Well, this is it, guys : This is the last chapter (minus an epilogue that will be posted tomorrow;o)
I want to thank absolutely everyone who read this, who took the time to review this (some of you every week ;o) as well as the unsigned reviewers whom I can't thank personally, but I really appreciate it all.
I'm leaving for Atlanta & Covington next week so hopefully being IN Mystic Falls will give me some inspiration for my new one. Anyone else going to the Convention ?
And of course I thank Heather who took the time every week to correct my mistakes and help me improve my writing in a language that is not primarily mine ;o)
There's an extra A/N at the end of this. Enjoy and review, please ;o)
It's early evening, and Damon and Caroline are in the living room. Damon is reading and Caroline is relaxing.
They both look at each other when they hear the sound of a car stopping in front of the house.
"Already?" Caroline wonders, both surprised and delighted.
"Could be anyone," Damon mutters while standing up and walking to the front door. He doesn't want to get his hopes up until he actually sees Stefan at the threshold.
Fortunately, it is indeed Stefan.
But with Klaus. A very alive, not dead, Klaus.
That stupid plant didn't work.
A quick look exchanged with Stefan and a nod on his part confirms that he indeed gave Klaus the potion.
"Hello, Damon, "Klaus says in a chirpy tone. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"I don't know. Do I have to?"
Klaus laughs. "It would be the polite thing to do, but obviously you left your good manners in your other pants. Never mind. I came to see Caroline, anyway."
He walks into the house, followed by Stefan. Damon sends his brother a WTF look, and Stefan shrugs with a helpless gaze.
Caroline is waiting in the living room, her heart pounding in her chest. She's thrilled that Stefan is there, but if Klaus is with him, it can only mean one thing.
When he's leaving again, he's not coming back.
"Hello, my sweet," Klaus greets her. "I'm glad to see you are doing better."
She's shocked to see him, but not really scared. She was never afraid of him, she was afraid of what he was doing to her and Stefan. Of what he's still capable of doing to them.
"Hi Klaus," she manages to say. She needs to stay calm because she can see that Damon is fulminating behind the hybrid, and she doesn't want him to do something reckless. He doesn't know how to deal with Klaus like Stefan does.
Stefan who is watching her with a soft smile and a loving look in his eyes, a look that seems to say, "I'm sorry I failed us."
She needs to be strong for him so she smiles back. "It was nice of you to come all this way to see me," she states quietly to the older vampire.
"Don't think for one minute that you'll take her back with you," Damon intervenes.
Klaus calmly turns to him. "You are of absolutely no use to me, Mr Salvatore, so I suggest you shut up. I'm asking nicely."
Stefan sends his brother a warning look and Damon reluctantly concedes.
Klaus turns back to Caroline. "I was sorry to see that you had left without saying goodbye. I hadn't realized you were so unhappy."
She raises an eyebrow. "Really? So the crying and being an emotional wreck didn't give you any clue?"
Damon snorts and Klaus rolls his eyes. "Yes, about that..." he turns again to the brothers, "I wish to speak to Caroline alone," he tells them, and it's not a request.
"No way," Damon answers immediately. Stefan looks torn by the idea, even if he knows she is not at risk.
Caroline smiles to them. "It's ok. Klaus won't hurt me."
"Of course I won't hurt her, you moron," snaps Klaus, sending an exasperated look to Damon, the anger tainting his voice making his accent thicker. "If I wanted her dead, I would have killed her weeks ago. Besides, it's not like I have the monopole on tormenting our pretty blonde friend, here, right Damon?"
Damon blanches and makes a move but Stefan holds him back.
"We'll be right outside," he says evenly but with a warning glance to Klaus. He can see that Caroline looks fine, so he is willing to comply to the older vampire's request. Besides, it's not like they truly have a choice.
Klaus smirks. "Please Stefan, do so. And take that annoying brother of yours before I do something that I won't regret."
Once the two other vampires are gone, Klaus motions to the couch.
"Shall we sit down?"
He takes her hand in his. "I'm really sorry to have hurt you. At first you were just a means to an end. Then I realized how much of a gem you were. Will you be able to forgive me?"
She didn't expect that, so she takes her chance. "Only if you let Stefan go."
He sighs. "That's the only thing I can't do, Caroline. See, I have plans for Stefan and I."
Caroline nods, her last hope crushed. She knew he would say that though, but she had to give it a try.
"What plans?"
He smiles. "I'm looking for a way to create more hybrids...I don't have all the elements yet, but I'm optimistic. Why don't you come back with us, darling?"
Despite what he just revealed, she can't help but be touched by the plea in his voice. But she shakes her head. "I can't go on killing people for fun, Klaus. That's the reason I left. I don't have the moral strength for that lifestyle, and I refuse to turn it off permanently."
"What if I told you you wouldn't have to kill anyone anymore? You would just be a companion to Stefan and me."
She can't believe the lengths he's willing to go to have her back, and even more she can't believe she's actually tempted to say yes.
"Even then. Stefan will still have to do it, and I won't bear to see him go through that once again."
"That's because he never lets his true ripper comes out. I intend to change that," he adds, and despite the gentleness in his tone, she is suddenly reminded of the dangerous creature he can be.
She wants to be with Stefan, but going back with him and Klaus will only serve to destroy them both in the end.
She fights back tears, but Klaus senses her despair and put a caressing hand on her cheek.
"I'm really sorry, my sweet Caroline, I truly am." He looks at her and adds softly, "You remind me of my sister Rebekah."
And there it is again, the charming attitude, and she gets lost in his eyes for a minute, thinking that if he wanted to compel her to come back with them and do as he please, he could. The fact that he doesn't shows how, in his own way, he has come to genuinely care for her.
He suddenly stands up, putting a hand on his chest.
"Are you ok?" she asks, startled.
"I don't know. I..."
He takes a few steps before collapsing in front of the fireplace.
"Klaus!" Caroline screams, and rises to go kneel beside him.
Alerted, the two brothers run back into the room. They both stop upon seeing Klaus' body on the floor, graying rapidly. Stefan rushes to Caroline'side, and Damon stays where he is.
"Damn. That thing worked after all," he mutters.
Caroline put her hand on Klaus'chest, shaking him a bit. "Klaus?" she asks in a teary voice.
But the vampire is definitely gone.
Damon opens his mouth to say something, but shuts it as soon as he sees his brother and Caroline's faces.
They are both crying.
While he still has a hard time understanding their feelings towards that monster, he walks out of the room to give them some privacy.
Caroline takes Klaus'hand, squeezing it slightly. Her other hand grabs Stefan's and they exchange a meaningful glance.
Relief. Sadness. Joy. Grief.
Stefan puts his arm around her and she let go, turning into his embrace. He kisses her on the forehead.
"It's over," he whispers in her hair. "It's over."
Bonnie arrives 15 minutes after Damon calls her.
In the meantime both brothers put Klaus in the cell downstairs. The fact that he is grayer than a bloc of concrete doesn't mean he's not going to wake up all of a sudden.
Damon opens the door when she rings the bell. "Your witches failed to mention that there was like a 5 hours delay before he died. Gave us hell of a scare." he scowls at her as soon as she's in the hallway.
She scowls back. "They are not my witches, and Klaus is dead. That's what you wanted, so what are you complaining about?"
He points with his hand to the living-room, where Stefan and Caroline are sitting silently. She's holding his hand like she still can't believe he doesn't have to go anymore. His other hand caresses her back in a circular and soothing motion.
"Will they be ok?" Bonnie asks Damon.
He shrugs. "Eventually. I think they are still a bit in shock right now."
She nods, understanding what he means. She too had noticed the way Caroline talked about her stay with Klaus.
They both join them in the living-room, and after some talking Stefan and Caroline seem to be relaxing, and slowly realize that they are now completely free.
"Something's bothering me," Damon says suddenly. "How did Klaus know about..." he makes a motion with his hand between Caroline and him.
"About how you mentally abused her?" Bonnie offers with an innocent smile. Damon glares at her and her smile grows wider.
"I don't know, he probably compelled me once to get information...I certainly didn't tell him willingly. It's the past, Damon. I'm long over it," Caroline adds and he sends her a grateful look.
Later that night, Stefan and Caroline are in his bed, savoring the fact that they can be together and nothing and no one will keep them apart anymore.
"Seems like now that we are home Damon and Bonnie are back to hating each other," Stefan says, amused at the memory of his brother and the witch bickering all evening.
Caroline chuckles. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
Stefan's hand is wandering on her belly and her hips, and she sighs with pleasure.
"How come I feel so depressed and blissful at the same time? It is really weird."
"I know," he says, showering kisses around her lips and her jaw. "I feel the same way. Give it a few days, and it will just be bliss," he adds before taking her mouth in a passionate kiss and she moans, pressing her body against his. Very soon waves of ecstasy are throbbing through her, and she forgets everything that is not Stefan.
Reality comes back to slap them in the face the next morning.
Stefan finds Damon in the kitchen and pours himself a glass of blood.
"When do you plan on talking to Elena?" Damon asks suddenly. "Because Bonnie and I are running out of ideas to keep her away. It's a miracle she didn't find out yet."
He smirks upon seeing his brother's face. "Aww, Stefan, let me guess : you were so caught up in your romance with Barbie that you totally forgot your other girlfriend."
Stefan sighs. "I had other preoccupations, but yes, I kind of forgot about her," he recognizes, and looks at his watch. "Well, the sooner the better, I guess."
He comes out of the kitchen just when Caroline arrives, and he gives her a quick kiss before exiting the room.
"Where is he going?" she asks Damon.
"To see Elena."
Her eyes grow wide. "Right...Elena!"
Damon can't help but laugh. "Everyone forgot about poor Elena. I bet she wouldn't like that very much."
"Should I go too?" Caroline asks him.
"That depends. Are you worried that upon seeing her he'll get back to her and dump you?"
"No," she answers immediately, and he smiles.
"Love the confidence, Blondie. But better let him tell Elena first and give her the time to digest it all.
Elena doesn't take the news very well. But she doesn't throw Stefan out of her house like he expected, or goes straight to stake Caroline. She just tells him she needs some time to process it and that it's better if they don't see each other for a while.
Thankfully, with the help of Damon and Bonnie, and also the fact that Elena had already started to move on, it doesn't last, and barely one month after the beginning of senior year Caroline and her are on friendly terms again. It is a bit awkward the first times they all go out together, like at the Grill, but Caroline and Stefan try to avoid being too couple-y and it soon falls into normalcy.
After a while, it also becomes obvious that Klaus won't magically wake up and that he is truly dead. Damon and Stefan spend a few hours one afternoon burying his body very deep near their old mansion. Caroline wants to put a small cross on it, but the brothers dissuade her, mentioning it is better to not attract attention to the fact that a body is buried there. Just in case there is another plant capable to resurrect him...
A few weeks after, as they are both lying in bed one night, Stefan says, "I did something and I don't know how you'll react."
She rises her head, watching him with curiosity. "Better tell me before I start imagining the worst," she tells him with a smile.
He smiles back. "It's nothing like that. It's...I bought Klaus' house in Cape Cod."
She opens her mouth but makes no sound. That is the last thing she had expected to hear. "You did?"
He sighs. "I didn't do it out of a weird postmortem attachment to Klaus, don't worry. I did it for you. So you can do what you want with it."
She sits in the bed, looking at him with more and more awe. "What do you mean?"
He shrugs. "Well, you can burn it, if it will help you put it behind us once and for all. You can go and break everything inside, go crazy on the windows. Or...we can keep it a holiday house and go spent the next 50 summers there."
She caresses his forehead, playing a bit with his hair. With a smile, she asks, "What would you want me to do with it?"
He looks at her with the most tender look she has seen so far on his face. "Care, this is where it started. You and me. I know it probably embodies a lot of bad memories, but those are not the ones I want to keep. There are millions of other houses, and we have an eternity to live in many of them, but this one just represent something special. But as I said, it's your call."
She puts her head on his chest with a happy sigh. She especially like the fact that he seems to envision the future - eternity! - with her. "I don't want to burn it down, Stefan. I feel the same way as you do. I might not be ready to go back right now, but I definitely want to keep it too." She laughs slightly and asks, "Do you think we could keep Riley and Spike as butlers?"
"I doubt it, I sent them a message telling them Klaus was dead. They are probably long gone by now."
He gives her a long, lustful kiss and when he stops to look at her, she's out of breath and her eyes are gleaming. "I love you," he tells her with a look of worship.
"I love you too."
And soon enough, houses, hybrids and other amenities are the furthest things from their minds.
A/N : So, are you all very mad that I killed Klaus ? ;o) Because I was, lol. I tried to find a loophole and not kill him, but didn't come up with anything that sounded plausible, so I decided to go on with my initial plan. But of course he will be back with Stefan in my Daroline fic, for a super Daroline/Steroline/Klaroline fest ;o))
See you tomorrow for a happy & fluffy epilogue !