Author's note:

Hi guys! After almost a year, I decided to publish a new chapter because you wanted it so badly and I can't tell you how much I appreciated your enthusiasm. I don't know if I'll continue the story, but please let me know what you think.

As always, thanks for everything and for your beautiful and inspiring comments.

p.s. I still can't stop crying looking at my precious Klamille's videos :3 HELP ME.

Enjoy!

The Night We Met

When Klaus finally opened his eyes, he found himself inside an unknown dimension. Around him there was nothing, not even a concrete thing; the darkness surrounded him, while cold and dangerous voices were getting more and more closer, pulling him back, carefully.

"Camille?" he shouted, trying to sharpen his gaze and holding off simultaneously the strange creatures in the distance.

A weird noise, similar to huge wings flapping, lightly touched his ears, making him jump on the spot. Unexpectedly, underneath him, the ground began shaking – not shaking, pulsing – burning him his skin and stealing his oxygen.

The vampire touched his throat, incapable of breathing, widening his bluish-green eyes. He glimpsed his father's face among the disgusting monsters and Klaus's heart accelerated wildly. Mikael Mikaelson started to run toward him, with the silver dagger in his hand. Klaus, frozen, prepared for the worst but a sudden light blinded him, deafening him and perforating him.

Again, he opened his eyes, this time slowly, and the darkness was gone; in its place, clear and beautiful like it had been real, there was New Orleans. Klaus held his breath, half-closing his mouth, remaining paralyzed. He was sure he hadn't used his mental powers and he was also sure he saw his father.

Then, how? How was it possible? He remembered Freya's words instantly: That's not our dimension anymore; it means that is the dark object to rule.

The dark object. It meant he was helpless, there, and he couldn't have used his power in order to protect Cami.

The blonde's thought woke him up from his state of confusion and the man focused his attention on the place in front of him. He smiled slightly, a bit nostalgic, at the bar where the girl used to work: the bar where they first met.

…

Camille was sitting on the stool when Klaus walked into the bar. She saw him opening his lips and raising his eyebrows, whispering "Camille" with such a comforted and caring voice that the girl almost didn't burst out crying. She ran to the handsome vampire, hugging him in return.

"Camille" he repeated, observing her carefully, checking that she was safe. Then, without waiting for an answer, he controlled her arm, caressing it with his fingers. "It's gone. Lucien's bite. It's gone. If only it were real."

Cami smiled again, squeezing his hand. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, Klaus; don't worry, I'm fine."

He clenched his jaw. "It's all my fault. If only I'd killed them before…Lucien, Aurora…I was wrong to deny you the satisfaction of revenge."

"No, listen" – the blonde sighed, opening her big, green eyes – "I know I'm supposed to be this big, bad vampire, but all of a sudden I'm not so hung up on revenge. Am I angry at what Aurora did to me? Yeah.

And I've been living in fear of what else she might do but... all of that anger and fear, it's not me. I'm the kind of person that helps people like Aurora.

I'm not gonna let her take that away from me."

He nodded slowly, giving her that crooked smile she adored so much. "Camille; the brave bartender."

She chuckled, leading him forward and positioning herself behind the counter.

"Do you remember? The first night we met?"

He smiled, playing along and sitting in front of her. "Of course, love. You were the prettiest one."

"And you were the weirdest" the girl said, winking at Klaus. "What can I get you?"

"Bourbon. Neat."

"Neat? Either you're extremely sophisticated or you've had one hell of a day."

"Need the two be mutually exclusive?"

The blonde poured him the alcoholic beverage, losing in her own thoughts.

"I loved being a bartender. Endless parade of faces. Each night, someone new would come in with a good story. One guy is shy, the other won't shut up. I used to think, if you just give someone a little booze, they'll tell you anything. And then I realized it wasn't the alcohol. People just want someone to listen."

Klaus laughed, looking at her. "Yes, well, you are quite adept at listening. In fact, I would go so far as to call you a connoisseur of stories. Particularly mine."

Cami touched her neck, blushing a little "Speaking of stories, you know – during my hallucinations – I kept dreaming about this place. About you."

Klaus lifted his head, smiling seductive "Ah, yes! The famous hot dreams."

"Yes. No. Well…" Camille turned embarrassed, biting her lip. Then, putting on a brave face, she breathed deeply, looking at Klaus. "I saw what would have happened if I'd never served you the scotch that night."

"I've already told you" said Klaus, leaving his drink and moving close to Camille. "If it wasn't that night, this bar, that 100 dollar bill, it would ha – "

"Actually" she interrupted him, covering his mouth with her hand "I was the one who chased you in the end. AND YES – " the blonde exclaimed before he could rebut "you would've left without even taking a look. God, I was so shocked" she continued, shaking her head. "But then, when I woke up, I understood."

Camille smiled gently, taking away her hand from the vampire's mouth. "It wasn't you, but me. I would have found you, Klaus. I would have found you."

Klaus looked intensely at her, speechless. He really didn't want to talk. Not now. Not with Camille's body so close to him. Not with her sweet scent inside his nose. That's why he kissed her. Desperately, softly, like it was the end of the world.

Because, actually, that was the end of the world; his world. No one had ever said something like that to him. And now, his heart was definitely broken. They would have been apart, who knows for how long, and he wasn't so sure he'd have made it without her.

All of a sudden, the bar around them changed, vanishing, and a strong wind blew them from side to side.

"Camille?" shouted Klaus, holding on the girl.

"It's her" screamed the blonde, trying to find the Sleeping Clockwork inside the wind. "My dark object."

"It's time" echoed a deep, resounding voice. "You have to leave."

"No, Klaus" cried Camille, starting to shake. "No. Oh, God. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to handle this with dignity, but I can't. I don't want you to go. I'm so scared."

The man hugged her, protecting her from the cold wind. "I'm here, I'm here."

"I needed to tell you so many other things" the blonde whispered against his chest. "I needed to thank you because you showed me your whole life. Because you wanted me to understood you and that's a human impulse. If you're capable of that after everything you've been through, then you're capable of everything else that comes with being human. Joy, hope, love. Do you know that, Klaus? You are loved. By Elijah. Rebekah. Freya."

"Why are you telling me this?" suffered Klaus, closing his eyes.

"Because love will make you strong. It will make you the man that I know you want to be. And you'll have to remember that…Because I won't be here to remind you."

"No, no, no, not yet. Just stay a bit longer. Please. Please, Camille."

"So much for the brave bartender, huh? I just wish I had done more than to serve a few drinks and fail completely as your therapist…"

Klaus looked at her, squeezing Cami's shoulders to reassure her. "Don't you think for a moment that you failed me. You stayed my hand, quelled my rage. You inspired goodness in me…"

"You have to leave. Now" the voice screamed again, hitting Klaus in the head and separating him from the blonde.

"Wait for me! I'll come for you" the man said, before leaving the dark dimension for good. Before leaving Camille alone.

"You didn't tell him" whispered the Sleeping Clockwork inside her mind.

"He doesn't need to know" Cami responded her, aloud.

"That was your choice."

And deep down, she wouldn't have wanted to reveal him anything; the fact that she had chosen to see him, one last time, trading her salvation with the dark object. He would have never forgiven himself.

So she'd have continued to sleep until her duty whit the dark object wouldn't be gone.

"I guess that makes me immortal, now" she murmured, with her eyes full of tears.