A/N: I tried something different this chapter, there's a dance sequence that I played with and I think I did an okay job with the scene I had in mind. If it's confusing or anything, let me know so I can make it clearer. Anyway, hope ya'll enjoy!

Summary: Klaus was not the only one affected by the hybrid curse, denying him his werewolf side. The curse had a second victim, his wife Caroline, who for a 1000 years he thought was dead. Only days before he is meant to break his hybrid curse, he learns she is alive and closer than he ever imagined. Klaroline!Time travel story.

Chapter Eleven

Tomorrow was the start of the festival with a name Caroline struggled to pronounce. However she knew the festival was meant to bring good blessings for the winter season, so that was nice enough. Rebekah was a bubble of excitement waiting to explode with happiness at the anticipation. Though Caroline was excited to see the festival, she felt uneasy about it. Near the place where she slept, she had been tallying the days since her arrival here. Twenty days had passed, in another week or two weeks the full moon would be here and that would make a month.

Time seemed to be moving at a slow pace despite the days blurring together for her. It was unsettling. Not to mention the whole conversation about her being a witch with Kol and Esther was still in her mind and refused to leave along with weird dreams of her mom and women she didn't recognize. Though a few minutes after she woke up, the dream would completely leave her. There was also the incident where she healed Niklaus' injury, which he thankfully didn't say anything about. Rebekah had noticed a shift in her friend.

"Are you alright," Rebekah asked softly, "You seem distracted."

Caroline lied, "It's just, I guess I'm nervous about this festival."

"You have nothing to be concerned about, the food is great, the people will love you and I can guarantee that plenty of men will want to dance with you," Rebekah told her with a smile.

"I'm not worried about that really," Caroline replied, "I just, never mind."

"Carol, you can tell me what's bothering you," Rebekah informed her.

Caroline studied the younger girl for a few moments unsure of what to say. Even though Rebekah knew that her mother was a witch and that she herself could be one, Caroline didn't really want to tell Rebekah about the possibility of her being a witch. It just didn't sit well with her right now when she could hardly accept it.

Rebekah was concerned. Caroline had adjusted well so far and then a few days ago she had fallen into a slump of sorts. It was as if something had happened to cause Caroline to distance herself. Though the younger girl considered that she was still grieving, after all they didn't even have a funeral for her fallen family. Caroline had refused the offer, saying she just couldn't do it. Not to mention everything that had happened with Mikael. No other incidents had occurred since, but still the change had been put in place.

"I, I'm just," Caroline shook her head, "It's nothing, I assure you. I am looking forward to the festival, it's just some nerves."

Rebekah pouted, "If you're certain."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah. Now come on, let's finish these dresses."

Rebekah grinned and she returned her attention to the rose red dress she had made for herself. The sleeves cut off in the middle of her forearm, black laces were woven through the sleeves as well and tied with a bow around where they ended before her wrist. The top of the dress had a wider neck opening that at first Rebekah had been unsure of, but Caroline convinced her it would be wonderful. (Bridesmaid medieval dress armstreet).

Caroline's had a similar structure to Rebekah's, however hers was a vibrant blue that reminded her of Cinderella. Since only having a solid blue dress was not going to cut it for Caroline, she decided to add four soft white streams that were connected at her waist. If she twirled in the dress they would flare out around her, at least she imagined it would do that in her mind. Rebekah loved the idea. Not to mention Caroline's sewing had allowed her to added swirls at the bottom of Rebekah's dress and on her own. The two girls were able to pull it off before the day had come to an end.

Elijah was seated by the window with an almost bored expression, though he was in a remarkably good mood. His younger brothers never cared much about appearances, come to think of it, only Rebekah actually cared about how she presented herself. Their parents were concerned with appearances in the sense that they be a unified family or that their sons looked strong and their daughter desirable.

So when Niklaus came to his older brother in slight panic on what to wear for the festival, keeping in mind he had a woman to impress, Elijah was happy to assist Though he did his best to keep his expression neutral. He didn't want to give anything away, especially considering what he and Rebekah were working on. Should everything go according to plan, the festival would kick start the ever growing relationship between his brother and Caroline.

"How does this look," Niklaus questioned tiredly.

Elijah had him pull out all of their best clothes and try on various combinations of the attire. It was exhausting and honestly quite horrible as far as Niklaus was concerned. However, he wanted to impress Caroline and needed to wear something that would blow her away. He had barely caught sight of the dresses she and Rebekah were working on. The rich blue color she had sprawled on her as she worked would no doubt be stunning and magnificent on her. The pains of choosing an appropriate outfit to wear in order to hold a candle to her would have to do.

Elijah tilted his head to the side, "Well, it certainly fits your style. However why not wear the blue vest?"

Niklaus looked at the black one he wore, "What's wrong with this one?"

"Nothing," Elijah commented, a sideways smile grew on his face, "However I do believe that a certain blonde's dress would match that particular shade of blue."

"You know it would inappropriate to match," Niklaus said lowly.

"And yet," Elijah glanced away at something, then back his brother with an open smile, "Being inappropriate has never stopped you before."

Niklaus huffed. He removed the black vest he wore and grabbed the blue one, slipping it over his white long sleeved shirt. Once the laces had been put in place, Niklaus gestured to himself.

"Are you satisfied now brother," Niklaus asked, his tone slightly irritated.

Elijah nodded, "Very much so. I believe Miss Caroline will certainly enjoy the outfit."

Niklaus sighed, "I should hope so. I want to court her, so desperately brother, but I know she is not ready for that."

"Perhaps tomorrow night will change things," Elijah said softly.

Niklaus ran his fingers through his hair, his nervousness and doubt rising to the surface. After that conversation the week before, about how the two expressed their feelings for one another, well how he expressed his feelings towards her. All Niklaus wanted to do was be with her. He wanted to be beside her as often as possible.

Caroline plagued every thought he had, no matter how much he tried his mind would always wonder to her. The way her eyes sparkled when she was happy, how she fiddled with the hem of her sleeves when nervous. It was the little things and the big things she did that drove Niklaus crazy. He wanted to believe he was in love with her, but he had no way of knowing if she would or could ever feel the same way about him.

"Relax brother," Elijah said pulling Niklaus from his thoughts, "She already likes you as you do her. It is obvious for anyone with eyes to see."

Niklaus looked at his brother, "You cannot be certain of this."

Elijah released a soft sigh, "Oh I am certain you are in love with her and that she is in love with you. It is only a matter of time."

Before Niklaus could say anything more, Elijah had moved to leave the room and the younger of the two decided not to stop him.

Time Skip

Caroline stood in the empty room as she observed the dress she wore, the sleeves went down to her wrists, but had white trim on them and were larger than her hands. The white streams of fabric had been a nice touch, she was pleased with the dress overall. Though as she let her hands move along the fabric, she couldn't help but feel a pang at the loss of the beautiful gowns she had worn for her homecoming dances, the one she would wear for prom. Those dresses she would never see again if she couldn't get home.

While she knew she had better reasons to want to go home, she couldn't deny that she missed a lot of the minor things that her time had to offer. Though she decided indoor plumbing was not a minor desire on the first night she had been here. Regardless she missed home, she missed her family and friends, she missed it a lot.

Unknown to her, Niklaus was standing in the doorway silently, watching as Caroline fiddled with her dress. The dress she had made was beautiful, he had to admit he was impressed with her skills when it came to making clothing or food or anything. Caroline seemed to have a talent of doing everything perfectly at all times.

As he watched her turn side to side in the dress, he couldn't help, but to smile at her. She was as beautiful and breathtaking as a princess. The way her sunlight hair fell in waves around her shoulders, not to mention the flowers woven into the braided crown around her head, courtesy of Rebekah. Though he could not see her eyes, he could picture them shimmering from the light.

"I have never seen a more beautiful woman in my life."

Caroline turned around, her golden curls moved around her shoulder with her as she looked at the guest. Standing in the doorway was Niklaus, he wore a white shirt and blue vest with his usual pants though they looked cleaner than before. Two small pieces of his hair woven in braids and holding his long hair from falling in his face. Though Caroline had never been a fan of long hair, she had to admit that he made it look incredibly desirable. Not for the first time, Caroline wanted to run her fingers through his hair.

Caroline smiled at him, her eyes bright, "Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself Niklaus."

Niklaus bowed slightly with a playful smile, "I live to please."

Caroline bit back a smile, but said nothing more. A silence settled over the two, both wondering what they should say or do next.

"You're hair is stunning."

"I like that vest."

The two laughed lightly at having spoken at the same moment, each wore a nervous grin. Niklaus smiled at her, he stepped inside of the room to be closer to her as he spoke.

"Rebekah helped with my hair," Caroline said, her fingers tugging on the loose strands in nervousness.

"She is talented," Niklaus spoke, his voice strong, "It was Elijah who helped me pick this vest."

Caroline nodded, "It certainly was a good choice."

"Has Rebekah told you every miniscule detail there is to know about this festival," Niklaus asked next.

He assumed Rebekah would have told her everything there is to know about the festival, considering she practically screeched st her brothers not to tell Caroline a thing. That she would be the one to go over everything with her friend. However Niklaus was interested to know if Caroline knew of one particular part of the festival.

To his surprise, Caroline shook her head, "No. She's refused to tell me anything specific. Only that there will be food, a slaughtered pig, dancing around a fire and I believe she mentioned wishes. I've been trying to get more information out of her for days, but she reveals nothing. And none of your brothers are very helpful either, I've been resigned to be surprised."

Niklaus put on a grin, "Well, I would hate to spoil the surprise."

"Please spoil the surprise," Caroline pleaded, "I can't stand- I am not a, a person who enjoys surprises. Can you give me a hint?"

Niklaus looked thoughtful, "Perhaps I could if…"

"If what," Caroline asked, her head tilted to the side.

"If you would do me the honor of dancing with me before the meal is to be served," Niklaus said, his voice trailing off.

Caroline grinned at him, "Of course I will dance with you. Now give me some details."

Niklaus laughed, "Very well love. The festival will take place in the heart of the village. Everyone will gather round to talk and dance. Before the meal is served we will do a special dance, every man with a woman on his arm and we will dance to the stars. Has Rebekah showed you the steps?"

Caroline nodded, she breathed out nervously, "Luckily she did tell me that part. No idea what it means or why we dance, but it sounded nice. I have yet to practice it with anyone, so I'm sorry if I hit you or anyone else. She mentioned that everyone dances around each other and you always return to your partner or something like that."

"Something like that. Don't worry about it love," Niklaus told her, "I am sure you will be stunning."

"Thank you, but I'm still worried to embarrass myself out there," Caroline told him.

Niklaus nodded in understanding, "Well, should you stumble, I will make a bigger scene to draw the attention away from you."

"No need for that," Caroline said, playfully hitting his shoulder.

"Or we could practice here," Niklaus told her, he looked at her expectantly, "if you would like to."

Caroline's entire face lit up, it sent Niklaus's heart racing.

Niklaus held out his hand to Caroline, his smile reassuring and sweet. It perfectly masked the anxiousness growing inside him as he studied Caroline, her blue eyes holding his gaze and her own expression not hiding her nervousness. Though Caroline knew the steps, being a cheerleader had taught her to pick up on things remarkably fast, she was still nervous to dance.

At first it didn't make any sense as to why she was nervous, it was just a dance and who cared if she messed up. However as she stood here in this room now with Niklaus looking at her as if she were something special, she realized why she was nervous to dance at the festival. It had nothing to do with the people around her, it had nothing to do with her knowing the steps, it had everything to do with her dance partner.

Her hand slipped into his own, he pulled her closer and his other hand found her waist. Though Caroline wanted to call on her Miss Mystic Fall dance moves, she knew that she was a couple centuries early in that department. This dance Rebekah had quickly taught her had a faster pace than the waltz she knew, the dance was alive and filled with all kinds of quick movements that Caroline could only imagine how it would look with several couples doing the moves.

The couples started with each other and then the pairs would separate and mix with others, doing the steps before doing moves on their own and then finding their partner again. When she had walked through it with Rebekah, Caroline was worried her head would start spinning, but she had it memorized. Caroline could easily pick up on routines and dances, but now that she was so close to Niklaus that she could feel his body heat, feel is breath brush her forehead… she knew she was going to mess this up. Caroline steeled herself as best she could.

"I've got you," Niklaus told her softly.

"I know," Caroline replied back, her gaze flickered to meet his.

The dance began. There was no music to dance to, but the movements were in time with the melody and rhythm in his mind. Caroline didn't know it, but she followed his lead. When he pulled back, she moved forward with him the way Rebekah showed her. When it was her turn to move away, he would follow her a second later. At one point they were pressed so close against each other, their heartbeats could be felt by the other. At other points they were far apart, mirroring each other's movements from across the room.

Neither Caroline nor Niklaus knew of their audience from the windows or doorway as they moved together in perfect sync, their eyes only on each other.

Neither Caroline nor Niklaus were aware of the audience that had gathered around them that night during the official dance before the meal.

When the room they danced around disappeared. How the light of the day turned to the dark of the night, filled with only the flames and stars to see. Their dance seemed to go through time, neither could recall the moments between the dances, only each other.

The moment that he found her by the large bonfire, dressed in that vibrant blue dress that complimented her hair and eyes and skin and figure and everything about her, he only saw her. When Caroline spotted him through the crowd, the way he walked screamed confidence and power, how he only looked at her as if no one else was there sent her into overdrive.

All she could see was him. Where he pulled, she pushed. Where he turned, she faced him. When she spun, he pulled her back in. When they separated from each other, she danced with the flow of the crowd and him to the beat of the drums. Despite the distance, their movements were timed together. Then they were back together having woven their way through the crowd, twists and turns and each movement brought them closer.

The couples had continued the dancing, their feet moving in time with the beat of the drums and air of the wood instruments, but none more perfectly than Caroline. Her dress flared around her, her hair danced with her every step and her smile was warmer than the fire they danced around. Niklaus was in tune with her, his steps matched her almost too perfectly. Despite it being their second time dancing, it was as if they had been doing the same dance for years. Most of the couples ended up stopping to watch Niklaus and Caroline continue the dance, but neither could focus on the shift of the crowd.

They danced across the room with the sunlight streaming around them.

They danced around the fire, the light circling around them with every step.

Something had taken over Caroline and Niklaus, as if they were under a spell as the dance of the people shifted to something more powerful, more alive. Their hands now intertwined as they moved together, eyes only on each other's. Caroline's heart was pounding hard in her chest, from the extended dancing and from the look he was giving her. Niklaus was certain he had never been more at peace, happy or in love than in that moment.

Their bodies pressed together, they moved apart. The music speed had slowed, their bodies responded in kind and slowed to match the gradually slowing pace. It was then Caroline had noticed that everyone was staring at them, that they were the only ones left. Caroline barely remembered Rebekah mentioning that the couple with the strongest dancing would be the last one standing, it happened every time. Whichever couple held the most passion would out last the others, would draw the most attention. Their was something else she said, but her mind was reeling from the dance, from his body being so close to her own.

"Everyone's staring," Caroline breathes out as they spun around each other.

Niklaus only watched her, "Let them stare. I know I've been staring at you all night."

Niklaus held her wrists and pulled her close to him, he then moved around her and spun her once more before she returned to his embrace. The stunned expression on Caroline's face was enough to elicit a smirk from him. Her eyes were shining again, this time with something he couldn't quite read.

"I've got you," he told her as he stopped.

Caroline stopped with him, breathless, she said, "I know."

They barely heard the round of applause that followed, nor did they answer the call of their names. All their attention was on each other.

They were dancing in the empty room before, they had danced around the fire. The moments in between were lost and while it scared Caroline and Niklaus for a moment, their attention was taken away from the worry. All they saw, all they felt, all there was, was each other.

"Kiss me," Caroline whispered, her eyelids felt heavy, "Before I do it myself."

Niklaus needed no further prompting. He closed the distance that remained between them, his lips pressed against hers and she gave him access to her mouth. The kiss was short and sweet, but It was the most beautiful kiss either of them had ever had.