioned as if it were some kind of joke. Clearly this building was far too extravagant for her to even step into.
"Would you prefer that we stay somewhere else?" He chuckled, grabbing the luggage from the trunk. "Come on, love. I'm sure you'll be much more pleased with the inside." And with that, she let him guide her through the wide doors that led into the castle.
And once again, he was right. There were no words for what the inside looked like, because nothing in her vocabulary could amount to explaining how truly wonderful it was. Right when she stepped onto the sparkling white marble flooring, she knew she must have been walking right into heaven. The foyer alone looked like it took millions of dollars and countless weeks to create. Every detail was extraordinary, and none of it could be missed. From the beautiful crystal chandelier that hung with elegance on the ceiling above them. To the shell encrusted banisters on the two grand staircases that curved to meet once again at the floor above. There were paintings, and sculptures, and even an extensive aquarium in the middle of the large room filled with fishes she had never seen before in her life. But her attention was averted from all of those things, because the second she walked in, what had captured her eyes the most was the enormous window that the two staircases led up to on the second floor.
She walked up the stairs in a trance, her heels clicking distinctly against the marble with each step. Once she got to the top, the view before her could captivate any pair of eyes in a mere matter of seconds. Since this was the tallest structure in the entire city, she saw past the buildings below her and straight into the wonders that stretched to the farthest part of the island. This specific window centered in on a beach that was a few miles away, and the sun setting against it was a perfect icing to the cake. It looked as though the scene could only exist in a photograph, but there it stood before her in reality. It was all overwhelming for a girl who had come from a small town, and who has never left it a day in her life. But that all changed today.
Suddenly, Klaus' voice snapped her out of her daze as he called down from the foyer. "Do you like it?"
"Are you kidding?" Caroline turned her head to look at him, still at loss for words. "This entire place is crazy; I've never seen anything like it." She turned back again, placing her hand on the glass of the window, staring longingly at the sight before her.
Klaus smiled. Not in a cocky or self-righteous way that someone would assume, but in a much more gentlemanly manner. It was as sincere as a smile could get because he was truly pleased, though not with himself. He was more pleased at the fact that she had finally found the beauty that was missing in her life. That she would now be able to experience wonders she didn't know existed. That she was allowing him this chance to give her all of those things, even though he was the last person to deserve being in her presence. He placed the two suitcases in his hands down and used his vampire speed to silently and quickly make his way up the steps, stopping right behind her. Inches from her ear, he whispered. "We can get a closer look if you'd like. So much beauty is right underneath fingertips, Caroline. This is your chance to explore it; to indulge in it. And I promise that once you do, it won't even cross your mind to turn back."
Caroline's heart raced at the way his breath ever so slightly blew against the back of her neck when he spoke. It sent goosebumps all around her, which she hoped he wouldn't notice. But no one could deny the way she was entranced by his words, eating them up and all the delicious thoughts that came along with it. She never dreamed of leaving Mystic Falls, but here she was, in what seemed like another world entirely with endless possibilities. But remembering who was speaking to her and feeling this moment was too intimate for her liking, she cleared her throat and walked past him to the edge of the middle banister that connected the two staircases.
"So is there anything to eat?" She asked, breaking their moment with a change in subject. But it certainly wasn't random; she really was hungry. Starving, actually. She hadn't had any blood since the morning of the day before.
"Of course, I wouldn't take you here unprepared." Klaus effortlessly tossed over the duffel bag that hung around him, and it landed gently behind her.
Caroline turned around and curiously zipped it open to find it filled with blood bags that would last them well over two weeks. Her hunger got the best of her, and she quickly grabbed one, ripping the top open and devouring its contents in pure bliss. Her appetite was satisfied once she emptied the blood bag dry, but she looked up to see Klaus had been watching her the entire time with a humored smile. "Sorry." She mumbled quietly, slightly embarrassed.
"No apology necessary, sweetheart. It all comes with being a vampire. Shall we head out, then?"
"I'd like to change out of this first." She said as she gestured to the gown she still had on. "I don't want to walk around all dressed up."
"Very well." Klaus said, using his supernatural speed once again to retrieve her luggage and bring it over to her. "There you go. Help yourself to any of the rooms in either of the halls," he gestured to his left and right, "and take all the time you need." He grabbed the duffel bag and headed downstairs again to place its contents in the fridge.
Caroline grabbed her suitcase, and if it wasn't for the strength that came with being a vampire, she would've had a hard time carrying it. She decided to head towards the left hall. There were many doors all around her, a few of them were open, a few of them closed. Not wanting to lurk too much, she settled for the second door on her right that slightly peaked open to reveal another wide window, which is exactly what made her choose it.
Once she entered the room she now claimed as hers, she latched open the suitcase on the king sized bed and groaned at its contents. "Seriously?" She muttered under her breath. It was filled to the brim with stacks and stacks of extravagant clothing, that she might as well have kept her dress on.
Something buzzed in the front pocket of the suitcase, and with confusion, Caroline brought the top back down and reached in it to find her phone. That little liar, she thought to herself, he did break in! But a part of her was thankful that he thought to pack her phone, because there was no way she could get through two weeks without it. Her phone had vibrated because she received a text, so she opened it up. Caroline, everyone's worried sick. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day, give me a call back ASAP. It was from Elena.
She had told her about her little "date" with Klaus, and although Elena had been very much against it, she assured her she was only doing it to get rid of him. She sighed knowing it would anger her friend that she had to spend another two weeks with this psychopath. Not to mention they'd be alone, which would only make matters worse. She hit the call button and after two rings, there was an answer.
"Caroline?" She heard Elena's worried voice on the other end.
"Hey." Caroline replied in her usual cheery voice to try and hide that there was anything wrong. "Tell everyone to not worry, I'm fine."
"Where are you?"
"Well…" She hesitated. "Okay, this is going to sound bad, but I'm with Klaus. And we're at this… place." She said dumbly, not being able to think of what else to call it. By what Klaus had said, this place was obviously supposed to be kept a secret. She did it for the citizens of Delacourt Island, not him, she convinced herself to justify keeping this from her best friend.
"Which is where?" Elena asked, suspicious. "How can you sound so calm and fine with this? What's he done to you, Caroline? Are you hurt?"
Caroline cut into her questions. "I'm not fine with it, Elena. But I don't really have a choice. Or, I do… But he told me he would leave me alone right after if I did this. He wants to try and get me to discover who he really is." She ended with an eye roll as she repeated his words.
"Listen, if he compelled you to not tell us where you are, I'll have Bonnie do a locator spell. And I'll head straight over there with Stefan and Damon right away, and we'll come get you, okay? You can't trust Klaus, he's- - -"
Just then, a voice interrupted and Klaus was at the threshold of Caroline's room. "We had a deal." He said quietly to her. She turned around in an instant, surprised that he was there. But he didn't look menacing like she thought he would. Instead, he looked… hopeful. Hopeful that she wouldn't turn back on their agreement. "Two weeks, just you and me." He reminded her.
Caroline sighed, turning away from him as she cut into what Elena was saying. "He didn't compel me. Like I said, I had a choice. And I'm asking you as my friend to not send anyone; I can take care of myself. Plus, he's not going to hurt me." She added, turning to look at him for verification. He gave her a small smile and a reassuring nod of his head in return. Looking away again, she continued talking into the phone. "It'll suck, but it won't be anything dangerous. I promise, Elena. Take care, and try not to worry too much." And before her friend could protest, she quickly ended the call.
There you have it! Just so everyone knows, the place they're at is absolutely fictional. Originally, I was going to put them in Paris or something. But as I was writing that out, I realized how hard it was since I've never even been there! So I decided to kinda create this perfect getaway. Everything is fictional, even the name. I don't exactly know where the name Delacourt Island came from; I just remember thinking it up and I thought it flowed really nice! So I hope you all enjoyed reading this, it'd be great to send in some reviews and let me know what you think! Until the next time! xoxo
