I'm up late, and yet I've got to get up early for my mother's procedure. Ah, the joy of writing, how you deprive me of sleep!
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!
Please remember to review at the end! :)
She felt someone touch her face, and slowly her eyes opened. Staring down at her was the blue eyes of her love, and she smiled, as she reached up to touch his face. "Nik…" She whispered, and he smiled, showing off his dimples.
"Hello, love, we made it." He remarked, searching her eyes.
"Made it where?" She asked, moving to sit up, and Klaus helped her. She looked down at her body, and she gasped at what she was wearing. "Is this?" She began, and he sighed, as he motioned to his skirt.
"It is." He stated, begrudgingly.
She smiled, and lifted the material of her dress. "Well, we knew we were going to be sent back when we drank that potion." She confessed, lowly. "Or at least it gives the illusion of being sent back." She remarked, lowly.
Klaus sighed, and shook his head. "Yeah, but couldn't we have just stayed in our modern clothes." He stated, sadly. "I miss my jeans."
She laughed, and touched his hand. "You're handsome no matter what you wear." She whispered, and he hummed before leaning forward to kiss her lips.
They sighed against their lips, and slowly separated. Caroline looked around. "Where's Tyler?" She whispered, before looking at Klaus.
Klaus shrugged, and helped her stand, trying to get used to wearing the outfit he wore four thousand years ago. "I don't know. He was standing in front of us when we drank the potion." He answered, looking around, turning his to try to see every nook where Tyler might be hiding.
Caroline leaned into his side, and touched her stomach. "This is before we killed each other." She muttered, looking around at the table where she remembered pushing the dagger into Klaus' chest. She approached the altar, and touched the top, and her mind filled with images and pain.
~XXX~
Caroline felt the dagger enter her chest, and she gasped. She listened as the Pharaoh made his threat, and it wasn't long after that she succumbed to the dagger.
"Niklaus!" She shouted into the darkness she knew had to be the underworld. "Niklaus! Please!" She cried out, tears filling her eyes.
"Caroline!"
She turned in the darkness, and smiled as she saw him standing a few feet away from her. She ran towards him, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "We did it." She whispered in his ear, as his arms encircled around her waist.
He breathed her in, and pulled her tighter to him. "For now," He returned, knowing this wasn't over.
Caroline pulled back, and touched his face. "We're together. He didn't succeed, my love." She forced out, shaking her head.
He tried to smile, but his heart wasn't in it. He knew the truth. He knew Tyler had bounded them together, and he was going to lose her in the future.
Caroline saw his sadness, and leaned forward, resting her forehead on his. "Enjoy the moment, my Niklaus, please," She begged, and he sighed, pulling her into his arms.
"True love is a precious gift."
They pulled apart to find a beautiful dark skinned woman with long black hair in a golden gown standing a few feet from them.
"Goddess," Caroline exclaimed, bowing her head.
Klaus held her close, and bowed his head in respect.
Isis smiled, and approached, holding her hands out towards Caroline, who took the goddess's hands in hers. "The fight is not over, young one." She remarked in a voice as soft as honey. "You will be tested in the future, and though this will be hard, I'm afraid you cannot stay together until your rebirth." She added, as gently as she could.
Caroline shook her head and backed away to lean into Klaus' side. "I can't do that, Goddess. I can't leave him, after everything…" She trailed off, her voice choking on the words.
Isis bowed her head. "I am sorry, Caroline, but this is the way it must be. The sacrifice you have done ensures the rebirth of your souls and memories, but I'm afraid the curse must carry on in order to thwart Tyler." She explained, calmly.
Tears trailed down Caroline's cheeks, and she bowed her head. "I can't leave him." She whispered, feeling Klaus tense beside her. "We have already sacrificed so much." She added, the tears blurring her vision.
Klaus watched as Isis' eyes filled with tears, and he knew this was something that had to be done. "Caroline," He began, cupping her chin with his fingers, and lifted her face to gaze into her eyes, even though his own vision was blurred from the tears in his eyes. "We'll be together again." He whispered, hating the pain in her eyes. "I have no doubt of that." He added, trying to smile.
She sobbed, and lifted her hands to his face. "I will fight until my last breath in the underworld, my Niklaus." She vowed, and Isis smiled at the conviction in her young priestess's voice.
He smiled, and leaned forward to capture her mouth with his. "I would expect nothing less, my Caroline." He returned, as he pulled back a fraction, before pulling her close with their mouths roaming over each other.
They pulled back, and Isis approached Caroline with a tender gaze. "The fight will not be easy, but remember the love you have for each other, and you will win against Tyler." She conveyed, touching Caroline's shoulder.
Turning to Klaus, she smiled. "My husband will take you to safety." She revealed, as she and Caroline disappeared, and Klaus turned to find Osiris, the God of the Underworld beside him.
Osiris bowed his head, and looked towards the area where his wife had stood. "Death will never separate true love, Niklaus, remember that." He consoled, placing his hand on Klaus' shoulder.
"It'll be an eternity before I see her again." Klaus spoke aloud, his voice devoid of emotion.
Osiris sighed. "Eternity is not as long as you think, especially where love is involved, trust me." He returned, and motioned for Klaus to follow.
Klaus longingly gazed towards the empty place where his love had disappeared, and his heart ached in his chest. "I'll see you again, Caroline." He vowed, and followed the God of the Underworld to safety.
~XXX~
"All those years…" She whispered, bowing her head, feeling Klaus touch her back. She turned to face him, and caught his determined eyes. "All those years in the underworld, and we never saw each other." She remarked, searching his eyes.
Klaus shook his head. "We knew the price before we countered Tyler's curse, love." He tried to reason, touching her face. "We knew the sacrifice had to be more than just physical."
She scoffed, and moved away from his touch. "Four hundred years in the underworld, wishing I could be with you, but I couldn't because Tyler could have found us." She stated anger evident in her words. "I want that son of a bitch to pay for this." She added, her eyes flashing.
He smirked, and caressed her face. "If it makes you feel any better, I want the same thing." He added, and she smiled, only a fraction.
"Only a small fraction," She added, sighing.
She moved her eyes around the room, and her brow furrowed. "Where is he?"
Klaus shook his head, and turned around to survey the room around them. "I don't know, love, but I want you to promise something." He began, turning his head to look at her. "Don't stop fighting, no matter what you hear or see." He added, and she tilted her head to the side, but slowly nodded.
He smiled, and grasped her hand in his before turning to face the empty space in front of them. His eyes focused, and he tensed. "Hiding in the shadows is not your style, Tyler." He shouted, feeling Caroline stiffen behind him, before she moved beside him.
A dark chuckle left the shadows, and slowly the Pharaoh who had cursed them stepped out of the shadows. "Who says I'm hiding, when I have observed so much." He began, lifting a dagger in his hands. "I find it fascinating that the one couple, who performed the true love spell, never practiced true love." He remarked, with a chuckle. "Together and yet separated for all eternity," He explained, moving the dagger around in his hands. "How poetic, really."
Caroline frowned. She knew the dangers of entering the realm of the dead, but this was where Tyler could be defeated for all eternity, and it had to be at this time at this moment.
Even though she and Klaus were not dead, the potion made it appear they were, and it gave them certain leverage. They knew and understood that the only way Tyler could remain in the realm of the living is if he killed Klaus' soul, and his soul entered Klaus' body.
The soul of the pharaoh in Caroline's true love's body was more than she could bear. She could never love Tyler's soul no matter what body he inhabited.
His soul was dark and twisted, nothing like Klaus', whose soul was pure, tainted, but full of love and emotion.
She squeezed Klaus' hand with hers, and her heart pounded in her chest. "What do you know of love?" She spat, feeling Klaus tense beside her. "Love binds us and gives us hope." She continued, as Tyler approached.
Tyler pursed his lips, and his raised his brows. "Well, what good is hope when love was never there to begin with?" He asked, shifting his eyes to Klaus, and smiled. "You never loved her, did you, Klaus?" He mocked, savagely. "You only went after her because you knew I wanted her." He continued, pointing towards Caroline. "She was nothing but a conquest to you. You only wanted her body, but when you realized your pathetic excuse of a soul couldn't stand the thought of hurting her golden soul, you continued to play along, to satisfy her."
Caroline shifted her eyes to Klaus, and saw his jaw tighten. This was what he meant about what she heard and sees she should not give in. Her soul felt warm, and she knew the lies Tyler spat were truly lies, for Klaus' thumb on her hand, moved up and down on her palm, soothing her.
She lifted her right hand, and rested it on his arm, letting him know she didn't believe the lies. His left hand reached up, and touched her hand, squeezing her fingers.
"You feed nothing but lies, Tyler." Klaus ground out, taking in the comfort that Caroline didn't believe the lies.
Tyler sighed, and shook his head. "There is nothing worse than the truth becoming a lie." He stated, looking at Caroline. "Ask him, priestess." He offered, motioning to Klaus. "Ask him about the night I discovered the truth." He paused, and plastered a sympathy gaze on his face. "Ask him what he said to me when I approached him about you."
Klaus tensed, and Caroline lowered her eyes. She didn't want to hear this. She knew the truth of Klaus' feelings. She knew he loved her with his whole soul. He would never hurt her.
"What did you say?" She choked out, and Klaus hesitated before shifting his eyes towards Caroline.
"Caroline…"
She shook her head, and held his eyes, where she saw pain and anguish. "What did you say?" She asked, tears filling her eyes.
~XXX~
"Tell me the truth, Niklaus, did you intend to fall for the harlot?" Tyler asked, as Klaus fell to his knees between the soldiers.
Klaus lifted his eyes, and frowned. "She's not a harlot." He answered, spitting the blood from his mouth on the floor in front of the Pharaoh.
Tyler sighed, and rammed his fist into Klaus' stomach. "That doesn't answer my question." He returned, as Klaus groaned as he lurched forward.
Klaus groaned, and closed his eyes. "No, I didn't intend to love her." He ground out, opening his eyes to catch Tyler's.
"You seduced her because she was meant for me, didn't you?" Tyler asked, his dark eyes flashing.
"Believe what you want, Tyler." Klaus remarked, scowling. "She will never be yours, now." He added, jerking in the soldiers' grip.
"We shall see." Tyler muttered, before waving his hand, to get Klaus out of his sight.
~XXX~
Caroline lowered her eyes, and stepped away from Klaus. Her mind replaying the events of the past. Klaus never pushed himself towards her. He wanted her to come to him.
Now she understood why.
"It was a game to you." She whispered, tears starting to streak her face.
Klaus' eyes widened, and he stepped forward. "No, it wasn't. It never was." He began, reaching forward, but she evaded his grip. "Caroline,"
"How dare you?!" She shouted, backing away from him, just as Tyler approached her, and stood next to her.
Klaus opened his mouth, and tried to think or say the words that would get through to her, but none came out.
Pain radiated through his soul at the thought of her hating him for not telling her the reason he approached her. He wanted her, yes, but not because Tyler wanted her, but because he wanted happiness.
He thought he had told her that, as he searched her eyes, and saw the pain.
Caroline held back her tears, and felt Tyler's dark hand touch her back.
"Don't you see, I would never play games with you, my love." Tyler muttered, watching with satisfaction as Klaus' hands curled up into fists.
Caroline lifted her head higher, and lowered her left hand to her left thigh, where the dress was split to. "No, you just manipulate." She remarked, slamming her elbow into his chest, and slashed the jeweled dagger in her possession towards his chest, causing him to holler in pain and anger.
She ran towards Klaus, letting him wrap his hand around her arm, leading her towards the altar. "Don't stop fighting," She whispered, and Klaus saw with one look what she meant.
She knew the truth.
She had taken advantage of the manipulation, and injured Tyler. "What? I knew you never would play me." She added, with a soft smile, and he smiled, before they heard the growl coming from the Pharaoh's lips.
Turning, they saw Tyler's face contort in rage, and they saw the reason why.
Where Caroline's dagger had sliced his chest, was a dark light radiating along the line.
Tyler growled. "You'll pay for that, bitch!"
Caroline swallowed, and twirled the dagger in her hands. "You'll pay for separating us."
Tyler smirked, and lifted his dagger. "You first." He returned, throwing the dagger, aiming at Klaus.
Caroline turned her head, and screamed.
"Klaus!"
"Caroline!"
Please be kind!
I know another cliff hanger, but since the next chapter will be coming up in the next day or two, I figured it should be alright!
If you read the above, yes my mom is having a medical procedure in the morning. She's having a more in depth heart cath done, and yet I wanted to upload this chapter, despite me having to get up at 4:30 in the morning. What can I say, you guys are important to me too, and you guys reviewing puts a smile on my face, and I need it!
Next chapter will answer some pressing questions, like how Tyler could confront them in this world or whatever other questions you may have. :)
Next Chapter: Stay Strong for Me (Last chapter for me to write, as the very last chapter is already written!)
Until Next Time...