Three days had passed since Caroline returned home. It was nice to curl up in her own bed and forget everything else, but then she had to endure the torture of her own thoughts.
Caroline was so restless; she couldn't shake the feeling she was living another girl's life. It was her family, her house, her life; everything was just as she left it before she was pulled into a nightmare. However, the girl that returned was not Caroline anymore. Or was it that this was her true self and she just refused to see it?
She had mixed feelings about this newfound girl. On one hand she was glad knowing she was a survivor; it was not everyday that one could survive an encounter with an ancient obsessed witch and live with the feared and loathed Original Hybrid. On the other hand, she was unsure of her feelings.
This is not the time to dwell on that. She reminded herself as she walked in the crowded corridor at her school.
Wherever she went, she felt eyes on her. Some of the students smiled at her, others just stopped talking the moment she came close to them. Apparently her absence for such a long time and her return was one of the main topics at school those days.
She forgot the story her mother had told everyone about her absence and she didn't know how to answer to the ceaseless questions. Caroline decided to play mysterious, so she answered with vague and generic excuses, or cute smiles. After all, she was Miss Mystic Falls; she knew a few things about charming the crowd.
It went without saying that she avoided the Gang like the plague. She had no desire whatsoever to listen to her friends' judgemental comments. She was being childish by running away from reality, but hell, she needed a little space to breathe.
She saw Bonnie and Elena at almost all the classes that she attended. Bonnie approached her a couple of times and demanded that they talk. Apparently the look she got from Caroline convinced her it was better not to cause a scene. Elena remained silent, only the pleading look in her eyes indicated how she felt.
Caroline was not a cruel person. She didn't want to punish her friends like Bonnie suggested. She just needed to set her priorities straight. Since she became a vampire, her life was a constant run from danger to danger. She didn't have time to accept her new self.
The days she was locked up with Klaus gave her plenty of time to reflect on her life. She almost missed the talks they had, even the banter. It had been a long time since she last felt free to speak her mind without fear of being judged.
How ironic to feel free while being kept a prisoner. How peculiar to find understanding in the last person on earth I would expect to. Caroline set at her desk, trying to concentrate on what the teacher said. Mathematics was never her favorite class, but then any class that required her mind to be present rather than flying away to forbidden memories, was a blessing.
She completely ignored the looks from her friends sitting behind her. She imagined Bonnie burning holes in her back with her mighty spells and Elena sending her angry looks under a peaceful demeanor.
After a martyric hour of trying to follow the teacher talking about equations, class was finally over. A general sigh of extreme relief seemed to escape the majority of the students, who evacuated the class immediately, in fear that the teacher would continue the lecture forever.
"Caroline." Elena called to her. "Can we please talk somewhere in private?" They both knew they had to talk sometime.
"Can we do this another time?" Caroline sounded just as tired as she felt. Her voice gave away nothing but a little fatigue.
"You can't avoid me forever, Care. We need to talk about what happened."
"It's not always about you, Elena." Caroline replied a little harsher than she meant to. She felt hurt and betrayed, but she still loved her friend. Trying to insult and purposefully hurt someone, wasn't her. "I just need some time to sort out my feelings."
"The more we let it be, the worse this is going to get." Bonnie intervened. "Why don't we all go to your place and have a nice talk like we used to before all this crazy stuff became our life?"
Caroline thought about it for a minute. They were right, their friendship had been through so much to let it whither so easily.
"Meet me at the Salvatore mansion tonight at 9 o'clock. Tell the boys to be there too."
Caroline was proud of herself. Not only would she come face to face with her problems, but she would do so at their court. This was not war, she had nothing to fear. After all, they had exchanged bitter words, what more could they do to hurt their friendship?
Elena and Bonnie nodded, smiling for the first time that day. Maybe there was hope for them.
Klaus was alone in his mansion. Elijah had returned to his business in New Orleans after making sure his younger brother was feeling all right. He made Klaus promise that he was OK and he would not do anything stupid.
I am a good actor. Klaus smiled to himself, humorless.
Ever since this story ended, he tried to drive himself to exhaustion. He made arrangements to clean the basement and erase every trace of blood from the place. He even installed a small fridge with a good blood supply. Not that he intended to be captured and humiliated like that again in the future. He just wanted it there just in case.
He would run around all day doing a thousand boring and tiring chores, till the moment he would drop dead of exhaustion on his bed. He wanted nothing more than the blessing of a dreamless sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to escape a pair of beautiful, baby blue eyes.
He hadn't seen her since that eventful day, when she walked away from him without a glance back. He could have easily gone by her house and see her, even from the shadows. However, after the time they spent together, he refused to be the monster lurking in the shadows.
Klaus felt so tired, he didn't even bother to change his clothes. He closed his eyes and stayed sprawled on his bed like a lifeless corpse. That was pretty much how he was feeling actually. He needed to do something about this situation or he would go mad. Just not tonight.
The sound of someone knocking persistently on his door, woke him from his slumber. He was not known for his great people skills. He had no friends here in Mystic Falls. Not anymore. No one would come to his door at ... he tried to look at his watch, only to be reminded that he no longer wore one. He looked at his cell phone, it was 11 pm.
No one in his right mind came to an Original's place, unannounced and uninvited, just for social reasons. He had to open the door and teach his visitor a few things about manners.
He flashed down the stairs and reached the door in a heartbeat. Without hiding his irritation for the interruption from a much needed sleep, he opened the door.
The visitor was just as surprised as he was when the heavy wooden door stood no longer between them and the owner of the house.
Klaus's eyes grew wide in surprise upon seeing the object of his dreams standing there, in front of him in the flesh. The moon shone behind her, making her golden hair seem surrounded by a halo. She looked like an angel. Or perhaps he was just exaggerating because he had missed her so much.
She wore a white dress that hugged her lush body so gently that she was a vision to behold. A beautiful, round silver medallion graced her delicate neck. He recognized an intricate celtic design that seemed somehow familiar to him. If he wasn't mistaken, she was wearing his jacket, though it was clean now. She seemed serious, yet a faint smile lingered on her lips.
Caroline gasped at the sight before her. She had come to his door with the intent to return his watch and his jacket to him. She had no other motive to come visit him this late at night.
Klaus couldn't have looked more surprised if he had caught Santa leaving gifts under his Christmas tree. It was so cute she wanted to giggle.
He must have been sleeping, if the ruffled hair and the trace of the creases from the pillow on his face were any indication. She should have come in a more appropriate hour, but suddenly she couldn't fight the urge to see him. She had been trying to forget about him so hard these last days. Then she realised it was no good.
We just need to say our goodbyes so that we can move on. She thought. No other reason had her come to his mansion like a ghost.
"Caroline, what are you doing here?" That was all his numb mind could come up with. In my defence I was sleeping, he reassured himself.
"Well hello to you too, Klaus. Can I come in?" She said smiling shyly.
Why am I being so shy? It's not like I don't know him at all.
"Yes. Of course. Forgive my lack of manners." He moved aside so that she could come in.
Her sweet scent invaded his senses the moment she passed him and moved towards the parlor. He followed her like dumbstruck pushing the door to close with a thud.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, still unable to believe she was there. He had to refrain himself from running towards her and kiss her. Then he thought that she never came here out of courtesy. "Has anything happened?"
She laughed at his question. He was right, she never came here if not to ask for a favor. Still he was adorable in his attempt to guess at her intentions.
Yeah, right, adorable. Adorable is a five years old that gives you a toothless smile. Klaus is ... She couldn't find the words to describe him.
He was drop dead gorgeous. His piercing gaze made her blood boil, the stubble on his face had her fingers itching to feel it. Everything about him screamed danger; maybe that's why he seemed so irresistible in her eyes. She was stupid to come here at this time of night.
"I'm sorry to bother you..." She never managed to finish her answer.
"Why don't you cut to the chase, love?" It was torture to stand there, mere feet away from her and keep his composure, but he had to.
Caroline sighed. He was never known for his patience. "I just wanted to return your watch." She said removing the watch from her hand.
Klaus seemed so disappointed with the reason of her visit, that she almost laughed. He took the watch from her hand and tried to ignore the electricity when their fingers touched.
"I also wanted to give you back your jacket." With that, she removed the jacket as well. He took it from her extended hand, the warmth of her body still lingering on the piece of cloth.
He had to try hard not to inhale her divine scent. He had to be careful or she would fly away like a frightened butterfly.
"You're welcome, love." He said, placing both objects on a table nearby.
"Did I say thank you?" Her voice was strangely seducing.
What were her intentions? Coming here and playing these little games was not safe. He was barely controlling himself not to kiss her mindless.
"You meant to, I'm sure. I'm just saving us time." He approached her slowly, like a predator. She still had time to back off from this wicked game.
"Save us time for what?" For each step he moved toward her, she moved a step back, all the while without breaking eye contact with him.
She was not afraid of him, she was on vervain. The pure lust she saw in his eyes, fueled her own hidden desires. She had denied herself the pleasure of his lips on hers for too long. Now ...
She had not realized her back was on a huge shelf of books. Seconds later, he was there too, only a few inches away. His eyes shone like blue diamonds, the desire so hot it burned her.
He did not answer. He raised his hands and touched the side of her face ever so slightly. She melted under his touch, suppressing a soft moan from escaping her throat.
He leaned and pressed his full lips on hers. His kiss was at first gentle, tantalizing. She had no intention of resisting, her hands now tracing paths on his chest and broad shoulders. She pulled him closer to her, the need to be one with him too overwhelming.
The kiss deepened and they both lost control. The only thing that mattered was their desperate need to feel the other. They were two bodies as one, dancing in the flames of passion.
Klaus closed his eyes, trying to engrave the memory of this moment in his memory. He felt like he was in heaven, no other words could describe the absolute bliss he was feeling.
Everything was perfect but for a distant sound of knocking. He was irritated at being interrupted. He tried to ignore the noise; whatever it was he was not interested. He had the woman he loved in his arms, everything else was just insignificant.
However, the noise kept getting stronger by the second. Suddenly a window blew open with a loud thud somewhere in his house and he opened his eyes.
To his great surprise and even greater annoyance, he was still in his room. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He looked around the room, but he was all alone.
Was it a dream? He couldn't believe it. He flashed down the stairs at the parlor, but found no sign of the beauty he was kissing just moments ago. He checked for proof of her visit, but neither watch nor jacket were where he remembered he put them.
Klaus slumped to the chair nearest to him. It was a hauntingly beautiful dream and a cruel one at that. He could still taste her lips, the feeling of her silk skin still fresh on his fingertips.
He was going crazy. He was afraid of the intensity of his feelings for Caroline. Should he seek to meet her? What if she didn't want anything to do with him anymore? After all he was the reason she was kept prisoner for almost a month.
I should have known it was a dream. She would never come to me like that. It was a depressing thought.
Klaus needed a drink, but he couldn't stay a minute longer at his mansion. Everything there reminded him of that vivid dream.
He took his car and decided to go for a drink. He would not go to The Grill, cause he was in no mood to bump into any of the Gang members. He decided to go the only other bar in town, determined to keep anyone at a distance.
Ten minutes later he entered the almost empty bar. It was either too soon or too late, but Klaus didn't care. He didn't come here for the company. He ordered his drink and went to seat in a table at the corner. The dim lights and the soft music were what he needed to dull his feelings.
While he was waiting for his order to come, he felt a presence standing behind him.
"Klaus? What a nice surprise."
The voice was not very familiar to him, so he turned around to see who the newcomer was. The witch, Freya, was smiling at him as if they were old friends. Well, technically they were, but he felt a little awkward around her.
"Freya." He saluted her being just borderline polite.
She smiled again and she seemed so different from the powerful witch that had saved him from the curse.
"Would you mind if I kept you company till my friends arrive?" she motioned to the empty chair opposite him.
"Well, actually I would." He replied without trying to hide his true emotions. He wanted to be left alone and he had nothing to talk about with Freya anyway.
She seemed to be taken aback for a moment. Not my best moment. She thought to herself, but she could understand him better than he thought.
"OK then. It was nice not talking to you. See you around." With that, she moved to her table, sitting with her back on him.
Klaus did not feel guilty about turning her away like that. He was a monster, why everyone expected him to crave for blood, but be polite when they met in social occasions? He was a cold hearted bastard. End of story.
His drink came, so he sipped the strong liquid, enjoying the fire that lit in his throat. He needed something to distract him. He studied the few customers at the bar trying to guess at their little unimportant problems.
In the meantime, Freya's friends had arrived, two women and a men. They hugged and started to chat quite vividly, all the while laughing and making toasts. He could hear them if he wanted to, but he didn't want.
He needed to be alone, he had no need to talk to anyone. He was fine by himself.
"Only that you're not fine by yourself." A female voice said in his head.
Klaus was surprised, no one was around him. Whose voice was it?
"You're a smart man, Klaus. It's me, Freya."
Damn witch, wasn't she a persistent one or what? The fact that she saved him didn't give her the right to invade the privacy of his mind. He was caught off guard, cause he thought no one could read his thoughts.
"Get out of my head. There's plenty of targets here to fool around if you're trying for practice." He responded mentally to the witch, who was still facing away from him.
"You're a real thick head, Klaus." The voice giggled. "But I like you. So, I'm gonna break my promise not to intervene in your business anymore and tell you a little secret."
He was irritated that he had no power over this witch that called herself his friend. He was also intrigued by the promise hidden behind her words.
"Well then, don't let me stop you from telling me that little secret."
"She will come around, Klaus."
Klaus held his breath. What was she talking about? Did she mean ... Was it really the truth or was she telling him whatever he wanted to listen?
"I told you I'm your friend. I don't need to play petty tricks. I've seen glimpses of the future. In yours, i see a celtic thistle medallion. Whoever wears it, will bring you happiness and peace of mind."
"Why the thistle?" Of all he learned, this stupid question popped into his mind.
"It is the symbol of strength, protection and healing. The bearer of that medallion is your salvation."
The words played in his mind repeatedly. He remembered that Caroline was wearing such a medallion in his dream. He had never seen it before. Maybe Freya had just read that lingering thought in his mind. It meant nothing, right?
"For a thousand years old man, you're surely naive sometimes. I wish you all the happiness you can get, Klaus. You and I are connected. Seek me if you ever need my help."
With that, the witch turned around in her seat and smiled broadly at him. It was so strange to have an ally without first having killed someone dear to them to get their loyalty. Maybe Freya was right, maybe there was salvation for him.