I know I left ya'll hanging, but I've had a paper due every week, and work has been very stressful, but hopefully everything will get better.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS ALOT TO ME!

Please remember to review at the end! :)

He didn't leave her side for days, only to return to his room for a shower and change, and afterwards, he walked, slowly to her side, and sat down beside her in the chair that never left her left side.

He was holding her hand when someone on the other side of the door knocked, and slowly opened. He didn't turn to see who had come inside, mainly because he figured it was his family.

"How is she?"

The voice startled him, and slowly his head turned to find an elderly woman with green eyes focused on Caroline's body before shifting to him.

He swallowed, and bowed his head. "She's still unresponsive." He answered, turning his gaze back Caroline.

Mrs. Thomas frowned, and walked to Caroline's other side and the look on her face told him who she truly was.

"You're Mrs. Thomas." He deduced, watching the older lady focus on him once more.

She smiled, half-heartedly, and nodded. "I am. How did you guess?" She asked, as he bowed his head.

"Caroline spoke often of you." He answered, simply. "She said you were like a mother to her when hers…" He trailed off, biting back the rest of the words.

She nodded, and studied him. The haggard appearance, the scars around his eyes, the way his eyes never left Caroline's face…

"You're Klaus."

He nodded, simply.

She smiled, and bowed her head. "The other nurses told me you were here, but I didn't want to believe it." She remarked, lifting her head to focus on the young woman.

"Why?" He asked, absently.

She shrugged, and touched Caroline's face, tenderly. "From what I've heard about you, you are not exactly a nurse's favorite patient." She answered, watching him smirk, though it was only half-hearted.

"The ogre, I believe." He responded, lifting his eyes to hers.

She smiled. "Were they wrong?" She asked, watching him swallow, before focusing on her.

"No," He answered, simply, though the look on his face said it all.

She turned her gaze back to Caroline, and sighed. "She's been through so much, and now this." She whispered, shaking her head.

Klaus nodded, and closed his eyes at the pain. He felt a hand on his, and he opened his eyes to see the tender gaze of the older woman.

"She's strong, Klaus. She'll pull through, I know it." Mrs. Thomas encouraged, letting him know.

He tried to smile, but the stoic expression remained on his face.

She nodded in understanding, and straightened. "I'll come back to check on her. I have my rounds to make." She stated, moving around the bed. "If you need anything…" She offered, and he nodded, letting her know that he understood.

The door closed behind her, and Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline's hand. "You hear that, love. You have to come back. There are so many people who miss you." He spoke, softly.

Silence filled the room, with the exception of the beeping monitors, and Klaus held back his tears. All his life he never imagined the pain of love being this hard, but it was, and yet he wouldn't trade it for anything. She brought color to his world of darkness, even though he could see now, she still brightened his sight. Lifting his right hand, he touched her face, and pushed her blonde hair from the side of her face, lightly stroking the scar.

"I love you, Caroline. I've never loved anyone before, besides family, until you came into my life." He confessed, lowly. "I can't lose you." He choked out, licking his lips. "If I do, then the color will be gone from my life, and I couldn't bear the darkness again." He added, moving his eyes over her face. "I can take being blind or even being put in a wheelchair, if I have you there to…" He paused, feeling emotion running through his chest. "Don't…don't take the colors. Don't leave me while we still have time to spend together." He added, finally bowing his head, and let the tears fall from his eyes.

As his tears hit her hand, he felt something happen. Something, which made him raise his head, and sniff to hold back anymore tears. He gazed down at her hand, and felt it rather than saw it squeeze his.

"Caroline?"

He felt her hand squeeze his once more, and he smiled, before standing up, and placed his right hand on her forehead, while watching her face with interest. "Come on, love." He urged, watching her eyes move. "That's it. Come on, Caroline, don't you dare quit on me."

Just as her heartbeat flat lined…

~XXX~

She heard his voice in the darkness, and struggled to call out his name. She didn't know how long she had been in the darkness, but it felt like forever.

She was torn.

"Caroline,"

She turned and faced the bright light shining down in the small darkened corner, and she shrunk back, covering her eyes.

"Caroline…"

She lowered her arm, and watched as the light formed, and the familiar figure stepped into the lightened room. "Mom…"

~XXX~

Klaus held onto the wall as the nurses and the doctors clamored around Caroline, trying to bring her back. He felt a hand on his back, and he turned to see his sister with a distraught expression on her face.

"She has to make it." Rebekah stated more for herself than for him.

He nodded, and wrapped his arm around her, needing some form of contact to help him stand.

"Charge one more time…"

~XXX~

Caroline felt her mother wrap her arms around her, and she smiled. "I've missed you so much, mom."

Elizabeth smiled, and kissed her daughter's head. "I know, dear, and I've missed you." She returned, pulling back to look into her daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry for the pain I caused when I left you, my dear." She added, watching Caroline's eyes fill with tears.

"It was my fault. I should have taken the keys from you that night." Caroline stated, heartbreakingly.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, Caroline, it was my fault. I wanted to drive that night because I knew what was going to happen." She revealed, watching her daughter's eyes widen.

"You wanted to die?" Caroline asked, her voice breaking.

Elizabeth smiled, and caressed her daughter's cheek. "I didn't want to be a burden to you, and I didn't want to suffer the way my grandmother did." She answered, stilling Caroline's shaking head.

Caroline felt the tears burn her eyes. "Mom…" She cracked her voice barely audible.

"The only thing that I'm sorry for is that I hurt you, my darling daughter." Elizabeth apologized, heartedly. "But it seems you have found the happiness I always hoped you would." She added, wiping her daughter's tears from her eyes.

Caroline closed her eyes, and felt her heart pull in her chest.

"He's a good man, Caroline. A little rough around the edges, but still, a good man," Elizabeth approved, as Caroline smiled.

Caroline touched her chest, and felt the pain enter her body.

Elizabeth frowned. "The pain you're feeling is his." She explained, grasping her daughter's hand. She smiled at Caroline's confusion, and bowed her head.

"You're dying."

~XXX~

Doctor Harris frowned, and pulled up. "Call it." He remarked, risking a look towards Klaus. "I'm sorry."

Klaus shook his head, and stepped forward. "No, don't you dare say you're sorry. Bring her back!" He shouted, as the nurses in the room began to trickle out in the hallway.

Harris shook his head. "I've done all I can, Mr. Mikaelson. She just gave up. There is nothing I can do." He responded, in a professional yet emotional tone.

Klaus felt his eyes brim with tears, but his anger and pain hit him. "There is always something to be done. You just didn't try hard enough." He growled, stepping closer to Caroline's body.

"I tried, Mr. Mikaelson. We all did. Caroline just gave up; there was nothing to be done." Harris stated, as Klaus nearly collapsed in the chair beside Caroline's body.

Harris risked lifting his eyes to Rebekah and Esther, and shook his head. "I'm sorry." He responded, moving out of the room, leaving the family alone.

Klaus shook his head, and grasped her hand. "You can't leave me." He cried, bowing his head, and let the tears fall.

~XXX~

"What just happened?" Caroline asked, feeling the pain intensify.

Elizabeth smiled, and stepped back. "You died."

Caroline shook her head. "No, I can't…" She paused, knowing that even though she missed her mom, there was someone who needed her.

"Klaus…"

~XXX~

Rebekah fell into her mother's arms, and cried. "She can't…" She cried, feeling Esther's hand stroke her back.

Esther lifted her eyes to the heavens, and shook her head. "I know." She whispered, letting the tears fall as she heard two of her children weep for the young lady they all loved.

~XXX~

"I can't leave him." Caroline shook her head, and turned around to find a way to get back. "He's lost so much, and if I…"

Elizabeth smiled, tenderly, and nodded. "I know, dear, which is why you have the choice."

Caroline stilled, and faced her mother. "I can't leave him, mom. I…love him." She cried out, tears falling down her face.

Elizabeth stepped forward, and grasped her daughter's upper arms. "Then let go of the pain, and go to him."

Caroline felt new tears fall from her eyes as she realized what her mom meant. "I love you, mom." She cried, feeling her mom surround her.

"I love you too, my dear." Elizabeth responded, and kissed her daughter's head, before stepping back, and touched her daughter's face. "Let it go." She added, disappearing from Caroline's sight.

~XXX~

Klaus wouldn't leave her side. He couldn't, not even if they dragged him away. He couldn't leave her.

"Niklaus…"

Klaus' jaw clenched, but he didn't move as Elijah moved beside him.

"Niklaus, you have to let go." Elijah stated, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder.

Klaus shook his head. "I can't." He muttered, staring at Caroline's face.

Elijah sighed, and bowed his head. "She's not coming back." He tried to break through.

Klaus' face could have committed murder, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he shrugged his brother's hand from his shoulder, and leaned closer to the woman who held his heart.

Elijah sighed, and closed his eyes, before he turned to leave his brother alone.

"Come back, Caroline, please, there's so much…" Klaus whispered, placing his lips on her hand. Like a flood breaking a dam, he let the tears fall, as he rested his forehead on her hand.

She wasn't coming back. He had lost her, like he had lost Henrik and Kol. He had lost another person he loved.

Turning his head, he held her hand, and lifted it just a fraction to kiss the back of her hand.

He chalked up to his imagination when he felt her hand squeeze his.

He shook his head, and slowly lowered her hand, before standing and kissed her forehead. "I love you." He whispered, kissing her forehead once more before turning to finally leave her.

"I love you too."

He stilled at the small wall, and placed his left hand on the rough surface. He was imagining it. He had to be. She was gone for five minutes. It wasn't possible.

"Klaus…"

Slowly, he turned around, and his eyes caught hers. Her beautiful sea colored eyes. They were even more beautiful than he imagined. "Caroline…" He choked out, staggering a little as he moved towards her.

She lifted her hand, as he reached blindly for it, and she smiled. "Oh, Klaus," She cried, wanting to sit up, but she couldn't due to the pain she was starting to feel in her ribs.

Klaus shook his head, and lifted his right hand to her face. "Tell me I'm not dreaming." He choked out, touching her face.

She smiled, and the tears on her face confirmed the reality. "You're not dreaming." She responded, as he cried out, and leaned down only to gently take her in his arms, and kissed her with a passion that made them shake with need.

Standing in the doorway, Esther, Rebekah, and Elijah were holding back their cries of joy as Rebekah leaped into her mother's arms, and Elijah leaned against the wall in relief.

"Elijah," Esther began, looking at her son. "Call Dr. Harris," She instructed, and he smiled with a nod of his head, and disappeared in the hallway. "We'll give them a few moments." Esther whispered to her daughter, who nodded in agreement.

Caroline was back.

Please be kind!

I know this chapter was an emotional roller coaster ride for you all, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same!

5 chapters to go! I have a personal deadline to have a few stories wrapped up by March, because I have new stories that need to be uploaded, and are actually on the edge of demanding to be uploaded sooner, but I have a deal with them at the moment. LOL! You all will get a sneak peak when this story is wrapped up, and heads up. I have today free, so... YAY!

Next Chapter: Question

Until Next Time...