Sorry for the late update. I lost inspiration for this story for a time. I apologize immensely. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE REVIEWED, FAVORITED, AND ALERTED THIS STORY! You guys mean so much to me!

Please remember to review at the end! :)

Shocked. Yes, that was a great word.

Rushed. Maybe so.

Klaus didn't know what to make of the feel of the Goddess's lips on his.

Lifting his left hand, he gently caressed her face, as his lips caressed hers.

It wasn't a deep kiss. On the contrary, it was a soft, yet passionate kiss.

Slowly, Carline pulled back, and her eyes slowly opened to see Klaus' eyes still closed. She couldn't believe what she had done, and yet it felt right. Shivers had run down her spine at the contact, and she felt…at home. How could she? This wasn't her home. Or was it? She bit her tongue at the thought.

She watched as Klaus' eyes opened, and she watched as fire flashed in his eyes, but dwindles to a simmer.

His hand, still on her face, stroked it softly. No words needed to be spoken, but they could feel the air around them change, just from a simple kiss.

They searched each other's eyes, and found the answer's they both yearned for. They knew everything was changing between them, all because Caroline had taken a step forward. She had listened to her heart, and found it falling hopelessly in love with the despised god of Mystic Falls.

What scared her more was not that it was wrong. It was she didn't care.

No, she didn't care. It might have been rushed, but she took a chance, and gave in to what her heart was yearning for. In just a short time, she saw what most never dared to look for. She saw him, the man, not the god, the man who was lonely and was yearning for someone to see him, someone to take away his loneliness.

Others might have called her stupid for giving in and for rushing into this after he had kidnapped her, but was she just as stupid if she had not. She saw Klaus for the man he could be, if given the chance, and didn't she say she was going to give him a chance? She did. Wouldn't she be labeled a hypocrite if she didn't do what she said she would? She would. So, she did what she thought was time for. She listened to her heart, and was rewarded with a feeling she never experienced before.

It wasn't desire. It wasn't lust. It was something entirely different. She felt whole. Like a piece of her had been missing from her, her whole life, and she had found it. In the form of Niklaus Mikaelson, the most feared god of Mystic Falls. And she didn't care what others thought. She saw a perfect chance, and she took it. She didn't regret it, but…

Would he?

Biting her lip, Caroline looked down at his chest, where she had moved her right hand, trying to avoid his eyes.

Klaus lowered his head, trying to see if regret displayed on her face.

"Caroline." He whispered, after a moment.

She felt her heart warm at the sound of her name on his lips.

She lifted her eyes to his, and smiled.

"Yes?" She asked in a soft tone.

He sighed, as he pushed her blonde hair behind her ear. "What are you doing to me?" He asked, staring into her eyes.

"I could ask you the same." She answered, with a smile.

He smiled in return, and was about to either recommend they continue their tour or kiss her again; he wasn't entirely sure which one he should do, when he heard his name being called from behind them.

He sighed as he stepped back, away from the temptation of gathering her in his arms once more.

His eyes narrowed as he saw the man coming closer. He was tempted to step in front of Caroline. He didn't want this man, who apparently had a thing for blondes, trying to take her away from him.

"What is it, Stefan?" He asked when the man came closer to them.

Caroline moved her eyes over the man. He was masculine built with enlarged biceps and was very pleasing to the eyes. He looked as if he was made for working with his hands, for his hands were very masculine and had calluses on almost every finger. He had sandy blonde hair, and piercing green eyes. The only downside was a limp he suffered from on his left side, which seemed to affect his left arm as well, for it was slightly bent, permanently, from his elbow down. Her eyes widened as she noticed his face had slight scars on his left side as well, from a burn, it appeared.

He noticed her studying him, and he smiled slightly.

"I take it this is…" He trailed off, pointing with his right hand.

Klaus nodded. "Caroline, this is Stefan Salvatore, God of Fire and Metals." He introduced, tensely.

Caroline smiled and bowed her head. "Pleasure." She returned, politely.

Klaus bit down a surge of jealously, and focused on Stefan.

"What brings you down to the underworld, mate?" He asked, noticing some of the jealousy escaped in his tone.

Stefan smirked at the tone. "I came to deliver those harnesses you requested, and to ask for your assistance, since the wolves only listen to you, they won't let me anywhere near them to put them on." He stated, taking in how Klaus moved in front of Caroline, and how she seemed to relax at the movement.

Maybe the prophesy was true. Stefan never put much stock in prophesies, not after his little debacle with the fates, which only few knew about, and he liked to keep it that way.

Klaus nodded, and held up his left hand. "I'll be right there, Stefan, after I see the Goddess back." He stated with slight annoyance and finality.

Stefan nodded, and gave a small bow to Caroline. "It was nice to meet you, Goddess." He replied, kindly with a hint of formality.

Caroline smiled, and nodded towards him. "Likewise." She returned.

Stefan smiled, and nodded once more to Klaus, before turning around, leaving them in silence.

Klaus let out a small growl, and turned to Caroline, who was looking at him curiously. "What?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Caroline slowly shook her head, and lowered her eyes. "Nothing." She whispered, moving past him, towards the bridge.

Klaus rolled his eyes, and reached out, gently grabbing her right arm. "Caroline" He said, with slight frustration.

Caroline glanced at where his hand rested on her arm, and couldn't help but feel the charge emanating from his fingers through her skin into her soul.

Klaus followed her gaze and slowly dropped his hand from her arm, and felt the rejection he thought would occur. The kiss meant nothing. He concluded in his thoughts. He sighed and then started to move past her up the bridge.

"Do you regret me kissing you?" She asked, in a slight weak voice.

Klaus froze. Slowly he turned around, and saw the pain on her face as he heard in her voice. He watched as her eyes radiated fear, not from him personally, but from what his next move could possibly be.

His silence seemed to answer her question as she gave a slow nod, and started up the bridge, only to have him stop her, by standing in front of her, blocking her walkway. She kept her eyes downcast as he studied her.

Tilting his head, he lifted his right hand, and slowly lifted her face to his. With the same tenderness she showed him, he kissed her. He opened his mouth only slightly, and slowly pulled back. He had never been so tender with a woman, but she demanded it.

He watched as her eyes opened, and the rejection he had once seen in them, was gone. Instead, her eyes filled joy.

"Thank you." She whispered, stepping back from him.

Klaus dropped his hands, and shrugged. "For what?" He asked, watching her.

She smiled and reached forward to grasp his left hand with her right. "For showing me, you." She answered, squeezing his hand gently.

Klaus had no answer to that. He swallowed and gave a curt nod. "We better return to the palace." He whispered in a strangled tone.

Caroline nodded, as he led the way back to the palace. As they entered, the palace Caroline realized a weight had left her body as he walked her back to the room.

She sighed as they stopped outside of her door. He turned to her, and raised a brow. "What's the matter, Goddess?" He asked, with a smirk.

She glanced at him, and lowered her head. "Would you mind if I looked around the palace? If I promise not to leave it?" She asked, holding up her hands.

Klaus frowned, and turned his head to the side. "I suppose, as long as you don't wander in places you shouldn't." He remarked, turning on his heel to leave her.

"How would I know if I shouldn't enter places?" She shouted to his retreating back.

He stopped and turned his head to look at her. "You'll know." He stated, simply before he disappeared down the hall.

She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll know." She stated, narrowing her eyes. "What the hell kind of answer is that?" She asked, as she moved down the hall.

~X~

Darkness seemed to encompass the land. Where the light once shown, darkness now dwelt. It seemed hopeless that the light should return to finish what light started.

The flowers withered on the ground as the darkness surrounded them with no air or light to reach them.

People began to notice the trees calling out into nothing, begging for the return of the light. They began to wonder where the light had gone, for the darkness began to chase every person in the quaint little one pony town, until they had no choice but to succumb to it.

Those who survived hoped the darkness would be abated, and the light would return.

Liz watched as people began to be driven mad as the darkness surrounded them. She could fight the darkness, but her daughter was the one who could control it.

Her daughter was the light. Her daughter was the one who could defeat the darkness. Tears fell from Liz's eyes, causing rain to pour from the heavens, as she thought of her daughter, trapped for all eternity with the darkness of the underworld.

This darkness was different than the darkness her daughter was now facing. This darkness was ruthless, and carried no hope for salvation.

How could she defeat such a terrible manifestation of the loss of light? She couldn't do it alone, but she had to.

Until her daughter returned, she had no choice, but to fight the darkness, which was destroying the very essence of the world.

But how could she? Liz fell to her knees in the meadow, her daughter's meadow, and cried as the rain fell down, harder than ever before.

"Nothing will stop the darkness." A voice penetrated through.

Liz lifted her head, and found Esther, the Queen of the Gods, standing before her. "Only love will stop it." Esther replied, kneeling before Liz.

Liz looked around. "How can love stop such a formidable enemy?" She asked, through her tears.

Esther's kind face turned to smile. "Of all the magic in this ever changing world, the only magic powerful enough to defeat the darkest of the dark is love." She explained with a touch of her hand on Liz's. "You must not lose hope. The answer will come." She added, with smile.

Liz nodded, and bowed her head, as Esther disappeared once more.

Love will defeat the darkness. Love from light will defeat it. That was her only hope.

~X~

Caroline found her way around the palace and sighed as she turned down a wrong hallway.

"I swear. It's like the palace has a mind of its own." She exclaimed as she threw her arms out. She turned around, only to find herself looking at the same hall she was trying to get out of.

"Seriously?!" She shouted, her face contorting in irritation. "There is nothing down here." She stated, looking up at whomever or whatever was making the hall move.

She sighed as felt a chill run through her and moved a tapestry hanging on the end wall, revealing a doorway.

She tilted her head, and stepped toward the tapestry, and moved it to the side. "What do you want me to see down here?" She called out, and then wondered why she was talking to thin air.

She sighed as she entered the through the doorway, watching as the light began to fill the room. She gasped as she took in the sight before her.

It was an art room.

Artwork from what appeared to be hundreds of years filled each wall. She moved around the room, careful not to touch any of the pieces, but finding each one more breathtaking than the last. She couldn't believe these were hiding in here, away from everything and everyone.

They needed to be shared and displayed, not locked up in a dark castle. If they were to be displayed, perhaps the light emanating from them would fill the dark palace.

Caroline smiled at the thought, and covered her mouth as she took in the painting before her.

It wasn't a landscape, like the other ones, this one featured a meadow with a young blonde haired woman in the center, with her arms outstretched, beckoning to whoever was watching to come closer.

Her eyes widened as she realized the person in the painting was her. She stepped closer, and took in every detail. The light in the painting seemed to be the brightest of all, not because she was featured or her meadow, but the way it was painted.

Her eyes traced every line, every detail, and she realized this painting was not painted as an obsession, but as a gesture of love.

She smiled to herself at the thought of the painter falling for a simple goddess like her, a woman who was chosen for her duty, because of her light. Now the light seemed to be shared with a simple painting.

She couldn't help but feel the warm glow emanating from the simple picture. She wondered why he painted such a piece. This was not painted by a man who commanded fear and respect, who ruled the underworld. This was painted by a man desperately trying to capture and understand the light she carried.

She should have been appalled that he would do such a thing, but not now. Not when she realized, she was falling in love with him, and she was still getting to know him. She was flattered, and the painting proved her assumption and knowledge. He could be saved. He just needed the light to save him.

She stood there for what seemed like hours just drinking in the painting, when she heard a throat clear behind her.

She whirled around, and her right hand went flying to her throat. Her eyes widened as she studied, quickly, the man standing in front of her. She took a step back, at the look on his face.

"How did you find this room?" Klaus asked in a controlled voice.

Caroline shrugged slightly. "I don't know. I was just looking around, and it found me." She answered, looking around.

Klaus' eyes widened. "It found you?" He asked, moving his eyes away from her.

Caroline nodded. "Now, I know it sounds crazy, but I swear that's what happened." She stated the fear from earlier leaving her.

Klaus smirked and shook his head. "I don't believe this." He muttered, lowering his head.

Caroline frowned and crossed her arms. "Look, I don't expect you to believe me, but that's what happened." She repeated, getting frustrated at his apparent amusement.

Klaus felt a laugh bubbling in his chest, and he finally shook his head as he let it out.

Which only made Caroline even more upset. "That's not funny." She stated, looking at him up and down.

Klaus nodded, and lifted his right hand. "I know." He replied, in another laugh.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Granted this was the first time she had ever heard him laugh, but still to laugh at her. "Then stop laughing." She scolded, wanting to stomp her foot, but fought the urge.

Klaus nodded, and covered his mouth with his right hand. He struggled to find composure, but failed once more. "I'm sorry, Caroline, but this room was created for my personal art room, and to keep unwanted visitors out, but apparently it wanted to share its treasure with you." He stated, after he finally stopped laughing.

Caroline dropped her arms, and then let a smile form on her lips. "So I take it the room likes me." She stated, looking around her.

Klaus smiled and nodded. "Apparently, or else it wouldn't have let you in." He replied, with another chuckle.

"But if the room let me in, why did you get so cold when you found me?" She asked, folding her arms once more.

Klaus sighed, and turned to the painting to the right of him. It was a mountain scene with snow covering the tops of the mountains, and a single snowflake falling down in front of the mountains.

"Few people have ever seen my artwork, and those who have always shun it." He whispered, studying the painting.

Caroline read between the lines. "And you thought I would shun them." She concluded, stepping beside him.

Klaus didn't move, but Caroline took that as her answer.

"Well, I'm here to say, these are beautiful, Klaus." She whispered, with a smile.

Klaus swallowed and turned his head, noticing she was studying the painting with the brightest smile on her face.

He had wanted to show her his paintings, ever since she kissed him, but he was afraid she would reject them. Now she had displaced his fears, and accepted them. She would never stop surprising him.

"Thank you." He whispered, as emotion began welling up inside him.

Her eyes widened. "Well, I never thought I would live to see the day when Klaus Mikaelson would say thank you." She stated with a small laugh.

Klaus smiled, and shook his head.

Caroline smiled, and touched his arm lightly. "By the way," She whispered, coming closer to his ear. "You're welcome." She whispered, kissing him lightly on the cheek, before she moved to leave, leaving him there speechless.

She paused at the door, and watched as he took a deep breathe. She smiled as he turned his head to look at her, and she watched as he smiled back.

As she returned to her room, she thought how she was right, and when she closed the door, her answer became more evident.

On the far wall, hanging carefully, was the painting of her in the meadow.

What did you think? I ask again that the reviews be nice, NO HARSH COMMENTS! It hurts a writers feelings, and gets them to give up on stories. :)

I know it may seem that they are moving kinda fast, but this is the beginning stage of their relationship. They still have ways to go yet.

Until Next Time...