Title: Die another day

Pairing: Caroline, Klaus

Rating: T

Summary: AU/ AH. "It's not about lifespan. It's about how we spend our life, how we live. Even it is for single day. And I only care that part." Caroline knows she'll die soon, and she will be prepared. But falling for her new boss—nah, she hasn't been expecting that. Slowly she will learn that her life is bagful of surprises.

Note: I'm imagining some stuff to write this story. I don't own characters or TVD. All mistakes are mine. No offence to anyone.

0o Story is coming to an end! And no, no tragedy. There's already too much tragedy going on in our lives. Please review at the end! o0

0o 14 o0

"Is everything fine?" That was the first thing Klaus asked once he made sure they were alone near stairs.

"It is. Why do you ask?" Caroline frowned at him in confusion at first. And then slowly she understood. However, she tried to keep it cool.

"You don't have a migraine do you?" Klaus inquired, moving close.

Caroline couldn't help but smile as she rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, sir thank you." When he still didn't seem convinced, she nodded, reassuring him. "Klaus, whenever I'm stressed, I would get that pain. Now, I'm happy. Really, really happy." She beamed at him.

Worry left his eyes after that and pulled her near, by grasping her elbow. "Good. Because I intend to give you happy moments."

"You are doing great job, Mr. Klaus." She murmured with a smirk.

His bluish grey orbs gleamed with love when cupped her face and ran thumb on her chin. He was thinking, she could say, and was hesitating about something. After a minute of inner debate, he finally decided to open his mouth. But someone cut off their moment.

"Klaus!" the man wished. Caroline pulled away before she turned to look at the face.

Caroline, cool. She reminded herself after watching Bill with a big grin on his face. "Finally got to see you, lad." He let out a chortle as Klaus walked to him and gave him formal hug. As soon as they pulled back, Bill sighed. "Look at you, all changed!"

"How are you Bill?" Klaus asked once he made sure he stood beside Caroline.

"As excelling as ever." Bill commented and finally gave his attention to a nonchalant Caroline. "And who this lovely lady might be?" His smile faded a little as he observed her. She continued to keep that expressionless face till Klaus introduced each other. Then she barely brought a stiff smile when Bill stretched out his hand.

He was suspecting. Caroline wanted to mock at him as he failed to identify his daughter. Of course, he did not see her since she was seven or eight. A part of her wanted him to recognize her, wanted to ask her. She wanted it. All that anger started to burn inside her and she wanted to let it out on him.

Slowly she found herself grinding her teeth.

Scratching her forehead a little she understood it was time for her to get away from this place.

"Excuse me." She muttered before she left them alone.

Damn it. She needed some air to suppress her rage.

It was not rage actually, but the useless grudge she was holding against Bill.

Caroline began chanting words that could work and calm her down. When they did not show any effect, she started to count numbers from one to hundred.

"Caroline." She heard Bill when she was at number twenty.

Screwed.

She turned around from wash basin as soon as finished to wash hands. Looking at him sharply, Caroline crossed her arms across chest. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked icily.

So he recognized her and he seemed happy about it, she imagined by judging the expression on his face.

"How are you, sweetie?" he asked, beaming at her.

"Still alive." She replied with a cold smile.

Happiness left his features because of the tone of her voice and her words. But then he managed to bring a smile. "I'm happy for you and Klaus."

"Thanks."

"I know you are hurt—"

"Hurt?" she raised a brow. "As a matter of fact, I'm just furious to see your again. I'm not as fortunate as someone who forgot their own child."

"I can explain—"

Caroline scoffed out with a smile. "No," shivering her head, she added, "you don't have to. Even it is the last thing to hear, I would not."

Bill was clearly shocked with her cold demeanor and at the same he was sad. Well, he should not have spoken to her in the first place, she thought.

"You know why?" she asked. "Because I give time to the people I love. And you—I wiped out you from my life." She said unfolding her arms. Her expression turned bitter as every second passed by.

"Caroline—" he was offended.

"How I can even think of someone who did not spare a second glance at me from my childhood?" she questioned him with stern voice. Luckily there were not people around to listen them. She just did not want anyone to know about this. "Mum and you might be having differences but you put me aside as if I'm nobody to you. So you really can't convince with this pretense, because that feel doesn't look right on you." She said indignantly. Bill looked helpless and she did not bother to stop. "As a person, I respect you for the reason of my birth. As a professional, I really appreciate your success. But apart from that I have nothing for you and I don't want you to step into my life."

She was so angry that gave her migraine.

Damn her emotions.

Before she walked out, she heard him ask. "Liz—how is she?"

"Dead." She replied softly as she turned to look at his stunned features.

She needed to find water right now. To take her meds.

Caroline found herself moving in the outside corridors and was glad for not having people all over there. She needed that time alone to bring herself back together. And that moment her phone started to buzz. Klaus, it was.

"Where are you?" he snapped, clearly displaying his irritation.

"Somewhere around." She replied in a small voice and stuttered due to coldness. "Wait I'll come."

"I found you." He said shortly before hanging up. Soon he appeared beside her and nudged her a little. "Why do you always isolate yourself?" he muttered. "You had me worried for the last few minutes."

"I thought—I needed a minute." She muttered, looking particularly at nowhere.

"After face-off with your dad?" Klaus sounded casual but took her by surprise.

Her mouth twisted before she frowned. Unsure how to respond to that, she remained quiet.

Klaus raised a brow as he added in a quieter tone. "I was as astonished as you are now, when he came to me and asked to take care of you."

"He did, of course." Caroline closed her eyes, annoyed with the fact that her father did not leave without causing irritation.

"Certainly he cares for you." He spoke softly, gazing at her face and made her to snort at that.

"I'm not going to buy that, Klaus." Shaking her head at slower pace, she responded. "Never."

Klaus nudged her playfully trying to lighten up things. "Anyhow—" he sighed, "—so I thought of asking you something. Why don't you move into my place as soon as we get back?" Caroline raised a brow as her mood changed quicker that she expected. He smiled a little as he stared at her intently. "And then—"

"This is going to end worse than I'm expecting and I won't say I don't regret it, Klaus." She said before she walked inside and felt his presence right behind her. "But the thing is I can't help myself. Probably that selfish part of me took over." She smiled lightly and tugged his arm to loop around it. "Thanks for loving me in this way." Halting her walk she met his hardening look. He was turning sad, his lips barely displaying a smile as if he did not want to hurt her.

Caroline beamed at him, fiddling with the hem of his sweater. That silence was not awkward, after considering that he was trying pretty hard to hide his feelings, though she could openly see it in his glistening eyes. So she did what she could do—giving him a warm hug.

Klaus dumped his face into the crook of her neck as she rubbed his back slowly. She felt his deep breathing against her hair and shoulder, and soon she felt wetness—caused from his tears, which she figured out. It only made her smile more as she tightened grip around him.

"I—" He struggled for a moment to form sentence, "I wish something can save both of us from this doom." Exhaling out as if he was burdened, he murmured. "You grew on me way too faster than I knew. And now the thought of you leaving me—" he planted lips on her neck, "—it would break me, Caroline, I'm sure."

Chuckling softly at his words, Caroline pressed her lips to his shoulder as she patted on his back. "This is reality, Klaus and I'm going to lie—" a tear slipped from her eye as she finished, "—by telling you that everything will be fine." Peeling herself away to see his face, Caroline said with a shrug. "We have to be strong, no matter what."

His eyes seemed lifeless and teary, but soon a mixture of emotions flashed. Cupping her face with his hands, he pecked on her forehead. "Trust me, love, I want to be strong." He had a moment to control himself, his face was flushed and that moment—the Klaus she knew was gone. She could only see a toddler who was afraid to lose someone he loves. "We are in this together, aren't we?" his voice seemed edgy.

Smiling at him, Caroline assured. "Together."

He bit into his bottom lip, looking down as he reached for something in his pocket. A small velvet box was opened by him only to display a twisted solitaire diamond ring. Simple and shining.

A baffled Caroline eyed him questioningly before he smiled a little, though a tear slid to his cheek as he went down on his knee.

Slowly she understood what it meant. Her answer should be no.

Shaking her head at slower pace, pleadingly, Caroline whispered. "No, Klaus."

His beamed up at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief and warmth, at the same time. "But you didn't even hear my proposal speech." His voice hinted tease and lightness. "I haven't prepared well though."

"Please don't do this to me." Caroline let out a shaky breath as he observed her in silence. "When a relation grows too much—" she paused momentarily, thinking of a few words to form sentence, "—It can be hard for you after I—" Another pause. "My days are barely countable, Klaus." She said looking away, her bottom lip quivered. "I won't live too much to see you happy, to share your sorrows, to support you."

"It's not about the lifespan," he argued softly, quivering head. "It's about how we spend our life, how we live." A corner of his lips curved into smile, his stormy orbs gleamed when he said. "Even it is for single day. And I only care that part."

Caroline closed her eyes, like for a fraction of second, and did not seem convinced with what he said. "You know, I can die tomorrow," she laughed out sadly, gently, "or the day after." Twisting her mouth, she simply shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows, maybe I would die this next minute."

"—I was speaking about living, Caroline!" Klaus raised his voice, was angered—maybe? Caroline tilted her head to left and shook her head, exhausted with him.

He just would not give up, would he?

Controlling the emotional state of his voice, he then took her right hand into his making her to look down at him, beseechingly. "Let there be only one day, Caroline, still I want you to see me happy, to share my sorrows, and to support me." Expectantly he stared up at her, as that smile widened on his face. "Let there be only one day, for me to give you the best I can."

It was tearing her heart in two.

But she never felt so pleasant.

Was it possible? To go through two different feelings at the same time.

Despite the overwhelming phase she was in, Caroline did notice something: She was not suffering from any migraine she would get during times as such that surprised her to no limit.

Caroline saw as his thumb rubbed on the back of her palm before looking him in the eyes, breathing in deeply.

She knew what she had to do.

0o 14 o0