A/N- This is the second drabble I wrote for secret Santa and honestly its one of my most favorite things I've ever written! I hope you like it as much as I did. And I would love to know what you think!

AU/AH

No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber
Until I realize that it was you who held me under

It was a white themed wedding.

Everything from the drapes, the napkins, the flowers, the décor, the tables, the chairs to the groom itself – were all in white. It was traditional to wear a dark tux in their family, but the groom never did anything by tradition. The bride, surprisingly, was not amongst the many things decked in pure white, for who can fault her for wearing what she wants on her own wedding day. Ever since she had been a little girl she'd dreamt of walking down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, but her husband loves her in blue; so a dash of blue spreads across the seam of her spotless white dress.

It was, by far, one of oddest weddings one would ever witness; married at home not a church, more guards than guests, more alcohol than food and an ever present watchful eye. Yes, it was a rather rare experience for anyone other than the wedded couple; for all they saw was the promise's of the life to come in each other's eyes and nothing more.

They were after all; Klaus and Caroline. And Klaus and Caroline were anything but normal.

Him; the son of a Mafia Boss.

Her; a small town girl.

A small smile creeps up on his face as he leads his bride to the dance floor; her radiant smile puts the lights to shame, her scent rivals the sweet perfume of the flowers and her eyes warm than the fire burning in his heart. He holds her close to him, his hand winding around her waist as they sway to the song, feeling nothing but the comfort of her body enveloped in his.

And for this moment, he desperately needs to feel this. Feel her breath on his neck, her smile against his lips, her words of love in his ear, the heat of her body – he needs it like he needs his next breath.

His eye catches his brothers, and for a minute his focus shifts from his beautiful bride to his tense brother. Elijah; the oldest, and after their father's death the head of the family stands at the edge of the dance floor, eyeing his brother with his bride almost sadly before once again, like majority of the night, moves his attention elsewhere. His eyes sharp and determined, he watches like a hawk, the dread and horror of a day long past still ablaze in his black eyes.

Klaus remembers the last time he was in this ball room, not more than a year ago. Fidgeting with his tux as he waited to perform his duties as the best man, smiling almost genuinely at the pure bliss on Elijah's face. No matter his strong dislike, borderline hatred of one Katerina Petrova, she was the only person in existence who could make his brother smile, and that itself earned her Klaus's respect, if not approval. He remembers the entire day, from the exhilaration of his elder brother, to the tears in his mother's eyes, to the flirty quirk in Caroline's smile to the bullet flying in through the window and lodging deep within Katerina's heart; killing her instantly.

She didn't even get to be his wife before her life was ripped from her.

And now, as Klaus dances at his own wedding, resting his head on Caroline's as she nuzzles into his neck, he sees the fear in his brother's eyes, the trepidation of his small smiles. He fears the same fate will befall his younger brother, and he wishes nothing more than for Niklaus to have what he couldn't, for him to have the happiness that was wrenched away from him.

But Klaus has assured him countless times - there is no tragedy in store for tonight, only celebration of Caroline becoming his wife.

Hours later, in what she can officially call their bedroom, Caroline stands by the full length mirror, admiring her wedding dress. She smoothens the front of her dress and looks at her husband in the mirror, standing by the desk and unbuttoning his cufflinks "I think I look more beautiful as Mrs. Mikaelson that I did as Ms. Forbes" she quips playfully.

When he doesn't respond and only tugs his vest off of him, she looks over her shoulder and pouts "Too cheesy?"

Klaus laughs as he walks to her; sliding his arm around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder "No, my love. I agree with you. You are far more beautiful as Mrs. Mikaelson"

She smiles contently and turns her neck to one side as he peppers kisses down her throat. "Must have been tough for you" he whispers against her skin, reveling in the way she shivers against him.

"Hmmm?"

"It must be tough to not have your mother attend your wedding"

She tenses in his arms, her breath catching as she laughs awkwardly "Nik, my mother's dead. You know that"

"Enough" he growls, and the fierceness of his grip and eyes make her gasp "We both know your mother is alive, held hostage in the Salvatore Mansion. Their leverage to force you to do their bidding"

Her eyes close and dread flits through every cell of her shaking body. She can hear the sadness in his voice, the revelation of her true identity harms no one more than him. He sounds broken, lost and cold and it breaks her heart. Her worst nightmare is coming true. She's been treading on eggshells for so long; since the day she first met him to this very moment. A battle has raged within her for longer than she can remember; one pushed by her desperation to ensure her mother's safety, other fueled by her love for her husband. It was the one thing she was not supposed to do – fall for the man she had to deceive.

"I had no choice" she trembles against his grip, her hand sliding over his "I had no choice Nik, they have my mother" she opens her watery eyes to look into his gray, cold emotionless orbs.

"And depending on your next answer, I will decide whether to save her or let her die" Klaus drawls, his voice stoic and calm and for the first time since she is thrust into his world, she sees the man the world fears – she sees the beast hiding under the man.

"Was it all a lie?" he murmurs into her ear, so softly that she almost misses it. His voice breaks, his heart thumping against his chest like a machine – he's embarrassed, he hates that he even cares for her reply.

She turns around instantly, offense to his words clear in her eyes as she throws caution to the winds and holds his face in her hands, running her fingers over his coarse stubble "How can you even ask me that? I have lied to you every day, things that now I cannot even remember – but there is one thing I have never lied about..."

He halts her confession but gripping her shoulders tightly, making her wince at the prick of his nails digging into her skin "Don't" he warns, his eyes livid and his body shaking "Just don't lie anymore"

"We were never a lie" she whispers against his lips, breathing in his musky scent and resting her hands on his chest. She needs him to believe that, she needs him to know that everything in their relationship was a lie, except her irrefutable love for him, which was as real as the sun, earth and moon. She knows her fate, and she can see the dark, endless abyss that is his fate in his lifeless eyes and she will not leave him like that. She's already taken too much from him, she owes him that much.

"What did they want you to do?" he demands.

She averts her eyes from and lets out a soft sob "I was to kill Elijah. And you would become the head, and then... and then"

"They would use you to bring me down" he comments, staggering in his place, lifting her chin to force her to meet his eyes "And then take over our territory"

She feels no shred of hope when he pulls away from her; the warm haven of his body ripped from her seals her fate. They take a minute looking at each other; she's defeated and exhausted, wanting nothing more than for him to believe her, he's a ghost of the man he was, the man all feared was shattered by a little ray of sunlight.

He pulls a knife out of his belt buckle and holds it by his side "You know I have to kill you"

Yes, she does and as prepared as she was, when the moment comes, her will falters as she backs up and cries out for mercy. She's known this was the end for her – she's a traitor and he is Niklaus Mikaelson; the man who shows no mercy, not to those who betray him, but that doesn't stop the fear from taking over her. She doesn't want to die, she wants to free her mother and be a loving wife to her husband. But her life is neither a movie nor a book; her life is a tragic song.

Death is his way of showing her mercy, for he knows the torture she would endure if he lets her live; being around him but never near him, loving him but never feeling him would be a fate far worse for his beloved.

"But I love you" she protests almost half-heartedly as he brings her close to him, one last time "That was never a lie"

"I know" he whispers, kissing her chastely and cradling her face in his hand. A small smile forms on her face when she realizes that he does believe her, maybe there is still hope for him.

And then she feels nothing but pain as the sharp edge of the knife penetrates her chest, puncturing her heart. But it's her beautiful husband that steals her breath; the lone tear sneaking down his cheek as whispers his own words of love to her.

And that's how Elijah finds him hours later; sitting in a pool of blood, mumbling to her corpse as he holds his bride close to him; her beautiful white dress marred by the dark patch of red.

In the blood lies their love.

Klaus had been right, there was no more tragedy for this night – the tragedy had already occurred before the wedding, when Elijah informed Klaus of Caroline's true identity. And yet Klaus decided to marry her; for she was the woman he loved; and she would die his wife, his and only his.

No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone

A/N- What did you think? I'm thinking of turning this into a full length fic, would you like to read that? And don't assume I plan on ending it like this drabble ;)! I have other devious ideas for the plot! Please do let me know what you think!

I have a poll out of my profile, go vote so I can decide what to do!