Vielen, vielen Dank... Ihr seid die Besten!

Guys, seriously, you really are the best! Thank you for being so tremendously supportive of this story, you do warm my heart, and I can really use that right now! :)

There will be a few more revelations in today's second chapter... even though I have a feeling that most of you are already on the right track! Oh, and you can expect a real treat tomorrow! ;))

xxxxxxxx THANK YOU!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

NIGHTMARES AND DECISIONS

The search for an invisible tree on an island covered in nothing but snow was tedious at best. Klaus had divided the map of the North Cape area into quadrants. Each quadrant had a letter assigned to it and was in turn divided into smaller quadrants. Those were numbered and ticked off once they had been searched. They couldn't do much more than walk the quadrants side by side, hoping for either Silv to sense something or one of them accidentally crashing into the oak.

Caroline was starting to feel a little queasy, suddenly remembering that she hadn't fed in a while. Again. She didn't suppose there was a blood bank anywhere on the island, so she would need to go bunny hunting. Lovely. She was wondering what kind of animal she would find in this deserted area. I might have to hop into the Barents Sea and hunt down a couple of sea lions. Yikes! She shuddered at the thought of the grey, ice cold water.

"Are you cold, sweetheart?" she heard Klaus whisper at her ear. She hadn't even noticed him approach her.

"No, but I think I'll need to feed soon. Is there anything along the lines of bunnies or polar foxes I can get my hands on?" she asked. He pulled a face and crinkled his nose in disgust.

"I'll have to have a word with Mr Salvatore the Younger once we return. He really corrupted your palate." He stopped her from walking any further, and she looked up at him questioningly. "Wait a moment," he said quietly. When the others had gained some distance, he pulled up his sleeve and held out his wrist to her.

"Seriously?" Caroline looked at him curiously.

"Please do not tell me you would actually prefer a polar fox. You would truly hurt my feelings!" he snickered. She grinned back at him.

"Disclaimer – I'll do this at your personal risk!"

"And what, pray tell, am I putting at risk, love?"

She pulled his arm to her and brushed her lips over his wrist, reveling in his subdued hiss. "I might not be able to stop. I could turn you into a vampire!" she teased with an ominous voice.

He bent down and whispered in her ear, "I am way more concerned about me begging you not to stop!"

Are we actually getting aroused over drinking blood? How twisted is that? And why is it so hot?

Caroline felt the veins under her eyes, and her fangs were breaking through. He gave her an encouraging nod, and she bit into his wrist. Wow. Nothing she had ever tasted could compare to him. The first time he had fed her his blood, she had been too ill to really take notice. But today was entirely different. His blood spilled into her mouth, sweet, spicy, and succulent. Her eyes closed as she drank, focusing entirely on the sensation of the warm liquid that seemed to spread all through her system.

When she was finally sated, she licked the last few drops from his wrist, pressing a light kiss on the spot where her teeth had grazed his skin. It had already healed. Her fangs receded and the veins disappeared. Klaus smiled at her.

"Better?"

She nodded. "Thank you. And as an additional bonus, you are so much less furry than a polar fox." He started to laugh and she gave him a wicked grin. "Let's go on trying to bump into a tree."

"Sweetheart."

"Yes?"

He hesitated, then shook his head and smiled lightly. "Nothing."

The oak was stubbornly refusing to be found. They had been searching for two entire days and crossed off many of the quadrants. Silv had contacted the old witches on the other side once more, but they steadfastly refused to disclose the exact location of the tree and had threatened Silv with severe consequences if she continued to help the Originals, which resulted Elijah looking utterly concerned, Klaus throwing a minor fit and everyone else rolling their eyes in exasperation. On the evening of the second day, the women decided to go for a walk by themselves, causing another hefty argument with Klaus. Finally, Caroline had enough and motioned for him to follow her outside.

"What's been eating you all day?" she demanded when they had reached the shoreline.

"We have not made any progress, and I do not like it," he answered hotly, but he was avoiding her eyes.

She looked at him more closely. He had been quiet for most of the day and avoided anyone's attempt at drawing him into a conversation for any length of time. Not once had he looked Caroline in the eyes, which struck her as very odd, as ever since they had first kissed under the starry Norwegian sky, they had been continuously exchanging more or less covert glances that were in turn setting her on fire and caressing her soul. She had to admit to herself that she missed it very much.

Her voice was soft as she said, "Klaus. Please don't play me for a fool. I know you're not happy with the lack of results, but something like that alone would never upset you this way. You have asked me to trust you, more than once. Help me to." She closed the distance and stood before him, only inches away, without touching. She knew her proximity usually had some kind of soothing influence on him – as had his on her – but she didn't want to overdo it. Sometimes she thought that the task of discovering the right path through the intricate landscapes of Niklaus Mikaelson's soul was a full-time occupation. One she was more and more willing to take on. Caroline… what are you saying? I'm not sure, but I think I mean that I… want to give him a chance. A real chance. Wait! Did I really just think that? I want to be with Klaus? She stared at him. His eyes were cloudy and troubled, and his whole posture shouted 'complicated'. But then there also was his fierceness, the tenderness and passion he had showered her with over the last few days. And even before that, when she was to be honest with herself. He just was one hundred percent Klaus.

Oh. My. God. I think I want to give it a try.

She was taken aback. Her dead heart seemed to want to jump out of her chest. How could she have arrived at this point? Come on now. Honesty, Caroline. She had grown to really like the sides of him he had been showing her ever since they had left Mystic Falls, and on those rare occasions before that. He could be so romantic in his own strange way, and the butterflies in her stomach seemed to procreate like rabbits with every additional hour she spent with him. She was yearning to see his face when he wasn't with her. His voice had somehow become the one sound that would either completely calm her down or excite her in ways she hadn't thought possible. His hands on her body, his lips on hers… Will you get your mind out of the gutter? We already established that you want to jump his bones. No, it wasn't just that. It was the whole package. The good, the very bad and the outrageously sexy. The damaged and the wise. She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of amazing man he might become if he ever managed to conquer his inner demons, as Elijah had put it. No, she corrected herself, that wasn't right. He was an amazing man already, but he was driven by his past and his overwhelming loneliness, and that influence still overruled his more redeeming qualities. It was absolutely clear that he would never be one of the good guys. Neither did she want him to, for then he would no longer be Klaus. Caroline wanted to be accepted the way she was, neurotic behaviour, weaknesses and insecurities included. And if she asked for that, she would need to extend others the same courtesy. Including Klaus. Especially Klaus.

"I want to trust you, Klaus, and I am perfectly fine with small steps. So why don't we start with why you are really upset today?"

He sighed and lifted a hand to her face, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. "You are right, love. Trust needs to be earned, and I haven't done much to earn yours, have I?"

She covered his hand with hers and her heart fluttered at seeing his eyes close. "You have never lied to me, as far as I can tell, but you also haven't let me in. Not in the very least. Why, Klaus? What could be so terrible that you can't risk me seeing more of who you really are?"

"Small steps, love," he mumbled with a strained smile and pulled her towards a small bench next to the shore. Caroline looked up at him encouragingly.

"I had a nightmare early this morning," he sighed. Caroline looked at him in surprise. A nightmare?

"You mean the warlock…?"

"No," Klaus replied, "It was a regular dream."

Caroline nodded. "So what was it about?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and then let his gaze wander to the stars above them. Are you stalling, Big Bad? She covered his hand with hers and caressed his fingers. "Klaus," she whispered very softly.

"All right. It was about you, love." The steel in his voice made her wince. Damn, Caroline. You're already in deeper than you thought, huh?

"Hold me while you tell me, will you?" She was glad to see him smile at her repetition of his words from a couple of days ago. And again, he opened his jacket. Now it was her turn to smile, and she slid onto his lap to hide inside his jacket, snuggling as close as she could. Her arms sneaked around his waist, and her hands started to lightly stroke his back. They sighed in unison, and the easy intimacy between them seemed to give him incentive to continue.

"I believe it was more or less what you have been seeing. What I have… never mind. However, it was not me being tortured, which would probably not have upset me too much. I have a wealth of experience when it comes to physical pain, so nothing in that department would really make me lose any sleep."

"It was me, wasn't it?" she asked carefully. His answer was evident in the way he wrapped his jacket around her even tighter. She rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling against the crook of his neck. "It was just a dream, Klaus."

"It makes no difference. I will not let it become reality. You have been pulled into all of this… dirt for no other reason than my fancy for you, and I am very sorry about that, Caroline. I would like nothing more than to send you to the Antipodes this instant and never lay eyes on you again until Prelati and Mikael are finally burning in hell. But apart from Elijah, there is no one I could entrust you to. Come to think of it…"

A shiver went through her, but it was not out of cold or fear. "Don't you dare! I know this is dangerous and I am more than aware of the fact that it could not end well. But I refuse to be sent away, and I refuse to leave your side." Have I just said that? There was a long silence before she heard him whisper.

"Why, Caroline?"

She blushed, glad that he couldn't see it. "Where you are is where I am safest, point one." Hearing him chuckle, she knew he remembered her lecture about the gifts during the dance. It seemed like a lifetime away. How her perception of him had evolved since then! "And point two… What if I am ready and you have sent me away?" She winked at him mischievously.

"What?" he almost shouted.

"Oh crap," she huffed, rubbing her ear, "can vampires go deaf?"

"Caroline…"

"Don't act so surprised. You knew it was going to happen very soon. In fact, you were the one who never shut up about it! And the way you make me lose my head at every opportunity – despite the fact that I always thought I was too smart for that – speaks volumes, don't you think?" She grinned. "So handle it."

Faster than she could even think, she found herself underneath him on the bench. "Klaus," she squealed, "we're in public! Let me go!" She fell silent when his hands cupped her face and his lips hovered over hers.

"There is nothing in this world I want more than to have you shiver in ecstasy under my hands and to hear you moan my name, love. Nothing. Want proof?"

His lips came down on hers, forcing her to open her mouth to his demanding kiss. She obliged more than happily, completely forgetting that they were on a bench in a public place. Her tongue met his, and they both moaned into each other. God, how delicious, how dazzling, was all she could think as his lips moved against hers and she lost herself in his taste. His hands were at her throat, and suddenly she felt him give a very light squeeze like he had done the night he had first kissed her. Oh! That's… hot! She gasped when a scandalous thought flashed through her head. Do it again, Klaus. With an almost imperceptible nod, she let him know what she wanted and felt his smirk against her lips. Bastard, she thought with an inward smile. Then his hands started to exert a little more pressure against her throat, all the while his mouth and tongue never stopped seducing hers. Her loud moan was swallowed by his lips and pulled a groan from him in return.

He released her slowly and pulled her back up with him until she was snugly hidden in his jacket again. Their arms were around each other, and Klaus kissed her softly over and over again until she lost count of how many times his lips danced with hers.

Their eyes met, and after drowning in each other's gaze for minutes, he whispered, "Yes. I can see you really want it, love. And I can still hardly believe you do," he added with some strange kind of pained wonder in his voice that made her uneasy. "As soon as this situation is resolved, love, I will devote myself to you in such a way that we both won't be able to remember that there is a life outside of my bed."

Even though his words sent a shiver down her spine, and despite the fact that she knew better, her neurotic self took over. She felt rejected again, and anger shot through her. She pushed herself away to look at him, and her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you are ready, Klaus? For I can't shake the feeling that you keep finding excuses as to why we shouldn't be doing it now. Am I wrong?"

He let his head fall back and rested his arms on the backrest of the bench. "Caroline," he sighed with a slight hint of impatience to his lovely voice, "Right now I am very tempted to do the vulgar thing and grab your hand to show you just how bloody ready I am." She swallowed when a wave of heat shot through her. Wanna know just how bloody tempted I am to find out myself?

"How can I make myself clear, love? This…" he gestured between the two of them, "this matters to me. You matter to me, very much, and I can't give you the kind of perfection you deserve with two vengeful men breathing down my neck. And yours, for that matter."

Caroline looked at him firmly. "I don't want perfection, Klaus. Perfection doesn't exist. And I don't want to wait until there will finally be peace, because I have a notion that if we wait for that, it is never going to happen at all. It has taken me forever to finally admit to myself that I want this, and it has taken me even longer to admit it to you. Whatever happened to carpe diem?"

Klaus gave a small laugh and leaned over to kiss her heatedly, leaving them both breathless again. "Sweetheart, we will seize more than just one day. And night. Mark my words." He swallowed with some indefinable emotion. "Let me try to do this right by both of us. Good grief. Doing the right thing. The last thing anyone would ever expect from me, hm?"

She smiled. How could she resist him when he was being all vulnerable and out of his depth? And so damn hot at that? "All right then, let's go back inside before everyone starts thinking that we are actually not doing the right thing out here," she giggled, making him grin.

"One more thing, love," he whispered huskily as she started to walk. "I already told you, and I'll tell you again. I'll tell you as many times as you need to hear it." Pulling her close, he let one of his hands sneak under her sweater to rest on the bare skin of her waist, and the other one… oh!... the other one moved towards her backside and slipped under her the waistband of her jeans a couple of inches, right to the hem of her panties. His finger softly traced the length of the fabric, then slipped below the elastic band and caressed her skin right above her butt. Her world stopped. "You are the woman who can make me tremble. The only one."

"She will pay for your sins, boy. You have sinned against everyone. Your family, the countless dead that stain your soul, the countless ones you betrayed. The ones you failed. Henrik is eternally convulsing in shame over how his older brother was too much of a coward to save him. You are a disgrace, Niklaus. You brought as much shame on humanity as you did on the supernatural. You're unworthy of this world and the people in it. Not a single creature could ever be able to love you, boy. Loneliness…"

The last word was a mere hiss, stretching out for seconds. Klaus' eyes were fixed on the beautiful blonde shackled to the heavy iron rings than hung from the ceiling. Her light was still there, almost physically illuminating the room, making him feel warm and almost wiping out the harsh words Mikael had fired at him. His Caroline. Beaten, bruised and helpless. And here he was, as useless as he had been last time, watching her being brutalized and not able to lift a single finger to come to her aid.

Mikael cast a sardonic smile at someone behind Klaus. "I believe you arrived just in time for the main attraction, Monsieur le Baron. I am however sorry to say that you will need to remain a spectator this time. Alas, I do not believe the young lady is to your taste anyway, is she?"

Klaus screamed silently as Mikael sauntered over to Caroline. He stood behind her, brushing her lovely golden halo of hair to the side and running a finger down her torso. She shuddered, and there was repulsion on her face. But it was not Mikael who repelled her. It was him. She looked at Klaus with such loathing that he felt his eyes begin to prickle. She hated him because he was a good-for-nothing fool who wasn't able to save her from what was awaiting her here in this goddamned torture chamber.

"You promised, Klaus. You promised to protect me, and now look at yourself, sitting there and enjoying the show. Your father's right, you know? You're unworthy. Of me. Of my love. You will never feel my warmth again, my light, and you will spend eternity knowing that you were the one who extinguished it!"

Agony.

Klaus awoke with a start, bathed in sweat. It took him a second to remember where he was. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly and deeply. The room was dark, as was the outside sky, and he could hear Elijah and Kol sleeping peacefully. He focused on the room next door, concentrating, until he heard three different sets of breathing. All quiet there. Caroline was fine.

He covered his eyes with his hands, and his mind started to race. He was not going to put her at risk. Tonight, she had told him she wanted him, and he had seen she was telling the truth. Nothing in his entire existence had ever made him so incandescently happy, but however right it felt, it clouded his judgment. He could not keep her safe like this. He needed to be Big Bad Hybrid Klaus now, not the smitten man who cast star-crossed, longing looks at the beautiful baby vampire who had captured him so very completely. Allowing himself one last thought of her soft, lovely hair, her angelic face and her heated response to his kisses, he squeezed his eyes shut for a second and let himself be engulfed by her. Then he pushed the images away and made a decision.

Elijah opened his eyes to a feeling of unease. Over the centuries, he had learned to rely on his gut and he knew something was wrong. He sat up immediately and looked around the room. Kol was sleeping in the bed to his right, but Niklaus' bed was empty. Elijah frowned. He hadn't heard his brother leave which was a sign that Niklaus had in fact been deliberately stealthy. His bag was gone as well. Elijah was wide awake now, quickly jumping out of the bed and scanning the room. There it was. A tiny sheet of paper protruding from the pocket of his coat. He slipped his hand into the pocket and pulled out the sheet, followed by a crystal flask filled with blood.

Elijah,

find the tree and do everything in your power to protect them. All of them. They need you more than you know. Keep my blood with you so you may be prepared should you encounter any werewolves.

You are the only man on the face of the Earth I would entrust their safety to.

Mikael wants my complete and utter ruin and I will not allow her to be exposed to him.

Thank you, brother.

Niklaus

Elijah sank onto a chair and buried his face in his hands. What had that bloody idiot done? He couldn't believe that his hot-headed younger brother was foolish enough to make the same mistake twice. How could he run off to face his enemies like this? Had he still not understood that he was not alone? Elijah gave a heavy sigh. He had had such high hopes for Niklaus and Caroline – he still did, but he had hoped that Caroline would have got through to him before he did something to continue his self-punishment, especially when it involved Mikael.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling for a long while, running Niklaus' message through his head, when he realized something. 'Mikael wants my complete and utter ruin and I will not allow her to be exposed to him.' By all the Gods – this was not another round of guilt-ridden lone wolf display or delusion of grandeur. Somehow, Mikael knew that Caroline would be the one and only thing that could cause Niklaus' downfall. His brother had left for Caroline.

"Brother," Elijah whispered to himself, "I never actually thought I'd live to see the day."

She rolled over on the narrow bed. Suddenly, her face touched something and she woke from her fitful sleep. Paper? Her eyes opened with a little effort. What was that? She pulled the sheet out from under herself and held it up so she could see better.

A drawing.

It was her face. Her eyes were fiery and alight with passion, her hair was flowing around her like a halo and she was glowing with happiness. Full of light. She couldn't even begin to comprehend that he actually saw her this way! There was a fjord in the background and the sky above her was sprinkled with stars. But the one thing that captured her attention the most was the strong, sinewy hand in her hair. His hand. She let her mind wander to how she adored the feel of his hands in her hair. How did he know she liked that so much? Closing her eyes, she could almost sense his touch. Klaus. She looked at the drawing again; there was a single word in the lower right corner, written in his distinctive copperplate.

Soon.

Something was gnawing at her. The longer she gazed at the beautiful little work of art, the more anxious she became. Why had he left that drawing with her sometime in the dark hours of the night instead of just giving it to her today? Her sleep had been restless and uneasy, and that feeling of edginess was growing by the minute. She got up and dressed quietly, careful not to wake Rebekah and Silv who were still sleeping soundly. A minute later, she knocked on the door of the Mikaelson men's room.

It was Elijah who opened. "Good morning, Caroline." There was something in his voice that told her she had been right to worry.

"What is it, Elijah?" she whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Would you do me the honour of going for a walk with me?" he asked her gently. She nodded, her stomach contracting with fear. They left the hotel and walked along the little hiking trail she had already discovered with Klaus. Another clenching in her gut. After a moment of silence, Elijah began to speak.

"Caroline, I am sorry to have to break the news to you, but Niklaus has left last night."

Her eyes closed and the uneasy feeling in her stomach erupted into full-fledged nausea. He was gone. No. Please, no.

"Why?" She knew her voice wasn't steady, but she didn't care. She felt hollow, like Klaus had taken some part of her with him. And maybe he had.

"If I am not mistaken, he wants to protect you. And Niklaus has never been particularly apt at accepting help, let alone ask for it. He believes he can do everything by himself, and he understandably does not want you anywhere near Mikael or Prelati. Therefore, I assume he is planning on taking them down before they can get to you."

Caroline's mind was reeling. He had left because of her? But there was no place in the world she would ever be as safe as when she was with him, didn't he know that? And how could he leave now, when they were just on their way to… something?

"Where do you think he went?"

A shadow crossed Elijah's face. "I do believe I have a vague idea."

Caroline straightened. "I know you said that it is only for him to tell me about that dark side of his, but I am begging you. Please, Elijah. I have to know what happened with Prelati all those centuries ago, and you need to tell me where he went. I am not leaving him alone in this. Whatever he has done to my friends, whatever evil he has caused – no one deserves to suffer like this and no one should have to face their nightmares alone."

"Is that the only reason?" Elijah asked very softly.

Be brave. "No, Elijah. I told you the other day that I believe I was feeling something for him. I no longer believe that. I know."

"Pray forgive my intrusive question – again – but what is it you are feeling for my brother?"

"I… want to see him happy. During our time in Tromsø, there were moments when I thought he actually was. He is the most amazing man when he is not acting like the scary monster, and I believe he, too, deserves a chance." Her heart ached at the thought of Klaus, haunted by his own personal hell, running off to meet his adversaries all alone. A small part of her still wondered about how this had all happened so fast, how her heart had started to beat for him like this, but she could no longer deny her feelings were there. They all but consumed her.

"And I think… Elijah, I think I am falling for him."

There. She had said it out loud. And to his brother, at that. There was no going back now.

Elijah looked at her thoughtfully. "Is he worth it? The way he is?" he asked with a knowing smile.

Caroline smiled back at him. "I believe so."

"Then, dearest Caroline, let us have a seat, and I shall tell you what little I know of the events. For I have reason to suspect that my brother's feelings for you go far deeper than I initially thought, and I believe you will be the one to finally make him face his demons."