Thank you to Imafan21, Guest, elle baybee, meagainpauline, thegurlwhowrites7865, FFFan87, Sunfiresarah, khaduhr448, shadowfaxangel, Random kupcakes, MourningMemories7, lily94, OKBooey31, IgnitineFireworks, Sci-fi Christian, Marceliita16, arabella, , MercuryHatter, CinderNella, chillwithJyl, Akhemz831, Sissi Martin, Any mouse, adamo393, 13melisa, LorenaLaufey, SingLikeThere'sNobodyListening, Addicted2Movies, Runaway'96, ignore common sense, glevez25, EternalLoveDreamer, GhostInThePhoto, Justine, batgirl2992, InueGnome17, StefanxKlaus14, drewwnesss, carasderin, BlueJean452, Lisolotte, BiancaR, angel1725, ILoveYou1978, brighteyescoldheart, Lovely Rain Dancer, Lal (x2), babyvfan, janellemayx0729, VoiletLemonsxoxo, Jinx-inside, Twistz of Doom, Lord of Sin, Emmalea, SweetyK, DuchessQueen, Guest, ohfortheloveofklaus, Clara, Diabolical Bowler Hat, Psych Vamp, oyj1703, Siren's Fire, Tardis356, I Love All Books TVD Klaroline, Klaroline23, and CharlSmith for reviewing.

Oh my feels… that last episode… I can't even…

Disclaimer: I do not own TVD

Chapter Eleven

Here We Meet

Mystic Falls, 2010

Caroline pulled back from Robb after a few moments, tears still fresh in her eyes. He held her from him at arm's length and Caroline was surprised to notice the wetness in his eyes as well. He suddenly smiled at her, reminding her of a younger, freer Robb. I can't believe it's all back.

She smiled back as he gently thumbed away the rest of her tears.

"It is good to see you again, little sister." Robb said.

"You too." She whispered in return. "You too. I can't believe it's really you." Her eyes turned to wonder. "And I know you. I know everything. You gave it back. You came back for me."

"I will always look after you Caroline. You have my word on that." He promised, blue eyes shining brightly. Robb finally let go of his sister and she pulled herself from his embrace, trying to compose herself. He stood and offered her a hand to help her, which she took gratefully. Once she was on her feet she swayed slightly, the after effects of… whatever Robb did to her were still influencing her. Her brother steadied her quickly, keeping her upright. As he did so, however, Caroline caught another glimpse of the ghastly scars that marred his throat.

She stiffened as the sight of his dead body flashed before her eyes once more.

"Are you alright, Care?" Robb asked with a concerned tone.

"Who killed you Robb?" She asked bluntly once she managed to pull herself out of her memories. "I remember seeing you, everyone, dead… Who killed you and the others? Mama? Little Laura?" When he didn't answer right away, Caroline prompted again. "Robb?"

"It is no longer of import." The elder Forbes sibling replied.

"What do you mean it's not important?" She exclaimed, incredulous. "Of course it's important." How couldn't it be? She deserved to know who slaughtered her family in such cold blood, didn't she? She hadn't been able to figure out who had done it before Klaus, her Klaus, took her memory; she had been so filled with grief at the time. Even now, it was hard for her to swallow. She finally learned about her past and yet, most of it seemed dead and gone. I need to at least know who killed my family.

"Caroline, you mustn't dwell on the past anymore. It's time to move forward." Robb said, breaking through her trail of thoughts. She met his blue eyes with her own, finding him looking back at her earnestly.

"I will move forward, Robb, I will… But, for now, I need to know." Caroline replied, keeping her gaze on his. "If you want to me to move forward then I first need answers. I will only… dwell more if there are still questions left unanswered."

"I do not want you to live the rest of your life craving revenge, sister. That is not your role. What is done is done." Robb hedged, trying to avoid the topic. He had long accepted his death, his family's death. For many centuries on the other side, he had been angry. Angry that he had been pulled from life too soon, angry that he had never been able to see his daughter as a woman. But hate took more energy than forgiveness, than acceptance. So he had let go of his anger. After all, though he had never known his daughter in life, at her death he had finally been able to meet her.

Caroline would never die, not of natural causes in any case. She would never have that kind of closure. So, he needed to make sure she didn't stray down the wrong path. It was all too easy to do and his sister was simply too good to turn up like that.

Besides, she had to play her part.

"Please, brother, tell me." Said sister begged, the tears rising back up to her eyes. Robb was beginning to find it harder to refuse her.

"I am only trying to do what is best for you…" He muttered.

"I can decide what is best for myself!" Caroline hissed suddenly, anger lacing her voice. "Why does everyone seem to think I can't take care of myself? I am over four hundred bloody years old, you know. I can handle myself. I can make my own decisions. So stop trying to be my parent, Robb." She took a breath, calming herself. She didn't want to get mad at her brother, who knows how long she had with him. I don't want our last words to be in anger… "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. It's just…" She sighed before reaching for his hand once again. "I know what I'm doing; I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a vampire, and a damn old one. And I know who I am now…" She peered into her brother's eyes, trying to get him to see what she saw. She wasn't weak. Not anymore. She never would be again. "You can trust me, Robb-Robb. Please tell me." It seemed the use of his old nickname broke her brother's resolve as he sighed.

"Katerina." He said softly. Caroline froze, her eyes widening. What? "It was Katerina."

"She did this to you." She stated, her voice dull. Katherine. She should've known. That bitch! This entire time, she had been so close. The murderer of her family. Caroline felt the tight grip she had on her anger loosen. It was in times likes these that a heightened sense of emotion was not a good thing. She saw red, and she vaguely realized that her hand tightened around Robb's. "Katherine." She hissed, her fangs aching in her gums, wanting nothing more than to be let out. "She… How could she? That bitch is going down…" She muttered to herself, the rage clear in her voice.

"No." Robb exclaimed, pulling Caroline back with unnatural strength as she tried to leave, wanting nothing more than to rip Katherine apart. "No, Care, don't do this. Not now. It is not the time for petty thoughts of revenge."

"How can you be so calm about all of this?" She asked, confused. "She killed you. Killed your wife, your family."

"I know. But are we any better than her if we are hell-bent on revenge?" Robb kept his grip on Caroline, trying to keep her focused on him and not on the past. He knew from experience that vampires had a hard time controlling their more base feelings. "From what I have seen she took our lives in order to hurt you and in turn hurt Lord Klaus for his crimes against her."

"So, you're saying it was justified?" Caroline's face looked simply shocked.

"No, of course not." Robb's features twisted in disgust. "I guarantee you that I have hated that bitch more than you… But what good will it do? She is not here now and no one, not even your precious Lord, has been able to track her down successfully. So what place does our hate have now but as a distraction?" He tried to make his sister see that it was futile. He didn't want her to waste any more years of her life.

"So, basically, you're telling me to… be the better person?" She raised a brow, finally somewhat calm.

"Yes…" Robb suddenly smirked. "At least, until she shows her face." He winked.

"Alright." She groaned with an eye roll. "I guess you have a point. I'm not really happy about but I can see what you mean." But when I do find her, nothing will hold me back... It was hard to finally find your family only to realize they had been brutally slaughtered.

"Good. There are more prudent issues that need your attention now. The witches have told me that you have a big role to play." And abruptly he was serious again.

"I still don't understand… What do you mean by that-?"

Suddenly, Caroline heard the door of the old abandoned house open. She had nearly forgotten that it wasn't just her and Robb out here. The door creaked open and out stepped Bonnie, who had long tearstains running down her cheeks.

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked, immediately concerned. "What's going on?"

"The ghosts, Grams just told me we have a way to get rid of them." She said shakily.

"Oh." The vampire let out. Abruptly, Bonnie gasped as she turned her gaze away from the blonde and shifted them to the other Forbes. Caroline knew what she must be seeing; a dead man with terrifying looking scars arrayed around his throat.

"Care, behind you." Bonnie exclaimed, already calling up her witchy powers. Before she could do anything to stop it, Caroline felt her friend's magic run through her body, passing her by for another.

"No!" She yelled, turning around to face her brother. "Robb." She moved forward, ready to get to him at vampire speed. Only, it seemed he didn't need her help as the magic, unseen, was expelled from him before it even touched him. Robb simply stared Bonnie in the eye, a glare forming in his blue orbs.

"I think not, witch." He said, his voice deceptively calm.

"What-?" Bonnie's eyes narrowed as she concentrated her power to a fine point. It did nothing. At this point, Caroline knew her jaw had dropped. Well, that's unexpected... How did he block that...?

Her eyes widened in sudden realization.

Of course. The witches on the Other side.

Another wave of power made its way to her brother and Caroline had just about enough of this. She blurred forward until she was next to a shocked Bonnie and she grabbed her friend's held up wrist. Bonnie looked up to Caroline in question.

"I would really appreciate it if you stopped trying to hurt my brother." The blonde vampire said, sighing slightly.

"You have brother?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

"Come now, sister, I didn't require your assistance! I'm no damsel in distress." Robb said as he approached them, keeping a watchful eye on caramel-skinned girl.

"Please, Robb, you and I both know that you have always more the damsel than I." Caroline retorted, her voice teasing. At that the elder Forbes chuckled lightly.

"True enough." He conceded.

Meanwhile during the light sibling banter, Bonnie was looking on, utterly bewildered. She soon realized that the man was no threat, however, if the familiar way he treated Caroline was anything to go on. And then there was also the fact that she had called him her brother...

Bonnie was confused, to say the least.

"Caroline, what is going on?" She exclaimed when the vampire finally let go of her wrist. The vampire had opened her mouth to reply when her supposed 'brother' stepped in.

"I'm afraid there isn't time enough to explain, sweetheart." He said with an apologetic look at the witch as he stepped closer behind his sister. The blonde turned to glare at him when he suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

And then they were just... gone.

"Caroline?" Bonnie called out, panicked. "Caroline!" Where did she go? How did she go?

Footsteps alerted her to another presence behind her and Bonnie turned to find her Grams staring at her intently.

"Don't worry about your friend, child." She said in that calming way of hers. "She is where she needs to be."

"But-?" The young witch started.

"Now come, girl." Sheila Bennet interrupted her granddaughter. "We have our own work to."

Caroline couldn't contain her gasp when the power wrapped around her and both her and her brother were transported away. When her feet hit the ground again, she felt her knees buckle and she fell to the floor in a heap, her brother landing next to her. Shocked, she looked around dazedly, immediately noting they were in forest… only, not the same one as before. Did we seriously just teleport? What are we in some sci-fi movie?

"What the hell, Robb?" Caroline said as soon as stood, dusting herself off. "Where are we? And why did you bring us here?" When she glanced down to the other Forbes, he was still on the ground, looking paler than she had ever seen him. He groaned slightly, rolling over to his back.

"Robb?" Caroline fell back to the ground next to him, helping him sit up. She kept an arm around his shoulders, holding him up. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"Forgive me, sister. I should have warned you, there simply wasn't time." He said, his voice hoarse.

"No, no, it's okay..." She immediately replied, now only worried for his health.

"Listen closely, Care. You must play your part, the witches say you are the only one who can stop it." Robb met her eyes with a burning intensity.

"Stop what?" She whispered, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I shouldn't tell you this but I overheard them talking about you're friends, saying that they're getting close to a way to kill him but, with him, thousands of others, his entire sire line, will die as well… including your friends." He grabbed her arm, making her concentrate on him. "Balance must be restored, sister, but there is another way." At any other moment, Caroline would have been extremely worried at his words. As it was, however, there were more pressing matters at hand. Such as the fact that it was getting harder and harder to hold onto him, like he was slipping through her fingers. His skin changed from pale white to almost clear; she could see through him.

"Robb, you're fading..." She said, panicked. He didn't respond, his eyes drifting closed. "Robb!" She shook him hard, causing him to open his eyes frantically again.

"It seems that little trick of mine drained the rest of the power the witches gave me, especially after I used so much defending against your friend." He chuckled self derisively.

"No, no, you can't leave me again! I just got you back!" Caroline's voice turned desperate, tears pricking at her eyes.

"Damn it..." He cursed as he tried to stay tied to this plane, eventually sitting on his own. He turned to face the younger Forbes. "I'm sorry, I'm out of time and too far from Mystic Falls. I cannot stay corporeal here, that spell does not reach this far..." He said, knowing the truth of his own words.

"Robb... Please..."A tear fell slowly from her eye and down her cheek. Robb felt a pang in his heart; he didn't want to abandon her. Not yet.

"However, I have been dead for much longer than those poor fools in Virginia; I will stay close by, Caroline... " He reassured, patting her cheek gently as he tried to smile. "You won't be able to touch me, but you'll be able to see for a little while longer."

"But you can't stay forever, can you? The spell that allows you to be here will be broken soon, won't it?" Bonnie and her Grams are going to make sure of that… Caroline looked down, the ache already starting in her heart.

"Yes." Robb replied, honestly. "There is nothing I can do against that, I'm afraid. My time has long passed."

He watched as the tears continued rolling down his sister's cheeks, and reached forward, this time touching her hand. Caroline looked down, noting sadly that she could see completely through his skin.

"Care, don't dwell on the fact that I will be gone, dwell on the fact that I was here in the first place." He smiled at her, eyes twinkling with an intelligence that he often hid. "This time we have had together... it was a gift. I've seen the beautiful woman you've become, sister, and, for that, I am deeply grateful."

"Since when did my idiot big brother become so wise?" Caroline laughed through her tears, wiping them away, though the sadness did not leave her blue eyes.

"You learn a thing or two after death." He replied with a smirk.

"Tell me about it." His touch was fading fast now, and they both knew that in a minute it would be completely gone. She felt the tears start up again, running faster.

"I love you, Care." Her brother told her, trying in vain to comfort her, echoing words she had not heard from her family in more than four centuries. She felt a sudden rush of affection for him.

"I love you too." She whispered, squeezing his hand once more. She held on until his hand faded from her grip completely and she was holding nothing but air. They looked at each other sadly, and Caroline tried her best to stop crying.

"Well, what do you know, you care about me." Robb intoned, trying to lighten the mood by teasing her.

"You're an idiot." Caroline stated, her brow raising, sniffing slightly.

"And you're the idiot's sister."

"True enough." She replied with a genuine smile, copying his earlier words. They were silent for a moment, both stuck in their memories, until Caroline realized she still had no idea where they were. "Robb? Why are we here? And where is here, exactly?"

"That, dear sister, would be giving it away." He stood and found himself holding his hand down to Caroline before realizing his mistake. He pulled his hand back and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Worry not, you are where you're meant to be… or you will be. I couldn't bring us all the way there, we'll have to walk the rest of the way."

"Can't you just tell me where we are?" Caroline pouted, her tears drying.

"Not this time, I'm afraid."

"Fine." She groaned, standing up. She gestured for him go. "Lead on, good sir." Caroline mocked, smirking a little.

"So I shall, kind lady." Robb replied dryly, already making his way through the foliage. The blonde vampire followed close behind. It was later here than it was in Mystic Falls, she knew, the moon casting a soft light around them, stars shining brightly. She could swear the sight was somewhat familiar.

They trudged on for a at least half an hour; Caroline knew she could go a lot faster but Robb seemed to laboring; it almost seemed like he was flickering, disappearing and reappearing. As they stayed out in the forest, for once she was happy she was a vampire, the cold in the air around her didn't affect her much, not like it would a human.

Strangely, the dark forest didn't creep her out like she thought it would… it was actually kind of… peaceful.

She and Robb walked on in silence until the trees began to thin, and Caroline knew they were getting to the end of the forest. Suddenly, her brother stopped, just as she could barely see past the end of the trees. From what she could see, it was a large field or meadow.

"Why did you stop?" She asked, furrowing her brows as she turned to face away from him, looking for any signs of threat.

But when she turned back around, her brother was already gone. She looked around, her eyes widening. Even as she searched she knew she wouldn't find Robb anywhere.

He was gone. For good this time.

A tear dripped from her eye as her heart clenched painfully.

Don't dwell on the fact that I will be gone, dwell on the fact that I was here in the first place.

"Goodbye, big brother." She whispered, closing her eyes for a moment, pretending that he was standing right in front of her. She hoped he was happy now, that he knew she would be okay. He deserved some peace at last.

This time when she opened her eyes, they were clear, and Robb was still gone.

She turned back around to where the meadow was. Part of her wanted to turn back, but where would she go? And Robb said that she needed to be here. The least she could do was complete his task, find his 'surprise'.

So, instead of giving into that raw ball of grief in the corner of her mind, she locked it away, and tried not to think about it. She knew she'd have to deal with the death of her family, really deal with it, but she couldn't. Not today. After so many centuries since it happened, Caroline would have expected it to hurt less, but it didn't. Because to her it was like yesterday.

She began her trek to the meadow. It was where she was meant to go, right?

What she ended up seeing at the end of the tree line, in the meadow, made her heart jump to her throat. She knew where she was.

Barely visible in the dark, Caroline could see a pond, a familiar pond, with an ancient weeping willow sweeping over it. She knew that, once, there had been a bench under the willow.

Caroline was on the grounds of the old Mikaelson London estate.

It made her thoughts fly back to the first time she saw that great mansion. It had been so beautiful, and the most exotic thing Caroline had ever seen at the time. She had so many memories now of that house, if you could call it that. Both good and bad.

But, most of all, the pond made Caroline think of one person, Klaus. In the midst of the all the drama with Robb, her mind had wandered away from the Original.

And now, all she could see were memories of him.

Most of them were memories of their time here in 1550, but there were also the new memories. She couldn't help but think about all the little signs of his true self that he had shown her. The way he had held her tight, even as enacted his hybrid plan and forced Tyler's turning.

"Until next time, love." He had said quietly, his eyes on hers.

Only, there hadn't been a next time. But she would make sure there was.

As her thoughts lingered on her former lord, Caroline found herself walking towards the pond. There was such a sense of familiarity to it that she could almost believe that this was the 16th century, and that she was still the servant she once had been. She could almost trick herself into thinking she was meeting Klaus there.

She reached the willow and pushed through, wondering if the bench, or a new one, was still there. She stepped through the leaves and froze at what she saw on the other side.

Not only was there a bench, but there was someone sitting on it. Someone that she knew better than anyone else she had ever known.

Klaus.

Well, what d'you know.

He was sitting alone, apparently so deep in thought and in the past that he did not even hear her approach. He wore dark colors, making him almost blend in with the blackness of the night. But his eyes, they stood out, a bright blue against that shadows. His gaze was far off, a million miles away.

Watching him sitting there made Caroline first feel only an intense love. Here was the man she would die for, the one she loved more than anything. But with that love also came an anger such as she had never felt. Here was also the man who taken away her memories, her life, from her, without her permission. Here was the man who had taken it upon himself to make decisions in her life without her consent.

It made her so angry and her eyes burned holes into his head.

The next thing she knew she was stepping towards him. He finally seemed to realize he was not alone and he stood up abruptly, before turning to face her. His face went almost comically form annoyed to shocked as he took in just who was in front of him.

"Caroline?" Klaus asked, confused as he suddenly appeared right in front of her, using his superior speed against her. The way he looked her, so full of love and yet full of a different, unrecognizable feeling… it made Caroline feel more than she had in the past four hundred odd years. Which would explain why her anger sky rocketed.

Klaus opened his mouth as if to speak again, however, before he could so much as get another word out, Caroline lurched forward and did something that surprised them both. She slapped him. Hard.

His head whipped to the side at the unexpected action.

Caroline had just slapped Klaus.

And she did not regret it.

The Original turned his eyes back to her and Caroline could see they were full of frustration and barely contained rage.

"How could you do this to me?" She exclaimed, her voice clogged with exasperated and angry tears as her own emotions became too much for her. Klaus grabbed her hand as it flew up to smack him again. She just wanted to make him feel like she was feeling, she just wanted to hurt him.

"Love, as much I adore to have you in my midst, you had best explain yourself." He growled, still gripping her wrist tightly, pulling her in slightly to add threat. There is no way in hell that is working on me, Klaus…

"Me? Explain myself?" She asked, incredulously. How dare he act as if I was the one that wronged him? "Oh, you're a bloody bastard, Klaus."

"Careful, sweetheart." He warned, his eyes flashing in anger. You can't charm your way around me, Klaus, you'll see.

"I'd forgotten what a fool you could be. But then again, I had forgotten everything now hadn't I?" She hissed in reply, not even realizing that she had just told Klaus that she remembered everything. She hadn't wanted to tell him something like that in anger. Yet here she was, anyways. "You made damn sure of that."

"You... You remember? How?" Klaus' face was almost slack-jawed as he stared at her intently, his familiar blue eyes wide with surprised.

"Surprise." Caroline mocked, crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking the picture of defiance. "Looks like you couldn't keep my memory away from me forever. You should've known this would happen, Klaus." She sighed, shaking her head slightly in disapproval.

"I was trying to protect you, love. Keep you safe." The hybrid to explain, finding it hard to find the right words, especially when looking at the one girl who he had ever loved. The girl that had returned.

"I can take care of myself. I know you tried to spare me the pain. I know that... But don't you think I needed you?" Caroline remembered that black hole that had been left behind when he took her memories. "That I was lonely? For more than four hundred years there was this hole in me... I needed you, Klaus. Where were you?"

"You're angry with me." Klaus let go of her wrist, allowing her to back up a bit, pacing.

"Yes, damn it! Of course I'm angry! What did you expect? That I would just fall into your arms? I'm too smart for that." She glared at him.

"I know, love, I know. It's one of the reasons I love you." He stated, as if the word 'love' was something he said everyday.

"And don't even think about compelling me again, or I swear I will never forgive you... Wait, what did you just say?" Caroline rambled on, finding it harder and harder to keep her feelings check, when suddenly she realized just what word slipped form Klaus' mouth. "Are you kidding me? No way, nuh uh, you do not get to distract with your supposed wit or charm or whatever, alright? So keep your comments to yourself because if you don't-" She was interrupted abruptly when Klaus grabbed her lightly by the shoulders, peering straight into her eyes with his own rather hopeful ones…

"It's really you." He said, wonderingly. "Before it was you as well, but you weren't my Caroline." His hand raised to lightly graze her cheek. She didn't stop him, instead finding herself leaning into his touch.

"Like I said, Niklaus, you're a bloody fool." She whispered, shaking her head again as her eyes began to well with tears. "Don't you see? I have always been your Caroline, whether I remembered it or not. That's why I'm so upset." How could you have done this to me?

"Even now, love?" He asked, gruffly, the tiniest bit of human slipping in.

"Always." Caroline's reply went without a single hesitation.

"Always."

The word echoed in Klaus' head. She had always been his Caroline. She had always been the woman he loved so very much. And he had failed her. Failed her horribly but she was here anyways. She was here for him.

Always.

He had come back to the London estate to try and move past what had happened here all those centuries, tried to put Caroline out of his mind. But instead, his thoughts had lied only on her, and the next thing he knew, she was walking through the leaves of the weeping willow like a beautiful, blonde angel.

She was his Caroline and she remembered. Part of Klaus was disappointed that he memory was returned to her but another, larger part, couldn't help but feel relieved. She knew now; he wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

She remembered now.

Always.

The rush of adoration that Klaus suddenly felt was overwhelming. It overtook his entire body, his mind, his heart. She remembers! And he still loves her.

Klaus couldn't control his impulses any longer and pulled Caroline close, his heart thumping more wildly than it had done in a very, very long time. He met her eyes, trying to convey to her the impossible amount of love he felt for her.

"I know you're upset with me, sweetheart, but I will have to take this risk anyways." He said, his voice low. There was a questioning light in her eyes but before she could ask him just what this risk was, Klaus leaned forward and kissed her.

The fact that she kissed back was the only further evidence Klaus needed to know that she truly was his Caroline.

Always.

First things first, I wanted to say, you guys are just amazing! I just kept getting review alerts for this last chapter, and, let me tell you, it really made my week! Thank you for making last chapter my most reviewed chapter ever! I hope this chapter met your expectations.

Secondly, I want to apologize for the long wait you guys, I was having some trouble getting this down due to some rather unkind reviews from a particular user, who bothered me on another story too. I don't mind getting criticism, in fact I think it's really useful, but full on insults?

I have never understood the point of flaming...

Anyways, I will stop now before I go on a rant. The point is, I am really, really sorry this chapter wasn't out sooner; life got in the way. I know it's no excuse and I can't apologize enough. BUT, I have good news - I have a break for the next week, so expect at least two more chapters in that time ;)

Next chapter: What will the rest of the Mystic Falls think of klaroline? And, of course, more will be explained about just why Klaus is in London ;)

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

RW