Hey guys! I'm sooooo sorry this has taken forever. Life has been hectic af and this chapter took so much of me. I kept re-calculating it and re-deciding how I wanted things to go; changing my mind about dialogue and conversations etc. As you'll see this is a really important chapter so I just wanted to get everything perfect and combined with my busy and exhausting life, that ended up taking forever. I can't promise the next one won't take long too, as November seems set to be the most stressful month of this year, but I'm pretty sure it won't be as long. Anyway, hope you enjoy, please let me know :) Love you guys and apologies for any errors! I edited as quickly as possible so I could still get this out to you guys today.

It's a minute later that he climbs in beside her and the car pulls away.

She's focused on not crying and not speaking so it takes several minutes to realise that they're not heading back into town.

Oh my god, he's finally resorted to actually kidnapping me.

Her heart starts thumping erratically, instantly recalling: Shh, it's okay, it's me. You're safe.

But she hadn't been. He'd sent her home, made her promise to stay there, then kidnapped her best friend and tried to kill her by draining her of blood.

Klaus is dangerous. Why had she let herself forget that?

"Where are you taking me?"

Her voice is shaky and it makes him glance over, but he doesn't answer.

Fear only roots itself more firmly in her stomach but then suddenly they start slowing down and she begins to take in her surroundings; cataloguing the road signs and trees to realise that's it's all familiar to her.

"Wait…"

But it's just a few seconds before they pull in to the parking lot, confirming her suspicions.

"Oh my god," she breathes, unable to take her eyes off the signage, even though she can feel his gaze on her.

Her body moves on its own, climbing out and nearing the entrance of the place she hadn't been to in years – over a decade's worth, if you're counting all the time she can't remember.

But the ice cream shop is still exactly the same. The neon lights; the staff with the funny pink and white hats.

It's all still the same as when her dad brought her here as a kid for extra good behaviour.

She touches the glass but suddenly a guy is behind it, turning around the Open sign.

He shrugs in apology and she's opening her mouth to ask him to wait when Klaus is suddenly beside her.

"Is that any way to treat a lady, mate?"

He shrugs again. "We're closed."

Klaus gets up close to the glass and she watches the teenager's pupils dilate.

"Not for us," he compels.

The guy heaves a sigh but duly lets them in. Klaus lets her go first and she enters with eyes wide, taking everything in.

It really is exactly the same; not a thing out of place or changed. Just over there is where her dad would place her before getting down to one knee and telling her she could have anything she wanted.

"What'll it be?" the guy asks, behind the counter.

She shakes out of the memory, blinking.

"Um… a banana split."

He shoots a quick glance at the Original behind her then shrugs, heading to the back to make her dessert.

It reminds her that Klaus is still behind her, practically still at the entrance, standing stiffly as he surveys the store.

She hesitates but then forces herself to approach, dragging her feet a little.

"So… I brought you here?"

It bothers her. In a way she feels betrayed by her past self. Who had given her the right to bring the Original Hybrid here?

Knowing the dark side of her was one thing – seeing her childhood was something completely different. Both made her vulnerable, but this unsettled her.

"No," he shakes his head. "You wanted to but never had the chance."

Her eyes narrow.

"Then how did you know about it?"

"You told me."

She feels strangely naked under his, very deliberate, gaze. Ten minutes of driving without a single glance and now he's laser-focused on her.

And she feels naked.

Not just because of the way he's staring but also because now she knows it's actually worse – she hadn't brought him here. She'd told him about her memories here; shared her life. Shared something that hurt; made her feel raw and exposed. Because this was the happiest place she associated with her father. Her father, whom she loved. Her father, whom she hadn't been good enough for.

She blinks, trying to shake off those feelings, too, but can't.

There is something between her and Klaus that she can't just get rid of.

Even if he leaves, he will always carry a part of her with him. And that had been the whole point of this – she has to know how much. He can't carry around more of her than she does. She has to know what he does. But somewhere along the line – between this afternoon and now – it had become much more than that. It had gotten to the point where she had become jealous of herself.

And now it doesn't even matter, because she'd already ended them, hadn't she?

Suddenly a bolt shoots up her spine as she remembers her own words.

And it's like you're just trying to get her back. We're doing the same things. Her memories need to be my memories.

The significance hits her immediately and she's about to say something but her banana split is done and the guy calls out for her.

Her and Klaus share the gaze for a few seconds longer before she forces herself to breathe and blink then moves off.

"So I brought you here?"

"No."

Her heart is pounding, so she feels self-conscious when he appears right behind her and orders himself something.

You have to choose. I'm all that's left and I can't compromise on this: I need you to stop waiting for me to get my memories back. Otherwise we can't do this.

Their order is ready quickly and the guy sets it in front of them with two takeaway glasses, which Klaus stares at disdainfully. She hides a grin at that before gathering her stuff and heading to the soda fountain, where she gets Diet Pepsi because it's the only one she recognises. Klaus stares at the machine for a few seconds then gets water. She hides another smile.

They still don't speak as they head to one of the bright white plastic tables and, as they're sitting, she's officially had enough.

"So, do you like the place?"

He looks surprised by her speaking then reverts to a smirk as he finishes fumbling with his stuff and sets it down.

"I suppose it could be worse."

She cocks her head sarcastically. "Is that what counts for a compliment in 2050?"

That gets her a smile.

He shrugs a shoulder as he works at getting the lid off his sorbet.

"It's an ice cream store that hasn't changed for half a century. What do you expect me to say?"

"…Thank you."

He looks up in confusion. "Why would I say that?"

She smiles a little. "I meant me. I was saying thank you." She hesitates, then: "For choosing me."

Their eyes meet and she tries ridiculously hard not to blush as his eyes do that stare-into-the-depths-of-her-soul thing.

Quickly she looks away but, with the lightest of touches on her chin, he makes her look back at him.

"I'll always choose you, Caroline. As I always have. Never doubt that."

There's something hypnotic about the way he says it – maybe that, for once, she doesn't doubt what he's saying for even a second.

So she finds herself responding.

"I won't ever, again."

His finger lingers on her chin for a second longer beside the heat of his gaze, then he looks away, and she sighs with the loss of his warmth.

"…So I think we may have been going about this the wrong way."

He peers at her. "This?"

"Getting to know each other... Well – me getting to know… us both," she says slowly as she works it out in her mind.

He smirks, amused, but takes the bait.

"And how should we rather go about doing it?"

She quirks her eyebrow at his phrasing but he only stares at her – challenging her to point out the innuendo. She decides not to, but she's pretty sure her cheeks turn pink anyhow.

She gestures. "I want to know you; who you are, you know?"

He's staring at her like he either very much doesn't know or really doesn't want to admit that he does.

She huffs. "Just the basic stuff. Stuff normal people know about each other. Sort of like if you were making a Tinder profile. Does Tinder still exist?"

"No, the newest craze is called Lobster, where people pick sexual partners based on images of their pets."

Her jaw falls open. "Seriously?"

"No."

She gasps at the deadpan then only gets more affronted when he grins evilly.

"You can't do that!" she yells, but they're both laughing as she tosses a serviette in his face and she's enjoying herself, she realises.

"So," she starts, digging out a scoop of her ice cream, "go."

He regards her.

"I've never made a Tinder profile before, Caroline."

"Just start with the basics, seriously," she rolls her eyes. At his blank stare: "How old are you?"

"One thousand and nearing-a-hundred."

"Ok, so… Experienced."

He stares at her strangely and she rolls her eyes again.

"Nobody tells the whole truth."

He looks amused as he leans back in his chair.

"I have three siblings left, of five. One is an overbearing sister."

"Part of a big family that hit a run of bad luck."

His eyes gleam as he stares at her.

"I murdered my father and mother."

"Complicated relationship with parents."

He lets out a laugh at that, then continues.

"I've been a vampire for far longer than I was ever human. However, I'm also a werewolf – and I revel in both those sides of myself."

She stills at that, trying to analyse what it is he's telling her.

A vampire for longer than he'd ever been human – is that supposed to somehow explain everything bad he'd done? All the lives he'd taken? His disconnect to humanity in general?

Is it bad that she's factoring it in?

She clears her throat.

"Into some kink."

He chuckles fully at that before taking a sip of water.

For the umpteenth time tonight, she resumes her staring at him. It's like watching someone on candid camera, except this is somehow so different.

He always knows she's staring. She knows he wants her to; to take in all of him. But there's also something about the way he moves beneath her gaze, as if he has to act just right.

She wonders what it is. Her expectations? Does he think she'll spook if he makes the wrong move too quick? Is he afraid of scaring her by being too much of himself? What's he holding back? How much of the monster she'd heard about from her friends is part of the real him?

She wishes she could answer these question while staring at him.

Instead, what she gets is the undeniable proof that she likes this. She likes following him with her eyes, watching the way his neck ducks and hands move; the way his Adam's apple bobs as he sips and his long fingers release the glass.

"Um… what about… What about what you're looking for?"

He glances at her before looking back at his water.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have to do like a few sentences on what you want from the relationship you're going to find."

He meets her eyes, then, sitting forward with his elbows on the table.

"I'm looking for someone to spend the next millennium with. Nothing too serious."

She grins. "Totally casual."

"Very."

He comes closer and for a second she thinks he's going to kiss her. Her eyes almost flutter but then he stops, and she feels the oddest sensation of disappointment bubble in her stomach.

She brushes it away with the excuse that Past Caroline is once again intruding.

"And this person you're looking for, what should they be like?"

His eyes bore deeper into her even as his lips turn up in a smirk. It's always intrigued her how his eyes are capable of being in such a different mood to the rest of his features.

"Someone intelligent, gorgeous; entirely irresistible. Her wit cuts razor-sharp and I'll dream about her glare. Also, preferably, she'll be suffering severe memory loss." He shrugs, mock-forlorn. "That's my type."

With a bursting giggle, she shoves him backwards and he's laughing too, which she's happy about because maybe he won't notice her deep blush.

"I don't think you're supposed to judge me," he teases.

"Shut up!" she rolls her eyes.

Still smiling, he eats some of his sorbet and she watches for a second before her stomach does a roll and forces her to speak – she has to know.

"You think I'm irresistible?"

He cocks his head a little, like he finds the question confusing, but doesn't hesitate in his answer.

"Of course."

"Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"…It's just that I'm learning a lot, tonight."

"So the Tinder tactic worked?"

She smiles. "No. That barely told me anything I didn't already know."

"Then what?"

She watches him carefully, trying to figure out how to phrase her response honestly.

"You know that side of me that I don't normally let people see?" He nods. "Well I'm starting to see sides to you, too, that I never knew existed."

He ducks his head, fidgeting, and she's not sure if it's out of insecurity or guardedness.

"And which sides are those?"

Desperately she mentally begs her cheeks not to heat up as she answers, remembering all the dirty things he'd said to her earlier.

"This really deep seductive side that's sexy in kind of a dark way. And…"

She bites her cheek as she remembers him screaming at her; pointing at her with fury in his eyes. There had been something about that…

You don't get to say we're done and then just walk out.

"I guess the way you didn't just let me get away with it."

It had been scary but also somehow thrilling – calling out to that darker side of her, she supposed, or maybe even Past Caroline reacting.

"Should I be offended you didn't think of me as sexy before?"

She was looking down too but now she looks up, to meet his smirk.

She's tempted to join in on the flirting but decides to answer it honestly instead.

"Before? I thought you were hot and dangerous and weirdly nice, considering everything I'd heard about you."

He looks amused. "I was enchanted by you."

"I thought it was weird. Flattering, but weird. Until you saved me, or tried to save me, that day with Alaric." Which, to her, is the day before yesterday. "Then I didn't know what to think."

His eyes are more serious, now, as he takes this in.

"You thanked me."

"I was shocked. You seemed to care so strongly about me being safe. I thought maybe… all of it had been serious, after all."

"…but?" he asks, taking the cue from her tone.

"But then you tried to kill my best friend. And I realised you'd just been building up my trust in you the whole time, so that when the time was right I would run home like a good little girl while you sacrificed Elena yet again."

He sits back with a heavy exhale, his face marred with horror.

Obviously, from the way their relationship had gone in the past, he had never considered that she'd interpreted it that way. Had he apologised to Past Caroline? Had he made up for it in some way; explained?

It can't matter for her, though. For her time had frozen, then, and that is all she remembers.

It's okay. It's okay, it's me. It's okay. You're safe.

We'll save Elena. You go straight home; you stay inside.

And then Tyler's call, telling her that Klaus had Elena and was draining her of all her blood. Followed by the rush of betrayal and self-hatred, for letting him get to her. Goddamn, she was supposed to have been too smart to be seduced by him.

She watches as he, too, realises this. Makes sense of her – this Caroline.

I really don't want you here

Please don't touch me

I still don't understand. Anything about us. I don't get how we went from me having a party about you desiccating in a coffin to being in love

And how do you think it feels to realise that you dated and loved a monster

Their first conversation –

"Are we… together?"

"Yes."

"…How does that make you feel?"

"Confused. Disgusted – mostly confused."

"I supposed I took for granted what came after," he breathes. "All the things you forgave me for; overlooked." He winces. "But now they're all fresh in your memory and you don't remember what came after."

"I'd like to know what came after," she says, softly.

He leans forward suddenly.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't know you remembered that day that way. I didn't know you'd felt that way." He takes a shaky breath. "You never told me."

It makes her smile a little.

"Then maybe we're both learning."

Now she knows he does want to kiss her – the way his glance darts down to her lips and lingers for the shortest of seconds before returning to her eyes with the air of a guilty boy.

So she guesses bittersweet moments were also a thing for them – was anything not a sex cue with them? But then she can't help looking at his lips, too, and thinking of course not.

But first –

"I'm sorry, too." To his frown: "This whole 'dating you' thing was based on a false pretence. At least it was different than how I probably made it come off. I wasn't doing it because I wanted us to get back together. I was doing it because I wanted an explanation. My journals couldn't tell me why I loved you and I needed to know. But also because… I wanted to know everything you knew about me. How much I'd… given myself to you, I guess."

He looks hurt – he almost winces again. But he says nothing.

Instead, his hand darts forward then quickly pulls back as, she assumes, he remembers not to touch her that way.

He wants to comfort her, she realises.

"You're not mad?"

His jaw ticks and he struggles with himself, perhaps with the right words to respond, before he speaks.

"I assume you're telling me now because something has changed."

She opens her mouth to reply then closes it, catching sight of his hand on the table between them.

She's not sure where the certainty comes from that has her reach out – but wherever it's from, she likes it.

She places her hand atop his, a different kind of shiver running through her body than when he'd first touched her after she'd gotten out of the coffin. It seems to set her body alight, the way their skin meets – this time completely of her own accord, not some bodily reaction she has no way of explaining.

His eyes dart to hers and she can see him questioning just that – whether this is her, or Past Caroline's reflexes coming out to play again.

"Everything's changed," she assures, holding his deep blue eyes with hers. "I want you."

She can tell from his eyes – the way they widen with insecurity and need – that that's all she ever has to say. I want you – and he'll be there.

So that's how I loved you.

He hesitates but then his thumb comes up to caress the side of her hand and she feels more tingles jump down her arm and run down her spine.

God, she's so curious to know what his skin would feel like against hers elsewhere on her body. She thinks she might just explode.

If I'm the spark, maybe he's the oxygen, she thinks. Maybe I need him, to explode. God, I want to.

With her free hand she lifts her glass.

"To new memories."

He picks up his water and, with their plastic glasses in the kitsch ice cream store he must hate to be having a first date in, they toast to their new beginning.