First of all, I need to apologize for the delayed update. I would also like to thank you all one by one (just kidding :P) for your support and your patience. Enjoy :-)


Bonnie was standing in her room, trying to think of all the details regarding the spell. Everyone was counting on her to give a solution. This put a lot of pressure on her young shoulders, but she knew she was the only one who could do this.

She sighed, the situation all too familiar. Her friends had a way of finding themselves in the middle of chaos and she was expected to get them out of trouble. Not that she minded that; this was the reason she decided to practice magic in the first place. Being granted the power to protect the ones she loved was the greatest gift, but sometimes it took every ounce of her power.

She wished Gramps was here; she could use an advice on this spell. At first it didn't seem like such a difficult one. Bettie didn't strike her as a powerful witch, but apparently she was wrong. Magic this powerful didn't necessarily require a strong bloodline. The woman had tapped on her insatiable hate for Klaus and had resorted to the dark arts.

Bonnie wondered if her power would be enough to undo this horrible spell. Normally she was confident in her abilities. Many a time she had saved her friends from life and death situations. She would do the same for her best friend now.

Caroline was not really facing death, at least not immediately. As weird as it was, Klaus was feeding her his blood. He was an Original and he could go on without blood for much longer than her friend. Yet, he couldn't go on forever.

It was not only the matter of the blood that made her lose sleep at night. Even if they managed to survive like this for a while, Bonnie was afraid of what might happen to Caroline.

Klaus was a very dangerous creature; she herself had crossed paths with him in more than one occasion. He was unpredictable and ruthless. The last time he gave his blood to save someone, Stefan ended up being the Ripper. Klaus never did anything without asking for something important in return. If he was feeding Caroline, what did he expect of her?

Bonnie looked at the two pictures that lay on her desk. They were both drawings of Caroline, the same style, the same point of view. The artist had put all his talent into capturing the disarming innocence in the face of the young blonde vampire.

It was disturbing, at least, to think that Klaus had drawn them. When Bonnie went to his room, she saw there were many such drawings. The man was obsessed with Caroline, and now, they were locked together in a secluded basement. This was a stalker's dream, she thought in frustration.

Still, everytime she thought she should barge in that basement to protect Caroline, she changed her mind. She recalled the few times she had been there since this story started.

She was surprised to see Caroline so calm. If anyone knew Miss Mystic Falls like she did, they would expect her to be panicked and trying with all her might to get away. Still, Caroline seemed almost peaceful. It was ridiculous, but Bonnie couldn't find a better word to describe it.

She even caught Klaus looking at Caroline with genuine concern. Truth be told, he acted a little strange. His tolerance knew no limits when it came to Caroline. He had even tolerated her and Damon when they had been not so friendly with him. In another situation, both she and the elder Salvatore would be more careful at how they acted around him.

It took her a while, but Bonnie finally realized the truth. Klaus was in love with Caroline. They had sent her many times in a mission to distract him and she had succeeded. It was one thing to have the attention of the original hybrid and a totally different thing to have captured his heart. No one knew how he would react if the feelings weren't reciprocated.

That had her thinking. She regretted never having talked with her best friend about something this important. Bonnie wondered if Caroline ever tried to discuss the matter, but she couldn't recall such a case. Was it possible that she didn't pay much attention and dismissed the matter so lightly?

It was ridiculous to think that Caroline would even consider returning the hybrid's feelings. She was in love with Tyler. Klaus was the one that exiled her boyfriend from Mystic Falls. It was simple Arithmetics, Caroline could never love Klaus. She didn't even like him.

Despite her reasoning, Bonnie felt uneasy. She had no proof to think otherwise, but for the two drawings in front of her. If Caroline was still in love with Tyler, why did she tell her to fetch the "bookmark" instead of the bracelet he had given her for her birthday?

Caroline had never even mentioned that she kept a diary. They always laughed at Elena for keeping one. It turned out Bonnie didn't know her best friend as much as she thought she did.

She hadn't looked at Caroline's diary because she asked her not to. Now the curiosity got the best of her. Would she find the name of the Original hybrid amidst small hearts and butterflies? When all this was over, she and Caroline would have a nice long talk.

Apart from the teasing and joking around, this was a very serious matter. All these days that she had been locked away with Klaus, she must have developed the Stockholm syndrome. There's no other explanation for her chosing this ridiculously beautiful picture as her most important thing. Well, Klaus had to be the kidnapper for it to work, but still it could explain a lot. Right?

How else could one explain how Caroline, a girl that always listened to logic, would fall for such a horrible person? Now that she thought about it, even Damon seemed to believe it possible. When they first thought Caroline had called Elena to tell her that she was leaving with Klaus, Damon seemed to have no objections.

Had he seen something no one else had? Were they too blind to see that they had thrown their friend to the lion and now there was no turning back?

Bonnie wished that it wasn't too late for Caroline to save her heart. Klaus may swear eternal love to her, but eventually he would break her heart. Caroline was someone who needed the sun to breathe, she could never endure the eternal darkness that would come with being by Klaus's side.

Suddenly she remembered something that Damon had said to her that morning. What if they could bring the barrier down just to save Caroline and then trap Klaus in there for eternity? They couldn't try the desiccation spell again, but this might work to rid them of his menacing presence.

Bonnie had laughed at the childish enthusiasm in Damon's voice. This was out of the question. There were so many things that could go wrong with this spell and she didn't want to provoke his wrath. Besides. Elijah was back in town and he had brought a witch with him. She would never let them try anything that would harm Klaus.

Bonnie sighed, exasperated. She was tired of these games of power. Why couldn't they just be plain boring young people struggling to get to their feet? She would give anything if her only power was to be able to see which boy would ask her friends out to prom.

At that thought, she chuckled. Who said she couldn't do that now? She took the drawings in her hands and went to sit comfortably on her bed. She closed her eyes and chanted in a calm voice. With each word she spoke, she became calmer and more open to the millions of possibilities the future held for them.

She brought Caroline's image in her mind, her lovely smiling face way too vivid before her eyes. She then imagined Klaus, as she would see him with the eyes of a girl oblivious to his eternal existence. She had to admit he was a handsome devil.

Bonnie continued the chanting in a very low voice, as if muttering to herself. She kept the drawing in her hands, stroking the paper subconsciously.

Sudden visions from the future assaulted her without mercy. It was like watching a movie in fast forward. She caught glimpses of both of them, but she couldn't really understand the meaning of what she saw.

She wouldn't be able to describe what she saw, but she felt everything that they felt. Her heart was so overwhelmed with emotions, that she felt an unexpected weakness take over her body.

Bonnie opened her eyes, gasping and panting. This was a surprise, she thought to herself. Should she tell anyone or just wait for things to take their natural course?


Caroline opened her eyes slowly, trying to adjust her sight to the dim light in the room. They had mutually agreed to leave the light on, otherwise it seemed like eternal night.

The absolute silence in the room was almost eerie. She raised her hand to see what time it was. Too early for me to be up, she thought to herself.

She was wearing Klaus's watch on her wrist and his jacket over her shoulders. His blood raced through her veins, becoming a part of her. His face seemed to dwell on her thoughts alarmingly often. It felt like an invasion and she was too tired to resist.

She decided these thoughts were not helping her at all. I'll go take a shower now that I can.

Without losing time, Caroline got out of bed trying not to wake Klaus. He seemed to be in deep sleep, his peaceful form almost completely still. She snuck out of the room and went to the bathroom at the end of the corridor.

She had wanted to take a quick shower, but after half an hour of standing under the deliciously hot water, she still couldn't make herself come out of the shower. It felt so good, the water washing away all fatigue and cleansing her soul. Even when the water started to get cold, she still enjoyed her bath. It was when she ran out of songs to sing that she decided to get out of the shower.

She dressed quickly, tying the towel over her head so that her wet long hair wouldn't make a mess of her clothes. After a few minutes she removed the towel and hung it to dry in the rail. She combed her wet hair with her fingers and was ready to go.

She headed for the room believing that she would find Klaus pacing around the room. He might want to take a shower as well. She giggled at the thought of him complaining about the total lack of hot water.

The thought of him under the shower made her swallow hard. It wasn't funny anymore. Thick rivulets of water running over his toned back, over his rippled torso... Her fingertips ached to follow those water drops across his perfect skin. She could almost feel the breath catch in his throat at the contact. That only fueled her need to continue to explore his glorious body.

Which in turn reminded her that she was standing in the middle of the corridor daydreaming about stupid things. Stupid things that will never happen, she added mentally. What was wrong with her? Her brain cells were just disoriented, that's all.

She wasn't dreaming of her and Klaus in the shower. It was her and her boyfriend. She almost laughed at that pathetic excuse. Unless she thought of him as her boyfriend. Another mental slap.

If I am to think of such stupid things, I'd rather be a mindless brick.

She shook her head to chase away those improper thoughts. She was surprised to see that Klaus was still asleep. She was grateful, because she thought she needed a few seconds to recover from her fantasies' attack.

A few deep breaths, a lot of mental notes and many warnings to herself were all she needed to feel a little in control of her own mind and heart.

Yet, he was still asleep. This was the first time he slept for so long, especially after she had woken up. An unwelcome feeling of restlessness was creeping in her heart. Why wasn't he waking up? He didn't seem ill, even though he had gone almost three weeks without blood. Yesterday he was OK, they were even travelling to Paris. Why wasn't he waking up?

The more she tried to ignore that fact, the more the question seemed to grow in her mind. It grew like a shadow until it completely filled her numb mind. There was something wrong with this.

She knelt beside his mattress and called his name in a quiet, but commanding voice. He didn't respond. He was so still that for a moment she thought his mind was miles away from there. It was then that she panicked.

She placed her hand on his right shoulder and she started to gently shake him. "Klaus, wake up."

Her voice echoed in the room without response from the sleeping man. She placed her hand over his heart even though she knew she would find a heartbeat. What she was afraid of was that he had succumbed to desiccation. A quick look at his face confirmed that his color was healthy enough to exclude desiccation as the cause of this limbo.

She studied his face as if to memorize its harmonic planes. Her eyes rested on his well-defined lips longer than necessary. His thick eyelashes covered his beautiful blue eyes from her. She continued calling his name, silently praying to whoever God was listening to save him. For her.

"What is it, love?" came his raspy voice.

She jumped out of surprise. Her stomach still felt tight from the worry gripping at her.

"You're finally awake. You had me worried." She said that before she could refrain herself. There was no need for him to know that she cared. "Why on earth are you playing Sleeping Beauty?" She scoffed, trying to hide her agitation.

"Sleeping Beauty?" He stood up on his elbows, her hand still resting on his shoulder. "Were you planning on waking me up with a kiss?"

Caroline's eyes turned to thin slits. She removed her hand from his shoulder, suddenly aware of the contact. He liked to play with her. How typical of him, but then so did she.

"You must have confused the fairy tales. I'm not kissing any frogs. Not anytime soon." With that, she stood up and went as far away from him as possible.

"Why not? Are you so afraid that I might turn into Prince Charming?" He would prefer that kiss, but even the little game with her cheered him up.

Klaus didn't tell her that he was having the sweetest dream ever. He was in a place where they could enjoy their love, without the musts and the don'ts of the people around them. She was radiating happiness and he was at peace. It hurt to know he would feel like this only in his dreams.

When he opened his eyes and saw her angelic face standing inches away from him, he believed the dream had come true. He should've known better. Things like that didn't happen to people like him.

"No, I'm afraid I might turn into a frog as well." she replied, unable to hide the smile that thought brought to her.

"Then we would be two little frogs. Nothing would stand in the path of our happiness." He responded, not losing his smile.

"You never give up, do you?" She realized she liked his persistence. Not that she would ever tell him that.

"Never." He flashed her his best smile; a deadly weapon meant to completely disarm the enemy.

He stood up from his makeshift bed and approached her. Taking her hand, he lead her to sit on the bed. "Yesterday I promised I would treat you to a nice breakfast."

Caroline became instantly anxious. It was that time of the day when her instincts would take over and receive that magnificent blood into her system. It was the time when she forgot who he was and let his powerful blood soothe her trembling body.

"No no no, I had too much last time." Her reply sounded weak even to her ears. She wanted to be more decisive, yet she sounded like she said it because that was expected of her.

"Five more days, love. Then you will be free." He had already stretched his right arm towards her.

"What about you? When you wouldn't wake up, I was afraid I had drained you." Her fears had won the battle with her logic and her decision to keep quiet.

"It will take more than that to put me down." He said, trying to reassure her. Still, the knowledge that she cared for him, made his heart swell with love for her.

"What would you ask for in return for your blood?"

It was clear that she needed a reason in her mind to accept his blood. "A promise that one day you will allow me to show you the world."

It was too simple. He couldn't be offering his life-giving blood for so little. A promise. How would he be sure she would keep her promise even if she accepted to do it? She thought about it. Did she really want him to show the world to her? She knew the answer despite her unwillingness to acknowledge that.

It would be only for a few more days, she reasoned with herself. It was becoming more and more difficult to resist the calling of his blood. He was not making it easy to resist. She needed to see him like a monster, but it was hard to ignore the man inside the beast. They both knew she would eventually drink from him, but that didn't help her.

This time he didn't bite into his wrist. There was no blood dripping in front of her eyes. The urge to savor his blood was just as strong though. Caroline knew that she wanted it; pretending she didn't, meant she wasn't true to herself and to him.

Looking deep into his eyes, she took his arm in her hands. She bared her fangs and gently broke the skin over his vein. An almost imperceptible frown shadowed his face for a moment. Did it hurt? She barely registered the question, but then dismissed it. The Original Hybrid could handle much more than a simple bite.

All it was needed for her to feel bliss, was that moment of determination to take the bite. She was rewarded with a flood of sensations. It was amazing how the taste of his blood was carved deep in her memory. Yet, every time she drank the nectar flowing in his veins, it felt like a totally new experience.

Her unbeating heart threatened to jump out of her chest. A soft moan escaped her throat before she could control herself. She blushed, all the while gulping down the delicious liquid. She was beginning to act like a junkie. He flashed his arm in front of her eyes, she would immediately prepare to drink from him.

Did it make her sound cheap? Well, maybe she was. Did it make her sound like an hypocrit for judging him, but not his blood? Definitely yes.

She promised herself she would make it up to him. Despite of what he had done, he was her savior. She may be many things, but she was not ungrateful.

She retreated her fangs unwillingly and, before she let go of his hand, she placed a gentle kiss where her fangs had been moments ago.

The tender gesture made his heart skip a beat. She was too sentimental; she felt obliged to him for giving her the luxury to taste his blood. He couldn't exactly explain that he loved her, so this was the least he could do.

"I feel like a leech." she said quietly.

"The leech and the frog. We are quite the couple." His smile chased her worries away. He had a way of calming her when her feelings raged like a thunderstorm.

Then she remembered she never answered his request. "I promise."