A/n: Edited on 9/7/2014.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Chapter 23: The Lightning Strike Part II
"I BROUGHT YOU HERE FOR COMMUNICATION!" The Original roared at Caroline's face, surprisingly making her body flinch out of instinct. Never in her life, not once had Klaus ever yelled at her. Not like this. And, never did they ever come to a full-blown argument of such proportions. Being at the end of his anger or going combative with it was never on her wishlist. Nevertheless, everything finally reached a final point, and it all came back in a haze.
The hybrid characteristics disappeared and Caroline returned to normal. Caroline looked up at Klaus, both of them breathing heavily as his grayish-blues eyes pierced her through like they always did before. Her mouth gaped as she uttered, "...what?"
Caroline still stayed layed there on the ground flabbergasted.
Klaus' heavy pants still were heard of as the red flush drained away from his face. "Caroline," he began, "I had my intentions for bringing you out here."
'Well, that didn't explain much,' she thought sarcastically. It left Caroline back at Square One. She was always going back to drawing board in trying to figure out Klaus through all the vague explanations and riddles. Caroline released a heavily disappointed sigh and pushed Klaus away from on top of her.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna to try to escape you. I'm too tired to go through the cops and robbers routine again." Caroline made sure Klaus knew that because God knows that she didn't need another occurrence of the Original chasing her.
The disappointment and lack of luster in her tone cut through Klaus in a way he didn't expect. It shouldn't have, but the pang hurt his heart. It was a dull pain, but still it was enough to catch his attention. It was as if someone touched a sensitive bruise on your skin. Through the bond, Caroline didn't even bother to try to block the emotions radiating from her despite the little control she possessed. There was no point. Klaus wasn't blind. Someone blind could tell when someone was disappointed.
The Original stood up from the ground, his eyes following Caroline where she stepped away from him. He always couldn't help, but gaze at her. Who would turn their eyes away from someone like her? Klaus had seen his fair share of women in his centuries, but they've always lacked something when he played with them. He always got bored with the same routine. Once he tired of them, he would move to the next one. It didn't matter how attractive they were to him. In the end, they've managed to land in the same ending in all the scenarios that played out.
However, Caroline was a different story entirely.
From the very get-go, Caroline stood out like a sore thumb in every aspect Klaus imagined. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop the uncontrollable...he couldn't find the right word for it. It was indescribable, but it scared him. It was unknown. Unseen. It was something he never met in his life, and it only came to life because Caroline gave it sustenance. An enemy in the dark practically. Klaus always did what he did best he was faced with an enemy. He fought back.
Anger was always the weapon he preferred to use. It was always more natural to him; he brandished it as his sword.. When a sword becomes a part of who you are, you let the skills you've accumulated wash over you,and you began the actions. There's no thinking involved. No battle tactic or logic strategy. It's completely instinctual.
Therefore, he fought. He sought her out and went out of his way to rebalance all of the obscured. He wanted to be rid of questionable actions, and he didn't care of the reasons behind those actions. None of it mattered. All that he saw was the fact of their existence. It made him fearful of what might come of these things and the inevitable pain that followed if he went after it. That's why it was better for him to not seek it out.
Most of the time, all Klaus knew was pain. How he received it and how to bring pain to others. It was a surprise still to him how Rebekah still remained at his side after all these years. She lasted longer than any of his siblings. His supposedly honorable brother left him to seek out his own happiness. Elijah left Klaus like he was a stain on a priceless Persian rug. In the end, they've all left him. No matter of importance to Klaus, anyway. He was better off without him, but back to the important fact.
Klaus brought pain upon Caroline. Pitting her obstacles against her for his own doing, and he enjoyed it. He relished in the act that he basically perfected into an art. All he had to do was study the one in front of him and pit their own demons against them until they succumbed to their wounds. And, he did it to Caroline. Over and over again.
The first time was back at the club. It may not have been physical, but Klaus goaded her and highly doubted her that she could make any headway against him in a fight. The second go-round swung into action when he met her for a second time on the train. The little hybrid escaped his grasp that night, but something also occurred him after that night. He possessed a rare specimen. The only fully able-functionally hybrid existence besides him (even though his wolf side laid dormant), and exceptionally remarkable in aspects he didn't expect. His anger was covered by possession, and he basically violated her personal space and made her drink his blood. Then the worst of his actions protruded into light when he invaded her mind and much more. No more words needed be spoken about that. He thought he delivered enough damage that would destroy Caroline and whatever that continued to grow deep down in him.
He was proved wrong once again.
Caroline still remained strong, still gathering her strength after each blow administered towards her. And, that blasted - whatever it was - still existed!
And now, there was no point in fighting a futile battle. Klaus exhausted every measure in trying to break Caroline. For a little while, he was content with the distance he placed between them. Due to his heinous actions, Caroline wanted nothing to do with him. Unfortunately for Klaus, a void grew inside that became painful. To relieve that pain, he extended the olive branch to her or that's what he tried to do before.
"Caroline," he spoke her name after what seemed an eternity, "we need to talk."
"About what, Klaus? There's nothing to talk about." Caroline argued in a tired tone, drained from the endless bout of going in circles. The temptation to leave him in the dust grew as she eyed the clear way of the path. If she was successful, she would definitely be out of Klaus' hair and back to the plantation, but her feet remained planted.
Klaus exhaled loudly as he struggled to find the words. The Original needed her to understand the real light of everything that had occurred. Why he had his reasons for putting her through hell, but trying to piece the words together proved to be more difficult.
In the blink of an eye, Klaus rushed in front of Caroline, holding her still with his large hands on her shoulders. She could feel his firm grip, but it wasn't possessive or oppressing like before. Peering up to his face, she tried to mask her surprise as she saw his eyes. They were so surprisingly clear in those blue-gray orbs. Caroline always thought those eyes held a storm of everything that raged on inside of Klaus. So much of him was always all over the place that you couldn't pay attention all at once. In the middle of a storm, there was too much happening altogether.
Yet Klaus' eyes were so clear and distinct in this moment.
"I'm not a good man, Caroline. You've known that from the beginning, and probably even more so from recent events. I'm always going to stay a devil that I've become over time, and nothing will change that. But..."
"What are you trying to say?" Caroline dared herself to ask.
He sucked in a breath and swallowed hard. As he struggled, the words began to become more steady. Klaus became more confident as he knew what to say. "Although my behavior is naturally less desirable, it doesn't excuse the atrocities you've dealt with because of me." The Original's hands left the hybrid's shoulders and went to grasp her soft hands, squeezing them in affirmation. "I know I do not do this often, but I wanted to acknowledge what I've done."
The female hybrid stood still as a statue as she processed everything. She could feel the warmth of Klaus' large hands radiating into her palms. Memories of what happened in her past slowly returned, replaying in an old silent film fashion. The memories still stung from Klaus carrying out the pain, but Caroline didn't run. She was stronger than people thought. From leaving her present to arriving in Klaus' past, she took the pain and forged it to be a part of her. She learned a harsh lesson of how easily you can change in an instant. She was prepared to fight back Klaus if he was willing to play hard ball.
However, she wasn't ready for this.
Stunned by Klaus' speech, she didn't know which route to go through in reaction. She could either retaliate and pitch a fit, not believing his story at all. Then there was the other choice. Try to be a mature adult and try to solve the complicated mystery that boggled her from the beginning.
"Why?" Caroline softly demanded.
Klaus didn't expect this answer coming from her. Stunned, he released Caroline's hands from his grip as his face held a puzzled expression. After summoning all he could muster, that's all she had to say what he said? What else did he have to prove of his shame? He refused to have everything inside him to be exploited, but he reigned in his temper with surprising ease. He wasn't really so angry per say, but more like confused. They've reached an impasse.
"Caroline, I basically just gave you an amendment to my sins and yet you still question it." And as always, Klaus jumped to conclusions to anyone who showed a hint of doubt.
Caroline tried with all her might not to explode at Klaus. She wondered if this was God's bad sense of humor coming back to bite her in the ass for earlier. Exercising patience wasn't her specialty. Although she had her frustrating moments with him, maybe showing him some patience could smooth out the rough edges of today. Still, she wasn't going to let him off that easy.
"Will just stop jumping the gun every I say something to you?" Caroline responded impudently. "First off, I'm not doubting you about anything, even though I have every right to be because it's not like you to do this. Secondly, I was asking about something else thank you very much."
"And, what would that be, love?"
Caroline snorted. "Isn't it already obvious? Basically, why did you treat me like a piece of trash?"
Klaus fell silent, unable to create a full explanation for his question. Frustration fueled the inner turmoil brewing inside him as he tried to maintain control over himself. Why Caroline had to be difficult about everything. Can't she just accept his words and not question them further? What else was he supposed to do? Now, it was his turn to vent just like Caroline had done earlier.
The incensed Original stormed off to one of the thicker trees in the distance and punched as hard as he could into the hard bark, the horses shrieking from the noise and birds flapping away from shockwave. Caroline's mouth gaped at the size of the hole made from the impact of Klaus' punch. What the hell?
"Klaus..." she called his name carefully. She walked carefully towards him while his back was turned
"Will you stop hounding me?!" Klaus hollered as he spun around. "Isn't what I said enough for you to take into consideration?"
"I'm hounding you?" Caroline scoffed angrily in a disgusted manner. Frankly, she had enough of going in circles. "I'd like to think it would make sense to ask why you caused me so much pain since day one since I met you in New Orleans. Have you considered that?"
More importantly, why had she put herself through so much with this man before then?
Klaus' anger finally hit a high note, and he reared up against Caroline. The storm in his eyes brewed worse and darker as Caroline faced him. Everything was mounting to one central point, and if Caroline wasn't careful, she would be on the receiving end of his deadly anger issues. "I will not be forced to explain every detail of what I've done or exploit myself by you or anyone else!" he yelled.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Despite everything you've done to me, I'm trying to reach out to you and you still can't even budge to just tell me the truth. God! And you wonder why we can't stay on the same page!"
As Klaus watched Caroline walk away from him for the umpteenth time, something inside of him snapped. Anger fueled his actions when he ran in front of Caroline and blocked her path. "You are NOT going to walk away from me again!"
"I should have walked away from you a lifetime ago! Everything in my life was fine until you waltzed in! After that, every change, every situation, everything that happened to me was because of you!
"Why didn't you leave then? If I am such a plague and a curse in your life, why haven't you taken the logical step and prevent yourself from any more misery?" Klaus asked scornfully, tired of being blamed for everyone's problems. He may have been the villain in most tales, but he wasn't the fallen angel who rebelled against God. Done and tired of these rows, he stepped out of Caroline's way, and pointed to the path by the clearing. "There's your way out, Caroline. Don't let me hold you back."
Caroline was taken back, her mouth gaping at the choice Klaus put before her. All of things she'd expect from him, she'd never thought of him putting up such a fork in the road, inevitably forcing her to make a choice. A naïve part of her mind had summed up that she had all the time in the world when it came to Klaus. The circumstances proved the opposite, and the odds weren't in her favor.
Instead of making a choice, she postponed it and lashed again. "Since when anything about this is logical?! Nothing between us hasn't been labeled logical since day one!"
Although Caroline made a good point, Klaus still didn't have any room left for patience. He ventured out of his comfort zone to prove to her how ashamed he was about his actions towards Caroline. Klaus extended kindness and patience to someone who wasn't even his family. In the end, it was all the same to him whether it was towards family or someone else. Though his actions looked selfish, Klaus always came through in caring for his family. However, they would always take the easier route and throw the selfish card at him. Klaus had enough.
"I've had enough, Caroline. Obviously, my effort in trying to communicate with you failed because you still won't accept the fact I've tried. Did you really think immortality was meant to linger on what could be at your own convenience? I don't intend on waiting forever when I have plans of my own ahead. I refuse to dwell on 'what ifs.'" Klaus explained, honest yet brutal words spilling from him. If Caroline wasn't going to take action, he would do so instead.
Without seeing it coming, the words brought a stabbing pain to her heart. Caroline pressed a hand to her chest as her heart lurched from the cruelty behind his words, but how could it hurt her so? It wasn't meant to cause her so much pain yet it did. It reopened old wounds that she tried so hard to keep closed. A tear leaked from one of her eyes as Klaus turned his back and stepped away from her, leaving her behind.
That broke the camel's back. Without warning, the next seven words coming out of her were beyond her control.
"Don't you dare walk away from me!"
The Original turned around to respond only to hit with Caroline's lips on his mouth, aggressive and adrenaline filled. With gasoline added to the flames, everything became ignited.
Caroline went into autopilot. There was nothing definite, no logical reason about why she was doing this, but she couldn't go through with that again. To be left again would be the worst thing, and she couldn't handle Klaus doing that to her. Not after how her heart relished in the way Klaus treated her like she was the first choice, which she became addicted to beyond imagining. She always covered their connection in contempt and hostility to hide the truth of what she felt inside.
Everything at that point exploded. Klaus wasn't sure in how to respond at first to the kiss, but instincts kicked in, and emotions followed. Klaus followed suit to Caroline's kiss with all of his inner turmoil just adding more oxygen to the fire burning between he and Caroline. He rushed her back into the tree he previously damaged before, his actions influenced by all the potency of his heightened emotions.
Caroline could feel his hands searching for something. As to what, she didn't understand yet she didn't care. The blonde hybrid clawed for the corners of his coat, trying to take it off him in a hurry. Only breaking the kiss for a second, Klaus helped slip off the coat as he made his mission to rip Caroline's creamy garment to get into her skin. Neither of them knew what they were getting into.
So much was going on all at once. Instinct and emotion merged together in sync. Everything sparked and exploded. It was a surprise how Caroline hadn't done this until now. Caroline raked her hands through Klaus' hair, almost clawing him like a determined lioness after her prey unlike her canine status. Her tongue twirled with his as she tasted the scotch from his breath. Everything about him overwhelmed her senses, just like how he always did.
That's when her eyes widened from the onslaught of ferocious obsessiveness in Klaus' movements, but she welcomed it nonetheless. She craved it. All of the denial of her inner inhibitions brought such a toll on her that she demanded a release. It was necessary.
He tasted her mouth with her vanilla and tangerine scent filling his nose. Just like how he effected her, Caroline overwhelmed him too, but with something he didn't expect. There was something so addictive about how she radiated to him. She shined brightly like a beacon, and it was like being bathed in sunlight. She also smelled of the morning spring. He wanted more of her. Klaus had been without this for too long.
"Let me bite you," he growled out in midst of the kiss.
The blood bond would always be permanent between them. What if it could be used for other means?
"Wha..." Caroline sputtered as she heard his command.
"Just do it, love." Klaus said roughly, not having the time to explain. He ripped a few buttons of the shirt open, the shirt coming apart and revealing Caroline's open neck.
Caroline didn't have time to prepare herself when Klaus dove into her neck, but she was surprised when the pain didn't hurt so much anymore. Just like before, she would always be used to people taking from her. Once again, she could feel Klaus' fangs bite into the skin of her neck. Klaus drank from her in a possessive manner, but he held her steadily as the exchange commenced. Thankfully, her hybrid attributes gave her stronger stamina to last against Klaus.
However, what she thought was supposed to be a selfish undertaking reversed to be something else entirely. She felt his jealousy, anger, and fear...directed towards her. Her? She was the cause of all of it? That was a twist she didn't expect at all. Beyond confused, she pushed Klaus away from herself, her mind coming back to reality. She tried to catch her breath, her eyes watching Klaus as he brought himself back from the high of her hybrid blood.
"Me." She finally spoke. "Everything you did to me was because you were afraid."
Of her.
It was unknown to both of them whether her question was more of a statement or a question.
As she waited for an answer, Klaus stood still in his silent stance. It was unlike Klaus for him not to react to her. He always had something clever to say to her in any situation between them. There was always emotions radiating from him, but now she couldn't detect anything. Surprisingly, he remained blank and quiet. Silences weren't something Caroline could contend with easily. There needed to be some communication to work with, especially since conversations were supposed to be a two-way street.
"Klaus, will you say something? Please?" she pleaded as she stepped carefully closer.
Klaus wiped away the blood from his mouth, aware of Caroline waiting for him to speak. There needed to be some closure between them, and he thought showing through the blood bond could offer what Caroline sought out. Where people call it selfishness, Klaus preferred to call it self-preservation. Klaus sought every measure possible to keep everything about him whether just in name or by physical means intact. He still couldn't afford any weakness, even to Caroline. But if there was another way for him to help, if it got rid of the weight off his back, he would go through with it. That's why he tried to give her what she wanted, but there was still a hint of confusion in her tone.
She still didn't understand.
He didn't know what strength he had enabling him to do this, but he could at least offer something that could suffice. Sighing, Klaus looked at Caroline dead in the eyes, hoping she could understand from his viewpoint. Before he began to speak, the conversation was interrupted by a loud yell.
"Nik! Where in the bloody hell are you?!" The voice of his sister could be heard in the distance.
Klaus fisted his hands tightly in anger from his younger sister's interruption. All of the effort in preparation gone to waste thanks to his sister demanding his attention. The idea of using the silver dagger to her heart seemed too good to pass up. It would teach her a lesson about timing and how to mind her own damn business. He turned around to see his sister speeding towards them in a golden flash, her hands holding tightly to the skirts of her dress in prevention from getting dirty.
"You better have a good reason for coming here," he growled in a dark tone.
Rebekah inspected the stolen glances between the little blonde distraction and her brother, and it didn't take long for her to figure out what happened here. She wasn't void of intelligence. "That's what you're going to say to me, Nik? Excuse me for disrupting the little tryst that's occupied you so while I've looked high and low in haste at the request of others like a bloody servant."
"Watch your tongue, sister. I recommend you to heed my advice before you regret it." His tone was cold and monotonous; the residential anger was layered underneath.
Caroline shook her head and looked at him. "Klaus, how about you watch it before it gets ugly? No one needs that now."
"What I don't need is to be wasting time playing messenger to a witch who is completely losing it-" Rebekah complained in irritation before Caroline cut her off.
"What? Who lost it?" Caroline threw questions at Rebekah, which agitated her even more.
"The old hag Klaus dragged with us. Ever since that other witch's health declined, she's been slowly going over the edge, which none of us need at this point. It took all of us to restrain her into her room with the her apprentice dying, and I was left to play housemaid. Next time you two to decide to have a little romantic rendezvous, don't trek all the way into the backwoods!" Rebekah was never the outdoorsy girl, and she never will be. She always looked at dirt like it was nothing, but a nuisance. It's a wonder to her how the Rebekah was given this role when she blatantly pointed out many times before of how she didn't want any part in it.
A chill ran down Caroline's spine as she listened to Rebekah. Cold trepidation crept in, gripping her heart with icy fingers. Speaking of Magdalena's death brought back what Adelaide said before.
"Because every time the spell begins, it's no ordinary sacrifice that's made. It doesn't just call upon random human souls. It doesn't matter what kind. The price for the spell to work is the bond of the souls that's with others. When you're bending such a complicated thing like time, something has to give. Each time the spell is performed, the spell will call upon a greater sacrifice...a deeper bond than the previous sacrifice whether it could be a bond of equal love, friendship, or even one of a parent. It becomes more taxing with each occurrence."
Shock ran through her system, making her undead heart beat faster and faster as she realized what was happening. Today was the day. This was it. Before Caroline could think, Caroline whooshed away from the Original siblings, leaving them behind in the dust to get to the plantation.
"Caroline!" Klaus yelled after her as he sped off.
"Wait for me, you bloke!" Rebekah followed after her brother.
Caroline didn't know what came over her, but something clicked in. Her hybrid instincts were pushed into full throttle, and she kept her focus in finding the plantation. With her sense of smell at its finest, within a matter of minutes she had been able to come across the plantation with the fresh smell of the trees and hay permeating her nose. Using her speed once more, she ran from the farthest end of the pasture to the back porch of the house. Going inside, she could hear so many noises going on at once.
"Step out of my way, child, or you will suffer!" Caroline could hear Adelaide's voice ring out.
The werewolf's incensed tone soon followed after that. "Dammit, how many times do I have to tell you?! I can't let you go in there! You've already suffered enough!
"Don't you dare talk back to me like that! What do you know of suffering? Do you know what that's like?" Caroline inwardly cringed at the volume of the loud voices as she ran up the stairs to the second floor. Adelaide in this state truly scared her.
"I know that girl in the other room has had enough damage like the rest of us have. You'll only make her suffer more because she doesn't want you to remember her like that. Can't you just listen to me?!" Jean implored before there was a loud scream filled with grief and a loud crash against a wall following. Caroline couldn't lose focus. She had to get to Magdalena. It was now or never before it's too late. Parading to Maggie's room, she saw Kol standing outside by the door...on guard?
"Kol, what are you doing?" Caroline asked in confusion.
"I am standing at the ready much to my chagrin." Kol commented, but his voice ended on a somewhat sadder note, which confused Caroline more. "It is a pity, really. To see such a woman to just fade away into dust."
"I agree with you, but I don't have time, Kol. I need to get in there. Now." Caroline verbalized her urgency. Time wasn't on her side, and she couldn't stand around exchanging condolences with Kol. She needed to get inside before it was too late.
It was then that a smaller voice called from the inside of the room. "Caroline, please come here."
"How long does she have, darling?" Kol inquired to Charlene as Caroline cracked the door open with her head peering inside. The Original stepped back from his post and walked inside of the room, the heavy weight of death coming upon them.
A shuddering breath escaped her as Charlene tried to keep her emotional struggle under control. "Not long," she whispered so quietly that only Kol and Caroline could hear her.
Caroline gazed at the blonde witch with sympathetic eyes; everything was worse once Caroline saw Maggie again. Charlene sat by her dear friend, trying to fight back the tears threatening to spill. She held Maggie's hand tightly as hard as she could as if to keep the bit of life Maggie had left. Everything in the room held a worn down appearance. Caroline could feel the heavy atmosphere weighing her down as she walked closer to the bed.
"Caroline." Charlene called her name as she gave her a sad smile. "Thank you for coming here. It's appreciated."
Caroline's compassion heart ached for the sight in front of her. No one deserved this fate; to be called upon as a sacrifice wasn't an honor. The inability to escape the prison of destiny could drive anyone mad. Caroline hated the role she had to play in this mysterious chess game. With something so complicated and only little to go on, she was surprised how she managed to survive for so long. She was alone in this journey, and it would probably only prove to be more difficult as time wore on.
All Caroline could do was return the sentiment. Caroline really didn't have much to say at this point. "You're welcome."
Charlene turned her head to Caroline, sending her a knowing look. As Maggie's breathing continued to slow, her trepidation of what was coming rose higher. There was only a few minutes left. "Are you ready?"
Caroline shook her head. She would never be ready for this; not by a long shot. "I don't think I will ever be ready to be honest. How can I lie to myself about something like that?"
"You'll be, Care. You're stronger than you think. All of us believe in you." Charlene reassured her despite the unknown outcome ahead.
The female hybrid trembled at the sound of sobs coming from down the hall. Caroline wasn't the only one who heard the weeping filled with sorrow. Her cries were almost of a woman who was losing her child, and it broke the hearts of Caroline and Charlene in two. Even Kol, who had respect for the elder witch, had his heart slightly aching for her loss. Coming from him, that was a rarity in itself. Death was always a common visitor to an Original, and it normally didn't affect him. However, the impact of losing someone you care or respect for even remotely hits the target.
"That's better than on my end. I hardly believe in myself with this stuff." Caroline remarked, sitting beside Charlene as she tried to comfort her.
"Caroline..." Maggie's voice was just above a murmur. Caroline could barely hear her, even with her sharp hearing.
"What is it, Maggie?" she asked carefully.
Thump...thump...
Maggie's heartbeat began to slow.
"You'll...be...fine...Caroline..."
Thump...thu...mp...
The witch's breathing became shallower and thin.
"...I...believe..in...you...we all...do..."
Maggie took her last breath.
Thump...
"...good...luck..."
Maggie's heart stopped, and everything halted.
Caroline's knees buckled from beneath her, every part of her body becoming heavy as if lead were attached to her limbs. Before she could try to break her fall, a familiar voice yelled her name with a familiar pair of warm arms catching her. Why would he always be there to save her? He wasn't going to be able to stop this. It was beginning again, and Klaus couldn't fight this enemy. Even he couldn't win against time.
"Caroline!" Klaus continued to call her name, but the effort fell in vain. Caroline couldn't respond. Her body fell limp and slowly became unresponsive. "No! No! What's happening?! EXPLAIN!" Klaus voiced his anguish and dread among the loud anger.
Kol didn't dare to step towards his brother and neither did Rebekah. They kept their silence as they watched in confusion. Their brother wasn't someone to contend with for sport, but seeing the genuine emotional agony in his face over the fear of losing her becoming a reality. All of the anger and malevolence to hide what he felt inside towards were falling apart, showing what was beneath the cracks in Klaus' armor.
However, Charlene stood there too calmly for her own good. She had already been well ready for this day to come. Just like her teacher before her, Charlene was well versed in the knowledge of the magics in the world. She sensed the change in the air, the power called upon from beyond to take Caroline away from them. It was unknown to her when she would see Caroline again, but she knew one definite fact. What was happening before them was only the beginning of Caroline's journey. No one would truly understand until it was complete, and until that time, they would have to stay in the dark. Charlene would do the best she can to answer the questions that would soon come.
Klaus continued to hold the female hybrid in his arms, his face buried in her neck and the blonde halo of hair. "Don't you dare leave me, Caroline," he growled against her neck.
It was almost time. The magnetic invisible pull from beyond continued to drag her away from reality; inch by inch her life faded away. But Caroline was more determined than ever before to tackle on what was before her despite everything. She was just like Klaus said. She was beautiful, strong, and full of light. She wouldn't let those words become a lie. After everything, she owed him that at least. He deserved something good despite how much of a bastard he was.
With the very last bit of strength she possessed, Caroline lifted her hand to hold his cheek. Klaus lifted his head to see her angelic face. She did look like a angel in a way. How could he not notice until now? Her touch was soft and gentle, caressing almost. Her mouth upturned into a genuine smile for the first time. A smile just for him with no contempt or hostility. It was all just for him.
"I promised you once before. I'm not leaving you. I will always come back to you...despite how I might fight against it." She managed to whisper to him before she succumbed the inevitable.
It was time.
Her ears fell deaf to the yells and noises everywhere. Her blue eyes blurred and became blind to what she used to see in front of her. She waited patiently for the pull to be successful and let her drift away. Closing her eyes as if to sleep, Caroline found herself drowning in the white light taking over her. However, she wasn't aware of her body fading into nothingness in Klaus' arms, the echoes of his agony falling deaf on her ears.
What if the storm ends?
And I don't see you
As you are now
Ever again
The perfect halo
Of gold hair and lightning
Sets you off against
The planets last dance
Just for a minute
The silver-forked sky
Lit you up like a star
That I will follow
But now it's found us
Like I have found you
I don't wanna run
Just overwhelm me
- "The Lightning Strike," by Snow Patrol