AN: Thank you for reading. I'll see you at the bottom
2 years later
Caroline laid out on the beach in Greece. She sighed as she felt the warm sun's rays on her skin. Her thumb absent mindedly rubbed the ring she wore on her middle finger. She had a habit of always checking it was there, otherwise she'd burn in the sun, literally. It felt wonderful in the sun though she'd never tan. She'd never turn red like a lobster or have her skin peel. She closed her eyes and thought back to the past 2 years. Klaus whisked her away and out of Mystic Falls that night. He took her to New York City first, they spent a week there before heading up to Boston. They headed north to Maine, where Caroline realized her vampire strength came in handy when it came time to break apart lobster claws. Klaus watched her in amusement as she devoured lobster after lobster with her bare hands.
"What?" Caroline said as she ripped the claw off the lobster
"I've never seen you eat this much before" Klaus answered
"Mr. Pinchy is so tasty! I just can't stop eating"
"I can see that. If you keep this up you can be a thermometer"
"Good thing I'm not human anymore"
After Maine, they headed across the country, hitting all the major cities. Vegas was an insane ride for them. Caroline had no fear and she bungee jumped off the Stratosphere, twice. Being a vampire did have its advantages. Once they hit California, they headed to Europe and have been bouncing around ever since. Their first stop was Paris where Klaus tried to teach her a few words in french. Caroline was butchering the words and ended up shopping instead.
Caroline realized that without her friends to cloud her judgement she was free to explore her relationship with Klaus or Nik as she called him. They grew closer, Caroline embraced her memories when she was human. She realized she did love him, and even more now that she was a vampire. Klaus showed her the world as he promised. He loved her, he protected her because she made him happy for the first time in his life.
Caroline suddenly felt cold arms grab her, her eyes flew open and it was Klaus picking her up. He had just gotten out of the water and was pressing his wet chest against her body.
"What are you doing?" Caroline yelled
"Join me for a swim love!" Klaus said as he carried her to the water
"No! I was enjoying the sun! Put me down!"
"As you wish!" Klaus dropped her into the water
Caroline screamed as she fell in. She splashed into the water and grabbed onto Klaus pulling him under as well. They both jumped out of the water and Caroline pushed him back into the water. She pushed her wet hair aside as she turned to walk back to the beach. Klaus grabbed her from behind and pulled her close. He whispered into her ear. She giggled. She turned around and he kissed her as he felt the water drip off their bodies. Caroline put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. The sound of a man clearing his throat caused Caroline to open her eye to see who it was.
"Niklaus!"
Klaus let out a groan as he pulled his lips away from Caroline's. His forehead was pressed against hers and his eyes were still closed.
"What do you want?" Klaus asked as his hands dropped down to her waist and held her close.
"Why yes, it is good to see you, it's been far too long. And yes I'm fine, thank you for asking" Elijah said
Klaus turned his head and looked at his brother. Elijah was wearing a suit even in this weather.
"I'm rather busy" Klaus said
"I can see that. I didn't come for you brother. I came for her"
Klaus immediately tensed up. He pushed Caroline behind him and glared at Elijah.
"You can't have her" Klaus said
"Oh, you misunderstand brother. I didn't come to collect her. I came here to find her. It seems you both are rather hard to locate these days. I have a message for Caroline from the doppelganger"
"Elena?" Caroline said looking over Klaus's shoulder
"Yes, it seems your mobile phone isn't working anymore. Elena would have come looking for you, if the two Salvatore brothers would stop fighting over her and protecting her. Though there really isn't anything in Mystic Falls to protect her from. None of us are there. She's a vampire now, there's no real threat, except for those two brothers. It seems even now, she won't choose"
"Sounds like her" Caroline snickered
"Seems like the doppelganger is the same in every century. Elena wishes to inform you that your father has fallen ill. He has cancer, it appears he doesn't have much time left. Your mother asks that you come home and see him"
"I have to go Nik" Caroline said
"It could be a trap" Klaus said
"A trap? For what? There's no threat. You can't make any more hybrids, no one really cares about us brother. We can go about our lives easily"
"Stefan was quite adamant about revenge for a while, he did steal the rest of our family"
"Oh yes, Stefan seems quite busy fighting with his brother over Elena, hence why neither Salvatore would leave her to find Caroline. Instead Elena contacted me and asked that I find her for her"
"When will they learn? The doppelganger will never choose and continue to string them both along"
"I need to go back Nik" Caroline said
"I'll go with you" Klaus said
"Very well, message delivered, I'll see you in a decade or century or so" Elijah said as he turned to walk away
"You're not coming?" Caroline asked
"Oh no, that town is far too dreadful and depressing. I'm going to see what Kol and Rebekah are up to" Elijah said as he walked off
Caroline drove the rental car back to Mystic Falls while Klaus was playing Draw Something on his phone. Klaus was taking his time drawing an elaborate picture for Rebekah. Caroline glanced over at what he was doing. She smiled.
"You know the point of that game is to get the other person to guess the word, not show off your drawing skills"
"I can't help it if I'm just naturally talented"
"And cocky"
"I thought you liked that about me"
"Now you're just getting full of yourself"
"You could be full of me too"
Caroline smacked Klaus in the arm and continued to drive.
"You know they will ask you why you left with me"
"I know"
"What are you going to tell them?"
"Are you worried Nik?"
"Hardly"
"Sounds like you are"
"I'm a thousand year old hybrid, virtually indestructible, what do I have to be worried about?"
"Wow, could it be that you're a little bit insecure that they might talk some sense into me and I'd leave you cause you're just the big bad hybrid?" Caroline looked over at him and she could see a blank expression on his face, she sighed.
"Nik, why don't you trust me?"
"I do trust you, it's them I don't trust"
"I left with you because I wanted to. I wanted to be with you. Nothing will change that"
Caroline reached over and held onto his hand. Klaus held it up and kissed the back of her hand.
Caroline walked into the hospice where her father was. Her mother was sitting in a chair in his room.
"Caroline!" Liz jumped up and ran to her and hugged her
"Mom!" Caroline could hear her mother crying
"Mom, are you ok?" Caroline asked
"Your father is getting worse, there isn't much time left" Liz said
Caroline walked into the room and saw her father laying there.
"Hey dad" Caroline said as she walked closer to him.
"Caroline" her father said weakly, "you're here"
"Yes, course I am, you're my dad"
Liz looked at Klaus standing there.
"What did you do to her? Where did you take her?" Liz demanded
"I didn't do anything. She came with me willingly."
"Then why hasn't she called or anything? You've been holding her hostage"
"In order for her to be held hostage, she would have to be held there against her will. And I never asked for a ransom, this is far from being a hostage"
"Don't get smart with me!"
"Don't get angry at me. Why don't you ask your daughter? Caroline doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do"
Caroline was in the room talking with her father. Filling him in on where she's been for the past 2 years, traveling with Nik and seeing the world. Her father she knew had a distaste for vampires and was horrified when he heard that his only daughter had been turned. Caroline left his room and ran into Klaus's arms crying.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" Klaus asked
"He thinks I'm a monster"
"You're not"
"I want to leave, now"
"Alright" Klaus agreed
"No! Caroline, please! I know we don't have the greatest relationship, but-" Liz started
"No! You didn't make me come back just so I could hear dad tell me what a horrible person I've become! I'd rather remember him as my dad not as someone that hates me!" Caroline said
"He's upset, he's angry, he's on a lot of medication right now. Nothing is helping him. He doesn't mean to take it out on you. He doesn't have much time" Liz said
"I don't want him to spend whatever time he has left hating me" Caroline answered back
"And I haven't even seen you in 2 years? I didn't know if you were alive or not"
"I'm ok! See? I don't want to be here!"
"Alright, just come home, I just want to talk to you"
Caroline looked back at Klaus and then back at her mom. She felt Klaus gave her hand an extra squeeze and she gave him a half smile.
Caroline sat down on the couch in her old house. Liz sat next to her hesitant to say anything.
"What?" Caroline asked
"I just missed you, I didn't know what happened to you"
"You didn't liked what I had become, it's not like I had a choice"
"I know that. I was just in shock. I just want my daughter back"
"I'm here"
"I know, but for how long? Caroline, you're going to live forever, I'm not. I worry about you. I want to know that you're ok and happy"
"I am happy. He makes me happy. You didn't tell me that I was with him when I was human. You didn't tell me that I was in love with him"
"You forgot him. And I didn't know how or why. And then Stefan explained it and it made sense. I just wanted to protect you" Liz got up and opened a drawer from a table, "That night he left, he was burying this in the front yard. I thought it was weird he buried it under the vervain and wolfsbane"
Caroline looked over at what was in her mom's hands. It was a sketchbook and a few picture frames. Liz walked over and handed them to her.
"I looked at the pictures, and I've never seen you so happy Caroline"
Caroline looked at the pictures of herself as a human with Nik. She really did look happy. She opened up the sketchbook and looked at the sketches he drew of her. She kept looking at all the sketches of her until she reached the end. He wrote her a note.
If you're reading this, it means you remember. Forgive me, I wanted to protect you. I love you Caroline. Always and forever. - Nik
Caroline closed the sketchbook and got up.
"I have to go" Caroline said
"But you just got here!"
"I'm sorry mom, for not keeping in touch, for not calling, I'll call you more often. But I was just a really bad daughter"
"No you weren't. You're my daughter, the only one I have. I missed you so much"
Caroline hugged her.
"I'll come back, I promise, it's just that it's too much right now. With dad and everything else. I'd rather remember him as my dad not someone hating me"
"I understand, but don't take too long to visit me. I'm still human remember?"
"Yes, I'll come back, I just need some time away. I'll text you my new number ok mom?"
Liz nodded and hugged her daughter.
Klaus walked into his mansion. There was a thick layer of dust on everything as he looked around. He found the bottle of scotch he was looking for and took off the top. He took a swig. He sensed someone behind him and turned around.
"And who are you today?" Klaus asked
"I'm Elena, remember? You killed me trying to break your hybrid curse"
"Yes, and you somehow survived that, and here you are again. So did you finally decide which brother yet?"
"I didn't come to talk about me, I came here to talk about Caroline"
"What about her? Aren't you two girlfriends?"
"Look, I know you have a thing for Caroline. I just want to make sure she's ok"
"Why wouldn't she be ok?"
"We know you took her with you. We just want to make sure she's ok. Maybe we can make a deal"
"A deal for what? I didn't kidnap her if that's what you're implying. She came with me willingly, considering Damon tried to stake her"
"He didn't mean it"
"I'm sure he didn't mean to stake her, you know it would be an accident, I'm sure you could explain that to her mother and she'd take it well"
"She's safer here than she is with you"
Klaus chuckled and took another swig from the bottle.
"Do you honestly think that? Or are you too busy stringing along both brothers to see that they are the real danger here. Course you're trying to keep both of them, so anyone else around you would be collateral damage, which is acceptable to you as long as you get both of them. Well Elena, it's not acceptable to me, I don't care how you carry on with those two, what I do care about is Caroline. But why don't you just ask her yourself"
Klaus looked up.
"We're here in here sweetheart" Klaus yelled out
Elena looked around and saw nothing. She turned back to Klaus and saw a blur that dropped both Damon and Stefan on the floor and stood net to him.
"Caught them sneaking around, with enough vervain to take out an army, or just one hybrid" Caroline said
"Caroline! You're ok!" Elena said as she hugged her
"Of course I'm ok, I'm a vampire, are you ok?" Caroline asked
"Yes, sorta, this vampire thing is still weird for me" Elena said
"I see, you still haven't chosen yet. You do realize as a vampire forever really is forever right?" Caroline said
"I know, but I've lost so many people, like you, that I just don't want to lose anyone else"
"You know that only works for so long Elena. And don't use me as an excuse."
"Caroline, we were worried about you"
"Really? Looks like you've been busy with them. Too busy to even come find me"
"They said it wasn't safe for me to go after you and Klaus. They just wanted to protect me"
"From what? You're a vampire now"
"What's he done to you?"
"He hasn't done anything, he just lets me be myself, he treats me like when I was human. He makes me happy. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing, you've changed"
"So have you, but I'm not standing here judging you am i?"
"We just wanted to make sure you were ok, that he didn't hurt you"
"He didn't. I'm fine. If anything he's made me a better person. I'm no longer fragile and weak like when I was a human. You know when Damon used me? Funny how you forget that, then again you just want to keep stringing him along"
"That's not true"
"Is it? You said so yourself you don't know what you want. You told me you didn't know, and for that you should have let them both go! It's more humane that way, or did you turn that off?"
"Caroline..."
"Elena, I'm not saying this to be mean, just you can't keep doing this. It's not fair. You don't know what you want. Until you figure that out, you can't be anything. And saying you don't want to lose anyone else? Cmon, you're not 12. You're a vampire, grow up please. Do the right thing"
Elena stood there unable to answer. Stefan and Damon were slowly starting to come to.
"We're leaving Elena, look me up when you figure it out" Caroline held onto Klaus's hand and led him out out of the house
Klaus didn't say anything but followed her to the car. She took the bottle from his hand and took a sip.
"Ugh, how can you drink this?" Caroline said
"It's rather easy"
Caroline punched him in the arm playfully.
"You drive" Caroline said as she opened the door to the car
"Where we headed?"
"Out of here"
"Anywhere?"
"I remember someone promising to take me to see the world. What was it? Paris? Rome? Tokyo?"
"I'll take you"
Caroline was finishing up the postcard she was writing to her mom. she dropped it into the mailbox and looked over at Klaus who was standing outside, holding a giant hello kitty stuffed doll that was almost as big as him. She smiled and walked towards him. Caroline had kept her promise and sent her mom a postcard or souvenir from whatever country she was in. She was still exploring the rest of Japan with Klaus.
"Sent everything?" Klaus asked
"Yeah, cmon let's go, I want to try that mayonnaise restaurant" Caroline said
"Mayonnaise and restaurant should not go together"
"Is the big bad hybrid afraid?"
"That's really what you want to eat?"
"Yeah, why, what do you want to eat?"
"I'd fancy a nice bloody kobe steak right about now. We could go to that restaurant that was in Lost in Translation"
"What?"
"For someone that watches so many movies, how could you not have seen that one?"
"I only watch romantic comedies"
"You see that's your problem right there. It's a lovely movie, about two people in Japan, both feeling alienated and alone, but somehow they find each other and it becomes bearable for a moment."
Caroline leaned over and kissed him. She pushed the giant Hello Kitty to the side. She looked up into his eyes.
"I love you Nik"
"I love you too sweetheart. I'm holding this blasted Hello Kitty for you. If that's not love what is?"
Caroline giggled and took the massive Hello Kitty out of his hands. She handed it to someone passing by. She held onto Klaus's hand.
"I don't need any of that, I just need you"
"Alright, let's go eat mayonnaise"
The two walked down the street hand in hand. Caroline rested her head on his shoulder for a moment and then lifted it up. Klaus lifted her hand and kissed the back of her hand.
"Always and forever" Klaus said
"Only with you" Caroline smiled
Thank you for reading. I had to give them the HEA they should have gotten. I know Klaus never told her about her time traveling self. But there wasn't a real reason for him to.
