Author's Note: This is going to be sort of a fluff chapter; I think it's needed after everything that just went down! It's going to be switching off between Klaus, Annabelle and Charlie's POV!

Chapter Thirty Seven: Deep in the Meadow

"Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise…

Here it's safe and here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you…"

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

I woke with a start in the middle of the night, immediately looking down at Annabelle. She was curled quietly against my side, only sighing when she felt my sudden movement.

I leaned back against the pillows and exhaled loudly, pushing a hand through my hair. Annabelle stirred again, absently placing a hand over my heart.

"Klaus?" she mumbled sleepily. Her gray eyes looked up at me, a little blurry. I ran a hand down her hair softly.

"I didn't mean to wake you," I murmured. Anna stretched a little so she could roll onto her stomach besides me.

"'Sokay," she yawned. "Are you okay?" She arched her back a little and focused her now awakening gaze on me.

"I'm fine," I responded, perhaps a little too quickly. When she simply raised a brow at me, I sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"I had a strange dream," I said. I felt Anna's hand brushed lightly over the tattoo on my shoulder.

"About Finn and Kol?" she asked gently. I nodded, looking back down at her. Even in the shadows, her eyes shone like liquid gray diamonds.

"Tell me about it," she requested, resting her chin on her forearms.

"It was…" I trailed off, closing my eyes. I felt a gentle rush of comfort and my lips tipped upward.

"It was odd because it felt so real. We were just sitting around the living room, drinking brandy and talking, but it was as if they were really sitting there," I explained.

"What did you guys discuss?" Anna wanted to know. I shrugged.

"Simple things. Things we would talk about when we were younger, before we became vampires. Women, hunting, our family." I glanced down and saw Anna's lips curving.

"Women, huh?" she teased, her eyes twinkling. I chuckled. Anna propped her face into the cup of her hand and studied me.

"How do you feel about Elijah coming back?" she asked. I considered that for a moment.

"I'm not entirely sure," I admitted, frowning slightly. "I suppose we'll find out once he gets here." Annabelle shifted again, this time to tuck her body along mine, nuzzling my jaw gently.

"I bet you'll be happy, deep down under that doubt," she whispered. I wrapped my arm around her, tracing patterns on her naked back.

"You're probably right," I said, half to myself. Annabelle chuckled, wrapping an arm around my middle so she could squeeze me lightly.

"Of course I am," she teased. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and felt her relax, until she fell back asleep, breathing softly.

The only sounds filling the room where the hooting of an owl and the steady, strong beat of Annabelle's heart. It was a soothing mix as soon I found myself slipping away into sleep.

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

When I woke up, the sun was barely touching the horizon. The birds were starting to sing in the distance and the moon was still out, a pale shadow in the pale bluish purple sky.

I looked up at Klaus, who was sleeping silently, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. I tapped into the power of the soul bond and sensed his peace while he dreamt. I smiled, happy to know he wasn't dreaming of anything bothersome.

I rose out of bed and stretched, sighing as I reached for the ceiling and then relaxed. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower and changed into a pale yellow sundress.

I was pleased to see that Klaus was still asleep when I padded quietly out of the bathroom and back over to the bed. I leaned down and kissed him softly on his full lips. He shifted a little, reaching towards the empty space I had left in the bed. I swore a frown flickered across his features when he didn't feel my presence.

"When you wake up," I whispered against his ear. "Come and find me." Smiling, I slipped out of the room without a sound.

As usual, I wandered into the woods alone. I sighed as the cool morning air enveloped me. I hardly noticed the cold, even with my bare feet. It was a nice advantage to run a few degrees hotter when you're a werewolf in a colder climate.

I hummed a song while I walked, harmonizing with the birds as they went about their business around me in the trees.

Then I heard rustling in the bushes to my right. I turned a little, cautious. My nostrils flared to take in the intruder's scent. I relaxed almost immediately as Charlie ambled out of the brush in his wolf form.

To my surprise, Dr. Fell was walking besides him, wearing work out pants and a matching top with running shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a stubby ponytail and even without makeup, she was still pretty.

"Oh!" she exclaimed when she saw me. "Annabelle!" I smiled.

"Good morning, Dr. Fell," I greeted. I shot Charlie a look and got the wolf equivalent of a shrug.

"Please, call me Meredith," she said with a kind smile. I smiled wider and nodded.

"Out for a, ah, stroll this morning?" I asked, looking at my brother then at her with a raised brow. Meredith laughed and surprised me again by placing a hand on my brother's fur covered back.

"You could say that. Charlie here wanted me to see him in his wolf form, since he explained you guys can shift even without the full moon." This time the look I gave Charlie was nervous, since I felt uncertain about how much we should tell this woman about our family history, even if she was his girlfriend.

Charlie glared slightly and I returned the look, making it clear I was going to discuss this with him later.

"…So we decided to go for a run in the woods," Meredith finished. I looked back at her and laughed.

"I'm sure you gave him a run for his money," I said easily.

There was a sudden gust of wind and an arm was around my waist. I leaned against Klaus, as if I was expecting him the whole time. I held back a smirk when Charlie's eyes widened a little and Meredith flinched.

"So you finally decided to wake up," I teased, looking up at him. Klaus rolled his eyes at me but smiled. He nodded at Charlie and Meredith politely.

"You didn't leave a note this time," he murmured quietly to me. I gave him an unsympathetic look, lips twitching.

"Poor baby," I replied. Klaus snorted very softly and kissed my cheek, and right then, I felt everything inside me brighten a little. I struggled not to blush at the foolish butterflies that danced in my belly.

Ooo0ooO

(Charlie's POV)

I watched my sister and Klaus embraced a little in front of Meredith and I. it seemed right when he touched her, everything about her glowed. Her smile widened a notch, her eyes softened and her whole frame relaxed. When I looked at him, I saw the same effect. The waves of love coming off the Hybrid were strong and constant, his eyes were intense but his whole aura seemed centered on her, as if they were the only two people in the whole world… as if they were in their own private bubble.

I nearly chuckled, knowing anyone else would probably grow ill at the sight of the two love birds, but seeing my sister so happy took off the sappy edge.

I nudged Meredith's hand gently and gestured for her to follow me down the path we had been originally taking. She nodded a little to show she understood.

I whined softly to catch Anna's gaze. She ripped her eyes away from Klaus and focused on me. I twitched my ears to the side and let me gaze slide to Meredith before back to her. She nodded, understanding perfectly.

"Come on," she said to Klaus, taking his hand. "Let's go to the meadow." Klaus looked at Meredith and me, inclining his head slightly. I grinned wolfishly at him and returned the gesture.

They disappeared into the trees, talking quietly amongst themselves. I watched and with a burst of happiness, noticed how healthy Anna looked, despite being attacked just the other day by a deranged witch-whatever guy. She wasn't as bone thin as she had been before either.

"They look good together," Meredith said, going along with my thoughts. I chuckled low in my throat and shifted. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Not as good as us though," I declared. She laughed.

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

Anna took my hand as we walked along the trees, heading to our favorite spot at the river. She leaned against me slightly and her eyes sparkled in the pale morning sunlight.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" I asked. Anna tilted her head back so her gaze met mine.

"I'm just happy," she said simply. I paused to press a warm kiss to her lips. I felt them curve slightly as her happiness burned through the soul bond. My wrist grew warm and when I pulled away, I saw her wrist was glowing slightly as well. I brushed my fingertips over the beautiful pattern.

"Do you think it will ever fade again?" I asked curiously. Anna looked down at our markings and laughed.

"I hope not," she said. "I'm growing quite fond of it." I chuckled.

"Not happy with one tattoo?" I teased. Anna rolled her eyes. After I had shared the stories about my tattoos with her, she finally revealed to me the one she had on the base of her neck, depicting the symbol of her family crest. She also admitted her brother had to same tattoo, since they had gotten them together once Anna had turned eighteen.

"I think two are enough for me," she replied. We continued forward until we reached the river banks.

Anna immediately waded into the cool water until it reached her knees. She turned to smile at me and I was stricken by how perfect she looked. The sun framed her hair, bringing out the lighter shades in its chocolate depths, and her skin and eyes positively glowed.

Yet I still could see the women who had snarled out me when I first encountered her, completely nude, before shifting and running away from me. Except this time, she was running towards me.

I caught her easily and swung her in a circle. She squealed, obviously delighted, which made me laugh. I slid out my shoes and set Anna down so I could roll up my pant legs.

We stepped back into the shallow bank, watching as small trout darted by. The sun glistened against the water's surface as it slowly rose into the sky.

Suddenly, I felt a splash of water hit my side. I whirled just as Annabelle kicked more water, efficiently dousing me from head to toe. She nearly collapsed with laughter at the shocked look on my face.

Lunging, I scooped her up by the waist and threw her over my shoulder. She yelped and beat at my back with her fists.

"Put me down!" she yelled playfully, growling softly. I growled in return.

"As you wish," I said darkly. I heard her gasp as she realized my intentions.

"Klaus, n-," but I flipped her into the water before she could finish her sentence. She burst out of the water gasping and glared at me, placing her hands on her hips.

She was now completely wet and the dress clung to every inch of her skin, while her hair fell in wet ropes around her shoulders.

"You're going to pay for that!" she declared. In a flash, she tackled me and I allowed her to knock me back into the water. The water was shallow enough so when I landed on my back, I was completely submerged for a brief moment before I caught myself, but I ended up as wet as Annabelle.

Then her lips were pressed against mine, sending a hot bolt of desire through my body. I groaned and lifted her from the water, carrying her to the grassy banks. We collapsed on the ground in a tangle of wet clothes and limbs, laughing and kissing.

Anna pulled back and rolled me over onto my back, grinning. She pushed back her wet hair, which scattered water droplets all over me.

"You know, for being over a thousand years old, you still act immature some times," she teased, rubbing her nose against mine playfully. I nudged her back.

"What's the point of being young forever if you can't act young?" I retorted, smirking. Anna just laughed before lying her head against my chest and I wrapped my arms around her, breathing in the scent of her wet hair.

We watched the sun continue to rise towards the sky and Anna began pointing out shapes in the clouds. I stroked her back and relished in this simple, peaceful moment.

"That's…Yup, definitely a bunny," Anna said, pointing at one particularly puffy cloud. I rested my cheek against her forehead and pointed to another.

"I believe that looks like a bunny as well," I said. Annabelle giggled and I smiled.

Then she grew quiet, her fingers tracing patterns across my shirt. Our thoughts seemed to blend into one as we laid there, content in each other's arms.

"Klaus?"

"Hmm?"

"Why me?" I furrowed my brow and looked down at her.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" I asked, confused. Annabelle sighed and rolled over a little so she could look me in the eyes.

"I mean, out of all the women in the women in the world, why did you pick me? Soul mate thing aside, of course. Why me?" I stared.

"Why are you questioning it?" Her lips twisted in a half frown.

"I don't know. Just sometimes it seems so unreal, even when it's real…you know, being mated to a vampire-werewolf Hybrid who's over a thousand years old."

"Would it be more believable if I wasn't so old?" I asked, frowning. Anna shook her head.

"No, no. I just mean when I first met you, you didn't trust anyone, including me. I just don't remember when that changed… it happened so quickly, yet so naturally. One second we were strangers and the next…"

"Lovers?" I finished. She gave me a wryly smile.

"If you want to phrase it romantically, yes." I considered that for a moment.

"Well, I suppose I could ask you the same thing. Why me? You've seen the evil within me, the way the darkness can consume me and you've certainly seen me at my worse, yet you haven't walked away," I pointed out, raising my brows.

"I asked you first," Anna said quietly, her gray eyes somber.

"It was instinct, I suppose. When I first saw you, something drew me to you."

"Something besides the fact that I was naked," Anna interjected. I nodded, smirking.

"When I first began dreaming of you, I thought you were-quite simply- an angel. There was no chance you were real…so I believed for some time that you were just something my imagination conjured up. Yet when I first saw you, everything inside me was drawn, pulled, to you. When you would ask me simple questions, I felt no impulse to lie to you like I would to everyone else. Then you captured me."

"Captured you?" Anna repeated, cocking her head to the side. I ran a hand down her hair gently.

"I told Caroline that even the purest of hearts are drawn to the allure of darkness. Perhaps the darkest of hearts can be drawn to the allure of pureness as well," I said. Anna stared at me for a long moment before raising a hand to my cheek.

"I do not understand why you insist on claiming to have such a dead, black heart," she whispered. I sighed, leaning into her touch.

"Because for a long time, that's all I believed. I believed I was a monster, incapable of love or kindness simply because that's what everyone else believed. You made me see that's not entirely true. I am capable of…human emotions. I am capable of falling in love. Some may say that's a show of weakness but if you're my weakness, then you are also my strength. No one has been able to pull me back the way you have, Annabelle."

"If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy? If our love is insanity, why are my clarity?" she murmured. I chuckled.

"You seem rather obsessed with that tune, love," I remarked with a smile. Anna smiled in return.

"Come on, let's keep walking," she said, standing up slowly. She shook out her hair, which was nearly dry and let it settle so it fell down her back in a tangle of curls.

I rose and reached over to take her hand. Her eyes met mine and she squeezed my hand. She began leading me down the river, away from the trees, heading for the meadow.

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

I coaxed Klaus into a race to the meadow, so we shifted and took off side by side, a blur of brown and gray.

The meadow was now covered in yellow-green grass that brushed against my shoulder as a wolf. I walked next to Klaus and tipped my ears at him happily. His tail wagged once before he sat down on his haunches and shifted back.

I walked up to him and nuzzled him, still in my wolf form. He laughed at my wet nose and stroked my coat.

"You're a wolf, yet you have dog-like tendencies," Klaus remarked. I gave him a wolf-like grin before I shifted back, moving onto his lap. I cuddled close to him, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded in his arms.

When I glanced at him, I saw his head was tilted back so the sun could wash over it. His eyes were closed and his lips were curved. I gave into the urge to run a hand down his stubbly jaw. He sighed at the contact. His eyes opened slowly, revealing their strong blue color.

With our eyes locked, we didn't say anything. It was one of those moments where words weren't needed to express what we were feeling right then and there. We just knew.

As I stared into his eyes, I found myself wondering about Klaus in his youth- before he became a vampire. Had he been young and carefree? I knew the stories about his family back then, how him and Elijah and gone after the same girl and how they came to lose the youngest member of their group…but how had he been as a child? Had he been a curious child? Quiet and watchful? Adventurous?

Then Klaus shifted a little to rub his lips over my shoulder blade. I turned my head to rest my chin on my shoulder to watch him with a smile. When he leaned back, he smirked.

"You know," he said, raising his brows a little before looking up at me with another smirk. "I do believe I can hear your thoughts at times." I raised a brow since I wasn't expecting that.

"Oh?" I asked, looking at him skeptically. Klaus leaned in close, so our lips were almost brushing. I felt a rush of heat up my spine.

"Right now, they're particularly distracting," he murmured.

Suddenly, I was knocked off his lap and onto the ground. Klaus crawled up my body slowly and I pulled in a sharp breath.

"Especially since all I want to do is make love to you under the sunshine," he whispered in a darkly seductive voice. I felt my wolf surge forward at his words and I knew my eyes flashed. Ignoring my bodily urges, I laid beneath him passively. I tilted my chin up.

"You don't say?" I remarked in an impassive voice. Bracing himself above me, sending shivers down my spine, Klaus leaned down to kiss the space behind my ear. I closed my eyes briefly at the heavenly sensation.

"Who says I'm interested?" I asked, a challenge in my voice. I felt him smirk against my skin and my hands clenched at the grass surrounding us. Klaus rocked his hips into mine and I barely muffled a gasp as I felt his erection through his jeans.

"I think the soul bond says otherwise," he said with a naughty smirk. I stared at him before a matching smile crawled over my lips. I reached up and yanked him down so our lips could collide.

The sun had nothing to do with the heat rising between us. Our tongues battled for dominance and our teeth clashed furiously. When his lips left mine, he attached his teeth- now possibly fangs- to my neck. I cried out and arched against him, now holding him close. My nails dug in and I didn't try retracing my claws when they grew from my nail beds.

Klaus fumbled with the buttons down the front of my dress, so I rolled him over, laughing. His frustration rolled through him, into me, as I struggled to remove his clothes as well.

We ended up in a tangle of clothes and limbs, my dress unbuttoned to expose my naked flesh, his shirt off and his pants only partially off.

Klaus drove into me and I screamed his name to the sky, desperately grasping at the grass to get my bearings. Klaus gripped my hands above my head as he thrusted into me again and I groaned, rolling my hips with his.

"Mine," Klaus growled, his eyes as gold as the sun. His teeth bit down onto my neck again as he continued to pound in and out of me, leaving me gasping for breath.

Snarling, I bit down onto his shoulder, and felt dark satisfaction as Klaus growled sharply. But I couldn't control myself as I partially shifted, my wolf wanted to mark what belonged to her.

I tore at his back with my claws and with a sharp movement of my hips, had him on his back. We stared at each other, panting harshly. Our wounds closed up and we watched each other with flaming gold eyes.

Then I groaned and began moving, tilting my head back. I grasped his shoulders and he my hips as we moved at a slower pace. Slowly, I leaned down to take his lips, my hair curtaining our faces from the sunlight.

Klaus lifted his hands to frame my face before he rolled me onto my back again. His eyes watched me as he continued moving. My heart was slamming against my ribs, my blood rushed through my veins but all that mattered was the look in Klaus's eyes.

"Mio angelo," he suddenly whispered before kissing me gently. His hand trailed down my side, lifting my leg so it was hitched around his hip. I moaned softly, clenching him close, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

The peak was as golden and bright as the sun, filling me up as I rose and fell with Klaus. I sighed his name as I fell down the slippery slope with him, holding him close the entire time.

We laid there in silence for a long moment after he collapsed on top of me. I played with his hair and he trailed his fingers up and down the slight curve of my hip.

Ooo0ooO

(Charlie's POV)

When Meredith and I finished our hike, I dropped her off at her apartment. She had to shower and change for her late shift at the hospital but promised to call me later to see if we could do a late night movie.

I watched her go with a small smile.

I wandered around the town after that. That Silas guy seemed to be staying away for the time being, so everything looked…well, normal.

I heard distant cries of wolves and smiled dryly, wondering if I could get Anna back for teasing me about acting like a dog in my wolf form. She certainly sounded yappy right now.

Tucking my hands in my pockets, I walked into the Grill, finding a seat at the bar. Matt came up to me and gave me a nod, before pouring me my favorite drink. I grinned at the kid.

"I'm guessing you're use to regulars here," I joked. Matt laughed a little, raising his brows with a considering look.

"Yeah, I mean, Damon comes in a lot too. That dude drinks like, all of our whiskey. And so did Al-…" Matt trailed off, frowning a little. I raised a brow.

"Ah, our old history teacher, Mr. Saltzman, came in a lot. He…sort of had a thing with Dr. Fell." Matt looked guilty, yet sympathetic. "He was also Damon's friend…kind of."

"Damon had a friend?" I asked sarcastically, then taking a gulp of my drink to wash away the bitter taste that arose in my mouth. Matt shrugged, his demeanor uncaring.

"Hmph," I huffed. Matt took my distraction as an opportunity to escape, probably to avoid continuing the awkward conversation about my girlfriend's ex. I finished off my drink in one long gulp.

I suddenly needed to go running again.

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

Annabelle and I stayed in the meadow until it was nighttime. We stayed curled in the grass, watching it sway in the breeze and the stars sparkled overhead.

She sighed contently and snuggled against my side, sliding her leg between mine. I enjoyed the feeling of her warm body pressing into mine, and I kissed the top of her head softly, inhaling the scent of her hair.

I can sense she's dozing by the steady rhythm of her breathing and beat of her heart, knocking against my ribcage. I find it soothing, almost song-like.

"Klaus?" Anna suddenly murmurs, her voice very sleepy.

"Yes, love?" I replied. She rolls a little to look at me with dark, heavy lidded eyes.

"You love me, right?" I stare at her blankly for a moment and blink.

"Of course," I reply, but it ends up sounding more like a question. Anna just smiles at me.

"I'll love you forever," she says quietly, yet I chuckle, since her voice went musical at forever- as if she was singing it.

"And I you," I reply softly. She seems pleased and drops her head against my shoulder again.

"Come along, darling," I say gently, lifting her off the grass. She curls into my arms trustfully, sighing my name. I feel my heart roll in my chest at her breathy voice.

As I carry her back to the mansion, her words continue to roll through my head like an ocean tide.

I'll love you forever.

But, in a moment of doubt, I found myself wondering…

Will we have our forever?

Ooo0ooO

Author's Note: Mushy, gushy, I know. I guess I've been in a mushy gushy mood! I'll update again after Thursday's episode. On a side note, the title for this chapter is actually called Rue's Lullaby (Deep in the Meadow)- yes from the Hunger Games soundtrack- but I changed it to suit the setting!

Let me know what you thought of this chapter!