He waited for Caroline to fall asleep listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against his ear as she held his head to her chest. Feeling her hold loosen and her breath even out he gently lifted his head to look at her, his dreaming angel. He picked up her hand from his neck placing it on her stomach as he rose up from the bed kissing her cheek before he left the room silently.

He moved down the stairs looking in almost every place he passed for a phone book or an address book of some kind only finding blank sheets inside notebooks or empty drawers. In his studio he thought he had lucked out finding an old list of numbers dated three years prior he frowned thinking none might be valid. He reached the living room taking their glasses into the kitchen picking up their plates as well.

"Hello brother," Kol's voice filtered into his ears making his frown lines deeper as he placed the dishes in the sink. He turned crossing his arms a slight pain in the back of his head from the mere sight of his younger brother remembering his encounter with Caroline at the hospital. "Kol," he grumbled as his brother stood up from the small dining table strolling to him.

"You don't look half bad for a man with no memory," he said looking Klaus over much to his annoyance before straightening his back, "Relax, I haven't come to steal the old girl away. I've just come to have a chat," He said making Klaus take a threatening step towards him. Kol backed away with his hands up at his sides, "I meant nothing by it," he insisted with a wicked smile as Klaus watched him.

Klaus smirked, "Well let me start," he said to his younger brother moving to him then past him as Kol nodded and he strutted towards the door leading his brother outside from where he had come from. "Go away," he muttered and then he shut the door on his brother's face. Kol stood looking at his brother from the other side of the door's window making Klaus' smile grow zealously.

"If anything I'm here to help," Kol said rubbing his arm a bruise forming from when he along with Bonnie and Elena went to brunch with Rebekah and Stefan formulating a plan to unify the couple. He went to grab the door knob but Klaus' smile fell, "Or we can talk about this when you don't have that murderous look in your eye," Kol suggested.

Flashback

Kol held Bonnie's hand under the table running his fingers over her lap as he did her friend Elena on her other side as they waited for Rebekah and Stefan to arrive hoping no one had followed them. After a few minutes of obstinate tension Kol ordered for his sister and Elena and Bonnie put in their own before Kol could ask for what he wanted. After his sister had appeared soon after arm in arm with Stefan and sat down they got to the real reason they were there.

"Elijah and mother can't win," Rebekah announced placing her hands on the table ignoring the fact that Kol had ordered her salad with the dressing on top and not the side, "We have to get them to really fall for each other before Monday."

"I propose a party," Kol suggested but it was more of a proposed action that was already taking place, "Nothing like a liquor filled honest confession out of them both," he remarked with a ill-behaved glint in his eye.

Klaus can't drink yet," Bonnie said reminding them that she was a nurse and fairly nervous about what could affect their brother if not monitored correctly.

"He can have a glass," Elena entreated with a tilt of her head at Bonnie whom relented if only slightly as Kol kissed her cheek.

"We really just need Caroline to stay Klaus is already in it for the long haul," Stefan added earning a kiss from Rebekah and an eye roll from Elena whom was once again surrounded by lovers while she herself was in a squabble with Damon.

"So we're in agreement then?" the blonde asked, "Tomorrow night at the house we'll all go and have dinner drink it will be a sort of house warming party," Rebekah said taking a sip of her wine.

"And a big we're happy you're awake party," Bonnie added sweetly.

In hindsight he should not have sat in between his sister and Bonnie for the rest of that meal if he was going to be acting like himself through the whole ordeal. He shivered just recalling it. His arm still bruising even after Bonnie iced it. "Will you let me in," he asked but Klaus shook his head. "I know where the hide-a-key is." He told him moving to go get it when he heard the door unlock.

Kol grinned as he stepped back inside, "We've got the her childhood friends on our side to teach us everything they know about our dear girl Caroline." He said confidently taking a seat at the table gesturing for Klaus to follow suit, "Enough to make her swoon into your arms here's your phone." Klaus took it from his hand taking a seat across from his brother.

Klaus looked it over observing the lack of buttons and the way it lit up as his fingers grazed the screen lighting up so brightly his eyes hurt more. "What is this," he asked placing it face down on the table because he didn't know how to shut off the light, "Mine was bigger." He distinctly remembered his old phone with a lot more buttons and a different size.

Kol chuckled out loud earning a glare from his older brother which stopped him short stuffing whatever useless remark he had in mind, "This is your current one," he said taking a breath.

Klaus picked it up again feeling the smooth metal in his hands before looking at his brother again, "But it's skinny and there are no buttons," he almost whined as the light lit up once more making him wince, his concussion still messing with his vision.

Kol nodded, "I know," he said taking the phone from his brother and shutting off the screen before he handed it back to show him how it worked, "I've unlocked it for you so you can scroll through contacts," he said displaying just how to get everywhere he might need to, "Texts, pics apps things of the sort." He added gesturing to each icon.

Klaus took it from his brother shutting off the light as he sat back in his chair, "So lost," he mumbled as he shut his eyes thinking of just how long he was missing in his mind.

Kol leaned forward smiling once more, "Caroline will show you," he said with suggestion in his tone. "Now let's move on to the darling girl I assume she's asleep all mussed up…" he trailed off at the look Klaus gave him clearing his throat he began again. "First things first movies," he said waving a hand in the air before dropping it on his lap again, "Loves 'em - Can't get enough."

Kol looked at him as if he had just remembered something and reached into his jacket pocket, "I've had the dear girls make a list for you," he said pulling out a long white napkin with different titles in different handwritings. He held it out for his brother to take which he did not a moment later looking it over.

Klaus rolled his eyes looking down at the movies listed some familiar and some he had never heard of. One thing was certain she had a diverse taste in cinema, he noted that they had kindly categorized them into genres for him while thinking of the night before he murmured, "We already did that," he told Kol.

Kol nodded expecting them to fill their time alone together with something platonic otherwise the silence might begin to be too awkward, "Okay second," he said displaying two fingers before he began tapping them on the table moving forward, "Sleeping in," he said noting Klaus' eyes glazing over, "She likes naps essentially she is a cat."

Klaus rubbed his forehead placing his elbow on the table his heard hurting from Kol's tapping and the sun hurting his eyes more than necessary. "We've been doing that," he sighed, his irritation growing continuously though strangely not towards his younger brother. He looked around spotting his medication o the counter top in relief he rose up from his chair plucking it and popping it open.

Kol watched his brother always forgetting Klaus was one to hide how he felt even if he was in agonizing pain, after his accident he refused to let anyone of them help him. He became a recluse and only allowed them to give him a ride to his physical therapy never allowed to come inside or ask just how he was doing. "Right," he replied looking down at the table cloth pretending he hadn't seen anything.

"Well," he said as he heard his brother moving back to the table, "She likes to keep busy, she's a compulsive cleaner much like Bekah I'm afraid." He heard Klaus chuckle making him look up curiously but his brother didn't cite a reason. "My suggestion, find her a job."

"What," Klaus asked meeting his brother's look confused.

Kol scooted back in his chair, "Well she will need one eventually," he remarked carefully looking down, "If she stays," he trailed off feeling the silence fill the room.

"She's staying," Klaus said with determination gripping the edge of the table the idea that she might leave occurred to him every few hours without any outside help or reminders.

"Says you," Kol answered back regretting that he had to come here.

"Kol," Klaus said gritting his teeth to keep him from doing something that would undoubtedly annoy Caroline and hurt his back in the process deciding to be the bigger person. Of course with Kol that was always a tad difficult to do.

His brother decided to change the subject, "Next thing, get her to open up about her past," he said encouragingly, "Her childhood maybe why she choose this place of all places to get married. I mean not to you but," Klaus eyed him daring him to continue that train of thought. "Ask about her eighteenth birthday I hear that one is a dozy."

"Continue," Klaus said with a smirk but Kol only shook his head with a smile on his knowing little face enjoying he had something over his big brother even in his mental state.

He stood up from his chair Klaus' eyes following him as he moved around the kitchen space, "Well you're doing well so far." His brother said turning his head to look at Klaus, "Cleaning after yourself and such. Caroline enjoys that," he added.

"But," he cut Klaus' thoughts short about sprucing up the upstairs bedroom short, "I think." He pointed to himself then he shook his head pursing his lips, "That is, we the siblings should have dinner tomorrow evening just as a welcome back to a conscious state – house warming party." He said scrunching his right eye with how his brother might react. "It was Rebekah's idea!" he exclaimed.

"She's a rose isn't she," Klaus asked chuckling.

"Sweet as ever," Kol replied glad with the lightened mood that had sprung up on them both after the few awkward encounters they had had since Klaus woke up.

Kol looked towards the entryway to the living room, "Is she asleep?" he asked looking at his older brother.

"Yes," Klaus answered him stepping in his way before he could think to do anything mischievous, his brother grinned, "Get out Kol." He said warningly.

Kol held his hands up in surrender backing away from his brother back towards the way he had entered, "I'm leaving," he announced, "Of my own free will however not because that vein is popping out of your neck." Klaus tossed a dish towel at him which Kol just barely missed as he shut the door in front of him.

Klaus waited until he was certain Kol was gone before he looked left and then right making sure Caroline was nowhere to be found before he thought to actually do it. He walked as quietly and as quickly as he could with renewed energy thanks to his medicine sneaking past all of the living room boxes and moving into the other hall. He reached for the door turning the knob as he looked behind him checking one last time before he slipped inside.

He shut the door his eyes searching the room for the book he was aching to find, his leather bound book he'd had it forever which meant it had to be here somewhere. He checked the desk and drawers aimlessly searching when he moved to one of the windows where the curtain was partially open.

His eyes sparkled at the sight of it sighting on the cushion by the windowsill he reached for his sketchbook he tried to picture himself in this room sketching the world away. He wondered how often he was here, day or night or both. Nervously he sat down by the window his back to the wall supporting him as he ran a hand over the cover worn with age.

The spine was thicker than before the notion bringing a smile to his face as he flipped the cover over to find the Mikaelson siblings engraved initials. Searching the room once more he plucked a writing utensil from a nearby table tracing a C.F.M. by his own name. Klaus smiled at the end result before taking the wayward pencil in his hand and tucking it behind his ear as he flipped through countless pages of work.

Years of his life were stored in here, trips he couldn't remember taking to family portraits his eyes gleamed with pride as he turned each one dated chronologically. Page by page year by year they grew more intense suggestively whimsical. He assumed these were done close to if not after Henrik's death considering the pattern lines.

He thought about how he might have had to retrain his hand like he would try to do now the nerves having been affected in the crash that had nearly parted him from this world. He turned the page one last time finding a gap spanning a few years the last image was yet another of his luminescing bride sleeping away upstairs. Except here she was in her wedding dress lying in an unknown room to him he knew this night, he had dreamt of it once when she began to appear to him in his deep sleep.

His fingers traced the expression lines on her face her beauty coming to life with his hands was something he couldn't beginning to comprehend. Her light was like no other, she would be his only muse he thought as he turned hoping to find another photo of her. He frowned when he found that instead of another the paper was blank.

Klaus took a deep breath exhaling slowly his lips forming a mild 'O' shape as he did so his hand moving to the pencil behind his ear as he picked his feet up onto the bench making himself comfortable. He was scared that was the truth because what if he couldn't do it anymore? His hands trembled as he composed himself concentrating on his beating heart and the woman who had her hands on it sleeping soundly upstairs.

He pressed the pencil to the page first with a lot of pressure then softly creating multiple lines across the page, lines that soon formed his wife's image. With every mark there was a resemblance to her that earned him that much more confidence in his craft as he sketched her from memory. Her soft curls and intense eyes looked up at him almost escaping from the page.

He smiled believing in himself for the first time since he woke up again looking down at his woman he laughed to himself the longer this went on giddily. He shaded her eyes wishing he had more than one color when a thought stuck him. He should paint her as his former self had planned, he understood that. Caroline was the kind of beauty that looked good in black and white or Technicolor.

"I woke and you weren't there," her soft voice flitted through the room as she came up next to him pressing a kiss to his cheek before pulling away. She smiled noticing what he had been up to playing with her fingers as she blushed looking away as he caught her looking over his shoulder. Klaus shifted in his seat his feet plopping on to the floor in front of her.

"Caroline I uh," he stuttered nervously scratching his head as he searched for words.

Caroline nodded with a smile finishing his sentence, "Took up drawing again," she gestured to the pad on his lap.

"I just wanted to see if I was any good," he admitted shyly closing the book and setting it aside as he reached for her hand.

"But you are," she reasoned with him, "We both saw it." She said as he pulled her back to him gesturing for her to take a seat next to him.

"I know," he said softly, "You're right and I'm not bragging I just had to confirm it," he chuckled as he patted the book behind him. "It's amazing what I can do and yet I know I don't sketch half as roughly as I did before, my hand is trained."

Caroline tried not to giggle, "Well you took classes," she told him matter-of-factly and rather joyfully.

Klaus eyed her, "I did," he asked leaning forward his head tilting as he waited for her response.

Caroline smiled touching the side of his cheek as she thought about things he had lived and now had to hear about from her or his siblings. Even the smallest things seemed to surprise him, "Bekah told me," she confessed him.

"It was while you here still conditioning your left side to work normally again," she said recalling the late nights the two had spent together watching and waiting for him to wake up. Rebekah told her stories from when they were younger, how she wanted to be just like him once. "Needed something to fill the time I guess." She shrugged.

"How can you know more about me than myself?" he jested taking her hand from his cheek and kissing it before holding it in his lap staring down at it.

"I don't know," she laughed at the absurdity of having been in his place not so long ago.

Klaus scooted closer before she could blink, "Sit for me," he suggested excitedly kissing her lips chastely enjoying the way her lips melded to is if only for a moment.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said distractedly unable to think as she shook her head unclear to what he was requesting of her.

"Sit." He said getting up holding his hands out for her not to move as he did, "I can't get this angle right he said leaning over to flip back to the page he had been working on to show her what he had meant before he turned his head looking at her he smiled noticing her blush.

"I don't think," she started hesitantly getting up as she did but he moved in front of her making her sit back down.

"Please!" he pleaded gently, "My fingers hurt but I need to keep them moving." He said wisely remembering how much they hurt just to keep them in place maybe if he had them constantly moving it wouldn't hurt so bad.

Caroline looked at him unsure, "What if you hurt the nerves," she ventured to ask him knowing he was most likely going to get his way anyway. She was as excited as he was to sit for him but the thought of him hurting himself made her pause.

"I won't," he promised like the sweetest little boy you could ever meet, "I'll stop before it hurts too much." Klaus reasoned with her, "If that's your condition." He said but it came out with a questioning glance.

Caroline smiled crossing her arms as she nodded, "It is," he looked at her as if she was Christmas, the feeling made her gleam. She wanted this for him, to be happy and the fact that she could be a part of it was the icing on the cake.

"Okay," he said moving to the stool a few feet away he caught her trying to move but he didn't want her to. She looked perfect right there fresh faced and glowing under the sunlight from their big window. "Just stay like that," he assured her making her stop all movements to look at him, "Just like that."

Caroline tried not to fidget under his eyes recalling her beauty pageant days a smile falling on her lips as she recalled the slow dances she used to think were the best times of her life. Her eyes locked with his for a moment as he looked up from the page, "It's quiet," she observed.

Klaus nodded getting back to work his eyes scrunching together then apart as he worked on a line not caring if he was sore or not from being hunched over for so long. "It won't be tomorrow," he remarked forgetting she didn't know Kol had stopped by.

Caroline crinkled her brow moving without a second thought until he groaned reminding her to not move, "Why?" she asked trying to get back into position.

Klaus smiled grimly, "Bekah has taken it upon herself to throw us a party here without consent of approval," Caroline's eyes lit up at the word party and he knew he was wise to stay silent on dismissing the party all together.

Klaus smiled back, "You like parties," he questioned her before he set his eyes back on his work fixing a few lines with shading and smudging to get the shadow just right.

"I'm a bit of an event coordinator back home," she confessed to him shyly, "Or that is, I was." Caroline corrected, "Obsessive compulsive type A personality easy to solve or improvise a solution." She said thinking they should have put that on her card.

He looked almost thoughtful before he smiled again, "It suits you," she looked at him unclear as to what he meant, "The event coordinator part not the obsessive compulsive part." He clarified making her smile.

"Thank you," she said kindly taking his compliment.

They settled back into silence contentedly observing one another, "Could you tilt your chin to the right," Klaus asked gesturing with his pencil.

Caroline nodded to him, "Like this," she asked as she slanted her head lower her eyes lifting to his as she blinked.

"Perfect," he tells her and Caroline smiles as does he.

AN: Thank you for sticking by this story it means so very much to me!

I wish I could be more inspired to write this story but real life has truly been getting in the way of it!

Thank you anyways for reading it! :))