Chapter 48:

Charming Clamminess

When Klaus walked back into the apartment / loft / hotel room, he wasn't alone. He cradled the Gilbert boy in his arms – the boy he had tried to kill not too long ago. Well... Him and his sister and just about everyone who lived in Mystic Falls.

With Caroline by his side, he strode over towards the couch while Elijah's eyes followed him from inside the open-doored study room. Klaus clumsily plopped the boy on the couch, still with a lacking bed manner.

"My goodness," Elijah said blankly, almost showing an expression. "What has Rebekah done?"

Klaus grunted when he stood back up with Caroline silently by his side. "She killed Matt," Klaus said simply. His voice was void of sentiment, but his eyes gave a flash of anger. So clearly Klaus blamed Elijah as well as Rebekah for what has happened. When he said it, he felt Caroline's hand slip into his own, and while his heart gave a leap, he just continued to stare at Elijah.

Elijah and Klaus stared at each other for a long while, one showing utter fury, the other showing a slight befuddlement and concern, being the only brother with true morality.

It was Caroline's weak and broken voice that interrupted the staring and glaring. "I'm going upstairs," she croaked, barely above a whisper before her hand dropped out of Klaus's and she approached the staircase. It was like all the emotion was drained from her.

Klaus watched her walk away, about to follow her, but was stopped by Elijah's voice of concern. How does he do that, Klaus thought, I need to figure out how he shows concern like that... Perhaps he could teach me, Klaus thought like a recovering psychopath would think.

"What about the boy?" Elijah asked him with a nod of his head towards Jeremy who laid unconscious on the couch.

Klaus sighed tiredly with a glance over his shoulder towards the boy. "He's fine. Turns out, it wasn't his blood – it was Katerina's."

"Katherine's?" Elijah 'repeated' a little too eagerly.

Klaus cocked his head to the side and he stared darkly upon him. "What is it, brother? Still carrying some emotions for the girl?" He asked, almost mockingly.

Elijah huffed slightly and gritted his charmingly uneven teeth impatiently. "Is she okay Niklaus, or not?"

Klaus raised his chin and that flash of anger and returned to his cold, dark eyes. "I don't know, nor do I care at this point. Now, where is Rebekah?"

"I sent her away."

"Good," Klaus said simply, and nothing more. Instead of threats, or warnings, or even a snide remark, he said nothing and walked upstairs.

Instinctively, Klaus rushed towards Caroline's door, and placed his hand on the golden door knob. After only a second's hesitation, he quietly turned it and opened the door. And there was Caroline; laying quietly in the white sheeted bed with the setting sun's light on her. She was so still and quiet, you would have thought she was asleep. Caroline was tired enough to be – she was emotionally exhausted. But instead, Klaus stared from the door frame into Caroline's open, unblinking eyes.

Sadness.

That was clear, and something Klaus knew all too familiarly. But he didn't know what to say. "Caroline, I'm..." Klaus trailed off, because he really had no idea what to say. Nothing would help. He knew that much. Then after his breath caught he spoke, before he knew what he was saying. "I know what you're feeling," Klaus said quietly and Caroline's blank eyes locked with his, and it was like he could feel her; all her pain. He glanced down at his shoes then back into her tortured eyes because it was almost hypnotising. "I know it's hard to believe I could ever feel anything, but I do know what you're feeling..." He waited for her to speak, to yell or scream or simply say that it was impossible for him to even know what this felt like.

But she remained silent, staring into his own tortured eyes.

Klaus felt like nothing else he would say would make a difference – he just needed to get that out. That's why he turned to leave.

"Wait," Caroline said finally and she sat up, making him look back at her over his shoulder. Her pale fingers clenched at her white sheets and she continued to lock with his gaze. "Stay with me," she said.

Klaus's heart gave another leap.

"Stay with me," she said again, as though she thought he didn't hear her. "Just until I fall asleep."

Klaus's mouth, gaping slightly shut closed and he gave her a weak, slight smile, when he was really smiling with absolute happiness in his mind. She needed him – and though he felt guilt over feeling this, her being in this state of mind and all, but it was the truth.

Without even a second of hesitation, he slowly walked around the bed over to her side by the glass doors and stared down into her tortured blue eyes. She nudged her body over and lifted up the covers. Klaus didn't even kick off his shoes as he slipped under the covers and rather awkwardly leaned back against the fluffy white pillows. Caroline didn't notice – she didn't care. At that point, she didn't care about anything, just about being alone. She leaned her head against his chest and rested her arm against him. Klaus, with embarrassingly clammy hands, because he was so nervous, wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. He stroked a piece of curly hair away from her dry eyes, then continued to stroke her hair until she fell into a quiet, dreamless sleep. And then he did, too.