1732
It was almost the mid-18th century when Klaus heard the words, "I am going to ask Bonnie to marry me."
Looking at his brother Kol, Klaus replied, "You are so certain?"
"It has been 200 years, mate," Kol laughed.
'So, it has,' Klaus thought. It had been 200 years since the night Klaus allowed that man to live instead of draining him unto his last drop of blood. Of course, many things had changed.
Klaus and the others now lived in a lovely villa in Sicily (Klaus had decided a change of scenery was necessary nearly 60 years before). Bonnie and Kol were together in the sense of lovers and had been for the majority of those two centuries. The same could have been said for Katherine and Elena, as the latter claimed they were soulmates. Klaus and Katherine were no longer the untamed vampires they had been. They no longer ravaged villages and wreaked havoc for the hell of it. For Katherine, it had been due to the influence of a certain brunette. For Klaus, it had been due to the effect of a certain blonde.
And that was probably the most profound change. The relationship between Klaus and Caroline had reached a major turning point. From enemies to best friends would be the most fitting description. After the night Klaus admitted he no longer wished to be a monster, Caroline no longer saw him as one. She no longer treated him as such. And once that barrier was broken he saw the side of her she had reserved for Elena, Bonnie, and even Katherine.
Caroline was bright and bubbly and a tad bit bossy. She was a little dramatic at times but she always tried to see the good in everything. Yet in the same token, Caroline was fierce and strong and still every bit as defiant as when Klaus first met her. Klaus likened her to the sun, warm and bright yet scorching and fiery.
And in return Klaus allowed her to see sides of him that he thought were long dead. He found himself telling her things even he himself thought he had buried and tucked away so deep they would never be found. Klaus would tell her stories of his childhood, the good and bad. He described to her all the cities he had traveled and seen (though he would leave out the gory details of all his feedings). Klaus would even draw for her.
In all his near 800 years of life had he thought he would find someone worthy and willing to listen to him, to see him.
"When will you ask her?" Klaus asked Kol getting back into the conversation.
"Today," Kol spoke certainly. Klaus saw the determined look on Kol's face.
"Are you sure? Because if you break her heart, I will break you," Klaus countered. Kol laughed at that.
"You could absolutely try…but I have loved her for two centuries and I do not see myself falling out of love with her anytime soon if ever," Kol said before continuing. "When I look at her I see an eternity. A present and a future with Bonnie makes the past worth it. She makes it worth it. All the bad I've done, the damage I've caused and the reckless decisions I've made are worth it because of her. I would go back and do it a million times over knowing that at the end of it all, she will be right there waiting for me."
In Kol's brown eyes, the truth and sincerity of his words are reflected. And Klaus could not be prouder than to call Kol his brother.
"Besides I am sure you know the feeling especially where Caroline is concerned," Kol smirked.
Klaus pushed his brother's shoulder in response. Caroline was his best friend. They did not share the epic love his brother and Bonnie had. And he was okay with that.
Wasn't he?
###
"Nervous?" Klaus asked as he stood beside his brother at the church's altar.
"No," Kol spoke assuredly. Klaus smiled a genuine smile in return.
It had been a month since Kol had proposed to Bonnie. Though the proposal had been done in private, Klaus had heard the excited chorus of "yes's" from the room they shared. Klaus would never forget the beam on Bonnie's face as she excitedly ran through the manor proudly showing off her ring.
Today was the day the love between Kol and Bonnie would be solidified under holy matrimony. The wedding they had planned was to be small. Aside from the priest and the small band, only Klaus, Caroline, Katherine and Elena were in attendance. (Although the whole ironic idea of a priest and a church was not lost on Klaus.)
Klaus had been extremely pleased when Kol had asked him to be his best man. A part of Klaus had felt he had not deserved the title but he did his best to live up to it.
"Get ready," Klaus said as the music began to play. The doors at the end of the long church aisle opened as Elena walked through. Bonnie had chosen Elena and Caroline as her bridesmaids and Katherine would walk her down the aisle.
Elena smiled beautifully as she walked down the aisle. As she reached the midpoint of the aisle, Caroline walked through the doors and Klaus's attention was consumed.
She was radiant, stunning actually. A wide smile brightened Caroline's entire face and her blue eyes twinkled. The blue gown she wore embroidered with sparkling jewels sculpted her body perfectly. Her golden locks were held up and away from her face with the exception of a few wispy strands that framed her face. She exuded elegance and Klaus wanted nothing more than to paint her, making this finite moment last an infinity.
His attention was relinquished when he heard Kol's breath hitch beside him. With Katherine's arm linked around hers, Bonnie began her descent down the aisle. As amazing as Caroline looked (and she was a vision), Bonnie proved that the bride was always the star of the wedding.
White flowers weaved themselves within her wavy curls matching the white dress she wore. The dress was a simple gown compared to the extravagant noblewoman costumes but on Bonnie it was a sight to see. But the thing that made her the most beautiful was the look of happiness glimmering in her green eyes. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds as her gaze locked on Kol and only Kol.
Klaus saw the same bliss in Kol's eyes. Klaus knew, he knew, they were meant to be.
When they finally began to speak their vows, Klaus heard the love and the sincerity. And it was during this time his blue eyes found Caroline who stood on the other side of the altar. Their eyes met and Klaus could not help but smile.
"What?" Caroline mouthed with a bashful smile. Klaus shook his head. In the back of his mind he wondered how Caroline would look in white.
"You may now kiss the bride," the priest announced. Bonnie's and Kol's lips met as they held the other's hands. Klaus watched as Elena and Caroline passed each other a tissue. Klaus saw the misty look in Katherine's eyes and he smirked. Catching sight of said smirk, Katherine immediately scowled at him. When Bonnie and Kol pulled apart, Klaus's first thought was-
BOOM!
Klaus went flying through the air before crashing into the church pew. His ears rang and he was 99% he had broken a few bones. With a struggling effort, he sat up and looked around.
The front of the church had been completely blown off leaving nothing but piles of broken wood, flames, and charred walls. Panicked, Klaus scanned the room for the others. Caroline struggled to stand from the pews she had crashed into. Her wrist was bent at an odd angle. With a ripped gown Katherine knelt on the aisle floor frantically shaking a halfway conscious Elena, who had a piece of wood sticking out of her upper thigh. Still on the altar Kol and Bonnie remained. Aside from a few scratches to his face and jacket, Kol seemed okay. However, Bonnie was not. She leaned heavily into Kol as she bled from her side.
"What the hell was that?" Klaus asked as soon as the ringing in his ears stopped.
"That was only the beginning," said an unfamiliar voice. Their attention was all brought to where the front of the church once stood. A brown-haired man stood there with two men flanking him. He wore a white linen shirt and a brown waistcoat with brown pants to match. An arrogant smirk played on his lips and maniacal amusement danced in his blue eyes.
"Who are you?" Kol demanded.
"Malakai Parker," he spoke. "Although most call me Kai. I'm a former member of the Gemini Coven. I am here for the Bennett witch."
With that statement eyes of Klaus, Katherine, and Bonnie widened.
"H-how-" Bonnie started.
"You weren't stupid enough to think you killed us all, did you? You had to know some of us would be out there, practicing, planning, and waiting to destroy the witch who took out almost our entire coven all those years ago," Kai gloated.
"You are not going to destroy anyone in this room!" Kol snarled, his eyes bleeding black.
"Oh, I love how confident you are about that," Kai chuckled. "It almost makes me feel bad for what's about to happen."
As soon as he said the words, a pounding started in Klaus's head. He felt the vessels in his brain popping. He groaned, grabbing his head. He was not the only one to feel this as Caroline, Katherine and Elena fell to the ground, clutching their heads. Klaus looked back over to the altar where Kol had fallen to his knees. Pain masked Kol's features as Bonnie tried to hold his face in her hands. He was suddenly flung away from her as Kai approached them. Klaus watched her, hating how helpless he was in that moment.
"Well, well, this has been a long time coming, hasn't it?" Kai spoke with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I am warning you, you do not want to do this," Bonnie slowly began to stand back up, her hand holding her bloodied side.
"Don't I?" Kai said. He grabbed Bonnie's arm and Bonnie gasped sharply. Klaus knew almost instantly what Kai was doing. He was siphoning Bonnie's magic!
Klaus's eyes scanned the room. All the vampires were very much still under attack by the massive aneurysm wave. He was able to identify the two warlocks that had followed Kai in as the source. Locking eyes with Kol, Klaus angled his head towards them. Kol nodded his head back in response. They had to take them out.
Mustering the strength, Klaus managed to speed over to them and snapped the neck of one as Kol snapped the others.
They both looked back over to Bonnie who was in the midst of flinging Kai down the center of the aisle.
"I warned you," Bonnie hissed, her green eyes glowing. She began to walk towards Kai. She towered over his crumpled form as she spoke, "I will allow you to live if you leave within the next thirty seconds."
Without another glance at him, Bonnie walked past him and over to where Klaus and Kol stood.
"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked, her voice trembling softly as she took Kol's face in her hands.
"Yes I…" Kol trailed off when his eyes caught something from the direction Bonnie's back was facing.
From then on everything seemed to happen in slow motion yet not. It was one of those moments where the definition of forever's length could have easily been defined in three seconds.
Klaus's eyes followed where Kol's gaze now rested. By the time Klaus had deciphered what had caught Kol's attention, it was too late (which was funny because Klaus was a centuries old vampire with an eternity ahead of him, he had all of the time in the world, right?). Kol had already spun Bonnie around so that his back faced the stake that had been sent flying through the air. As that same stake pierced Kol's own back and through his heart, Klaus was sure he knew what forever meant. Forever meant this moment replaying over and over in his mind. Forever meant time wishing he could have saved his brother.
"No!" Bonnie's scream penetrated through the air as she caught Kol's greying, lifeless body. She collapsed to the ground with Kol still in her arms.
Stunned, Klaus fell to his knees on the church's floor beside her.
'This can't be real. This can't…' Klaus thought.
"You'll allow me to live?! You'll allow me to live?!" Kai's amused voice echoed through the church, as he mimicked Bonnie's words. "I figured I owed you the same."
Klaus finally looked at Kai. He stood in the middle of the aisle as he swayed from side to side, high off a crazed man's triumph.
"See it was never you, Bonnie," Kai's smile intensified. "I never wanted to kill you. Killing you would not be enough. When I found out that you were marrying an Original, I knew what would be enough. Especially considering I had access to a white oak stake."
"See Bonnie you needed to understand," Kai continued. "You needed to understand what it was like to have someone take everything away from you. You needed to understand what I felt for the past 200 years after a certain bitch killed my entire coven. So, do you understand now? Do you know how it feels? Do you know how it fucking-
Kai's mad rant was effectively cut short when his head was torn off. Klaus held his head as Kai's dead body fell to the ground. Klaus did not even remember the nanosecond it took to him speed over and rip this sick asshole's head off.
In fact, Klaus was hardly registering anything since Kol's once lively chocolate eyes lost their light. Kai's head fell from his grasp as Klaus's knees buckled, getting reacquainted with the floor once again.
He should have saved Kol.
He should have done something. Caught the damn stake. Stepped in front of Kol. Killed Kai before he even pulled out the stake. Something. But it all happened so fast.
He just wanted to show him the werewolves.
The image of Henrik's broken body manifested itself in Klaus's mind and Klaus felt himself falling over the edge.
"Klaus!"
Klaus felt someone kneel in front of him as their knees touched his.
"Klaus!"
Warm hands clasped his cheeks.
"Klaus!"
Klaus blinked and he finally saw her. He saw Caroline's tear stained face, the pain and shock swimming in her blue eyes. Of course, it would be her to pull him away from the edge.
"You have to get Bonnie. Get her away from Kol's body," Caroline's voice trembled. As soon as she said the words, Klaus became aware of the piercing wails that echoed throughout the destroyed church. He looked over to see Bonnie still clutching Kol's body. Tears ran down her face as she screamed Kol's name over and over again.
"We need to get her out of here. But she won't let us near her, she only gives us an aneurysm if we try. But I think you are the only one who can get to her," Caroline's grasp tightened on his face. "You cannot check out on us now, Klaus. Bonnie needs you. I need you."
"This is…" Klaus began.
"Not your fault," Caroline finished. "This is not your fault. Don't you dare believe it is."
For a second, Klaus could only think that no one had ever looked at him with such faithful conviction…like they actually believed in him.
###
Two days later, the heartbreak and grief still lingered in the air, casting a dark shadow in the atmosphere. They were all mourning the loss of their friend who had been with them for centuries. Bonnie had, of course taken it the hardest.
She had refused to leave her room.
It had taken ten long, excruciating minutes for Klaus to pull her away from Kol's body that day. She had refused to let him go, refused to believe that Kol was actually dead. Klaus hated that he had to be the one to break her heart even further, that he had to open her eyes to reality.
'Bonnie! Kol is dead. He is gone. That body you are holding is empty. It is not him!' Klaus gripped her arm, as he repeated the same mantra in his head to himself.
Sighing at the memory, Klaus knocked on her door. He was wary as to what he would find behind her door. On the fifth knock when he still had not received an answer, Klaus decided it was time to stop the niceties.
"Bonnie," Klaus sighed when he saw her. She was still in her torn wedding dress. Her hair was a wild mess with wilting flowers clinging to the tangled strands for dear life. The puffy skin surrounding those green eyes indicated that there had been tears not too long ago.
But the thing that caught Klaus's eye the most was the book she was reading through. She was reading the grimoire of the darker magics.
"What are you doing?" Klaus asked Bonnie, although the answer was rather obvious. It took a few moments before she responded.
"I am going to fix everything."
"With Expression?" Klaus spoke incredulously.
"If that is what it takes," Bonnie spoke lowly, her eyes never once leaving the writings in the book.
"So, you are going to use it to what? Bring back Kol? Reverse fucking time? All of the above?" Klaus raised his voice. Bonnie remained silent.
"This is not what Kol would have wanted for you," Klaus shook his head.
"I don't care," Bonnie grounded out, finally looking at Klaus. "Do you know what this feels like? Do you know what it's like to live without the love of your life? Well, I can tell you it hurts. It hurts so much and everything from my soul to my heart aches. I need him back, Klaus. I need him. And if you cannot support me in this…I will leave."
"Oh, Bonnie," Klaus closed his eyes.
Later that night when Klaus is gazing out his window, having his 1000th existential crisis, questioning the world for what seemed like the millionth time, he sees her. He sees her wrapped in her black cloak with her bag in her hand.
And when his blue eyes meet her teary green, Klaus simply looked away pretending he didn't see Bonnie mouth the words 'Farewell, my friend'.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Klaus heard Katherine's voice from behind him. He turned to look at her, his oldest companion. Katherine's brown eyes looked as if they had a film of glass on them.
"Yes," Klaus said.
"First Kol, n-now Bon…" Katherine's voice broke. "I need to find Elena."
Klaus's heart nearly breaks even more at the sound of Katherine's sobs as she retreats. Katherine Pierce reduced to tears. Who would have thought?
It was early the next morning and Klaus had not slept at all. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his brother lying there with ashen grey skin, his eyes without an ounce of life. He saw Bonnie with tears streaming down her face and darkness running down her veins. But the funny thing was even with his eyes open, he still saw all of those things.
Suddenly, Klaus felt a hand slip into his. He looked to see Caroline sitting next to him.
"I am right here, Niklaus. Let it all out. I am right here. Let yourself fall for once, in just this moment and I promise I will catch you," Caroline caressed the side of his face with her hand. And for the first time since that whole painful ordeal started, tears fell from Klaus's face. And they kept falling until he finally fell asleep with Caroline's arms wrapped around him.
###
Their fractured group slowly began to heal, finding peace with what happened. They each did so in different ways.
Elena spent each day hours writing in her journal, detailing their everyday life.
Katherine would steal Elena from her journal and she would spend a day traveling whilst showing Elena all of the wonders Italy had to offer.
Caroline took on the project of decorating the entire manor, saying that a new atmosphere was what they needed the most.
As for Klaus, he found his little piece of solace in drawing and painting. Whether he drew a simple picture of a horse or painted the complex intricacies of an entire town, Klaus felt a bit at peace. But only a bit.
The scary reality was that Klaus did find tranquility, a whole lot of it, but not in painting. No, it came from a blonde-haired spitfire with a penchant for decoration. It came from Caroline.
In the months following Kol's death and Bonnie's departure, Klaus and Caroline somehow became closer than they already wore. They formed a bond that Klaus appreciated from the deepest part of his heart. She had kept her promise, the one swearing she would catch him. The days when it hit him the most, his brother was dead and his best friend gone, Caroline was there for him. Whether she would say something to make him smile and laugh or just hold his hand in silence, she was there.
The funny thing was Caroline noticed when Klaus needed her. And Klaus was not an easy person to read, centuries of being a callous killer easily created a cool façade. But Caroline saw through it, she saw him. And in return, Klaus began to see her.
He saw the way her nose would scrunch up each time before she laughed. Klaus saw how she naturally smiled when she talked. He saw how sunshine literally seemed to radiate off her golden hair and creamy, fair skin. And Klaus saw not one ounce of hate or cruelty reflecting in her blue eyes.
And it was a casual Sunday morning whilst staring into those blue, the startling realization hit him.
Klaus was completely and totally and most definitely in love with her. He was fully immersed within one Caroline Forbes and that scared the shit out of him. But Klaus knew (like most eternally damned man) in his heart of hearts that he could never tell her. Caroline would never return the feeling he had for. And even in the slightest, smallest chance that she did, Caroline did not deserve him. She deserved only the best, good things in the world and he was not one of them
So, he would never tell her.
Of course, that resolution only lasted for a day when Klaus saw her about to leave through the front door. She wore a red silk gown with a shawl wrapped around her. A red silk hat with a feather attached sat on her head. In her hands were a fan and a purse.
"Where are you off to?" Klaus asked.
"I am going to the theater with Tyler," Caroline said. Klaus bristled on the inside and fought to contain a growl. For the past two weeks Caroline had been going out with that mutt. Apparently, Tyler was a friend from Caroline's past she had met two years after she had turned. According to her, they got along so well because he had just activated his own werewolf curse. And now that Tyler was in Italy, Caroline wanted to spend time with her old friend.
But Klaus knew what was going on. The mutt was attempting to court but what pissed Klaus off the most was the fact Caroline was letting him.
"Careful that he does not bite you," Klaus remarked.
"Seriously Klaus," Caroline sighed, annoyed. "I do not understand why you dislike him so much. You hardly know him."
"I don't need to know him to know that I don't like him," even that sounded like bullshit to Klaus's ears.
"You are full of horse shit," Caroline snipped.
"So are you if you think a romance can happen between a vampire and a werewolf."
"Said the half vampire half werewolf himself."
"Obviously I would know best then," Klaus raised his voice.
"What the hell are you even saying? You are not making any sense!" Caroline exclaimed. She was right. Klaus was not making any sense and he knew it. He just really didn't want her to leave. He really didn't want her with Tyler at all.
"Do you not want me to leave? Is that it? Do you expect me to always be at your beck and call?" Caroline demanded.
"No!"
"Then what is your problem?!
"I love you!" Klaus exploded, surprising the hell out of the both of them. Caroline's eyes went wide.
"What?" Caroline's voice was barely above a whisper. Klaus took a deep breath. He was really going to do this.
I love you, Caroline. I am in love with you. In fact, I am in love with everything about you. I am in love with the way your voice is slightly raspier in the mornings when you first awake. I am in love with the way you care for Elena though she is no longer a fragile, human girl. I am in love with the way you see good in everything. All these things and more I love about you and I do not see myself stopping any time soon!" Klaus had raised his voice to a much higher volume because if he was going to do this, he was going all out. Klaus was going full throttle. He was taking the ultimate leap, the land and fall be damned.
"My bloody heart damn near beats every time I'm within your presence. I see you, I adore you, I love you!" Klaus finished, his chest heaving slightly. Caroline looked at him, her eyes wide and her mouth still closed. Klaus softened and took a step forward. His hand cupped her soft cheek and he ignored the pang in his chest when she jumped at his touch.
"Will you not say something, love?" he asked. He was so close to her, he could feel the little warmth radiating from her. As she opened her mouth, Klaus felt his chest constrict, this was the moment…
"T-tyler," Caroline sputtered out. "H-he is expecting me. I have to go."
In a single flash, Caroline was gone and Klaus was standing there, hand still raised in there, breathing in her fading flowery scent.
Later on, Klaus was sitting on his bed, on his third bottle of rum, hating his high as fuck tolerance. He hadn't felt this bad since the night Tatia professed her love for his older brother. Except this feeling was ten times worse because the loved this girl ten times more. It was almost funny how the love of his undead life turned out to be a girl the exact opposite of his first love.
Tatia had dark, wild hair.
Caroline was a sunny blonde who would never allow her hair to be less than impeccable.
Tatia had olive skin with dark eyes to match.
Caroline had an ivory complexion and bright blue eyes.
Tatia was an empowered woman, a damn near warrior.
Though Caroline was just as empowered, she still had girlish, childish tendencies with her dramatic ways and neurotic behavior and natural defiance and curious optimism and fuck…Klaus was so in love with her.
Klaus took another gulp, reveling in the burn in his throat.
"Klaus."
Klaus turned his head to see Caroline standing in his doorway. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes held a wild look. But more importantly, Klaus could smell him. He could smell Tyler all over her which indicated to the obvious.
Klaus instantly rose up from his bed. How dare she be with Tyler directly after his profession? How dare she make a mockery him and his feelings?
And just when he was about to tear her a new one, she kissed him. She kissed him. With her lips pressed against his and the taste of her on the tip of his tongue, Klaus was catapulted through space and time. He is rescued from oblivion and delivered to paradise.
But all too soon Caroline was pulling away with a muttered, "Fuck," and Klaus had to restrain himself from seeking out her lips again.
"Why?" Klaus looked into her eyes.
"I realized something while I was gone," Caroline stated. "I really fucking love you, Klaus Mikaelson and for some strange reason I do not regret that in the slightest."
As soon as the words had left her mouth, Klaus was kissing her again.
"Wait, don't you want to know-" Caroline had attempted to say while pulling away but Klaus wanted to hear none of it as he pressed his lips against her. He knew that she loved him and that was damn well enough a thousand times over.
The kissing escalated, he touches grew even bolder, the lust and passion was unrestrained and suddenly Klaus was standing in front of a very naked Caroline. Tracing his hand over the length of her body and memorizing every single detail he had never before encountered, Klaus had this sudden urge to bite her. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to feed into that connection that had been building for so long. And just when his fangs began to protrude, Caroline quickly has her own teeth sinking into his neck.
Klaus almost combusted in that moment. He felt this overwhelming orgasmic, spiritual feeling come over him and he swears there is a divine. When Caroline finally pulled away with his blood on her lips, Klaus felt himself falling yet again. And when they finally fall into his bed, he realized he was quite alright with that plunging feeling.
"I have something for you," Klaus whispered into Caroline's ear the next morning. They were lying under his sheets, basking in their newfound love and glory. Their legs were tangled together and Caroline's head rested on his chest whilst Klaus held her in his arms.
"You do?" Caroline pulled away to look at him. Klaus nodded his head, before moving to get out of the bed. He rummaged through his desk drawer before pulling out a canvas paper. Klaus handed it to Caroline.
"Oh, Klaus," she gasped with a hand on her chest. He had painted her. He had painted her in her bridesmaid gown and it was magnificent.
While Klaus looked at her, he realized that he could paint her a hundred times, he would never quite capture the beauty she truly possessed.