Resilience - A Klaroline Fiction

by B-MINA

After a dangerous spell backfires, the gang of Mystic Falls is sent running for their lives. Years later, Caroline and Alaric have left the supernatural drama behind, but their newfound peace is disrupted when they find out that Bonnie is in trouble. Prompting Caroline to turn to New Orleans in search for help, only to find more dangerous challenges ahead... [Ext. summary inside]

25. I will meet you in the dark

Okay, so I had hoped to start the trend of making the chapters shorter, but I failed. This one just abslutely could not be cut without me feeling like I was robbing the story of important stuff. Soooooo, here you go. One more chapter until the Strix ball! (I'm so excited)

NSFW warning! Writing smut is still new to me so I hope you will be kind.

Please let me know what you think about the chapter, I live for your encouraging support. xx.

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Chapter 25: I will meet you in the dark

One year ago
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The crickets chirped loudly as Davina walked up the gravel driveway, the crunching of her steps matching the surroundings of the rural property. The heat had turned the grass of the lawn into a blended tint between pale-green and a dried-out yellow. Birds hid from the sun by the shadows of fig trees and bushes, a buzzing covered the flowerbeds with pollenating bees and butterflies. It really was a picturesque little plot of land, like something taken straight out of a country-side dream.

She took in the shielded porch with lounge chairs and tiny ladders where various pots of herbs and fruits stood stacked up. A windchime played above her head as she pressed the doorbell and waited on the other side of the screen door.

"Hold on!" the voice called out from within the farm-style house, followed by quick steps before the face of Vincent Griffin appeared before her. "Davina Claire." he beamed in surprise and quickly opened the door. "I barely recognized you, dear."

"I know, it's been too long. I'm sorry." she chuckled with a guilty grimace as he pulled her in for a close hug. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I probably should have called ahead…"

"Nonsense!" he chimed and leaned back to look her over with a sweet smile. "You are always welcome here, Davina."

She grinned back in response and nodded. "It's really good to see you, Vincent."

"And you." he said before urging her inside. "Camille isn't home yet, I'm afraid. But we could have some iced tea and catch up while we wait for her to join us." he offered kindly as he ushered her through the hall. Leading her past a large kitchen with light green cabinets and a cute little breakfast nook, passing the stairs leading to the second floor with dressers and side-tables covered in framed portraits of the couple.

The younger witch wore a smile on her face as they reached a solarium with rattan furniture and various high plants. "This house is incredible, Vincent." she crooned as she took a seat in the sun-soaked room.

"Thank you." he chimed proudly as he brought a jug and filled two glasses up with iced tea. "It's all Cami, really. I don't think I can take any of the credit myself."

She accepted the drink and sighed in delight as it immediately worked to cool her down. "How is the practice going?" she asked, remembering that the pair had decided to start their own private mental health clinic in town.

"Great." he beamed and nodded as he sipped his drink. "It's strange actually, I never thought I would be able to feel at home in any other place than New Orleans. And alas, this seems like it was always what we were supposed to do, Cami and I."

"I'm glad to hear it." she grinned as her eyes swept across the room again. "You really have made the perfect life for the two of you. All that's missing is a house cat or pet rabbit or something."

He chuckled at that and shrugged. "Camille wants a dog. But I'm not entirely convinced yet."

"Yeah? Not a dog person?"

"It's more along the lines of me not being a 'get up at all hours of the day to let said dog out'-person." he corrected, earning a light laugh from her in response. "But then again, I haven't been able to deny the woman anything so far. So, I suppose there will be a golden retriever to greet you during your next visit here."

"I would have expected Cami to get a border collie or even a husky… You know, something big, hairy and huggable. But I guess she already has you." she teased, gaining a deep chuckle from the other witch.

"I guess so." he agreed as he leaned back in his armchair and studied her shortly. "What about you, Davina? How have you been doing?"

"It's good. The coven is united like never before, our collective powers are strong." she relayed with a shrug.

"And how is Marcel?" Vincent pressed with a friendly smile. "Is he done chasing Strix members around the world yet?"

She chuckled and shook her head in response. "No, but we did manage to find many of the witches. There are still some higher-level Sisters missing that we had hoped to lure out, and the Mikaelson's are dead set on finding some members in the Strix that apparently could lead them to Aya… But Marcel has kind of put his part of the search on hold for now. I think he just really missed home, and probably running the vampire faction too."

"I can imagine." he smirked. "So, now that we've covered the French Quarter. How are you, Davina?"

"Actually… That's why I'm here." she admitted with a sigh, putting her glass away as she took a deep breath and decided to come clean. "I could really use your input on this spell I'm working on."

"What kind of spell?"

"It's, uhm…" she hesitated and grimaced shortly, getting a furrowed look from the man as she finally told him why she had come. "Well… It's a mix between this communication spell and a binding ritual. There are some difficult aspects to it that I can't really do on my own."

He raised a brow at that and nodded for her to go on. "Such as?"

She bit her lip and fidgeted with her hands, her stomach turning as she fought to utter the words but feared his response. "Vincent, I…" she stammered, meeting his eyes with a serious face. "I have been keeping something from the others for a very long time now. But I don't think it's safe to hide this secret anymore."

The male witch leaned closer as worry filled his features. "What secret, Davina?"

"When I first entered the Sisterhood, Kol warned me about the kind of magic that they use. How they get their powers and the effects that has on the Sisters themselves." she began with a sad sigh. "I didn't care because I thought it would all be worth it in the end. I thought I would get Kol back and give up the magic and we'd be… happy. And that was my anchor, my focus, for a really long time."

Davina ran her fingers through her hair as she fought against the sad lump building in her throat. "As you know, I still haven't been able to live up to my promise to him..." she noted with a weak voice. "It has come to a certain point that, I think, if I want to keep my soul intact… If I want to stay away from the darkness, I have to give him up."

Vincent blinked as he studied her across the room, shaking his head as he took the words in slowly. "I'm not sure I follow you." he stammered in disbelief. "I thought the union of the covens only allowed for one type of practice. I assumed that would exclude the dark magic of the Sisterhood."

"Yes." she confirmed grimly. "I managed to keep the rest of the covens from being touched by that darkness. But for me, and the other Sisters… It's already too late." she explained with a hoarse chuckle as she felt an unamused smile creep onto her face. "My soul has been marked ever since Aya brought me in to sever the bloodlines. And when I united the covens, the powers within me grew. And so did the shadows cast by the magic of the Sisterhood."

"So, what are you saying here, exactly?" he drawled slowly, the cautious face informing Davina that he already had a good theory. That he already knew, or at least had an idea. But he didn't want to believe it. Truth be told, neither did she.

"There is only one way to rid me of the dark traces inside." she clarified as she told him the truth. That which would confirm his own suspicions already. "Vincent, I need you to help me die."

---

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

It took a moment for Caroline's mind to catch up with what had happened. She remembered running and her heart drumming in her chest with panic as she tried to find somewhere to hide. Memories hit her one by one… the fire stairs, the traffic past the high rise, the people rushing by the street. She sat crying as she didn't know where to go or what to do, she had no one to turn to and she was unfamiliar with the city. The young vampire wasn't sure she had ever felt more alone in the world.

And then, the flashes had begun. Her head had ached as loud voices screamed in her ears. Something sharp tried to cut through her consciousness like a knife, breaking her mind up and making her cry in pain. And then, in the middle of the chaotic agony, she had seen something… Something confusing. Klaus lying on the floor, his skin gray and covered with veins. His eyes pale while he coughed out a final breath just as everything went dark around her.

Obscure noises and strange smells were what brought her to stir awake. Her eyes examined her environments slowly until she started to recognize the bedroom she was in as Marcel's. She turned to search for the source of the muffled voices that just barely made through her clouded mind.

"Klaus?" she whispered as she thought she'd heard him, sighing as she considered the possibility that she could be imagining things. Hearing things, like she'd done on that street…

But soon, the man in question entered the room and rushed to her side. His eyes were dark and plagued as he studied her, sitting down by the bed and leaning close. Reaching a hand up to brush some hair away from her face. "Hello, love." he murmured with a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"

She cleared her throat and tried to find an answer. "Tired." she croaked out. Her gaze settled on her body as it lied on top of the duvet, her clothes were stained. Making her nearly scream when she realized with just what. Sitting up abruptly, she looked down at her hands, her heartbeat picking up as she felt panic rise inside.

"Breathe, Caroline." Klaus instructed, reminding her that he was still there. She brought her trembling hands to cover her mouth as the memories replayed before her eyes.

The man. Lucien. The dark street as she ran. The blood.

"I... I killed him." she breathed out in chock. "I haven't... I don't..." she stuttered, shaking her head as she felt the guilt and fear grip her heart tightly. "I can't believe I lost control like that. I never – It hasn't happened since..."

"Caroline." he whispered softly as he turned her face towards him. "Listen to me, you did nothing wrong. You were not in your right state of mind."

"But I... I killed him. He's dead." she whispered, running her fingers through her hair as she shook her head in disbelief. "I don't understand what happened."

"Marcel told me you've had similar... episodes before." he said with a cautious tone as his eyes observed her closely. "Such as during our date. When you got upset and rushed out to that alley."

"Not like this. Never like this." she protested. "I haven't even fed on a human in... Years." she stammered, looking over at him with terrified eyes. "Does this mean... Am I turning into a… a ripper?"

"No, sweetheart. Of course not." he assured her as he reached for her face and stroked her cheeks gently. "I promise that is not what's happening here."

"Then... What?" she breathed out, worried to hear the answer but even more so of not getting one at all.

"I'll ask Freya to come see you, try some sensing rituals. She'll find out what's going on."

She blinked shortly as she stared up at him. "You're leaving?"

"No." he replied firmly. "No, of course not." The reassurance made her nod and gulp down the fear that had built up in her chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him into a tight embrace, he returned the hug with force and stroked her back. Holding her so hard to him that she felt like her ribs would break, but she didn't care. She clung to him, gripping his jacket collar and closing her eyes as she buried her face into his shoulder.

The feel of his lips pressed against her temple brought a tiny smile to her face, making her turn closer into his neck and braid her fingers into his hair. She caught sight of Marcel then as he stood in the doorway with a worried frown on his face. Upon meeting her eyes, he gave her a warm smile that displayed the relief he seemed to feel at seeing her awake.

Turning a smile to him in return, he nodded shortly before leaving the two alone. She sighed out and pressed her face closer into the hybrid's skin. "I had the weirdest dream." she chuckled out and shook her head in disbelief. "I saw you… die."

He pulled back and studied her closely, a little smile formed his lips but didn't fully reach his eyes. His hand caressed her cheek as he spoke up. "It pains me to say this, sweetheart. But since Lucien knows what happened..."

"He'll ask questions." she concluded, frowning as she realized that would make things messy. "What should I tell him?"

His eyes closed as he rested against her forehead with a set jaw. "You won't need to say anything if I choose to rip him apart."

"He didn't do this, Klaus." she told him with a frown.

"Then what did?" he pressed, somber pleads in his eyes as he looked her over. A nervous lump formed in her throat as she tried to come up with some explanation, something that could help him understand. The words seemed to get stuck. She was ready to say them, but she simply couldn't.

Klaus glanced over his shoulder just as Marcel entered the room with a grim frown. They shared a nod before the hybrid turned towards her again. "What?" she asked as she noticed the tense expression on his face.

He leaned closer to her then, holding her cheeks in his hands and brushing his lips against hers lightly. "You have a visitor." he whispered into the kiss. Just as soon as he had said it, Klaus flew back from the bed and out through the door, as Marcel moved to sit next to her in his place.

She didn't have long to take the situation in before Lucien walked in. His eyes examined the surroundings closely as if searching for traps or enemies around the corner. Smirking shortly to the vampire by her bedside as he walked over towards her. "How are you feeling, Alice?" he asked with a furrowed frown that just barely looked like concern to the blonde.

"Better, I think." she replied honestly. "I'm sorry, Lucien. I didn't mean–"

"Do not give it another thought, dear." he insisted politely, reaching towards her face and stroking her forehead gently. Glancing over at Marcel as he spoke up again with a determined nod. "What did Nik have to say about this?"

"He thinks it's possible that there were still traces of the venom left in her blood. I checked myself and it appears to have left her system completely now." he replied, holding onto her hand in a reassuring squeeze before continuing. "We're gonna talk some more about this later, Care. But until then, rest up, okay?"

She nodded in agreement, a try at a smile as she met his friendly eyes. He pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles before gesturing to the nightstand nearby. Bringing her attention to a few bags of blood laying there. "That's for you." he said. "I want them to be empty when I come back. Got it?" he pressed on, making her chuckle shortly.

"Yeah, yeah." she chimed defeatedly, rolling her eyes as he pointed another serious look at her. "I'll be fine, Marcel!" she assured him, earning a smile in response as he leaned closer.

She had to act fast to prepare her reaction as she understood that he was going in for a kiss, closing her eyes and cupping his cheek tentatively as she kissed him back. His warm lips were comforting and familiar, making a voice whisper in the back of her mind as she realized something then; it didn't even have a sliver of the intensity that kissing Klaus had.

And in that moment, she wanted to push Marcel away and run out of there, find the hybrid and lean into him again, to have him hold her and kiss her and care for her instead. She had to fight those urges with all her willpower, recognizing the serious need for selling the act in front of Lucien. Forcing her to keep the dismay buried deep inside as she brought a smile to her lips and kissed Marcel again.

He leaned back and left one final peck against her jaw, breathing out a long sigh as he straightened up and began to move away. "Don't go anywhere." he chimed.

"Leave already." she giggled teasingly and pushed at his shoulder, earning a chuckle from him as he got up and led Lucien out.

As soon as they closed the door behind them, she dropped the strenuous smile on her stiff face. She focused on taking long and steady breaths as she sat up and brushed her fingers through her hair. Desperately trying to clear her mind, or at least think of something else that could distract her from the horrible longing that suddenly threatened to crush her chest.

Her eyes swiftly glanced at the blood bags beside her, the sight pulling at something deep and dark within her soul. She felt her throat scratch, her face change and her fangs itching their way through her gums. The former ringing in her ears grew louder at that. Sounding like the pain of hunger, screaming at her to feed. To reach for the blood. To give in.

She grabbed one of the bags cautiously, her hands shaking and her heart thundering wildly within her ribcage. The ringing was disrupted by something else. Images flashing before her eyes. They were faces, each piercing through her soul as deeply as the next. They haunted her; from the first person she had ever hurt in her life, all the way to the man in Lucien's apartment.

Moving quickly and with deliberate force, her hand threw the bag against the wall. As if afraid of changing her mind if she didn't get rid of it right away. She turned to the others, grabbing them all and flashing into the en suite bathroom. Opening them one by one as she let the blood wash down through the drain. Away from her. Away from her mind.

Once every bag was empty, she leaned back against the opposite wall. Sitting on the cold floor as she stared at the huge mess she had made of the sink. Her trembling hands were covered in blood, the smell of it opened up the dark pit of hunger again. She turned her hands over, examining the red spatter closely as she felt it take her over. Gripping her like an overwhelming trance as she slowly lost against the fight with her darker instincts.

The sound of the door opening brought her to look up as tears streamed down her face and her breathing turned shallow. Her heart broke a little as she saw Klaus' expression, filled with pain at the sight of her on the floor. She didn't know what to say or do, nodding towards the sink in a stuttering voice. "I'm sorry… I'll clean it up. I promise. I just… I needed a second."

His lips pressed into a thin line as he glanced over at the blood-covered porcelain, quickly turning to her again and kneeling beside her. He cupped her face tightly as his wide eyes roamed over her features, scanning her body. Likely looking for some explanation to be written across her skin.

He took a long breath and picked her up from the floor, holding her to his chest as he met her eyes with a reassuring smile. "Come on, love. We're leaving." he murmured before carrying her out through the bathroom.

She gripped his shoulders tightly; relief spread in her chest and formed a little smile on her lips as she pressed her face into his neck. Breathing him in deeply as she felt the urge to just disappear and hide away somewhere. They passed Marcel in the hall, his chocked expression made her frown a little as he shook his head at the hybrid.

"Klaus, we agreed to let her stay here. Lucien will–" he began, but the man cut him off with one of the darkest scowls Caroline had ever seen.

"You do not want to stand in my way right now, Marcellus." he said, his voice calm and steady but the threat still very clear.

The vampire closed his mouth and looked over at the woman in his arms with a nod. "Go, before he comes back. I'll figure something out." he urged in agreement before moving away from them.

Klaus barely looked back at the man before rushing out through the apartment and running down the streets. Not stopping until they finally stood in the middle of her hotel room. She couldn't bring herself to question him as he carefully put her down on the edge of her bed before disappearing into the bathroom.

He wasn't gone long before he showed up with a damp towel and kneeled before her on the floor. "Your hands, Caroline." he said, making her realize that she had rolled them into tight fists. Relaxing her hands slowly then, she stretched her fingers out and allowed him to cover them with the towel. He cleaned her off gently, even scratching off some remnants of blood by her fingernails.

She couldn't help but smile at him, the supposedly evil and awful monster that was the Original hybrid. There he was, taking care of her and comforting her so tentatively. Completely focused on making sure that she was alright, and she realized that she couldn't think of any single place in the world safer than right there and then. She imagined shortly what a great father he must be to his daughter, since he had all the important characteristics. He was caring, secure and strong… and the irony of that did not escape her.

When he was finished, he stood up and left for the bathroom again. She listened to the water running as she waited in place. He soon returned and threw the towel into a wash bin before looking over at her again. She met his intense and observing eyes as he took her in for a moment, walking towards her before kneeling by her legs again. Having begun to calm down, she started to wonder if they had just made a terrible mistake. She considered what Lucien would think, hearing about Marcel's girlfriend having left in the middle of a crisis and him letting her without a second thought.

"Caroline." Klaus called for her softly, reaching up to stroke her cheek and brushing his thumb over her skin before continuing. "If I procure some new blood for you, will you take it?"

She bit her lip shortly as her eyes glanced away on reflex, his hand tilted her face back by her chin until she met his gaze again. Finally, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "No." she said, the answer displeasing him as he frowned in return.

Nodding to himself shortly, he took a breath and pointed a serious look at her as he spoke. "Will you take my blood?" he countered, the question sincere as he seemed like he was going crazy searching for a solution that she would agree with.

She shook her head again at that. "No." she whispered silently. "Sorry."

"Why?" he pressed, making her shrug.

"Because you're trying to help and I just… I don't think you can."

He closed his eyes in a sigh, a muscle ticking by his jaw as he spoke again. "No, Caroline..." he began before looking at her seriously. "I was asking about your refusal to feed." he clarified, drawing a nervous smile from her.

"I don't want it." she mumbled.

"I don't understand. You're a vampire, love; of course, you want it."

She chuckled coldly at that, shaking her head as she looked away. "Right, well… I guess my dysfunctions just keep piling up." she snickered. He looked at her patiently, making her sigh as she tried to give him a better answer. "I don't know what to say, Klaus. I just don't want to feed. I… I can't."

"You can't?" he echoed with scrutinizing eyes. "Because of what happened tonight?"

"Not really." she sighed. "Or maybe, but it's more… It's complicated."

"I can't help you if you don't…" he began with a hoarse voice, gulping before speaking again. "Please, Caroline. Tell me what you need, how you are feeling, what you're thinking... Tell me what to do. Because seeing you like this is absolutely killing me, and I don't know how to make it stop."

The words tugged at her heartstrings as she swallowed hard, nodding shortly as she tried to begin somewhere. She just wasn't sure about where… "Okay." she breathed out, looking down at her hands when a thought occurred to her then. She raised her wrist to her mouth, her face changing slowly before she bit into her skin.

She held her hand up to him as the wound bled across her forearm. His eyes showed the uncertainty he felt, making her smile while she once again considered the big bad hybrid as he was so concerned about respecting her boundaries.

"Come on, it'll close up. And I can't have you bite me." she teased, bringing a tiny smile to his lips. She noticed it already healing and pouted shortly, biting into her wrist again and leaving a deeper wound this time. "You're not going to waste my blood, are you?" she scoffed, earning a short chuckle from him as he shook his head in response.

He held onto her offered arm and leaned closer, his eyes glancing up at her as if giving her a final chance to change her mind. When no protest came, he brought the bleeding wrist to his mouth and delicately fed off the bite. She studied him in silence as he drank, having to be quick before the wound would start closing up again. He held onto her hand and gripped her elbow, stroking her skin as she closed her eyes in a deep breath. A tiny gasp escaped her as she enjoyed the intimate gesture. Feeling that unique sense of connection as he took her blood, like they were ebb and flow.

She found herself disappointed when her skin healed, suddenly resenting the fact that he couldn't bite her back since she wouldn't have minded continuing riding the high a little longer. The impatience made her on edge as she fought against the urge to feed on him too. Wanting more as she felt like she'd only just begun. She had no idea how he managed to stay so collected, since she remembered how intoxicating it had been to feed on his blood. And if she was bothered and flustered and dying for more, she could only imagine what impulses he was fighting himself.

He pressed sweet kisses against her wrist, his soft lips brushing over her pulse-point as he tenderly lapped up any remaining blood on her skin. Surprising her even further as his actions turned the desire into something gentle and affectionate instead. "I think it's safe to say that your discipline is far stronger than you thought." she teased, meeting his eyes as they took her in.

"Yours as well, it seems." he replied, the tone informing her that he had gotten a far better understanding from the feeding than she had even expected. He got up off the floor and sat next to her on the bed, holding her hand in his before he spoke again. "How long has this been going on?" he asked with scrutinizing eyes.

She bit her lip as she got mixed feelings about the successful result of her experiment. Pleased that it worked, but anxious that he now knew. About something she had kept hidden for years. Something lurking in the darkest parts of her soul. In the deepest valleys of her mind.

"Since the twins died." she replied, turning to him as he nodded to urge her on.

He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist softly. Lacing their fingers together and holding onto her tightly. Squeezing her hand reassuringly as he gave her a kind smile. "Tell me everything."

---

Five years ago
Dallas, Texas

It had been piling up for a while, now. All week she had felt tired, anxious, lightheaded… Hungry. She drew up a timeline as she tried to figure out how long it had been at this point, before she started feeling the effects of it.

Last time, she had made it a total of three days, after which she had ripped into a blood bag out of pure desperation. The time before that, she reached her limit on day two. But now, five days had passed, and Caroline Forbes hadn't had a single drop of blood. And she actually felt fine.

The irritation and suffocating side-effects had begun the day before. But as she mapped out the amounts of blood and times she had fed the last few months, the vampire noticed something. She was lasting longer with each time, making it on gradually less and less blood.

It was working.

She noticed eyes on her as she absentmindedly stared down into the notepad on her desk. Looking up cautiously, she saw her professor staring at her with a waiting look. Glancing over and noticing that everybody else was looking at her too. She took a second to try and figure out if she'd accidentally killed someone without knowing it… but settled for the more obvious possibility and cleared her throat.

"Can you repeat that, please?" she said, trying to sound innocent as the older man in dark glasses raised an eyebrow at her in response.

"You didn't understand the question?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "I wasn't paying attention." she admitted.

"Thank you for clearing up that intriguing mystery." the professor quipped, sending a wave of giggles through the classroom. "Now, do you mind telling us the chemical solution which would absolve the one displayed here?" he pointed to the whiteboard behind him, making her shrug in response.

"I'm not sure." she sighed out.

"Why don't you give it a guess then?"

She shook her head shortly as she fought the urge to run down the aisle and compel him into leaving her alone. Or she might just risk eating him instead. "I honestly couldn't say." she replied with a cold smile, earning a pout from him then.

"Well, if you'd done the assigned reading for today's class, your answer would have been distilled water." he chided before diving into a long lecture on the importance of keeping up with independent studies.

Caroline rested her chin in her palm as she pretended to pay attention to the professor's rant. Glancing back down at her calculations as she summed up how much blood she would need to get during her next hospital run. It seemed like she could last longer but would need to feed much more before and after. The other option was for her to keep the feedings to one bag every third day, before the starvation inevitably took its toll and weakened her far too much for the human population's best.

As the class was dismissed a while later, she quickly gathered her things and headed for the door. Thinking that she might have the time for a chocolate bar or something to keep her energy up before her next class. But as she headed for the door, a voice stopped her in her steps.

"Miss Forbes, may I have a word?"

She sighed and turned around to walk back to the bottom of the aisle as the rest of the students cleared out. Breathe, Caroline. Breathe. "Yes, Professor Carter?" she chimed warmly, hoping that her cooperation would result in a shorter conversation.

"I understand that the first semester after changing schools is usually a time for adjustments." he contemplated with a sigh before folding his arms over his chest. "But as we head for the end of the school year, your academic results still haven't shown any signs of improvements. Do you mind telling me why that is?"

"I've simply had a hard time lately." she muttered with a shrug. "I promise to do better for the next semester." she quipped before turning away to leave.

"To be honest, Miss Forbes, you haven't given me any reason to take you by your word." he told her, causing her to turn around and face him again as he spoke on. "Now, usually when a student is struggling, such as yourself, the problem can be traced back to the home environment. Are you having issues with your family?"

She scoffed silently before looking him dead in the eyes. "I don't have a family, Professor Carter."

"I see." he drawled with a short nod before trying again. "I understand that you turned down your assigned housing. Are there any issues with your living situation that might be the cause for your poor achievements?"

"I couldn't say." she crooned, smirking coldly. "Can I go now?"

He took a few steps towards her and frowned. "Perhaps we should discuss the potential need for you to be seeking our resources in student counseling?"

"I don't need a therapist." she interjected with a short chuckle.

"Don't think of it as therapy, consider it instead an aid in determining how you can improve your focus in school."

"I am telling you; I don't need to talk to anyone." she drawled out, just barely holding back on that little force in her mind that could make him follow her commands.

"I'm not sure you are seeing things as clearly as you think you are, Ms. Forbes." he told her and walked over to his desk to write something on a piece of paper before handing it over to her. "Try one session. If you don't at least make an effort to figure out what it is that's weighing so heavily on your shoulders, then I'll be inclined to fail you for this course."

She stared down at his offered hand as he held out the note, chewing the inside of her cheek for a moment before reluctantly taking it. "I will consider it." she muttered exasperatedly and turned away then. Hurrying out of the lecture hall before he could press on any further.

The building anger inside informed her that she would need to break her streak tonight. If she went another day longer, she might just show up and tear Mr. Carter's head off the next morning. Passing by a trash bin then, she crumbled up the paper in her hand and threw it away before she quickly headed for her next class.

---

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

Caroline found it extremely difficult to get out of bed once morning came. Their legs intertwined, their arms around each other. Her face nestled into the nape of his neck as he held her in place with a warm hand pressed against her lower back. She wasn't sure of how it had happened or when, but it was turning into a real habit for her to sleep in the hybrid's arms. A habit which she had no desire to break anytime soon.

They had talked for hours as she explained her struggles during the past few years. She told him about Alaric's drinking, the difficulty to blend in with the humans at the university… And the solution she had come up with to keep her pain numb and distant. He had looked so horrified by her confessions, making her shortly wish that she hadn't said anything at all. But when he brought her into his arms and held her close to his chest, she soon felt at peace again. He had whispered soothing words of support and encouragement as he stroked her back and hair…

That was how they had fallen asleep, still in the very same position when she woke up. She glanced up at his relaxed face and traced his stubble with her fingertips. The sunlight soaked the room with a serene and incredible warmth, giving her yet another reason not to get up. As if the tranquil moment while she watched him sleep wasn't already enough.

His eyelashes fluttered lightly as he slept, his lips were slightly parted and reminded her of how they felt against her own. Her fingers trailed the corners of his mouth softly, continuing down to his chin and following his jawline towards his cheekbones.

Moving as if to memorize his features well enough for her to shape a mold of his face. She reached his hairline and slowly traced a path toward his ear. Running over the shell of it and brushing down the side of his neck. When she reached up to stroke his cheek again, she noticed a tiny smirk on his formerly relaxed mouth and felt a grin play on her face in return.

"Good morning." she whispered as she started to pull away, he quickly circled her retreating wrist and held it in place. His eyes opened slowly and studied her with something delicate and vulnerable behind them. Stroking the back of her hand as he leaned into her touch, clearly attempting to melt her heart.

"Good morning." he breathed out with a sweet smile.

"I didn't mean to wake you." she murmured guiltily, brushing her fingertips over his neck and continuing her soft tracing of his skin. He let go of her then and closed his eyes again with a sigh.

"You didn't." he whispered, causing her to raise a brow. "I've been awake for some time now."

"What?" she scoffed out in surprise, meeting his amused eyes as he smirked at her then. "It's rude to not let someone know that you're up and aware, you know."

"Is it, now?" he pressed with a smug grin. "I suppose I simply didn't want to interrupt you in the midst of your delicate motions." he chimed making her bite her lip as she felt her cheeks heat up in response.

She withdrew her hand from him then and sighed out. "Well, you weren't supposed to be awake for that." she snickered, earning another self-contented smile then.

"Well, in that case. I could always go back to sleep." he teased, bringing her to roll her eyes and push at his chest as she started to move out of his embrace.

"Ah ah ah..." he protested, reaching for her face and brushing his fingers over her jaw. "Whoever said I was ready to let you go yet?" he crooned, tracing her lips with his thumb as he kept her from rolling away.

A coy grin covered her features as she shook her head in a chuckle. "That's not how this works." she interjected, her voice hoarse as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss against her jawline.

"Enlighten me then, love." he murmured into her skin, tilting her face to reveal more of her neck for him to explore. "How does this work?"

"You don't get to tell me what to do." she sighed out as she tried to resist leaning closer into him.

"I wouldn't dream of it." he purred, shifting his weight and pinning her into the mattress as he nibbled at her clavicle.

"And you can't keep distracting me when I'm trying to lecture you." she hissed as his teeth ventured further down her chest.

"I would never." he chimed against her sternum.

"Right." she scoffed breathily. "You're doing it right now."

"What, distracting you?" he pressed as his lips traced over her neck and back up to her jaw.

"Yes!" she bit out in frustration, earning a grin against her cheek in response.

"I thought I was listening." he mused, feigning innocence as he nipped at the shell of her ear.

"This is how you listen?" she huffed, grinding her teeth as he grabbed her thighs and circled them around his waist.

"Yes." he muttered darkly as he continued to heat her up with his touch.

"Well, then stop listening!" she protested.

He looked up at her with another pleased smile on his face. "As you wish." he replied sultry before leaning in and meeting her lips with a kiss that made her heart jump inside her chest.

She sighed out contently as she kissed him back, enjoying the light tremors that spread through her at the contact. Her arms wrapped around his neck as the kiss deepened, locking him in place and holding him close. His hands traced her sides, following her curves and digging his fingers into her thighs as he nestled between them. A gasp escaped her, granting his tongue access past her lips and drawing a smirk from her in return.

Something vibrated on the nightstand beside them, but neither of them cared. She was far too busy pulling his shirt up above his head and running her hands over his exposed skin. He was too focused on lighting a path of sparks down her throat and earning soft moans from her lips.

She pushed him back and straddled him swiftly, looking down at his hooded gaze with a heavy breath. Her eyes caught sight of something sparkly along the beads of his rosary, making her reach for it with cautious fingers. It was her mother's ring, the one she had given to him if he ever needed to find her. The fact that he kept it in such proximity, having clasped it onto a necklace that seemed to mean so much to him... It made her feel like he was keeping a part of her there, close to his heart and with him at all times.

"Is this how you guys found me last night?" she asked, studying him as he took her hand and moved it to his lips, leaving a soft peck against her wrist.

"Yes." he confirmed, making her look at him in awe. Her hands traveled slowly down his chest as she thought it over.

"You did that locating spell?" she probed as he drew patterns against her legs.

"Mm." he hummed. Sitting up and reaching for her shirt, she let him lift it off her and met his eyes immediately again.

"Didn't that hurt you?" she asked, remembering how it had drained him when they used the same spell to look for Lucien.

"No." he replied before leaning in to kiss her again. Making her furrow her brows as she felt like that was a lie. She pulled back and eyed him, stroking the sides of his face as she gave him the chance to change his answer.

"It did." she concluded, a memory of her hallucinations in that dark street hit her. She had seen him die. "That's what I saw, wasn't it?" she pushed, holding him back by his shoulders as she continued. "The dream I had; it was real."

"I don't know what you saw, love." he sighed out, a little smile playing on his lips as he reached up and cupped her cheek. "But I am alive, aren't I?" he kissed her lightly before smirking up at her. "Unless this is heaven, of course. Which I highly doubt based on my lack of an innocent past and all."

She couldn't help but smile back as he brushed his lips over hers once more. His hand brushing her hair back from her face with a gentle touch, his eyes watching her with so much affection in them that she felt it reach her soul. "Maybe it is." she hummed, her stomach jumping as he beamed in response.

That buzzing sound began again, bringing them both to cast a glance over at his phone as it kept ringing on the table. He quickly grabbed a pillow and covered the nightstand with it. Holding onto her chin and turning her head until she faced him again. His eyes roamed over her features as his thumbs brushed over her cheekbones. The gorgeous look on his face along with his disheveled hair and parted lips made her lose her breath as she quickly leaned in again. Kissing him heatedly and scratching her nails over the back of his neck.

His hands stroked her sides, following the curves of her upper-body and gripping her hips. Spinning them smoothly, he pinned her down and nibbled on her neck. She arched her back into him as he made his way over her collarbones and continued down her chest. Gasping silently at the sensation of his lips and hot breath against her sensitive skin.

A sound hit her ear then, informing her that now yet another phone was ringing as hers began buzzing by the other nightstand. "Oh, for crying out loud..." Klaus groaned against her abdomen before he sat up and grabbed the phone quickly. "Remind me to stay somewhere without cell reception in the future." he muttered bitterly, making her bite back a giggle at has frustration. He must have intended to turn the phone off, but his face faltered when he saw the screen.

"What?" she asked, propping up against her elbows as she waited for his reply.

"We are expected at a breakfast banquet in less than an hour." he answered with a frown.

"Is that even a thing?" she chuckled in confusion as she reached for the phone and stared at the message in question. "Aren't banquets by definition held in the evening?"

"Unfortunately, Lucien enjoys challenging such traditions." he sighed, dropping his head and pressing his face into her neck with a deep breath. "I suppose this means we are not in paradise after all."

"Yeah, guess not." she giggled, putting the phone away as she glanced down at him with a smile. "Come on, let's get back to the real world."

"In a minute." he grunted, making her sigh out in response.

"Fine." she agreed, not exactly feeling a rush to leave either. She wrapped her arms around him, one hand massaging his scalp as the other traced his spine slowly. He took deep breaths against her skin, tickling her softly and etching a grin to her lips.

"Let's make that two." he mumbled, causing her to chuckle in disbelief.

"Klaus." she said pointedly, earning a groan in protest.

He inhaled deeply before pulling back, glancing down at her with an enticing smile on his face. He stroked her cheek softly with his warm hand, his eyes taking her in as he sighed. "I'm going to need to hold onto this later." he muttered. "To store it away in my memory for when the heart-wrenching charade ultimately begins again and works to gradually ruin me."

"I'm sorry." she whispered, guilt tugging at her heart as she watched his sad eyes.

"That's alright, love." he replied with a little smirk, brushing his thumb over her lips before continuing. "At least this time, when it does start up again, I will know."

"Know what?" she pressed curiously, widening the smile on his face.

"That even though you must act the opposite for the time being; you, Caroline Forbes, are mine." he proclaimed. A part of her wanted to protest or correct him but something else inside of her swelled and blossomed at the words instead. Causing her to beam up at him with a shaking head.

"Whatever keeps you from killing Marcel and ruining our cover, Nik." she teased, using the name that Lucien always called him. Something that allowed her to pretend to 'slip up' when doing the same in the other vampire's presence.

It drew a chuckle from the hybrid as he smiled down at her, leaning in and kissing her lips. She sighed in response and held him close to her, returning the gentle kiss with a little more force. "Don't make me change my mind, Caroline." he murmured against her mouth, making her giggle shortly.

"Mm... Sorry." she hummed, kissing him again as she didn't feel sorry at all. He groaned as he pulled away, leaving a peck against her forehead before he finally got off her and stood up.

She lied back and glanced over at the hybrid, studying him as he ran his hand through his hair and crossed the room. Enjoying the way his muscles moved by his shoulders and back, flexing with his movements as he reached for his shirt and got dressed. He grabbed his phone and stored it in his pocket, pulling his jacket from the hook on the wall and put it on in silence.

He turned then and caught her admiring gaze, a grin spread over his features as he shook his head profusely. "Now who's being unfair?" he scoffed, making her chuckle as she sat up with a shrug.

"I don't know what you're talking about." she crooned, shaking her head and feigning innocence as he made his way over to her again. His eyes aflame as he closed the distance and took her face into his hands.

"Unless you want to add yet another point to the list of arguments for why I should take both Marcel and Lucien off the board once and for all..." he began with a smirk. "I suggest you keep those bedroom eyes at bay."

She just barely managed to fight back a triumphant grin at his words. "You're probably right. I wouldn't want to make things any harder for you than they already are." she agreed, looking up at him through her lashes as she tugged at his shirt. Bringing him to lean in and kiss her in one quick move. His lips warm and welcoming to her as she sighed and reciprocate blissfully.

He eventually pulled away, gazing down at her with conflicting emotions flashing over his face. "I just might need to find an excuse to steal you away from the others later." he sighed, earning a smirk from her in return.

"Good luck finding a legitimate reason for that." she snickered before he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers in an airy kiss.

"I have my ways, love. You'd do best to remember that." he crooned, pulling back as he held her chin in his hand. His eyes roamed over her body, making her thank herself for having worn a cute lace bra to bed last night. "I'll find you."

"Well, I won't be hiding." she quipped teasingly.

He grinned at her, stroking her cheek lightly before speaking again. "Until then, love."

"Until then." she echoed in agreement as he turned to leave, stopping by the door and glancing back at her with a heated look in his eyes.

"I will see you soon, Caroline." he said firmly, as if promising that it would happen no matter what. She shared a final smirk with him before he turned and exited the room. Leaving her to fall back on the mattress again with a deep sigh of content as her entire body fluttered with excitement and bliss.

Soon, she repeated in her head. Soon.

---

Five years ago
Dallas, Texas

When Caroline got back to the house, she quickly smelled what Ric had been doing. Sighing deeply, she walked through the living room to see him passed out on the couch, the bottle of whiskey still in his hands. Wondering shortly at what time he had begun drinking today, or rather if he had ever stopped since the night before.

She walked over to him and put the bottle away before grabbing a blanket and covering him with it. As she walked to the kitchen with a tired sigh, she opened the fridge and found nothing but milk and beer. Thinking back shortly to how Professor Carter had been so worried about her not engaging enough with the student life. She felt the impulse to take a photo of the contents before her and thereby prove that she could experience living at a fraternity even in her own home. Maybe that would shut him up for good. Or it would only work to convince him further that he should commit her to some medical facility.

Dropping the hope of having any human food tonight, she began to search the rooms for blood bags instead. Making a mental note to herself that she really needed to make a visit to the hospital as soon as she could. Not tonight though, and probably not tomorrow either. She knew that would be a particularly difficult day and she really shouldn't be around bleeding people during it.

Slumping down in her usual seat, she studied the sleeping man across from her and felt her heart break for him. He'd had a rough time ever since coming to Dallas, and almost a year later he still hadn't managed to turn things around yet. She chuckled to herself coldly as she thought of that arrogant professor again. Thinking that if Mr. Carter felt she wasn't adjusting properly, then he would've had quite the fieldtrip assessing Ric.

She sat there and looked at her surroundings with a frown. The big living room that never had any guests. The kitchen that was far too big for just two people. That one bedroom that had been empty ever since they moved in, because they didn't know what to do with it. The little yard out back that was overgrown by grass and weeds...

This is a home made for a family, she sighed to herself. Imagining what the neighbors must be thinking as they passed the poorly maintained house that never would be able to lip up to its potential. Not as long as she and Ric lived there.

Maybe her professor had been right about one thing; there was definitely something about this home that seemed to keep the habitants from healing properly. From living again. The answer was clear to her, despite her lack of a psychological degree or even the expert opinion of some overpriced shrink. No, she knew what it was. She had known all along. Their house was a constant and detrimental reminder of everything that they had lost and would never again have.

"We need to leave this place." she whispered to the sleeping man before realizing the somber reality of it all. That even if they moved to some apartment or mansion or even a trailer park – they would still never leave the house behind. The house with its haunting grief. The house with its dark memories of their pain. The house with the heartsick air and horrified walls that would scream at the things they had seen. The things they had heard. Felt.

She covered her face with her hands as she took a few deep breaths. Something was turning and building in her chest, and she didn't know what it was. It seemed urgent or rushed, like it needed something. She needed something…

To run.

Her vampire speed brought her to the other side of the city in way too short a time. And she still didn't feel any better. She rushed back and forth, pacing between two neighborhoods as she fought to tire herself out. But it was still in there, eating at her, drowning her, killing her. Staring down at her hands, she saw them shaking like they never had before. She felt a painful tempo inside her chest, the erratic heartbeat somehow not nearly as fast as she needed it to be. Everything looked like it stood still, moving so slowly as if the whole world had stopped turning, and it made her want to pull her hair out and scream.

What is this? she whispered to herself, shaking her head as she covered forehead with cold palms. I'm dying, she thought as she contemplated whether it was from a heart attack or multi-organ failure or if she was simply desiccating from the inside out.

No, that's not it, she thought as she shook her head and began pacing again. It's the air. I can't breathe. A dreadful laughter left her mouth at the mere suggestion, heaving deeply and correcting herself. This is crazy, she concluded as the laugh turned hysterical.

"I'm losing my mind." she chuckled hoarsely, her rumbling laughter having changed into something else then. She didn't realize what until she felt the hot tears burn her cheeks, her chest constricting as she fell down to her knees with loud sobs.

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop– the crazed mantra ran through her wildly. She stared up at her surroundings, not having noticed where she was until now. One of the streets looked familiar to her, bringing her to her feet again as she headed down it.

"Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop…" she whispered in despair as she began running again. She reached the huge building and muttered on, gritting her teeth as she couldn't make herself stop. She couldn't make anything stop. She had no control. No hope. Nothing.

How did I get here? she wondered as she stood in the middle of a hallway, harsh lightning and loud noises surrounding her. Nurses and orderlies passed by, completely oblivious to her inner hysteria. A desk appeared in her sight, a woman sat behind it with a phone to her ear, looking up at her when she approached.

"Can I help you, hun?" she asked with a friendly smile, her eyes were quickly distracted by something on the desk before her again.

"I think..." the blonde breathed out, gulping as she fought to keep her voice steady. "I think I'm… dying."

The woman blinked as she eyed her closely, something alarming showing on her face before she walked around the desk and towards her. "What's your name, sweetie?" she drawled cautiously.

"Caroline." she replied as she looked away, suddenly unable to meet the kind and observing eyes before her.

"Caroline." the woman repeated, raising her palms as she took slow steps to close the distance between them. "Hi, Caroline. I'm Holly."

She shook her head at the calm voice, feeling like she was going to explode if she didn't speed up and got to her own pace – fast. "I don't…" she whispered, glancing around her with fear. "I don't know what's happening."

"I can help." Holly told her with a smile, giving the vampire a strong urge to rip her mouth off her face. "Will you sit with me?"

The blonde followed the woman's gesture as she pointed to a bench. "I can't sit." she stuttered. "I can't, I can't stand still. I… I was running and I couldn't run fast enough and now…"

"Shhhh… Sweetie, look at me." she reached for her arms then and gave her a slow nod as her wide and brown eyes filled Caroline's view. "What do you see?"

"What?" she stammered, shaking her head as she wondered if the rest of the world had gone insane too.

"What do you see, Caroline?" Holly repeated. "Name something, anything. Tell me one thing that you see right now."

The blonde blinked shortly before glancing over the woman's shoulder, her eyes sweeping across the room. "Walls." she said.

"Good. What else? Can you name another one?"

"I don't…" she shook her head as she stuttered. "I don't know."

"Okay, okay. That's fine, hun." Holly reassured her then. "How about something you smell? Hospitals always have a whole rainbow of scents, right? Tell me, Caroline. What do you smell?"

The vampire gulped as she thought it over. "Rubber, or plastic. The stuff that gloves are made of." she said, earning a supportive smile from the woman then. "And uhm… Sanitizer." she stuttered.

"That's good. Really good. How about sounds? Could you name three things that you hear?"

Caroline closed her eyes a moment as she listened, taking in the various sounds of the room as they started to become clearer. No longer a jumbled-up mess that floated somewhere far away. "There's beeping from machines." she said as she listed on. "And… voices talking." she sighed out as her breathing felt easier now. "And someone clicking with a pencil or something."

She opened her eyes to see Holly smiling, holding a pencil up and locating the most recent sound. "You're doing so good. Do you want to try naming things that you see? Try to find five if you can."

The blonde didn't understand why she was playing this strange observation game that seemed like something meant for toddlers or something. But she felt it working. Whatever it was. Her pulse slowed down, her breathing was calmer, she didn't feel like running anymore… "I see people." she said slowly.

"That's really great, Caroline. Try being a little more specific next. Describe what you see as you point them out."

Nodding at that, the blonde looked over at where she had found Holly. "I see your desk, which makes me think that you might be a nurse or receptionist or something like that." she began, eyeing Holly's kind smile as she urged her on. "And your eyes are brown, like really deep chocolate brown. They're pretty."

"Thanks, hun." she chimed in response. "What else?"

"Uhm…" Caroline glanced around then as she continued her list. "The linoleum floors. The color is kind of worn out. And I don't think they fit in with the rest of the room."

"I don't either." Holly quipped with a beaming smile. "Okay, just one more left."

"Right." she nodded and studied the woman then. "You're really tan. But not like some sprayed-on fake tan, more of that natural sun kissed color that people always write about in cheesy vacation romance novels." she noted, earning a grin from her in response. "I don't really have the complexion for it so I'm pale like all year round."

"You're very kind, Caroline." she chuckled lightly. "So, hun. How are you feeling now?"

"Good." the young vampire replied genuinely, smiling as she took a long breath in relief. "Really good."

"I'm glad to hear it. Have you ever had a reaction like that before?"

"No." she replied with a shaking head. "Do you know what that was? What happened to me?"

"I have a guess." the woman said with another reassuring smile. "That was likely a panic attack."

"Panic attack?" Caroline echoed with furrowed brows. "I don't get panic attacks."

"Well, sweetie. They can happen to everyone, unfortunately." she chuckled, tugging at her arm as she led her to sit on the bench then. "You look young, I'm guessing you're a student?" she asked, earning a confirming nod and continuing then. "Are you under a lot of stress right now? Maybe there's some exams coming up or you've had some big changes happen in a short amount of time?"

The last suggestion made the blonde chuckle coldly, shaking her head as she spoke. "Yeah. You could say that." she muttered bitterly.

"Well, stress and anxiety can sometimes make people vulnerable to things like intense mood swings and feelings of restlessness. Does that sound familiar?"

"You're telling me I'm too stressed?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"Honestly?" Holly drawled with a sigh. "It's possible your body really is just trying to tell you to slow down and rest. But I wouldn't rule anything out without having you see a doctor first."

"Doctor?" she echoed. "I'm not sick."

"I didn't say you were, hun. But I would still feel much better about letting you walk out that door if you had a quick exam first."

Caroline pressed her lips together, gulping hard as she mulled it over. "Okay." she said, earning another warm and supportive smile from the woman in return. "I guess it couldn't hurt."

---

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

The young vampire had had trouble deciding on what to wear. Because on one hand, she wouldn't mind turning a certain hybrid's head when she showed up to the penthouse. And on the other, she didn't want to risk people noticing some tension between her, her date and Klaus. Especially if the blonde suddenly had managed to catch the attention of the man she wasn't supposed to know.

In the end, the choice came down to a knee-length white sundress with off-shoulder straps. She reminded herself to get some clothes dry-cleaned while in town, because she couldn't afford to lose any more outfits to bloody fights or hybrid bites or the normal messiness of vampire life.

"Nervous?" Marcel asked as they exited the elevator and walked towards the apartment.

"Maybe." she admitted with a shrug. "I guess I don't like not knowing what to expect."

He squeezed her shoulder warmly with a reassuring look. "It's going to be fine, Care. Just make some small talk and wear that killer-smile of yours. They won't know what hit them."

She chuckled at that and shook her head in disbelief. "Talk and smile. I can do that." she mused, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she realized it was time. He seemed to understand her thinking and leaned closer.

"We've got this. Just follow my lead." he whispered, barely audible for even her to hear. He pressed a hand to her lower back and nodded with a pointed look. She nodded back in response before they walked into the apartment then.

The pair was immediately met with a crowd; caterers ran around with trays of drinks, guests stood mingling and laughing together. Caroline didn't recognize a single face in the room, smiling with relief as Lucien popped up and greeted them. "There's the happy couple!" he called cheekily, pulling her in for a peck on her cheek and patting Marcel's shoulder. "I'm glad you could make it despite the short notice."

"That's alright." her date replied politely. "We were excited to meet your friends."

"Prospective Strix members, you mean?" Lucien quipped, causing the man to raise a brow as the host turned to Caroline again. "I just assumed, now with Alice being invited outside of the line, it would open the door for others as well."

"Right." Marcel drawled with a nod. "I can't make any promises. As you know, Care was a unique exception to the rule."

"Perfectly paired with another, I see." he retorted. "It wasn't long ago that you yourself was exempted from the Strix traditions as well."

The blonde noticed the weight that the conversation carried, as Marcel clearly felt blindsided by Lucien's sudden interest in all things Strix. She wanted to try and back him up or change the topic, but that was when she saw a man walking into the room and pulled her entire focus.

His eyes directed at her, roaming over her from head to toe slowly as he took her in. The pleasurable shiver that ran down her spine caused her to take a sharp breath. Parted lips and a hooded gaze forming her features as she watched his dark gray suit with a white shirt. His necklaces peeking out through the undone buttons by his collar and calling for her to reach out and tug on them.

He smirked a little above the rim of his glass as he sipped his drink, turning then to walk towards the kitchen and away from her sight. "Marcel, I could really use a drink." she announced, sounding a bit more eager than she would've hoped.

The vampires stopped talking and turned to her in unison. "Of course, babe." her date crooned. "Why don't we go find a waiter-"

"Oh, no, I don't want to interrupt." she smiled as she cut him off, brushing her hand over his arm as she continued. "I'll go mingle and you can come find me when you're done."

His smile faltered shortly at her suggestion before he put on a bright grin and nodded. "Sounds good." he said, reaching for her chin as he eyed her closely. "I will join you shortly."

She grinned up at him and pressed a sweet peck against his lips. "Don't keep him for too long." she teased, glancing over at Lucien with a playful wink. Squeezing her date's hand for a moment before turning away and heading across the room.

Applauding herself for her performance, she grabbed a glass of champagne from an offered tray and took determined steps towards the kitchen. Wearing her pageant smile as she nodded in greetings to the people she passed on the way. She walked into the fully staffed room as waiters and chefs prepared the food. A frown forming her face as she felt a twinge of disappointment at not finding Klaus there.

Realizing that she was getting in the way of the people's work, she finished her drink in a swift move and put the glass away. Deciding to return to her date again and reminding herself that she probably shouldn't be sneaking off to look for the hybrid while in the middle of a party at Lucien's apartment anyways. However, she only made it a few steps before she was abruptly pulled into a narrow hallway. About to question the stranger's behavior, she was thrown off when she suddenly looked up at a pair of dimples and green eyes.

"Hi." she breathed out as she felt a warmth fill her entire body at the sight. Holding onto his arms as he circled them around her waist and pinned her to the wall.

His smile brought a spark into his gaze as he beamed down at her. "Hi." he chimed silently, tracing her sides slowly with his hands as he took her in.

She mimicked his motions as her hands moved over his shoulders and chest, drawing lines over his suit jacket and tugging lightly at the top buttons of his shirt. "So… How long does a breakfast banquet usually last?" she asked, feeling like it couldn't be over soon enough.

"That would depend on whether or not someone impulsively decided to kill the host." he returned with a shrug, smirking before he reached up and stroked her jaw. The sweet touch making her smile as she leaned into his hand.

"If I was a gambler, I would not have put you down for killing Lucien." she mused, pursing her lips in a pout. "I could however see you killing a waiter for taking too long to get you a scotch, or one of the guests for getting on your nerves."

He shook his head in a soft laugh. "The day has only just begun, love. There is plenty of time for numerous murders to take place."

She rolled her eyes at that, biting her lip as she glanced over to where she heard the other party guests. He leaned into her neck, his lips hovering over her skin as he took deep breaths. "I think my time is up." she sighed out, not much force behind her words as she tilted her head and granted him further access.

"Not yet." he murmured against her throat. "I haven't had the chance to say how enchanting you look this morning." he purred, drawing a wide grin from her in response.

"This morning or now? Because I have a feeling you thought I looked a lot better earlier." she chimed, biting back a giggle as she felt a smirk against her bare shoulder at her words.

"My, my, Ms. Forbes." he countered playfully, tracing the side of her face with the tip of his nose. "You certainly know how to put enticing images into a man's head."

A bright smile framed her lips as she reached for his face and drew him to meet her eyes. "Good." she smirked, sighing ceremoniously as she feigned nonchalance then. "Although, it really is a shame that those images are all you're getting, Mikaelson."

He narrowed his eyes in a challenge as he smirked back. "If only there was a way for one to animate such thoughts…" he pouted, a sultry grin barely kept at bay as he spoke. "If only I had some knowledge or… recognition of how such fantasies might play out." he mused, making her shake her head playfully.

"Now, now. I think you're just getting yourself all riled up in vain." she mocked. "After all, we still have a whole meal ahead of us. And I hear there might even be as many as seven courses too."

"Killing the host has never sounded more appealing." he murmured breathily, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers lightly. His heated eyes sent jolts of electricity through her body as their breaths mixed between them.

She gulped as she fought against the urge to lean closer and get lost in him. "Don't." she murmured silently.

"Don't what?" he pressed, a challenging smile on his face.

"A girl doesn't spend all her teenage years chasing bad boys without learning what that look means." she replied firmly. "You're gonna get me in trouble."

"I have a feeling you wouldn't mind some trouble, sweetheart." he purred, drawing an incredulous scoff from her as she glanced back down the hall with a nervous stomach.

"I've already been gone for way too long." she noted with a sigh.

"Then what's another moment more?" he crooned as he leaned into her again.

"Klaus, I really think I should-" she began, but he silenced her protests as he kissed her then. The urgency behind it pulled a gasp from her while she kissed him back, scratching her nails against his scalp as she held onto his neck.

He stepped closer into her body and deepened the kiss, holding her waist tightly as she smiled against his lips. The sweet taste intoxicating and making her feel powerless in the face of it, instead choosing to just enjoy the stolen moment between them.

A sigh escaped her as he lifted her up and circled her legs around him, pressing harder against her as he stroked her bare legs. Her tongue slipped past his lips and met his in an explorative rhythm. She let out a soft moan as she marveled in having him so close again. Enjoying his scent and warmth, his firm and strong body as it rocked into hers… She chased after him as he started to pull away, not ready to let go quite yet. He gave in shortly, nibbling on her bottom lip and kissing her again.

His hand reached up to her jaw and held her back then, making her open her eyes and watch him with a bewildered frown. "We are playing with fire, Caroline." he breathed out, his hooded gaze locked on her mouth as he pulled back further.

"Yeah, well. You started it." she huffed in retort, reaching for his face again and making him snicker amusedly.

He brushed his lips over hers but held her back still. "Does that mean you don't want to end it?" he asked, the question seeming to be directed at something else entirely. He drew back and watched her with intense eyes as they both panted heavily, their chests heaving and brushing against each other. Doing nothing to simplify the situation as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"I don't know yet." she admitted quietly, noticing something flicker on his face which confirmed her theory on the nature of his words.

A throat pointedly clearing beside them made the two quickly turn away from each other. They stared at her actual date as he wore an awkward grimace and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry to interrupt, but we were beginning to wonder where you ran off to."

"Right. Sorry, Marcel. I got distracted." she muttered apologetically and felt a smirk press against her cheek. Realizing then that Klaus still hadn't let her go, she turned a firm look at him as she waited for him to follow her silent request.

He seemed to struggle with himself, putting her down on her feet again but keeping her pinned against the wall. "Yes, it seems we lost track of time." he chimed smugly, causing her to roll her eyes. "Won't you be a dear and give us another minute, Marcellus?"

She glared up at him and pushed at his chest. "Like I said, trouble." she hissed.

Leaning into her ear, his lips brushed against her skin and his breath sent a shiver down her spine. "And just as I suspected; here you are, loving it." he purred, nearly making her forget about their added company as his teeth nipped on her earlobe.

"Care." Marcel called out exasperatedly as he averted his eyes with a sigh. "We need to get seated."

"Then do." Klaus muttered to the vampire before turning to Caroline again and kissing a line over her jaw.

She pushed the hybrid back as much as she could, keeping him an inch away as she shook her head. "Klaus." she drawled, making him groan frustratingly as he finally stepped away and freed her then. "One second." she told her waiting date as she ran her fingers through her hair and worked to make herself more presentable.

"Klaus?" the man called pointedly as he raised a brow at the hybrid. "I'm not expecting a 'she's all yours' or anything but you better leave before someone shows up."

The words struck something sensitive within the Mikaelson as his face hardened in response. "Good." he replied curtly. Turning back and reaching for her face then, he leaned in for a searing and mind-boggling kiss. She fought to catch her breath when he let her go, moving towards Marcel with a dark smile.

"Because she's not." he concluded firmly. Throwing the blonde in question one last longing glance before walking away and leaving the words to linger in the room behind him.

Caroline chuckled breathily as she looked up at the vampire then, straightening out her clothes hurriedly. "Do I look okay?" she asked, earning a warm smile from him in return.

"Always." Marcel quipped cheekily, making her roll her eyes before he offered his arm for her to take. "Let's get back to the show."

"Let's." she sighed before allowing him to lead her back to the party again.

---

Five years ago
Dallas, Texas

As she returned home from the hospital, she found that Ric had gotten up and moved to his bedroom. Making her sigh shortly before she put away the blood bags she had swiped before leaving. She took out her laptop and sat on her bed as she began her research. Looking up anxiety, panic attacks, stress-disorders and all other words that the doctor had brought up while trying to pin down exactly what was going on with her.

It had been awkward going over the list of usual questions with him; asking about her sleep rhythm, how often she exercised, her dietary habits… He did however ask her to start a feelings journal. As ridiculous as it sounded, apparently it was supposed to help pin down which patterns brought upon the most anxiety or stress. That way she could learn to recognize the earlier signs much sooner and prevent another of those awful panic attacks from happening again.

She imagined that she could factor in her diet too, because if her new feeding habits were causing her mental harm – she needed to know. So, she expanded her regular timetable and included sleep patterns and possible stress factors, like tests coming up or a tight deadline on some assignment in school. Writing some notes of the various tips and advice she found online of dealing with an attack – just in case she'd come to experience it more in the future.

Only one bag today, she thought to herself as she wrote down a preliminary schedule for the upcoming week. Still hoping to find the right formula to make her new strategy work, to keep her feeding to a minimum. To stay weak, and numb.

The night passed quickly as she dove into scientific reports and medical journals, taking in all she could find. At some point, she caught sight of the time in the corner of her screen and blinked in surprise. 9.40 am, the dreadful day had begun, and she hadn't even noticed it. And now she was late.

Rushing through the room, she quickly changed and packed a bag before hurrying to campus, cursing herself as she realized which class she was about to show up in the middle of... "Ms. Forbes." Professor Carter's voice called.

Clearly, he had noticed her absence, and despite her speedy entrance as she hid in one of the chairs far in the back - she had been caught. "I was wondering when you might grace us with your presence."

She bit back a biting retort as she gave him a strained smile across the hall. "Sorry." she quipped, before leaning forward over her laptop and covering her face with her hair. Hoping he would bring attention to another poor soul instead.

"Hey." a whisper came from her right, making her turn slowly as she met a young woman with dark blue hair and equally blue eyes. "I'm pretty sure he grabs the folder of all student IDs and just randomly picks one of us to torture for the semester." she grinned, drawing a smile from the blonde in response.

"Probably throws a dart against the wall or something." she retorted, earning an amused snicker from the girl then. "Don't tell me you used to be his victim too?"

"Last semester." she confirmed with a sigh. "I don't blame you for not having noticed, he somehow managed to get my name wrong despite me correcting him like ten times over."

"Then I'll try not to." the vampire beamed as she held her hand out to the other student. "Caroline Forbes."

The woman gave her a kind smile as she shook her hand. "Addison Thorpe, or Addy."

"And what does the mighty Mr. Carter think your name is?

"Allison Thorne." she scoffed with a shaking head. "Seriously, I don't know what his problem is."

"Guess some people just love to put others down." Caroline suggested with a short frown.

"Don't tell me he gave you that whole speech on failing you if you didn't start showing some more effort?" Addison grimaced apologetically as the blonde turned a surprised pair of eyes her way. "Yeah, he tried to make me see a therapist. Blamed my abysmal attention span on my family."

"Really?" she mused with a scoff. "Wow, is that also something he does each semester or what?"

"Honestly? I think he just has a thing for basket cases." Addy replied with a sigh. "He was trying to help, I just didn't want it, I guess."

"Oh." the blonde said softly, studying the girl for a moment as she tried not to pry any further.

"You can ask, you know. It's fine." Addison whispered, surprising her as she only smiled back. "My, uhm. My sister died last year. I guess I was kind of having a personal crisis for the following months after it."

"I'm really sorry." she told her with a genuine and empathic frown.

"Thanks." the young girl replied with a shrug. "So, what was it about you that piqued the professor's interest? What's your damage?"

Caroline nearly choked on a laugh at that, shaking her head as she glanced over her shoulder and noted people staring shortly. She turned to her new friend with a sad smile on her lips. "I've lost people too. Something happened a while back that... I guess it was just the final straw for me."

Addy nodded with kind eyes as she nodded to her open laptop before her. "Give me your email, I'll send you the notes from the first hour."

"Seriously?" the blonde whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

"Could I at least make it up to you somehow?"

The woman beamed over at her as she leaned closer. "How about this, the next time Mr. Carter changes victims, just pay it forward."

"Done." Caroline proclaimed with a nodding head. "And I'm also buying you lunch."

Addison chuckled shortly before meeting her eyes with a nod. "I like your style, Caroline Forbes." she crooned, earning a timid smirk from the blonde before the both of them turned their attention towards the lecture again.

---

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

The long table was loud with chatter as the guests enjoyed themselves. Joking, reminiscing and talking as if this was the time of their lives. However, Caroline sat beside Marcel and opposite both Lucien and Klaus – and despite that, she felt alone. Like everyone else belonged, and she didn't.

Her natural social skills were just barely getting her through light conversations with the people near her, as she couldn't quite shake that feeling inside her chest. Like everyone was going about their lives in their own tempo, at their own pace, but she was out of sync and left behind. Making her feel invisible and yet not quite fulfilling her sudden need to disappear – at the same time.

She focused on her mimosa, on the scones and bagels and fruits on her plate, on the intricate folding techniques of the napkins by each seat. And little by little, she managed to look busy enough or perhaps stay quiet for so long that the others to forget about her presence.

All but one.

His eyes kept finding hers across the table, looking like he desperately wanted to do or say something that he couldn't. He seemed to phase out of conversations and instead watch her, perhaps seeing that she wasn't engaging as she usually would. She wished she could blame it on lack of sleep, or even on being too shy amid all the ancient and interesting vampires around her. But it wasn't anything like that.

No, the reason for her sudden change of mood was a very complex one. And there was rarely anything that she could do to turn it around, since it only ever passed on its own time and of its sole will. As if occupying her body and filling her with emptiness and not leaving until it was satisfied with its work. It was times like those that made her think of her losses. Her grief, pain and sadness. Her heartbreaks, mistakes and bad fortune.

She felt someone nudge her foot from the other side of the table, bringing her to look up and meet Klaus' eyes yet again. She expected him to give her a pointed glance, one that urged her to stop retreating into herself and instead get invested with the people around her. It was a classic, that one. She had seen it many times before, others turning to her and wondering why she was being quiet. As if she was doing it on purpose or out of spite or even due to some need for attention.

But that wasn't what Klaus was signaling to her now. His eyes were attentive and kind, his lips hinting at a soft smile. He looked like he was seeing something, a message of some kind that gave him all the information he needed. The relief hit her hard as she took a deep breathe in response. Relief that he was able to understand even without speaking, without sharing blood or anything else. He could see her. Just like that. Which was such a liberating thing, because she suddenly didn't need to explain or try and fight her own mind or fake a smile and force herself through strenuous small talk. She could just be.

The familiar hollowness lost its power with that short exchange, and she found herself ready to play the game again. Turning to Lucien as he shared some story with Marcel and a few others Deciding to. chime in with an anecdote of her own and getting delighted laughs in response from the vampires nearby. A woman to her right asked her about life in Chicago and if it had changed much since her last visit there in the fifties, which was when Klaus interjected with his views on the subject.

Everything simply went on like a rehearsed scene. And before she knew it, the event was over, and the guests were all gradually leaving and saying their goodbyes.

"I don't think I'm eating anything for the rest of the day." Caroline chuckled as Marcel wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "The food coma hasn't even started yet and I'm already too tired to walk."

"Don't worry babe, you can lean on me." her date chimed in response, a charismatic smile on his face as he moved in and kissed her lips. She returned it as if out of pure reflex, having had to be quick to adjust to their selective displays of affection in public by now.

"The festivities were as pleasant as ever." the sound of Klaus' voice nearing them brought on the strong urge for her to push Marcel away. As if expecting her to do so, he held her closer to him and cupped her face. Deepening the kiss instead, and nearly causing her to scream in response.

"Forgive the young ones, Nik." Lucien said then as he cleared his throat and finally gave them a good reason to break apart. "You know how it is to be in love at such an age."

She straightened up and ran her fingers through her hair, silently resenting Marcel for being such a good actor. Because she started to feel like she could really use some space from her fake boyfriend for a while. Maybe they could stage a fight and break up? she thought, shaking it quickly off as she returned to the conversation at hand.

"Yes, I vaguely remember what that was like. To be so utterly infatuated with someone that you can barely think straight." Klaus replied to Lucien, a smile turned to the couple that was totally see-through to the blonde. "It could even make one act impulsively at times."

Marcel chuckled in response to the subtle threat. "You're right. I suppose we could leave some things to the imagination." he quipped back, making her pinch his side sharply to keep him from pushing the hybrid's buttons any further. He let out a short grunt, covering it up with a chuckle as he glanced down at her then. "Ready to head out, Care?" he asked her with a smirk.

She turned a grin back to him in reply. "Yeah, let's go." she crooned, earning a snicker from the host then.

"Ah, to have someone look at you in such a way." Lucien sighed ceremoniously before stepping forward with open arms. "Don't mind an old man's envy, Alice. It is all one has left after a certain amount of time on this earth." he told her as they shared a friendly hug. He pecked her cheek and winked at her as he spoke again. "If anyone possesses knowledge of that, it would be Nik and I." he added with a teasing smile as he turned to his sire pointedly.

"Really?" she chimed as she followed his eyes to the hybrid then. "You're single, Nik? You sure you're not hiding away some girlfriend or boyfriend from the rest of us?"

Klaus' face flashed with something warm and playful at her 'slip-up' and grinned back with a shrug. "Well, I never claimed to be single, love." he crooned back, making her raise a brow. "I reckon that was simply Lucien's personal observation."

"Yes, one based upon the last ten centuries." the host muttered indiscreetly to her. "If I'm completely honest, I would have imagined him ending up with someone like you, dear."

"Me?" she squeaked, her face falling as she didn't know how to react as the vampire went on teasingly.

"Come on, Alice. You are bright and beautiful with a sharp tongue like none other. I'd have pegged you for his type." he grinned, nudging Klaus' side then. "You certainly would have made the most perfect couple."

Her brain must have short-circuited because suddenly Caroline had no idea what to do or say, the game having gotten way too serious out of nowhere. Luckily, Marcel chimed in then. Unluckily, he did not make the situation any better for the blonde when he did. "Well, I'm afraid he'll have to find someone that isn't already taken." he chuckled as he gazed down at her with a charismatic smile. "Because you are all mine, babe."

She resisted the impulse to gape at him, swallowing the chock as she brought a grin to her face. "I'm pretty sure Lucien was just playing around, Marcel." she beamed, fighting hard not to look strained as she did.

"I know, Care. Just making it clear that I recognize what I have when I have it." he winked, making her nearly drop her jaw again as she realized just how thin the ice he was treading on had become.

"Why don't I follow the lovebirds out? Perhaps some of their joy will rub off on me." the hybrid mused then, turning her to face him shortly as he too seemed to just barely keep a strained smile in place.

"Let me know if it works." Lucien chuckled as he led them out, throwing the young woman another dark grin before they left. "Goodbye, dear. Enjoy the rest of your day."

She smiled at him politely before Marcel took her hand and tugged her towards the elevator. He kept an arm around her waist as they entered, making her bite her lip nervously as Klaus took a stand next to the man.

"Such a delightful meal, was it not?" the hybrid chimed casually, his face turned forward as if avoiding having to look at them.

"Very." the younger vampire replied as the blonde remained anxiously silent.

As the bell announced their arrival to the lobby, it incidentally covered a dreadful cracking sound. She caught a swift movement in the corner of her eye but didn't see exactly what had happened. Suddenly, the doors opened and Marcel gripped his hand with a pained scowl. He was glaring up at Klaus while he grinned back dangerously in response. The Original quickly grabbed her arm and begun leading her out of the lobby, away from the other vampire.

"You did not just break his hand." Caroline stuttered in disbelief as she glanced back at her friend as he followed a few feet behind them.

"I didn't." Klaus shrugged, a dark smile forming his face as he looked ahead. "I broke his fingers." he clarified, widening the blonde's eyes in horror as they headed down the street. Marcel keeping his distance then, hissing and groaning as he pushed the bones back in place one by one.

---

Five years ago
Dallas, Texas

A tiny sense of hope tugged at Caroline's heart as she glanced over her notepad with a tiny smile on her face. That girl, Addison, had sent her lecture notes as promised and it was already making a huge difference to the vampire. She had gotten back to the house after her last class of the day, a list in her hands of literature online that Addy recommended for Mr. Carter's class.

Her chest felt lighter for a moment as she thought back to the kind young girl, wondering just how it took so long for them to cross paths with each other. She sat on her bed downloading the recommended articles and e-books when she heard a knock on her door.

"Care?" Ric's hoarse voice croaked out, making her frown as she looked over at the time on her bedside clock. Surprised to find him responsive, and apparently not drunk yet, at only six pm.

"Hey, Ric." she chimed softly as she met his red-shot eyes and unshaven hair. "You're up."

"Yeah." he muttered, scratching at the back of his neck as he wore a forlorn frown. "We're out of liquor."

"Oh." she murmured, unsure of what else to say. "I could make us coffee if you want?" she suggested with a light tone.

"Yeah. Probably a good idea." he muttered as he turned away and headed down the hall.

She gulped as she glanced back at her laptop left on the bed. Wanting to go back to the research, to work, to prolong the feeling of doing something productive and right for the first time all year. But then she heard Ric grunt as he headed for the bathroom and started throwing up. Making her think that perhaps today was not a good day to take advantage of her newfound motivation after all.

Today someone needed her. And she could put her schoolwork and personal research on the backburner for a few hours, until she knew that her friend was going to make it to tomorrow. So, she headed to the kitchen and put a pot on. Bringing her computer with her as she sat by the kitchen island and took up a new task instead, finding an apartment.

The coffee was done when Alaric came to join her. His hair damp and his clothes clean as he seemed to have managed to take a shower too, the thought making Caroline smile with pride.

He filled his cup and sat beside her with a silent groan. "Don't you have class today?" he asked, earning a frown from her as she gestured to the wall-mounted clock in the room.

"I had three, got home about two hours ago." she explained.

"Ah, right." he muttered into his mug as he sipped the coffee with furrowed brows. "What'cha working on?" he asked friendly as he nodded at her open laptop.

"Well, I actually had an idea last night." the blonde chimed as she turned the screen to him.

"What's this?" he pressed, making her smirk.

"Apartment listings."

"Yeah, I can see that. I meant, why are you looking at them?"

She let out a sigh, turning to computer back to her as she pulled up one of the tabs she'd bookmarked for them. "We're moving." she announced.

"We are?" he scoffed in disbelief.

"Yes." she concluded, looking over at him. "So, which would you prefer; private parking or a shielded balcony?"

"Why would we move, Care?"

"Because we're dying in this house, Ric." she sighed out, shaking her head slowly as she eyed him next to her. "You're dying." she noted, earning a frown from him in return. "We can't start over while still being stuck in the same awful place we have been for almost a year."

"Caroline... You don't have to do this, you know. You could move out, take that dorm offer and be around other people. Make friends. Find a guy." he muttered tiredly. "You don't deserve to be dragged down into the darkness with me."

"Okay, listen to me, Alaric Saltzman." she began firmly as she pointed a serious look and a lecturing finger at him. "We agreed to take care of each other. We promised to get through this together. And that's what we're going to do." she told him with a determined nod. "So, when I say that we need to move. You need to trust that I have your best interest at heart in this too. Not just my own."

He studied her silently for a moment, glancing over at her laptop then with a sigh. "Parking." he said, confusing her shortly before he spoke again. "Parking is expensive, and there is really no need for a balcony. I mean, this is Dallas, it's hot, polluted and crowded. We wouldn't ever use it."

She smiled widely at him as she took in his words. "Okay." she chimed with another nod, before turning to the screen and showing him another tab then. "Do you want separate baths or a newly upgraded kitchen?"

"Well, you barely ever eat, and all my food is liquid." he scoffed, earning a pointed glance from the blonde then.

"This is about the new Ric and Caroline. Not the old ones. We're leaving them behind in this house." she said with a shrug. "So, I could start cooking real food for a change. And you can help me eat it."

The man snickered shortly before smirking at her with a shaking head. "Alright. I guess we're sharing a bathroom then."

"Don't worry, I'll make out a schedule for us." she chimed, making him chuckle in reply. The first laugh she had actually heard from him ever since moving to Dallas. He seemed to realize it too, his face falling shortly as he looked back at her with conflicted eyes. "See?" she mused softly, reaching out and squeezing his hand then. "It's already working."

He wore a somber expression before leaning towards her and pulling her in for a tight hug, sighing deeply as she returned the embrace. "You're right." he murmured. "We need to start living again."

She moved back and looked at him with wide and genuine eyes, nodding as she patted his shoulder lightly. "We will." she assured him with another nod. Turning to the laptop then. "This one says it's available a week from tomorrow." she noted with a smile. "So, I think, if we play our cards right, we could even start becoming those new versions of ourselves before the end of the month."

He gave her another short smile before he gestured to the screen again, wrapping an arm around the back of her chair as he took a deep breath. "Alright, what else?" he asked as they begun to make a list of various priorities and what kind of home they wanted. Discussing a future that, for the first time in a year, sounded promising to the two. And Caroline couldn't help but feel like her friend was perhaps looking forward to a change as well.

They continued throughout the evening, even ordering take out and having their first real meal together in the house. And before they both knew it, the clock read fourteen minutes past midnight. A glance was shared between them as they realized that they had made it through the day. It was over. They had actually managed to survive the one-year anniversary of the twins' deaths.

Caroline studied the man closely as she began to recognize the pained look in his eyes at the realization. He got up and left the room, quickly grabbing his jacket and staggering out of the house in complete silence. Turning the vampire's formerly hopeful expression to a dark frown instead as she recognized that it still hadn't been enough to only make it through the day. He was still hurting. He was still dying inside. Because the truth of the matter remained; they would have to make it through the rest of their lives with their grief, not just that one day.

---

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

Having parted ways with Marcel, the hybrid walked Caroline back to her room in silence. It seemed like he had something on his mind, and she couldn't help but wonder why he didn't just let it out. She decided to let him speak up when he was ready, entering the suite and going about her own routine in the meanwhile.

Dropping her purse on the desk and taking off her earrings, bringing a brush to her hair before setting it up into a high bun. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed as she tentatively took off her heels. Glancing over at Klaus as he stood by a pair of windows with his back turned to her.

God, to be able to read the mind of an Original, she mused to herself as she fought to keep her patience. Or just men over all for that matter.

Finally, she couldn't take the silence anymore. "I'm sorry about all the stuff that Lucien said before." she sighed out. "I didn't realize he would dig his heels in like that."

"It isn't your fault, sweetheart." he replied, a short glance over his shoulder before looking away again.

"You mean it's Marcel's?" she guessed, eyeing him closely as his shoulders raised in a sigh.

"No, I'm afraid this one is on me."

She blinked in surprise at that, getting off the bed and walking over to him slowly. "What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

He turned to her with a sad look on his face as he replied. "I should have known how things would turn out." he said as he walked towards her. "I should have expected this."

"This, what?"

"You." he clarified with a slow smile. "It seems that I cannot protect both you and me at the same time."

"You don't need to worry about that, Klaus." she stammered, reaching out and taking his hand as she continued. "I will protect you." she promised, placing his palm over her chest, covering her heart the way he had done to ease her mind before.

"Caroline…" he sighed out, moving closer and cupping her cheek. "I appreciate the thought, sweetheart… But there is something you don't know."

"Okay, so tell me." she shrugged, looking him over as she faltered slightly. "Or… Do you not trust me? Do you still think that I would let someone hurt you if I could do anything about it?"

"No, I don't." he admitted softly. "But you may not come to have a choice in the matter."

"Klaus." she frowned at him, holding onto his face with her hands and meeting his gaze with a steady one of her own. "Things are different now. We are different, remember?" she noted, smiling a little as she continued. "Tell me."

A gentle expression covered his features as he looked at her for a moment, taking her hands and lowering them from him. "When Marcel told us the new information regarding the Candle… You asked about the significance of there having been a golden dagger used in the legend."

"Right." she nodded, urging him on as he squeezed her hands firmly.

"I questioned the Salvatore's motives because of this." he explained. "Because, if he did mange to find a dagger of that kind; it would not only be useful for the purposes of finding your missing witch."

"Okay…" she drawled. "That makes sense, I guess. I mean, if it can break spells then obviously people would want to use it on other stuff too."

He nodded slowly as he eyed her closer. "That particular dagger comes with entirely different risks of its own." he continued, his lips pressing into a firm line as he went on. "An Original can only be killed with a white oak stake. My siblings can however be put down temporarily, which you are aware of."

"Silver daggers dipped in white oak ash." she added, freezing up as she widened her eyes when the words started to connect in her mind. "They don't work on you." she pointed out, gulping as she pulled her hands out of his hold and spoke again. "But a gold one would, wouldn't it?"

A grim expression colored his face in confirmation, causing her to turn away and cover her face with her palms. "Oh my god." she whispered. "This really was his plan. He wanted to use you from the beginning, he basically harassed me into coming to you. He begged me to help because he said no one else could do this, no one else could ask you for this..."

She turned back to him with dread filled eyes. "He knew no one else would be able to get close enough to use it on you." she concluded, a cold chuckle escaping her as she gestured to the hybrid then. "Me, however? I almost ripped your heart out of your chest. I… I disappeared and forced you to use a spell that was basically torture for you... I fed on your blood. I made you play along with this whole messed up plan…"

Another thought occurred to her as she studied him from across the room. "You said I might not have a choice." she echoed, taking a step back as she suddenly didn't dare stand near him. "Hell, I've already done it like ten times since coming here without even thinking–" she scoffed out in a pained breath, cutting herself off as her thoughts raced in her head.

"There's something more, isn't there? Something that could make me hurt you." she said hoarsely as her voice broke. "It's obviously not compulsion, but it's like it. Right?"

He stepped towards her, bringing her to raise her palms in terror. "Stop, don't!" she clamored, making him freeze on the spot. "If there is something that could control me… How do we know it isn't already? What if I hear some trigger word that flips the switch and makes me want to kill you? What if I'm already in some latent brain controlling hypnosis or whatever?"

"You're not." he said with averted eyes.

"What?" she stuttered, not sure how he could know the answer right off the bat.

"I…" he sighed, shame and guilt playing on his face as he refused to look at her. "I searched your mind already."

"You–" she hissed in chock. "When? How?"

"When I came to check on you the other night." he muttered grimly. "After finding out about the dagger being connected to the candle."

"Wait, you mean…" she started with an incredulous scoff, thinking back to the kiss that had been the reason for everything changing between them. "Before or after?"

"After." he replied, clearly knowing just what she was referring to.

The answer made her sigh out deeply with relief. Because that meant he had come to make things right between them without even knowing for sure yet. He hadn't orchestrated the kiss, it hadn't only happened because he had read her mind and made sure first. No, he really had trusted her, and it made her chest swell. Until the other part of the statement began to eat away at her then; He had trusted her, but something made him question it.

"It was when I went back to sleep." she said as she looked to him for confirmation. "After that nightmare, after I woke up with my hand in your chest."

"Yes." he nodded, making her gulp hard as she thought back to it. Remembering feeling so horrible about it…

"And there was no brain control or hypnosis – nothing?" she pressed. "You're absolutely sure?"

He smiled softly, flashing over to close distance between them and cupping her face as he studied her shortly. "Yes. I'm sure."

"But that doesn't mean it could never happen." she guessed, the frown on his lips confirming it. "Which was why you didn't want me to know about the dagger." she realized, shaking her head as she looked up at him in disbelief. "What made you change your mind? What makes you think it's safe to tell me now?"

"What, your hand not ripping into my chest last night wasn't convincing enough?" he chimed, making her furrow her brows at his teasing.

"I'm serious." she interjected. "Don't tell me you're gonna be checking my mind every night from now on? Cause, that's just not going to work for me."

A wide grin spread over his face, making her throw her hands up in defeat as she didn't understand the humor in her being used as a weapon to kill him. "What!?" she cried out desperately.

He stepped closer to her, tilting her chin as he brushed his hands over her jaw and neck softly. "Firstly, I realized it may be far more dangerous to keep you in the dark than to share this knowledge with you." he explained, the smirk making its way back to his face again then. "And secondly, I was simply taking delight in something you said."

"What did I say?" she snickered as he kept smiling at her. He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.

Holding her close, their breaths mixing as he met her confused eyes. "Every night from now on." he beamed, making her blink shortly as she wondered what he was talking about.

Her cheeks flushed as realization dawned on her, making her shake her head shortly. "Okay, that was not–" she began to chastise him, but he cut her off as he kissed her again. Pressing into her until she backed into a dresser and encaging her then.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled into the heated kiss. Enjoying his warm hands as they held onto her waist and tugged at her hair. She traced her palms over his shoulders and moved to the skin laid bare by those few undone buttons on his shirt. Sneaking her hands under the fabric and reaching for more.

He pulled back and studied her as she gazed up at him with hooded eyes and parted lips. "What are your plans for the day?" he asked, making her blink in surprise.

"Plans?" she mimicked in confusion. "I, uhm… I'm supposed to go through some Strix stuff with Marcel and Josh for the ball."

"All day?" he pressed, something curious flickering over his eyes.

"Pretty much." she drawled in reply. "Why?"

"Spend the evening with me." he told her with a playful smirk that made it hard to protest his demanding words.

"Doing what?" she chuckled as he stroked her cheek softly.

"I have somewhere I want to take you."

"Where?" she pushed on, earning a warm laugh in response as she pulled away and eyed him intently.

"I'm sorry to say you will need to hand over all reigns this time, love."

She let out a giggle at his adorable smile. "Letting go of control is not really my thing, Klaus."

"Trust me, I remember." he smirked teasingly, making her shake her head in return.

"Well, then you clearly don't need a reminder." she quipped back, earning a dark grin from him.

"I'm an old man, Caroline. Refreshing my memory every now and then comes with the territory." he mocked.

"Oh, it does?" she challenged, giggling as she admired the playful look in his eyes. "And what did you have in mind then, for 'refreshing your memory'?"

"I will need to prepare some things." he mused with pursed lips. "Make some calls, check in on some people, but I believe you shall get your answer by six tonight."

She crossed her arms over her chest as she raised her eyebrows at him. "And not a minute sooner?" she teased, drawing another grin from the hybrid in response. "Actually, this reminds me." she drawled as she cocked her head to the side. "I still don't have your number."

"Is that so?" he chuckled, nodding shortly. "And is this your way of asking me for it?"

"Well, I thought about handing you a note during recess, but I figured we might be past that already." she quipped, making him shake his head in a soft laugh.

He pulled back slightly, reaching into his pocket and digging out his phone. Typing something and causing her to analyze him with narrowed eyes. "There." he said, quickly followed by a notification pinging on her phone.

She squinted at him shortly, reaching out to her purse and checking it for herself. Confirming that she had received a message from an unknown caller, with numbers in it that looked like coordinates. "Wait." she drawled, looking back at him with an incredulous smile. "Does this mean that you've had my number this entire time?"

His smirk grew as he leaned forward and held onto her chin, meeting her lips in a gentle kiss. "Reigns, Caroline." he reminded her with a wink. "Meet me at that location at precisely a half hour to six."

"You're really not gonna tell me anything?" she pressed, snickering as he merely smiled in response. "Maybe I just won't show up then." she challenged with a shrug.

He narrowed his eyes shortly at that. "You'll be kicking yourself afterwards once I tell you what you missed out on." he crooned, earning an incredulous chuckle from the blonde.

"You're not afraid of setting a high bar for a girl's expectations?" she scoffed out in a chuckle.

"You don't have to be when you are sure you can match them." he replied with such a nonchalant confidence that she could only shake her head in turn. Snickering with amusement as he tugged at her chin playfully.

"Five thirty, Caroline." he concluded before turning away and heading out the door. "Punctuality is key where we're going." he called over his shoulder. Leaving then as she still stood shaking her head in disbelief. Unsure of just what to think or expect about the thousand-year-old's plans for the night.

And kind of hating the fact that she was already dying to find out.

---

One year ago
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

"I don't believe this." Vincent roared in outrage as Davina Claire finished telling him her plan to die. "You are a bright and strong young woman, Davina. Please, do not sit there and tell me that you are going to take your life simply because the man you love is dead!"

"That's not it." she protested firmly. "You know it's not."

"Perhaps, but the alternative isn't a very promising reason either." he scoffed. "Do you really believe that you are unable of being saved? That you have no chance at redemption? That you won't ever be able to start over?"

"I don't believe, I know." she clarified, earning another displeased scowl from the male witch in response. She dug into her purse and reached for the crystal she'd brought with her from home. "I thought you might react like this. That you wouldn't be willing to take my word for it." she sighed out as she placed the stone on the table between them. "So, let me show you instead."

He pressed his lips into a straight line as he studied the object, closing his eyes as he gulped in silence. "Where did you get that?" he asked, making her smile shortly.

"Cami didn't exactly throw her entire family's collection in the Mississippi, you know." she mused with a shrug. "She left it to me."

"Is this what has you so convinced of your suicidal mission?" he scoffed incredulously. "You know it doesn't always give you the whole picture."

"But it gives you enough." she told him with serious eyes. "It will show you what I have seen. It will prove to you that my soul really is lost. And as you know, there are only two ways of getting it back once it is."

"But dying!?"

"I am not giving up my magic, Vincent." she protested firmly. "That would be a fate far worse than death."

He shook his head and turned away from her, covering his face with his hands as he seemed to contemplate his options. "I will use the crystal to read your soul." he agreed in a mutter. "But I then want you to read mine."

She met his eyes with a furrowed expression as he turned back around. "Why?"

"Because it might convince you not to lose hope." he clarified with a determined nod. "No soul is completely pure or untouched, Davina. And a trace of darkness is not some promise of any kind that you will never be saved."

"Will you do this or not?" she bit out as she was starting to get sick of his pep-talks. "If not, then I have other people to see."

That struck something within him, making him walk over to her with a sullen face as he kneeled down beside the young witch. "Davina, please." he said, his eyes wide and filled with sadness as he continued. "Give me a chance to prove you wrong. To change your mind."

Sighing shortly in reply, she nodded and reached for the crystal then. "Fine." she breathed out as she held it out to him. "But only because I know that once you've seen the truth, you won't want to fight me on this anymore."

He frowned at her words but accepted the offered crystal then, standing up and holding it in front of him as he focused on her. Hesitating shortly before he closed his eyes and began the chant. "Animarum obscuto revera. Animarum obscuto revera. Animarum obscuto revera."

The lights flickered above their heads, a cold wind rushed through the room and circled the female witch. Soon, Vincent let out a low hiss as his eyes opened with sparks filling his irises. She knew then that he was seeing it. What she had seen herself. His gaze moved over her as he scanned her entire aura and soul. Searching for light, she assumed. Or hope. But there was none to be found, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him as his face fell at the sight. At the realization that he was wrong, that she was right. That her magic had darkened her spirit in irreversible ways. And that she really was a lost cause after all.

He closed his eyes as he chanted again, cutting the spell off before he met her gaze with a serious one of his own. "Your turn." he muttered, holding out the crystal then. She accepted it and stood up, facing him as she began chanting and activating the crystal once more.

"Animarum obscuto revera. Animarum obscuto revera. Animarum obscuto revera." With the third chant, the room became dark before her. She looked over at Vincent and scanned him as he had her. Seeing the different colors of his soul, the different lights and auras around him.

But there was something that she hadn't expected to see. A dark space in the middle of his heart chakra. It was the same as hers, but lighter. More hopeful and warm. Her own had instead felt cold and empty in comparison. She chanted again and ended the spell as her eyes readjusted to the room around them, bringing her back to glance over at her friend.

"Well, what did you see?" he asked with a raised brow as he awaited her response, believing that he knew what it would be.

"You're right. You do have darkness too." she confirmed with a nod. "But it isn't like mine."

"No, it's not." he agreed, surprising her as she eyed him closely then. "I fill my darkness with other things, with a purpose and beliefs. Yours was void of hope and faith, untethered to yourself and your heart. You are lost, and struggling, but you are not incapable of being saved."

"How can you be so sure?" she stammered out hoarsely as a part of her broke at his kind words, wanting so desperately to trust him.

"Because I have faith, Davina." he began with a smile as he reached for her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "And I have more than enough of it for the both of us."

---

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

"I'm not getting on that, Klaus." Caroline stared in fear at the yacht in front of her, not having expected this to be the location Klaus wanted to take her to. "I don't do boats. Boats crash into icebergs and sink to the bottom of the ocean. And the people on the boat? They drown! And like… a hundred years later, divers still can't find all of the wreckage and there will be a really sappy movie about it with a sad Celine Dion song and just... No."

He looked over at her with a wide grin, shaking his head lightly as he chuckled at her words. "Come on, love. I promise it is perfectly safe. No icebergs in sight."

"Easy for you to say, you're this ancient and indestructible hybrid. Me? I'll be eaten by sharks or mauled by orcas or dolphins... Dolphins are viscous animals, you know! Not to mention that we're in the middle of hurricane territory. I don't know a lot about natural disasters, Klaus, but even I can see how a body of water just might be the least safe place around here. And I refuse to die with the knowledge that I was right, and you were wrong – without even getting to enjoy it. Oh, or pirates! Did you know that they're real? Like real real? I read this article once about some tourists on the coast of Somalia-"

"Caroline." he interjected firmly, making her end her breathless rant. He took her hand in his and put it flat against his chest, above his heart. The gesture becoming familiar to the two now. "Do you honestly believe I would risk any harm done to you?"

She pouted lightly before letting out a sigh. "Ok. Fine. But the second I see even the hints of a fin; I am calling for helicopters to come get me. Got it?"

He only laughed at that, pulling her by her hand to step onto the boat. "I promise to have the military on stand-by."

She couldn't help but giggle at that, coming to a stop right by the tiny ladder leading up to deck. "Wait." she said then, holding out a finger as she leaned down and took her heels off, holding them with her free hand as he helped her over the railing with the other. Her balance was slightly off, making her stumble against his chest and forcing her to stare up at his gorgeous eyes. "Sorry, don't have sea legs. I told you I don't do boats." she chuckled nervously.

"Yes, a few times." he teased. Smirking as he scanned her face, reaching for her cheek and brushing his fingers over her skin.

Suddenly, a man showed up beside her with a friendly face and a pair of slippers. Handing them to her to switch out the heels. "Thank you." she chimed before Klaus pulled her inside the giant yacht.

"Let's do a short tour first, love." he decided with a beaming smile as he led her by her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb softly as he did.

The vehicle was absolutely insane. It had three decks, an elevator reaching all of them, an enormous sun terrace with an outdoor-bar, multiple lounge areas, a swimming pool, two large restaurants and a main saloon on the main deck. The entire lower deck was used as a sleeping cabin, with its own luxury bathroom and an adjourning study. There were about a dozen men walking around on the various decks in uniform, no doubt compelled or paid employees. Or both.

One of the men came up to them with a tray of flutes as they entered one of the larger lounges. Klaus grabbed two and handed one to her with a grin. "Champagne?" she chimed at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "Of course."

"I can't quite decide whether that is a positive remark or a negative one." he admitted, chuckling lightly as he led her to some couches by the huge panorama windows. His hand low on her back, burning through her dress as he gestured for her to sit with him.

She sipped her drink, crossing her legs and settling next to the hybrid as another uniformed man placed a tray of cheeses and crackers on the table before them. "What is all this, Klaus?" she asked with a shaking head as she watched his secretive smirk. "Come on, I have been so good! I got on the boat, didn't I? And I came here not having a single clue about your plans, and I only asked like three questions in total about it."

He laughed at that and grinned over at her, turning his body to face her fully as he spoke. "In half an hour, the sun will set over the waters." he began, causing her to blink shortly, listening intently as he continued. "It will cast this most breath-taking display of colors and light." he chimed, leaning further to her and reaching for her face, tracing her skin with his fingers as he spoke again. "Even the sea will mirror the visage, making it seem like there is no water at all. Barely even a horizon as well. There is only you and the sun, floating above the scene and covering you in its vibrant streams."

His voice was hypnotic as he spoke, an excited smile on his face when he finished describing it to her. As if it was something he had found and liked so much that he desperately wanted to share it with her. Only her. She couldn't help but watch him in awe, trying to understand how he could be this person with her. But also someone entirely different at the same time. And for some reason, she just really loved that about him.

He brushed over her jawline and moved some hair away from her face, his warm hand as inviting as the sweet look in his eyes. "Do not tell me I have failed to keep my promises of exceeding your expectations already, love." he teased with a smirk, making her chuckle shortly.

"No, I think you're right on track actually." she admitted, earning a genuine smile from him that threatened to tear her apart. "You know..." she drawled while throwing a pointed glance around the room. "This might just be the first time in days that we've been alone. Really alone, without any risks for sudden phone calls or last-minute invitations..."

"Well, yes. That was an added bonus to the plan." he crooned and gazed at her with something tantalizing playing in his eyes.

She leaned in then and pressed her lips to his softly, pleasant tremors washing over her at the contact. It felt like they were making a point, or signaling something, she just wasn't sure of what. He held onto the back of her head, deepening the kiss as she reached for his collar and held him closer. Pushing a little at his chest and moving to straddle his lap, his hands bunched her dress up slightly as he gripped her thighs.

Her lips ventured down his jaw and nipped at his neck, her hands tugged at his hair and scratched over his scalp. She rocked her hips against him, smirking slightly as she felt him harden beneath her. Repeating the motion then as she longed for some more friction, she earned a hiss from him as she continued to rub against the bulge of his pants.

In the blink of an eye, and an equally swift movement, he had flipped them over. Pinning her into the couch as he lied over her and nipped at the skin over her clavicle. A soft moan rolled off her tongue as he thrusted into her, mimicking the way she had teased him. She cursed her responsive body as she realized somewhere in the back of her mind that she was already breaking the rule of not ruining any more of her clothes. Just short of dripping with wet heat as the hybrid's concealed length pushed up against her.

Reaching for his face, she brought his lips back to hers again. Sighing into the searing kiss as his tongue slipped past and drew further gasps and sharp breaths from her. She pulled at his shirt and tried to lift it off him, but he pulled away then and held her back by her jaw. "As much as I would like to continue this…" he sighed out. "I did have other plans for the evening."

"Right." she snickered in amused disbelief. "And they're just that important, huh?" she pressed, making him turn a sultry smile that threatened to incinerate her on the spot.

"We have all night, Caroline." he crooned, brushing his hands over her bare legs and thighs. Her dress having moved past her abdomen and been rendered useless at that point. "Don't get me wrong..." he murmured softly, sparks filling his eyes as he leaned in and left an airy kiss to her lips before continuing. "I plan on making the most of it."

She was prepared to say something, throw some snappy retort back at his words. But it was suddenly very difficult to focus as he gripped her thighs tightly and moved to her waist. "I will revel in finally having you again." he purred on as he traced patterns with his fingers and scratched at her sides. "I will relish in becoming reacquainted with every inch of your delicate skin. Not leaving any part of your body untouched. Unclaimed."

His eyes met hers again and caused her to gulp hard, the intensity in them enunciating his words as he tilted her face by her chin and leaned in to suck and nibble down her throat. "Cherishing your taste. Your scent. Your warmth." he whispered. She bit her lip tightly as she fought against the pleads that threatened to escape her, but his thumb caught it and freed it from her teeth. "Savoring the noises you make when I touch you." he chimed as her breathing turned erratic. "Admiring the way you look beneath me, on top of me, in front of me… Marvel in your reactions as I worship you again and again..."

"Okay, you need to stop." she whispered out in a breathy scoff, shaking her head incredulously as he sat back and eyed her. His hand drifted from her cheek to her chest, following the curves of her body as he proceeded down the valley of her breasts.

"I suppose." he mused darkly as he skimmed over her torso, her stomach, her navel. "And I would." he added, his hand sliding over her panties slowly. "If you didn't enjoy it so." His fingers brushing over the damp fabric and making her draw a sharp breath through gritted teeth in immediate response.

She expected a smug and triumphant grin to frame his face in return, but his expression was somber and gentle instead. He bent down and pressed a kiss against her abdomen, trailing her skin with tender lips as he made his way lower. Stopping just by her underwear and sighing shortly. "I don't believe I have ever experienced anything more intoxicating than you, Caroline Forbes." he whispered, bringing her cheeks to burn as she bit her lip in a shy smile.

"I may wish for you to be mine." he mused as his fingers tugged on the thin waistband and began pulling her panties down her legs. "But truth of the matter is, I am yours." he concluded.

"What happened to watching the sunset?" she chuckled out as he finished undressing her.

"I changed my mind." he told her with a sultry voice as he brought his hands to trace her skin again, from her ankles and all the way to her hips.

"I-I thought it was so beautiful and just couldn't be missed." she snickered, her teasing sounding far more flustered than she had aimed for.

"I have something far more beautiful right here." he countered as he left a path of kisses over the inside of her thigh, driving her insane as she thought she just might explode if he didn't move to where she wanted him. Right now.

"Klaus, please." she breathed out, studying him as he shivered in reaction. He looked up and met her eyes, taking her breath away as the glowing amber filled his. "I-I… can't..." she stammered. "Don't torture me like this."

"I would never torture you, my love." he hummed as he pressed a thumb against her clit then, nearly causing her to fly up into the air if he wasn't holding her down. "No, I plan on adoring you." he smirked, drawing a line over her wet lips. "Pleasuring you. Satisfying you." he continued as he circled an eight over her folds and making her bite her lip hard to avoid whimpering in response. "And I do believe I said something about worshipping you as well." he crooned as he finally began speeding up his movements.

The friction wasn't enough, she wanted more. Moving her hips to chase his touch, she sighed out as he picked up the tempo even further. "Oh, thank god." she muttered to herself in relief, realizing he heard it as a wide smile covered his face.

"God, huh?" he mused with a heartbreaking grin as he looked her deep in her eyes. "I suppose that makes you my goddess."

She scoffed out an incredulous breath as she couldn't quite believe his possessive tone but just didn't know how to pick a fight in the moment either. "I thought you said you were mine, not the other way around." she pointed out, a pleased smirk covering his lips then.

"Of course." he agreed, leaning in and teasing her again as he kissed his way down her hipbone. "Forgive me." he murmured as his playful smile met her again.

"I guess I could be persuaded." she chimed in challenge, earning another dark and sultry look from him before he leaned down and traced her slick opening with his tongue.

She whimpered breathily, shutting her eyes closed as she threw her head back and enjoyed the waves of pleasure that washed over her. Stars covered her sight as he licked and sucked, slowly at first while he built her up. But it didn't take long until she urged him to speed up and he started bringing her closer and closer to the cliff.

Wanton and strangled noises left her as she got lost in the sensation, feeling like she had waited forever to finally indulge. To give in. To stop fighting the hard pull between them, the electric bond that had existed for so long. Somehow only seeming to grow stronger and more powerful with time, baffling her completely as she wasn't sure how to deal with it. With him, and with what she was feeling.

Her nails scratched at his scalp to keep him from stopping. Feeling her orgasm coming, she grabbed onto his hair tightly and kept him in place until she finally broke apart beneath him. Something in her mind screamed at her, perhaps for having crossed the line which she had been determined to leave intact when coming to New Orleans. Or maybe scolding her for not having done so sooner.

It took her a moment to come down to earth again from her floating height. She glanced over at him as he reached for her discarded underwear, guiding her legs gently by her ankles as he put them back on for her. Tugging at her bunched-up dress as it had gathered by her ribs and straightening it out over her body tentatively.

He left soft kisses across her skin as he slowly covered her back up, something secretive and tender playing over his smile as he did. "What's that look for?" she asked curiously while she sat up. He met her suspicious eyes with a smirk, raising a hand to her face and brushing it through her hair.

"I was just thinking…" he crooned in response. "How generous it was of you to allow me a treat before dinner." She scoffed out a chuckle and punched at his shoulder, earning a warm laugh from him before he stood up and held out his hand to her.

"Come on, love. Or we will risk falling behind on my keeping the evening's numerous promises to you." he teased with a warm grin, making her shake her head in disbelief before she accepted his hand and stood up then.

He began leading her through the lounge, her eyes going to the couch behind them as she was still processing what had happened. She realized that he'd said something to her before, and she didn't know whether it had been intentional or some kind of slip-up. Or if perhaps she was just imagining it having happened, or maybe she was making it into a way bigger deal than it actually was…

My love.

That's what he'd called her. She considered if perhaps it was just another one of those pet-names that the British used all the time… Only, it felt different. More intimate. He had never called her 'his' anything before. But it could just have been a spur-of-the-moment thing, nothing to read into.

Right?

Her thoughts were interrupted as they rounded a corner, making her stop in her steps as her jaw dropped at the sight. Before her was the most gorgeous set-up of a candlelit dinner that she'd ever seen. There were candles and lanterns and roses in every color on earth spread out and filling the room. She had never seen so many flowers before in her life, and it left her speechless.

"Well?" Klaus asked as he tugged at her hand and led her to take a seat by the table.

"I…" she muttered with a shaking head as he pulled out a chair for her. "I can't believe you did this." she stammered as she sat down and watched him circle the table and take the seat across from her. "You did do this, right?"

He chuckled in response as he grinned at her from his seat. "Yes."

"I was thinking that maybe I passed out or something. I could've fallen off the boat and drowned, I guess." she muttered, earning another laugh from the hybrid then.

"I hope that means you like it." he replied cheekily, making her scoff in return.

"Of course, I like it… I mean seriously? Just look at all this!" she said as she glanced away, studying the hundreds or even thousands of candles and flowers around her. Taking in the most insanely romantic scenery ever.

A pair of men showed up with plates then, serving them their food and filling their glasses with wine. She was still silently gaping when they left, drawing a chuckle from Klaus. "You seem to be thinking awfully hard over there, sweetheart." he teased, bringing her to meet his smirk with a snicker.

"It's just…" she breathed out as she eyed him closely from across the table. "You keep doing this." she said, shaking her head as she continued. "Every time I think I have you all figured out; you do something take makes me wonder if I ever even knew you at all."

His face sobered up slightly, his expression becoming sweet and genuine instead of the former triumphant and smug happiness. "Why don't we change that then?" he suggested. "I'm an open book to you, Caroline. Anything you would like to know; you need only ask."

"Really? Anything?" she echoed, getting a nod in response before he sat back and sipped his wine. She pursed her lips for a moment as she tried to think of what to ask him first. There was so much she didn't know, so much that she wanted to find out… Where was she supposed to begin?

She drummed her fingers against the table shortly, scanning him from head to toe as she tried to find the answer on him somehow. "This is just a lot of pressure, Klaus." she chuckled. "I don't even know where to start."

He smiled widely at her words but remained silent, patiently waiting as she chewed on her lower-lip and wracked her brain. "Why New Orleans?" she asked then, tilting her head to the side as she studied him. "I'm guessing you've been, well, everywhere by now. And probably seen everything. So, what made you want to stay here of all places?"

Placing his glass on the table, he leaned forward and rested his chin against his knuckles as he seemed to think over his answer. "Aside from the obvious reasons, you mean?" he chimed, making her roll her eyes.

"Art, music, culture… yada yada." she teased, citing the description she had gotten from him over a voice mail many years ago. "You can find all of that in New York too. And Madrid and… Hong Kong or Peru. But this city clearly means something more to you than all that."

"It does." he confirmed smirkingly. "It was one of the few places where my siblings and I managed to take refuge from Mikael for a rather significant amount of time. I reckon it might have been the closest thing we ever had to a home at one point. We were a family here. We had roots, friends and allies… We were a part of something again. Something that we could call our own. A community, a purpose…"

"So, if you had the choice to go anywhere else, you would still choose New Orleans?"

He pouted for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I'm not sure, actually." he admitted, surprising her then. "I wanted a home for a very long time, and I thought that finding it would make everything fall into place. As if it would solve all my problems or cure my grievances once and for all…" he explained with a sad smile as he continued.

"I have now been able to stay put once more, to have my family and my sense of belonging again. And I realize that perhaps it isn't the location, the city or even the country that makes you feel the most at home after all. I am certain that even some terribly boring place in the tiniest little village, with a complete lack of culture, art and music – it could be home too." he wore a gentle look in his eyes as he continued. "All one truly needs to be at home is to be near the people who take place in your heart."

The words hit something within her unexpectedly, making her glance down at her hands as she felt a lump form in her throat. Her eyelids burned as an empty feeling echoed within her chest. "Caroline?" he called for her as he must have noticed her sullen mood.

She gulped hard and sniffled as she made sure to wipe her face, just in case. "Sorry." she breathed out, clearing her throat as she forced herself to meet his analyzing gaze. "You just reminded me of something."

He reached forward and grabbed her hand then, placing a kiss on the back of it and squeezing reassuringly. "Of what, love?"

"I don't have that anymore…" she began with a sigh and a sad smile on her face. "I mean, I used to. I had my friends, and Tyler and my mom… But now?" she swallowed hard as she continued. "I have Ric. I have my job. I have this incredible city… But no matter where I've been lately, no place has really felt like home again."

His arms wrapped around her in a second as he had flashed over and pulled her to his chest. She leaned into his embrace and sighed as some runaway tears defied her then. "It will." he whispered into her hair as he stroked her back. "Take it from someone who has scoured the earth for nearly a thousand years in search for it."

She smiled at that, beaming up at him as he pulled back and cupped her face. "I guess you would know." she quipped, gaining a wide grin in return. She noticed something then as she glanced by the large windows; darkness. "We missed the sunset." she noted with disappointment.

"We'll catch the next one." he smirked, making her chuckle in response.

"I have more questions." she said, her voice stronger now as he laughed back softly. Stroking her cheek one last time before moving away, holding onto her hand as he took his seat again.

"Let's hear them." he chimed as they returned to their meal then. The air feeling much lighter and sweeter as she relaxed in his company. A thought lurking in the corners of her minds and whispering things she didn't have the courage to hear.

Maybe this is home?

---

One year ago
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Davina watched her friend place candles in a circle around her on the floor, along with dried flowers and herbs as he prepared for the ritual. Chewing the inside of her cheek and fidgeting with her hands as she wondered if perhaps hope was more poisonous and harmful than the menacing despair.

"Are you ready?" Vincent asked softly as he eyed her from outside the ceremonial circle. She had trouble getting the words out and only nodded in response. "Let's begin." he announced, making he grab the knife by her feet and clutch it tightly.

The man's murmurs rang in her ears as he began chanting. A pressure started to build up in her head as her magic already tried to reject his. She gulped and took a few deep breaths, focusing on relaxing and dropping her guard. It wouldn't work if she didn't. She saw flashes around her, her sight blurring slightly as the spell slowly broke down her latent defenses. When she noticed that the room around her had changed, she understood that the spell was working. The colors had become paler, the light seemed brighter, and the dark felt pitch black.

She glanced over her shoulders as she looked for him, trying to spot him in the gray world she had reached. "Kol?" she called, questioning herself as she wondered if she was only imagining the sharp winds and light whispers passing through her. Maybe it wasn't working after all.

But it occurred to her then, making her sigh as she realized what she needed to do. She pointed the tip of the large knife against her chest, piercing her skin as she prepared herself for the impact. Ready to go through with it if he refused to show.

Another moment passed and he still hadn't come. She gritted her teeth then as she grabbed the handle tightly and drew the knife back, giving him one last chance to stop her. When she still hadn't received a response, she muttered to herself bitterly. Alright, guess we're doing this, she thought as she pulled the knife towards her chest in a swift move.

"Don't!" the word reached her just in time, the knife barely grazing her skin when she froze up in response. She carefully moved her eyes to the side and gulped as she saw him then.

"You're here." she whispered, something hurting within her chest at the sight. Like phantom pains from what she had been about to do with the knife if he hadn't stopped her.

"I didn't want to be." he replied grimly as he stepped out from the blurry shadows and appeared before her in all his glory. His hair and eyes as dark as she'd remembered, his voice just the same… It had been a long time since she actually saw Kol Mikaelson in the flesh, and it threatened to bring her to her knees when she finally did.

She chuckled out a scoff, covering the sniffle that escaped her lips as she caught a runaway tear before it reached her cheek. "What, don't tell me you've gotten over me already?" she teased. "I would expect a little more patience from a thousand-year-old vampire."

He walked closer to her, stopping just outside of the circle as his wide eyes took her in. "I know what you're trying to do, Davina." he said with a shake of his head.

"If you do, then why don't we skip to the end where you tell me what I need." she snickered with a shrug as she moved closer to him. Standing just a few feet away and taking him in as her heart leapt in her chest.

"I didn't want this for you, darling." he sighed out with a pained smile.

"I didn't want this for you either, and yet, here we are." she quipped, earning a smirk from him then that filled her with light and warmth. "I miss you." she whispered.

He closed his eyes at her words, looking like she had stabbed him in the heart instead. "Please, do not go down this road." he said before meeting her gaze again. "You have decades, perhaps even centuries ahead of you, darling. You are not meant to join me in the afterlife for a very long time."

She raised the knife then and pressed it against her heart once more. "Well, keep trying to talk me out of this and I just might show up a lot sooner." she replied with a firm voice.

"There is nothing else, Davina." he interjected with pleading eyes. "I swear to you. You have exhausted all options on this earth. You cannot bring me back."

"That's a lie." she bit out, shaking her head as she watched him frown. "You're keeping something from me. I know it."

"Why would I do such a thing?" he protested.

"That's a really good question, Kol. Mind answering it for me?" she countered, noticing something in his eyes then that made her gape shortly.

"Vincent's right, isn't he? There is hope. There is something, there is always something." she protested, with wide eyes. "Don't you understand that without this, without you, I'm lost to the darkness. I have had this purpose for so long, if you make me give up now…" she stammered out, her voice breaking as she spoke again. "I won't be able to save myself if I can't save you, don't you see that? Don't you care about that!?"

"No, Davina, I don't!" he spat back harshly. "I don't have the bloody time to care about it because I am far too occupied with fearing for your soul!"

"It's already too late for that!" she yelled back in despair.

"Now, that is a lie." he countered with a grim frown.

She stared at him as she realized what he was saying, what he was hiding. "You want me to give up my magic." she whispered in dread. "I thought you knew how I felt about this, I thought you knew me."

"I do, Davina." he hissed, scowling as he met her eyes with something cold and hard in his. "Which is how I know the real reason to why you won't do this. Why you won't rescue yourself."

"Kol–"

"Come on, love. At least be honest with me. With yourself."

She gulped hard, glancing away from him as she fought against more tears. "If I'm not a witch when I die…" she breathed out.

"Then you will spend your afterlife somewhere else." he finished, tugging at her heartstrings as she saw his glistening tears mimic her own. "You won't join me. We won't be together ever again."

"That is not an option." she replied with a desperate tone. "How can you be so willing to save my soul and instead expect me to sacrifice my heart? To sacrifice my magic. My life as I have always known it… How can you ask me to sacrifice you after all this time?"

"Davina–" he sighed out with a thick voice but she cut him off quickly.

"No! You are not allowed to make this decision for me, Kol Mikaelson." she cried out. "Give me the chance to decide on my own. Give me the real options, the ones that you're obviously keeping from me. Tell me the truth."

He ran his hands over his face and wiped off his cheeks, turning pleading eyes to her as he lightly shook his head. "I love you, Davina Claire." he told her, with such a sad smile that it nearly broke her apart. "I don't want to ruin you, the way I ruin everything that has ever crossed my path." he sighed out, shaking his head as he continued. "I don't want you to bring me back just so I can be with someone who is merely a shell of you and nothing more. I want you whole, Davina. I want you good. And safe. And if that means that I need to stay here, then I will."

She pushed at the boundary between them, feeling like the distance was killing her. It was torture to not being able to reach out and hug him, kiss him, hold him. "Tell me." she whispered as she pleaded with him one last time. "Let's not spend centuries or billions of years apart just because we care about each other too much. Let me find a way, Kol. Please, fight with me not against me. Help me."

The man closed his eyes shortly as he seemed to struggle with himself, meeting her gaze with a watery grin as he shook his head in disbelief. "There is a way." he said with a slow nod. "A cursed object which can give you the powers you need. It can break any spell, absorb any magic."

"What object?" she breathed out, watching him intensely as she waited for the reply.

He finally let a sigh out and nodded in determination. "It's a long story, the legend has been changed many times over the decades and is practically only told by word of mouth nowadays. I'm not even convinced that it still exists, it could have been destroyed ages ago." he replied, sighing again before he continued. "It is called Vosková Svíčka in its native tongue."

"And in English?" she pressed with a nervous laugh, studying him closely as he gave in and replied.

"The Candle of Hades."