He would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly dreading this interaction. His feelings for Caroline were simultaneously something he reveled in and feared. For nearly a thousand years he had no meaningful connections outside of his family.

He supposed his feelings for Aurora in the early stages of his vampire journey came close, but truthfully even that did not compare to the connection he felt to Caroline Forbes, especially considering he had yet to even share a kiss with the beautiful blond. Aurora fell in love with his strength, he trusted Caroline with his vulnerability. He wondered if it was because of his werewolf nature that he felt so at ease in her Prescence, but either way she managed to bypass the walls and safeguards that had protected him for centuries. Even now with his brothers corpse on the floor, and the fires of revenge burning in his blood, his heart skipped a beat as her scent tantalized his senses.

'And this is why love is a vampire's worst enemy' he thought bitterly, while setting the blond cheerleader on her feet. She seemed at a loss herself, glancing silently from him to the body of the original in the next room.

"Did you know?" he asked at last, his fingers curling in anger at the thought. If she had been involved, not even the burning in his chest would prevent him from killing her.

"Did I know my friends were going to cause the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of vampires in order to get a cure that may or may not be a myth? "She snorted derisively "No I didn't. Genocide is more your thing than mine. I would have cautioned them to be patient and come up with a strategy that was less insane and considering who they killed…suicidal." He did not hide the breath of relief he felt at her words. Despite the feigned attempts at distracting him from her friends plans, they had always been truthful with each other.

"You should leave sweetheart. You won't like what happens next. No one hurts my family and lives" She ignored him for a moment and flashed away upstairs and grabbed a blanket. With an apologetic glance in his direction, she placed it over Kol's body.

"I can't just stand by and let you kill my friends" she said quietly. "I know what they did was awful. I'm angry and hurt they would do this without talking to me about it. That yet again Elena's needs get put over everyone else's…But I cannot just do nothing"

He grimaced a bit but nodded. Her feelings on the matter were expected, and she wouldn't be Caroline Forbes if she stood quietly on the sidelines.

"Have you come to beg for forgiveness for your friends" he asked Sarcastically. "Are you here to bargain and plead with the Immortal Bastard for clemency?"

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics.

"I have never begged you for anything and I'm not about to start today. I'm here because no one deserves to be alone when they have just lost someone they loved. I didn't want you to be stuck in this room with your brothers body, while my friends are off getting themselves killed searching for a cure. I know eventually we will have to return to our respective corners, but for now, shut up and let me hug you" he was stunned at her words and even more surprised at the hug he found himself drawn in.

to his chagrin a single tear escaped his left eye before he could regather his composure but thankfully she said nothing about it. He wasn't sure how long he stayed in her embrace… but finally movement from the teenage hybrid on the floor made them separate. With barely a glance, he quickly broke the boy's neck again.

Ignoring the dirty look she gave him, he moved to the nearest cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. If she was surprised he knew where the liquor was, or that he was apparently free of the spell bonnie said she had cast, she said nothing, merely moving to him and accepting the glass of alcohol he offered.

"he was always the outsider" Klaus said after a minute. "Always more concerned with having fun and learning about magic than playing the family games. Even knowing he would never be able to perform magic himself, he was obsessed with being around witches." he gave the body a whimsical glance. "At first, he would seduce and kill them, stealing their family grimoires for his own collection, but after a few centuries he sought to be around them. I think he envied their connection with magic, and I know he always mourned the loss of his own." Klaus frowned and continued "I think he resented been daggered most of all. Hated me for taking his freedom and causing him to lose the bonds he had made with the local communities. But his reckless actions drew our father to us too many times. Still I had hoped with us no longer needing to run, that we could rekindle our bond and he could be free "He was fighting tears now…and only his anger and frustration kept them at bay. "I adored him, Caroline… I just didn't know how to show it." He crushed the glass in his hand, ignoring the shards of glass that cut into his palm.

"There is nothing you can say to stop the tide that is coming…. Your friends will learn firsthand what despair looks like, know it as intimately as any lover. I have centuries of experience in the game of revenge, and I will use every bit of it to paint the perfect masterpiece with their blood. Don't interfere or your fate will be bound to theirs".

She ignored his threats and moved to a drawer and removed a small box. Silently she pulled out some instruments and began pulling the glass shards from his hand, watching silently as the wounds healed.

"I know that you are in love with me" she said finally, refusing to look up from his hands. "I know you are hurt, that every inch of you seeks release from the pain you are currently feeling. But don't threaten me. I am not afraid of you Klaus. We both know you have never been the villain of my story." She leaned into him, ignoring the way his body tensed at her words. "You know I always believed that anyone capable of love, was capable of being saved. When I first realized that your pursuit of me was genuine, my first thought was maybe you could change. Stop being the big bad wolf and reconnect with your humanity."

"Caroline." he started.

" I'm not finished" she interrupted. "I realized quickly how foolish that was. That you didn't want or need to be saved, that what you wanted most of all is to be accepted for who you are. You love your family and yet did not hesitate to kill them and cart them around in coffins when needed. You revel in blood and death, but look at me with such tenderness, that my skin feels warm just thinking about it. Perhaps that's why I have always felt safe with you… able to be myself"

"I enjoy you as you are Caroline. And you know I would never hurt you" he stated…unable to quite believe they were having this conversation. No one, not even Elijah and Rebekah had managed to cut to the core of him so quickly.

"I know. Have trouble coming to terms with that sometimes, but I know you do" She gave him a small smile. "Its ironic that the person who finally accepted me for who I am, who challenged me and cared enough to pursue me, is the one my friends are determined to make war with". She sighed "They are so determined to see you as this evil monster. But the truth is, you have gone out of your way to go easy on them"

"That was for you love. I am every bit the monster they think I am. Trust me. if it were not for you, I would have killed both Salvatore's and drained Elena of her blood" He paused briefly. needing her to understand "this would not be the first small town I wiped of the map"

"That's the thing, what makes what you have done so much worse than what we have done? Damon has done things worse than what you have done here. Elena just executed a plan to kills hundreds of vampires and I know Stefan's history as a ripper. We all do what we feel we must to protect what's important to us. We have all done horrible things, none of us free from the blood on our hands and I feel guilty for ever judging you"

"I think you just happen to bring out the best in me. I've shown kindness, forgiveness, pity…because of you Caroline. It was all for you" he reached down and gripped her face gently with his hand…"as much as I appreciate the candor you have shown. I admit that I am afraid of what happens next. I cannot let this go Caroline and my only regret is that what happens to your friends is going to push you further away from me. I do not want to be your enemy, and yet not even my feelings for you, can stop what is to come."

She stared at him for a moment…seemingly measuring what he said and reaching a decision. She pulled him close and kissed him, softly at first, but with increasing hunger as the shocked hybrid began to return her kiss.

For a moment there was nothing but their mutual hunger as they both finally gave into the desire that had been building for months. She noted that despite his immense power, his lips were soft and supple, and he was almost worshipful of her mouth. Finally, after a few minutes she reluctantly pulled away. If the situation wasn't so serious, she would have giggled, as he looked dazed and confused at what had just occurred

She noted the look in his eyes, the same one she always saw these days whenever he looked at her. a mixture of longing and deep affection. of love. And she knew she was making the right choice.

"Damon Raped me." She said grasping his arms before he could move. "It was when I was human. He compelled me and used me as a sex toy and blood bag, forced me to enjoy and remain silent about it, all so he could get back at Stefan and Elena. Both of them knew or at least suspected. It wasn't until I became a vampire that his compulsions broke, and I remembered what had been done to me. I was so disgusted I wanted to kill him. And yet no one seemed to care. He remained friends with my mom. Elena seemed determined to flirt with him and Stefan as always defended him. I have to wake up every day and be friendly with the man who brutalized me and every day I feel a little more sick to my stomach. No one seems to notice or care. My father and mother tortured and tried to kill me, and even Tyler would rather put his friends and need for revenge over me. No one has ever put me and what I cared about first"

she smiled." Until you. We both know you did not have to save my life to get the result you wanted. You did not have to entertain my attempts to distract you, and I know you have been far more lenient for my sake with my friends and their schemes. You even risked your life for me facing Alaric, and risked your plan to get your body back just because you know I was in danger… You have given me a vision of a future that I did not know I needed."

She was crying now, and he embraced her with all the tenderness he had left in him.

"I had it all mapped out Klaus. All these plans and things I wanted, and I thought none of them involved you. But the truth is you are what I have been searching for my entire life…and I don't want to let that go, but I can't let you kill my friends either… I don't know what to do"

He kissed her this time, trying to convey with his lips, what his mouth had been unable to say.

"you say you have always wanted someone to put you first, and the truth is I have always desired the same. No one, not even Elijah has ever put me first. From the first time Father struck me, to the time my mother bound half of who I was. So I promise you Caroline. If you vow to put me first in your heart, I will do the same."

He gazed solemnly into her eyes "Before our rebirth we were both mistreated, abused. And neither one of us wants to feel helpless again. The truth is, a normal life, a safe life is not the life you want anymore, it's the life your friends do. Secretly you prefer who you are now to the girl you were before. You like being strong. Ageless. Fearless."

he smirked "we are the same Caroline. I once told you that there is a whole world out there waiting for you, but what I didn't say is from the moment I uttered those words, I hoped to be the one to introduce you to it. To show you what the world has to offer you."

His words had shaken her, he could see. Shattered her to her core as all her reasons, excuses crumbled around her.

And then, as often happened with Caroline Forbes. She surprised him. She gathered herself quickly, shedding the remains of her previous existence and stepping forward with all the determination and defiance of a queen. She stared unflinching in his eyes, simultaneously asking nothing and everything without ever needing to use her voice.

"Then prove it to me." She stated. Quietly but firmly. "you know I love my friends, despite what they have done. And I have feelings for you, despite the things I know you have done. So, show me that I am what matters the most to you. Put me first over your perfect revenge and show the people I love, as much mercy as you can spare."

she was certainly fierce he thought. Gazing at him with part steel, part hope in her eyes. " "Mercy…. For your friends." he said quietly, captivated by her gaze and refusing to look away." Very well."

He turned away from her now. A part of him fearful of her response to his next words

" I cannot grant them amnesty for their crimes… no one hurts my family and walks away unscathed …but I can give you their lives… all but the hunter. The one who took my brother's life must offer his own as recompense. However, I can make it as painless as possible ". He turned back to her... a challenging look on his face." Sometimes a quick death is its own mercy. I will not lie to you, my love… my family is not known for its kindness. And I can promise that your friends will not enjoy the fate that awaits them. "

she was not deterred by these words. In fact she seemed to expect them . To revel in them. ". I have no doubt you can come up with an eternity of pain and misfortune for them, the same misfortune they would wish upon you if your roles were reversed. So, I ask for one final concession." "You and I both know that a life devoid of hope is not one worth living. So, give them a chance for a life, even if it's only a glimmer on the horizon centuries from now. "

"Hope is its own form of torture" he said finally, moving to grasp her hands that were beginning to shake. This was difficult for her. thinking of the fates that awaited those she considered friends. Still, he felt tentative sparks of hope fill his own chest, and at that moment he would have promised her anything. "They will not thank you for this. Even I cannot determine if it is a gift or curse that you ask for them".

".I do not need their thanks. Or their validation for the choices I am making. I have been forced to live with the consequences of their decisions for months now. It is their turn to do the same" she smiled at him. "Thank you for this…I know it isn't an easy sacrifice for you"

"Your friends…. They are your first love." He gave her a gentle look filled with promise "I intend to be your last. However long it takes."

She moved closer to him now and to his surprise wrapped her arms around his neck before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Klaus. I can't promise to always agree with your methods. I am sure we will argue and fight and drive each other crazy. But I can say now, without hostility or guilt, that I adore you, that no one has ever made me feel the things that you have." Her heart ached a bit at the disbelief on his face. "I am yours Klaus. And you are now mine"

"Always and forever" he murmured, delighting in hearing her repeat the vow back before capturing her lips again.

...

Hope you guys enjoyed that. I appreciate the feedback and support you all have given.

There is one last chapter remaining in this story and hopefully it will be finished today.

Feel free to spin off this story or one of my other prompts.

I think its very apparent that both Caroline and Klaus have feelings for each other at this point in the series. You can tell from the long loving looks they give each other, plus soon after this Klaus promises to be her last love and she never protests or has any problem with the declaration. The next season is when they give into their feelings… Unlike canon however she does not have to worry about her friends or their reaction to their feelings. She still cares about them but knows they have been unhealthy for her and its time to put herself first. Her agreement to the punishment was a compromise to save their lives and spare them from eternal torment. Even a few centuries of pain is better than pain that never ends.