Chapter 7

"Stop fidgeting." Klaus said tightening his grip on Caroline's wrist in order to keep her still as he wiped the blood off her.

"I would stop fidgeting if you were better at—Ow! Okay that's it. I'm fixing myself up." Caroline stated pulling her hands away from him.

"Suit yourself love you are the nurse here." Klaus said handing Caroline the first aid kit. Klaus watched as Caroline treated her own wounds and counted the number of gashes and scars she had covered in blood, he watched as she winced after every dab of alcohol on her wounds and he experienced his chest tightening and his anger fuming.

"I should have been there earlier." He said in a low growl and Caroline glanced up seeing the anger dominating his face features. Unconsciously, she placed a hand on his cheeks and smoothed out the lines on his face. She felt his body tense at her touch and his eyes widened at shock. But it only took a few more moments for him to enjoy her touch and lean into it.

"It's not your fault." She said softly, but reassurance became futile. The anger flashed right back into his face.

"If I was there earlier he wouldn't even be able to touch you, I would've ripped his hands out." He said grimly.

"And if Hitler didn't initiate the war, this wouldn't even happen." Caroline said and Klaus simply looked at her confusingly, "All I'm saying is that things happened and what matters is that I am okay now." She added before continuing on with her wounds. He watched her treating her wounds and a sudden sense of relief struck through him then a smile formed across his face.

"What you smiling about?" Caroline asked through her scoff.

"I'm just glad you are safe." Klaus said removing a strand of her hair from her face and pushed it behind her ear. The moment she felt his cold fingers grazing over her cheeks, she felt her heart excruciatingly skip a beat and her stomach started to flutter. She moved her face away from his touch and focused back onto her wounds leaving him in confusion.

In a moment of insane courage, Klaus closed the space between him and Caroline and captured her lips in his. After a moment of shock, Caroline gave into his kiss, enjoying the warmth his lips triggered in her body. He delved his hands into her blonde hair to deepen the kiss as her hands snaked around his neck. The sweet taste of Caroline's tongue ignited sparks inside of Klaus and the way his tongue danced around hers sent waves of pleasure through her. She hesitantly broke the kiss much to Klaus' disappointment and she stroked her thumb across his cheekbone.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Klaus admitted and Caroline smiled.

"Took you long enough." Caroline joked.

"Caroline." Tyler said storming into the room causing the couple to break apart. Caroline could hear a small groan escaping from Klaus' mouth but chose to ignore it. Tyler ran up to her and pulled her into a tight embrace that sent a chain reaction of pain through her body.

"Ouch Tyler!" Caroline cried out and Tyler is shoved off by Klaus.

"She's injured you twit!" Klaus shouted.

"Back off." Tyler said pushing Klaus off.

"Listen here mutt I w—"

"I'm fine Tyler." Caroline intervened and Tyler's body relaxed.

"That's good to hear. Anyways I wanted to speak to you about…" Tyler stopped his speech and turned around to face Klaus, "Can you leave?" Tyler demanded.

"No." Klaus said coldly.

"I thought British people were supposed to be polite. Now leave." Tyler retorted.

"Mate, I'm far from polite and don't make me repeat myself." Klaus said.

"Do you have any sense of privacy? Leave me and my girl alone!" Tyler said shoving Klaus.

"Your girl?" Klaus and Caroline asked simultaneously while Klaus grabbed Tyler by the collar.

"Now you listen. I am not leaving her side until she is well and if that means I would have to beat you to a pulp I'll do it with pleasure and no mercy at all." Klaus threatened.

"I'm not afraid of you." Tyler said pushing himself out of Klaus' grip.

"Guys please st—"

"That was your first mistake boy." Klaus taunted.

"You son of a bitch!" Tyler said apparently already fed up with Klaus' remarks and jumped on him. They ignored Caroline's scream for them to stop as they wrestled with each other, trying to obtain dominance in order to prove each other's strength.

"What is going on here?" Matt yelled over the noise, storming in. He watched as Tyler's fist has ceased in mid-air with Klaus under his grip and Caroline pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What is wrong with you two?" Matt shouted separating the two of them apart, "You say you care for Caroline but you two are being annoying and causing havoc in front of her while she is injured! What are you retarded?"

"He started it." Tyler sneered.

"I don't give a rat's ass who started it Tyler. What are you five?" Matt retorted, "Now leave. I need to be alone with my sister." Matt said shoving the two men out of the room.

"Thank you." Caroline said.

"What is wrong with you?" Matt asked incredulously with a booming voice much to Caroline's shock.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Caroline asked.

"Because you are an idiot for doing what you just did! Do you realize how dangerous that was?" Matt said gesturing wildly.

"I did it to save you." Caroline reasoned.

"I'm the older brother Caroline. I protect you not the other way around." Matt explained, "That is how it's always been ever since we were kids. I'm the protector. I'm supposed to keep you away from danger. Instead I've dragged you right into the center."

"You didn't drag me anywhere. I could've decided to stay at home and waited for you. But I couldn't do that. We're family Matt. No matter what I will always have your back no matter the place or situation." Caroline said.

"When did you grow up?" Matt said sadly, stroking her tangled blonde curls.

"So how are we leaving?" Damon asked.

"There's a route that would lead straight through the mountains. That could take us to Carcassonne Cite." Josephine said pointing it out on Caroline's over annotated map.

"We can contact the captain there." Elijah spoke staring at the mountain ranges.

"And we avoid the Nazis. I like the idea." Damon commented cheerfully.

"All is good but what about the women and children?" Stefan asked.

"We are strong. We can walk for days. We are more used to the environment than you men." Josephine responded putting her chin up.

"And blondie? Was she not injured?" Damon asked.

"Stop speaking about me like I'm not here. You always do that Damon and I'm fine. I wasn't shot or anything that would make me incapable." Caroline remarked.

"Obviously you still got that sharp tongued of yours…unfortunately." Damon muttered the last bit but was heard by Caroline hence why a pillow was sent throwing to his face.

"So we leave at dawn?" Finn interjected.

"Holy shit. She's not kidding, they're strong." Damon said breathlessly as he gripped the tree trunk for support.

"I can carry some of the bags you know." Caroline said offering her help.

"It's fine Barbie. How bad of a guy would I be to make a lady carry my bags?" Damon said and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"How much further?" Elijah asked through his ragged breathing.

"Just a few more miles and we will reach the mountains." Josephine said.

"We're not going over the mountains are we?" Kol asked.

"No, no. Don't be silly. We'll go through it." Josephine said receiving skeptical looks from the rest of the group, "There's a tunnel. It was used for mining so we have to be very careful since it is old." She explained.

"I feel my legs trembling." Kol said rubbing his legs.

"Here." Caroline interjected giving him some water before relieving him of some weight. He grabbed her hand immediately.

"Don't. Klaus would rip my head off if I make you carry my stuff." Kol said.

"Leave him to me. It's only this light bag Kol." She insisted

After days of endless walking through the white death, they managed to escape from the tunnel. Their eyes were blinded by the sun's rays as they adjust themselves to the daylight. They saw the sign that welcomed them to Carcassonne but the city was nothing that they expected to be. The once fortified city, filled with life is now abandoned and burnt to the ground, left in ruins. Those used to be majestic forts now looked like a fort haunted by the deaths of their people. If they listened closely they could hear the silent screams of the fallen and if they look through the gust of wind flowing through the empty plane they could see the faint white figures of the town's people.

"What happened?" Natalie asked in astonishment gripping onto Caroline's arm who then wrapped her arms around Natalie.

"I'm guess this is not what we expected." Damon said scanning around the city.

"It's not what anyone expected." Caroline said.

"None the less, we can still set up our telegram on higher grounds." Finn said taking his bags off his shoulder.

"Top of the fort, it's the best position." Josephine said pointing up.

As Finn makes his way up the fort to set up the telegram, Caroline aids the others' minor wounds and soon enough the inevitable happened, she is alone with Tyler. She gulps before making her way towards him to check for any wounds. He just stares at her for a while and he can notice her muscles tensing uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I hate it when you stare." She says.

"I know and I hate it when you are avoiding the topic." Tyler remarks back.

"Tyler…"

"We're officially over aren't we?" He says. The loaded question escaping his lips causes his chest to tighten, he did not want to hear the answer because he knew it, why he asked that question baffles him. She avoids his gaze and that itself is an answer for him.

"I'm sorry Tyler." She responds softly and he lets out a little chuckle making Caroline to stare at him confusingly.

"I always knew you were made for something so much bigger than our small town. I just hoped that I would delude you long enough to make you stay by my side. You deserve so much better Caroline." Tyler says and the rush of guilt runs through Caroline as she watches Tyler's face drop and his sad brown eyes stare at the ground.

"I promise you, there will be some lucky girl that is deserving of your love and will love you back with all of her heart." Caroline says placing a comforting hand on his knees.

"Klaus will take good care of you. He can show you the world." Tyler says leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of her head and she just looks at him incredulously as he became a walking figure creating distance. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Klaus quickly look away and stare at the ground.

AN: I apologize for taking ages to update this story. It seems to be getting longer than I expected. Anyways here is the latest chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Take care x