Here I am! - rock you like a hurricane!
(sorry, I had to...)
I'm back from exam hybernation and with a brand new chapter! Actually got my grade for one of the exams last week and I passed! (been dancing around at home all day). It was a huge relief cause it was actually the one exam I was the most nervous about! Anyway, that gave me such a rush that I felt the need to upload this (even though I promised two ch at once for the next update). I was just so excited to let you all read it!
So, enjoy. Let me know what you think. xx.
Chapter 30: Oh, that gave me such a fright
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Three hours now, Caroline thought as she checked the time again. Drumming her nails against the wooden desk as she restlessly counted how long he had been gone for. Because the second he returned, she was determined to shun him for the rest of the century - at the very least.
"I believe I have managed to rewrite the spell." Freya said as she walked into the study where the vampire waited. Sitting across from her as she dug out a book and wrote notes on some papers. "Of course, I cannot find her nor help her break out of the powerful magic that is keeping her shielded." she explained with a sigh. "But sending a message through you… It should be possible, especially considering that she has already reached out to you several times herself."
"What do you need?" Caroline asked, relieved to have something to do as she stayed locked up in the hybrid's version of a freaking princess' tower.
"The ring, some of your blood and possibly a photo to help me imagine her face." the witch mused. "You may need a new daylight ring to replace that one. This kind of spell has a way of burning through its ingredients."
Furrowing her brows, she studied the Mikaelson closely and awaited any further explanation. "What does that mean, exactly?" she pressed. "Do I count as an 'ingredient'?"
"Yes. Which is why you need to prepare yourself, Caroline. This is not an easy spell, it takes a lot of power and it could easily go wrong." Freya replied, surprising her with the easy bluntness. "Whenever I have tried this with my brothers, they have felt immense pain." the witch went on, clearly trying to talk her out of it - and almost succeeding. "Needless to say, with your markedly younger age, I don't know what to expect."
"Deadly risks, got it." she breathed out. What else is new? Running in her mind as she nodded her head with determination.
"I'll do it." A third voice came from the entrance and brought something to flutter inside Caroline's stomach. Even despite her being insanely angry at him.
"What, you think that makes up for what you did?" she scoffed bitterly, avoiding the man's eyes profusely. Afraid of losing her conviction to punish the hybrid in any way she could possibly imagine the moment she looked at him.
"You can't." Freya chimed in carefully, a neutral buffer to their armed defenses. "It has to be Caroline. She holds the connection to her friend, just as you did with Lucien."
"Then we focus on him instead, he must be connected to all of this somehow; find Lucien and we find Bonnie." he pushed on as the vampire brooded in peace. "If we were to use the watch one last time, making sure that we were careful… What are the chances of finding him?"
She remembered her first time in their home, when Freya used Klaus to reach out to Lucien. The memory still brought her chills, at seeing how strenuous it had been on the hybrid. How scared they were of getting caught… So much so that they cut the spell prematurely.
"None." the oldest Mikaelson replied, confirming Caroline's guess. The witch nodded to her with a kind pair of eyes before speaking again. "I suggest you rest up while I prepare the spell. I'll call on you in an hour or so."
The younger blonde tried, and failed, to smile in response as she watched Freya disappear from her sight. Klaus' footsteps moved towards her then. She kept her eyes diverted and heard him let out a sigh as he stopped behind her chair. "I thought I told you to stay put until I got back." he said lowly.
"No, actually, you told me not to leave." she corrected, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not my fault you forgot to foolproof your compulsion."
She thought she heard the traces of an amused chuckle in response before he spoke again. "I suppose you're right." he murmured softly, sounding guilty and sad and like he was trying to break her heart.
Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, she turned her head towards him just slightly while still avoiding his gaze. "You caught me off-guard. It won't happen again." she told him firmly. "In fact, the vervain-filled cocktail Freya made me just barely burned the way your betrayal did."
"That wasn't necessary, love." he replied with a cautious tone. "I'm not planning on doing that to you ever again."
"Well, that works great with my plan to never look at you again." she bit out. "Aren't we the perfect couple?"
"Caroline, please try to understand-" he began apologetically, but it only pissed her off more.
"I do understand, Klaus. That's the problem." she spat back. "I understand that you want to protect me, I get that you're trying to keep me safe… But for fuck's sake, what you did; it was selfish and manipulative - and the fact that you don't understand that only makes it worse."
"Caroline." he murmured softly, his hand brushing over her shoulder and making her jump up from the chair in anger.
"Don't!" she protested while moving back and creating distance between them. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair, her eyes landing on the bookshelves beside him, the carpet by his feet, the desk next to her… Anywhere but him.
"I thought…" she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself as she shook her head in disbelief. "The fact that you could basically get me to jump off the roof or start a war or commit genocide, and all with just a few words… It's not something I like to be reminded of." she hugged herself tighter, suddenly feeling cold and alone. "I never thought you would do that to me." she breathed. "Not you too."
"What?" he let out in a rough breath, revealing her mistake as he moved closer to her again. "What did you say?" he drawled slowly, sounding dangerous and livid as he did.
"It doesn't matter." she sighed, turning away and heading towards the door but finding him standing in her way. The short second she caught his eyes before remembering to look away threatened to tear her apart.
"Who, Caroline?" he asked roughly.
"It's none of your business." she muttered. "Are you going to let me leave or did you perhaps compel me into something else and erase it from my memory?"
"Of course not." he protested, his hand raised as he reached for her face.
She pulled away with a shake of her head. "Leave me alone, Klaus." she demanded. "I need to think without you here twisting everything to your favor."
She waited a moment, wondering if he would let her walk away or not. Determining that he wouldn't stop her again, she walked past him and flashed through the building in search for a safe haven. Her eyes burning as she realized she had one - and he had just betrayed her trust.
He had listened to her rearrange the furniture, change the sheets and wash up in one of the guestrooms all evening. It wasn't a side of her he had seen before, of being so desperate to keep herself busy and her mind silent.
She's in pain. And it is all because of you.
The bitter voice in his head made him squeeze his glass a little too hard before it eventually shattered in his hand. He gritted his teeth as splinters dug into his skin, the alcohol burning against them as he slowly began to heal.
"Not you too." the phrase had stuck to his mind and echoed inside his soul as he fought to understand what she meant. Who had controlled her? Used her? Made her follow their command?
It couldn't be Elijah, nor Kol, he thought, ruling out the only creatures able to compel vampires. He did consider Rebekah momentarily, but it didn't seem right to him. Caroline didn't look resentful or angry as she let those words slip from deep within her soul...
No, she seemed scared. In fact, he realized he had seen that look on her face once before - and he couldn't believe that he hadn't thought to ask her about it right away… She had worn that expression while waking up the morning after their plan began, when he had bitten her and left her to be found by Lucien. She had been standing in front of the mirror, convincing him the remaining scars weren't as bad as they seemed as she examined them for herself.
Something had flashed across her eyes. He had caught it in her reflection in the mirror.
He got up from the chaise and poured himself a new drink, sipping it as he paced through the room slowly. What had she seen? he wondered as he thought back to that morning. What had she felt? What memory of pain had she relived?
Rounding up the possible individuals in his head, he crossed his family off and thought of other vampires. Like Lucien, Tristan and Aurora; they had abilities that were unusual among the younger generations. They had managed to break whatever connection that allowed vampires to be compelled by his family. And they had used some kind of magic to control others instead, having been able to twist other vampire's minds into following their commands.
It couldn't be any of them. Which meant -
He stopped in his tracks as the answer appeared to him then, causing his blood to boil with rage as he hoped he was wrong. Begged for it... However, he could not deny how the theory made sense. How it added up, filled in the blanks…
Caroline had been compelled while human. She had been used for something, by someone… For- hell, who knew how long…
The new questions made his head hurt as he wondered whether he could get her to tell him more. To slip up again and give away another clue… To confirm his suspicions and help him understand, because the anger within him was yearning to be directed at the responsible party.
When had she turned? he thought as the analyzing part of his brain continued on. Lining up the timeline and going over everything he knew about her last time as human. Katherine had planned to offer her to him for breaking his curse… But was she already turned by the time their paths had crossed?
He didn't know of any supernatural beings having taken residence in Mystic Falls for the past centuries aside from those of the founding families; The Lockwood's, Forbes', Gilbert's – The Salvatore's. He felt the urge to break something as his mind highlighted the name before him. The brothers' faces flashed before his eyes as he tried to pin down the right one.
Since she knew the Original hybrid well, she must have known how he would react to this information. She must have known what he would do the moment she gave him a name. Which brought the conclusion that she didn't want him to know of their identity for a reason – but why? Who was she protecting?
It could be either of them, he realized.
Stefan: with whom she had been in a serious relationship not too long ago.
Damon: whom he knew she had no lack of animosity towards…
The sound of clatter coming from the kitchen drew his attention and put a halt to his internal investigation. Bringing a flutter in his chest as he quickly realized it was her. Gulping hard, he felt unsure as to whether her leaving the room meant she was open to a conversation, and worried about approaching her if she wasn't.
In the end, the mystical pull of her essence made his decision for him as he walked through the hall and towards the kitchen. She was going through the contents of the fridge when he entered. Her freezing up informed him that she had detected his presence.
As expected, she didn't acknowledge him being there and instead returned to rummage through their cupboards. The silence felt strange and cold as he rarely found her without something to say, and he realized that he hated it. He'd much rather have her yelling at him than this cruel punishment…
"Was the room not to your liking, love?" he asked as he studied her anxious behavior. She stilled but withheld any response, instead kneeling to check some drawers below the counter as she remained silent. "Did you consider the possibility of it not living up to your standards since it was not intended for you?"
"What, you expected me to comply with your orders and stay in your room instead?" she muttered. The reply gave him mixed feelings as he was relieved to have her talking again but did not enjoy what she chose to share.
"No. Frankly, I expected you to be halfway to Dallas by now." he retorted, the words more honest than he cared to admit.
"Freya's working on getting me to contact Bonnie. I'm not done here until I have a way to get her back and I'm definitely not leaving before I know that she's safe." she countered, his heart stopping at the thought.
"Caroline…" he drawled, wondering if perhaps this was when she went back on their joint promise of there no longer being any 'Outs'. "I know you are upset and hurt, likely ready to write me off for good… However, I feel prompted to ask; do you want to be here? Or are you merely staying for Bonnie's sake?"
She refused to turn around and face him, drumming her nails against the countertop as if deliberating her options. The fact that she would even entertain the idea made him feel like someone had swung a marble pillar to his abdomen. A part of him deciding that it would be for the best, prepared to help her pack and walk her out the door. To watch her leave and never come back.
But something else tugged at him, making him walk towards her with some foolish and possibly ill-advised faith. A twinge of hope pushing him forward, her back remaining turned to him as he stilled. Everything inside of him yearned to reach out to her, to beg for her forgiveness and understanding, to get her back before she was too far gone.
He leaned closer, her hair brushing against his face as he breathed her in. Already dying with longing for her and feeling convinced once more that she had been the one to compel him. Injected him with something that left him addicted to her… Every passing second that he stood beside her without touching her felt like torture. Especially now when all he wanted was for her to turn around and meet his eyes.
Sensing that she wasn't entirely opposed to his proximity, he stepped forward and pressed his chest to her back. Something in his mind suddenly wanting to cage her in so she could never leave. He raised a hand to her bare arm, his fingers hovering over her carefully in an effort to test any boundary she might have put between them. When no protest came, he chose to press on further.
His fingertips feathered against her skin and cautiously traveled upwards, reaching the fabric of her shirt and moving down her arm again. He noted the motion having the affect he had hoped. The hitch in her breathing, the tremble in her heartbeat, the light blush coloring her neck… She may be furious and determined to push him away, but the connection between them was still as strong as ever. And if he was fortunate enough, it could aid in proving to her that they belonged. No matter what differences, hurt or anger that may pass them with time, there was still no denying that they were bonded.
He never wanted to be without her again, and all he could do was pray that she would show him mercy and let him back into her heart. "I regretted it the moment it happened." he breathed out, the long sigh he received in response redirecting him quickly. "Caroline I-… I can't stand being the source of your fear."
"You're not." she murmured, causing him to close his eyes as he started to breathe a little easier.
"Yet, you're uneasy in my presence." he muttered lowly. His hand brushed over her wrist, carefully moving to interlock their fingers as she didn't seem about to reject his touch, not any time soon at least. "You no longer trust me."
"I trust you." she whispered, he felt a weight lift from his chest at that, leaning closer to bury his face in her hair as she accepted his offered hand. Holding his tightly in hers while her stroked lines over her skin with his thumb. "I just… I can't forgive you yet." she explained.
"I can wait." he assured her, exhaling with a timid smile as she tugged at their joined hands and moved it to circle his arm around her.
"It might take a while." she scoffed lightheartedly, bringing his smile to spread over his lips as he wrapped his other arm around her and held her firmly to his chest. His heart soared as she brought her arms over his and kept him in place, leaning back into him with a sigh of content.
"However long it takes." he whispered before leaving a kiss to her temple.
She tilted her head and pressed into the nape of his neck, taking a long breath before she spoke. "I want to be here, Klaus." she assured him softly. "But you can't expect me to agree with you on everything and force me to obey when I don't. You can't demand that I trust you and then turn around and do the opposite yourself."
"That's not true." he interjected. "I do trust you."
"Not really." she sighed, her fingertips drawing patterns across his arms absentmindedly as she continued. "You keep leaving me in the dark about everything going on because you don't think I'll understand the truth. That's not trust."
He exhaled slowly, realizing she was partially right. He had kept things from her out of fear of how she were to react, but he didn't think it amounted to him distrusting her... It was something else. Perhaps a worry that she would not like what she saw were he to show her all of it. All of him.
However, compared to the fear of losing her, that worry seemed meaningless and small. If taking a chance on letting her in would allow her to do the same with him – would it not be worth the risk?
Her leisure motions over his skin soothed his nerves as he chose to try. To prove her, and himself, wrong. "Did Freya tell you about her? About Aurora?"
"No." she replied quietly. "She refused to say anything no matter how hard I tried. And believe me - I tried."
He chuckled at that, a feeling of pride washing over him at the mention of her persistence. "What do you want to know?" he asked then, determined to match her strength and courage as best he could.
She was silent for a moment before moving within his embrace, turning around and finally facing him again. The open look in her eyes gripped his heart as he rested his forehead to hers in relief. Rubbing their noses together lightly and threading his fingers through her hair. Letting out a long breath as she circled her arms around his neck.
God, had he missed her…
He stroked her back tenderly, creating a patch from the back of her neck to the curve of her spine. Inhaling deeply as he took her in, cherishing in holding her close again. "I promise to tell you everything." he said surely, tilting her head upwards so he could look into her gorgeous eyes once more. Wishing she would never push him away again. "Where do you want me to begin?"
She seemed deep in thought for a moment, pursing her lips lightly as she scanned his face. "Who is she to you?" she asked in a whisper, telling him that this had in fact been the one question she dreaded the most.
He took a deep breath, trying to give himself some time to gather his thoughts before responding. "She..." he began slowly. "Centuries ago, I thought of her as the love of my life."
A flash of darkness passed over her eyes as she couldn't quite keep her displeasure back. "Go on." she told him with a determined nod despite her reaction.
"Her full name is Aurora de Martel, she was the daughter of the lord we stayed at when first meeting Lucien." he continued, noting the recognition on her face as he repeated what he had already shared with her before. "She and her brother Tristan were... eccentric. He had a liking to bringing his own form of punishment to those who betrayed him and she... She was gradually going mad. Something which didn't become entirely apparent until later."
Caroline gave him another encouraging nod, bringing him to breathe deeply before speaking again. "She was the first person outside of my family which I had ever really cared for." he explained. "Before I met Aurora, I didn't realize how deeply you could feel for someone… And with us being recently turned vampires and all, everything was of course heightened. My interest in her quickly turned into affection, and that in turn became deep devotion. We kept our relationship secret in fear that Tristan would not take kindly to the truth. However, it turned out that Lucien was in fact the one to resent it the most. "
"He loved her too." she guessed, receiving a smile and nod in confirmation.
"He discovered our secret and was devastated. Possibly having, until that point, believed that Aurora would end up with him." he added before moving on. "The guards caught us arguing, but I managed to escape before being seen. Which left Tristan to find Lucien with her instead, and he quickly drew the conclusion that it was him she had been sneaking around with all that time."
"As I mentioned, Tristan was a... wicked man and he tortured Lucien in abhorrent ways." he went on. "I tried to free him, and when doing so he accidentally ingested some of my blood. I was shocked to see the result as it healed his wounds miraculously… since we had never tried anything like it before. Shortly after, he died with my blood still in his system."
"Was he the one who broke you two up?" she pressed.
"No. That was Elijah, as I have recently learned." he muttered, hints of bitterness still lurking in his mind.
"What?" she stuttered in disbelief, bringing a sigh from him as he spoke again.
"They were all turned by us; Lucien by me, Tristan by Elijah and Aurora by Rebekah. When it became clear that we were no longer safe in France, my brother compelled the three to take on the identity of their respective sire. Leaving Mikael to chase after the perfect decoys all around the world whilst we moved to hide again." he recollected with a shaking head.
"I hadn't thought of Aurora in centuries until she showed up here. Determined to forget her for the rest of eternity, I suppose. Prominently because I had believed that she hurt me because she never loved me after all... Until she told me the truth."
"When she came back, did you feel the same?" Caroline asked cautiously, he was surprised to find her eyes showing genuine concern and understanding as she did.
"That is the peculiarity of such emotions, time doesn't always succeed in eliminating them." he scoffed silently, remembering how strange it had been to see her. How something old had flickered within him, something that he had fought to bury through the centuries.
And yet, as soon as he saw her, he was reminded of all the reasons why he fell in love with her in the first place. As if no time had passed. As if they were thrown back into the small village in Southern France where their courtship began all over again.
"It was… difficult seeing her here." he admitted. "Not solely because of the pain I had carried with me ever since we parted, but because of the threat she embodied."
"Threat?" she echoed, studying him with something unfamiliar on her face.
"She, Tristan and Lucien, we learned they had all returned to break the sire-lines." he explained. "And anyone who got in the way of that goal was a target; Hope, Hayley, Marcel…"
"Cami."
Her astute guess made him shake his head in a scoff. "Yes." he confirmed. "When Aurora discovered the affections I held for Camille, she-" his voice broke as he was shortly transported to that dreadful night again. Turning to see her bloody face and cold skin… It had broken something in him. Something that still hadn't quite healed yet.
The thought gave him the urge to hold Caroline by his side all hours of the day in order to keep history from repeating itself… But then he remembered the hopelessly awful fact that he couldn't protect Camille despite her lying right next to him… So then, how was he supposed to protect Caroline?
"She hurt her." the brilliant woman said, finishing his sentence as he didn't seem able to do it himself.
"Yes." he whispered. "I found her… dead."
Caroline winced in reply, staring at him with wide and sympathetic eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my god…" she breathed out. "S-she turned her, didn't she?"
He nodded in confirmation, earning another pained look on her face as she spoke again. "But you didn't know that. You didn't know she was in transition."
"No." he murmured, closing his eyes in a long sigh as he attempted to shake the memory from his mind.
"God, Klaus…" she sighed glumly, framing his face with her hands and bringing him to meet her gaze. The sympathy in her features reached into his soul. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth firmly to avoid tears from appearing in reaction. She stroked the side of his face gently, making him lean into her touch.
In that moment, he desperately wanted to forget all about the awful darkness within him and instead step into her light. He didn't want to carry any of it anymore, he wanted to shred himself of the things he had done… He just didn't know how nor where to begin.
"You mentioned locking her up somewhere." Caroline mused softly.
"Yes, she was sealed within one of the mausoleums in the Lafayette cemetery." he continued. "It was the only way I could think of to hurt her the way she had me. The way she hurt Camille."
Nodding in understanding, she wore a timid smile and gazed up to him with warmth and compassion. The glow of it thawing every little piece of his heart that had still remained frozen and hidden away. "If you want my opinion, I'd say you went easy on her." she chimed, pulling a chuckle from him.
"Is that so? What would you have done in my place then?"
She shrugged shortly, pouting as she thought it over. "Hm, well, I have personal experience with vervain-filled wells… And spells that make your skin burn from the inside…"
He snickered with a shaking head, surprised by her ease. "You're advocating I should have used more torture on her?"
"At least something to really piss her off." she scoffed. "Maybe burn off all her hair or compel her to stay silent for the rest of time… Oh, or have Freya turn her into a toad!"
A deep laugh escaped him as he took in the blonde avenging angel in his arms. "I'd hate to be your enemy, Caroline Forbes." he crooned, receiving a sweet smile in response.
"Good thing I happen to be very fond of you." she quipped, her beaming face contagious as he grinned at her. She turned serious and furrowed her brows as she spoke again. "What I don't understand is Cami." she murmured, making him gulp as he longed to change the subject already. "After all of that, getting revenge on Aurora and being free from ancient vampires who were trying to break the sire-lines and kill you all… What made you two decide to end things?"
"Truthfully, it wasn't much of a decision." he sighed. "Camille had a particularly challenging transition and, in the end… I suppose it became clear that neither one of us truly trusted the other."
"Yeah, I hear that's a pretty big deal in relationships." she scoffed, drawing a chuckle from him.
"To sum things up; she left and had no intentions of reconciling with me again. At least not until the present, I suppose." he explained.
"Wait... What?" she shrieked, making him wonder what he had said as she pushed at his chest and squinted her eyes. "What does that mean - 'the present'? The present – as in she still doesn't like you very much? Or the present – as in she recently started doing so again?"
He found it difficult to keep a smirk back as he took in her angry expression and bitter tone. "It's nothing of importance, Caroline." he assured her, but it didn't seem enough to put the discussion to rest.
"Did she… come onto you?" she yelped, crossing her arms over her chest in such an adorable display of jealousy. He decided to work to get that spark to flicker in her eyes again in the future… Finding it surprisingly thrilling to see her be the possessive and unreasonable one for once. "Well?" she demanded, making him grin widely and close the distance she'd created between them.
"That depends." he purred, running his hands over her sides and inching her shirt higher with every move. Dying to feel her skin under his touch and her lips against his. "What accounts as 'coming onto' someone?"
She let out a petty scoff and shook her head. "I can't believe this. Did you at least think to maybe mention me in the midst of all that?"
He shrugged with a taunting smirk, bringing her eyes to burn further and create an electric pull. Causing him to lift her up by her hips and propping her onto the counter, running his fingers over her legs as he wrapped them around him. "How would that go, sweetheart?" he teased. "Should I have told her that there was a young vampire down the hall with the name of Caroline Forbes, and that I happen to be madly enamored with her?"
Her lips pursed into a darling pout as she rolled her eyes at his response. He leaned in closer, brushing his nose over her neck and leaving light kisses to her jaw. "Perhaps I should have relayed that said vampire was the most captivating and alluring woman I have ever met?" he murmured against her skin, smirking as she pressed closer to him in result. "Or maybe, I should have said that she was rambunctious, unshakable, ingenious, quick-witted, audacious, striking, fearless-"
"Okay, okay!" she cut him off with a giggle, holding onto his head and bringing him to meet her beaming face. He rejoiced in her smile, such deep adoration for the marvelous woman filling his chest. A twinge of pain hitting him as he thought of someone having hurt her, used her, and then having done the same himself.
"I'm truly sorry for compelling you, sweetheart." he said softly. "I can't express how deeply the thought of losing you frightens me… I couldn't- I can't lose you, Caroline. I fear I would not survive it."
She looked somber as she nodded in reply. "You can't do that again." she whispered. "This one time I can kind of, maybe, at least try to understand and possibly even forgive at some point in the future... But there will not be a second time, Klaus Mikaelson. Or I will live up to the promise of leaving you for good."
"I swear to you, I will never try to manipulate you like that again." he assured her, smirking lightly as he continued. "It just so happens that I rather enjoy your defiance, actually. It is one of the many aspects that drew me to you when we first met."
"What, because I threw a bracelet in your face and accused you of being unable to connect with people?" she scoffed.
"No." he chuckled. "Because even as you were lying on your deathbed, awaiting the last few moments of your existence; you refused to show any weakness. You were brave and stubborn, and somewhat rude too."
She pushed at his chest with feigned outrage and a brilliant smile, making it impossible not to mimic in return. Stroking her cheek tentatively, he rested his forehead against hers and let out a sigh. "That is your most bewitching attribute, my love." he proclaimed. "Even in the face of the impossible; you do not give up and you never accept defeat. Because, yet again, you have a remarkable strength unlike any other."
Closing her eyes, she nodded slightly and sighed in content. "It's gonna take a lot of that strength to forget about this, Klaus." she whispered. "You have no idea how small it made me feel, the way you just…"
"Don't worry, Caroline." he said, tilting her head and meeting her eyes with a soft smile. "You can take your time, forgive me when you feel ready." she wore a timid smirk as she nodded in agreement.
"And in the meanwhile…" he crooned, brushing a kiss against her lips and marveling in the sweet feel of it. "I will make it up to you." he promised, continuing as she leaned into him. "I will earn your forgiveness." he concluded, receiving another bright smile for her then.
"Okay." she breathed out, deepening the kiss and braiding her fingers through his hair. Causing delightful shiver to wash over him as she scratched against his scalp. "Sounds like a deal." she murmured before pulling him closer and kissing him wildly.
He traced the curve of her spine and ran his hands past the fabric of her shirt, exploring her skin as he drew patterns with his nails. Her legs wrapped tighter around him as she tugged at his collar, pushing against his crotch and bringing a groan from deep within his throat. It was fascinating, mind-boggling even, how he couldn't get sick of her. How he always wanted her. Always desired her. He might have been worried about it messing with his head, if he wasn't too busy basking in it instead.
His hips rubbed against hers in yearning, her low sighs and heavy breaths playing a perfect tune in response. Dying to start making it up to her right away… When an unceremonious cough interrupted them, causing them to turn towards the intruder as the daze began to lift.
"I suppose this means you have made peace..." his sister said as she cleared her throat from the doorway and averted her eyes. "I'm ready for the spell, Caroline."
The reminder made him gulp as he felt an impulse to stop her. To keep her away from whatever danger her search for Bonnie Bennett would entail. "Okay, great." she smiled, with an eager nod and pushed at his chest. He pulled back and let her hop off the countertop, watching her with a frown as she fixed her disheveled clothes and messy hair.
"Are you sure about this, love?" he asked quietly, meeting her eyes with a deep pit forming inside his stomach. "I don't want you to get hurt." he admitted, understanding that if he intended to earn back her trust then he should start right away.
She looked at him with affection and warmth, reaching for his hand and holding it firmly. "You'll be there if I get into any trouble." she teased, gaining a chuckle from him in reply. He brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing her skin softly as he fought to have the same amount of self-assurance as she seemed to. "Ready?" she asked.
To lose you? Never.
"Yes." he chimed with a nod, following her as she followed Freya through the halls. Squeezing her hand tightly as he suddenly felt like he was marching her to her death. Praying for a way to keep her safe, despite her habit of getting in harm's way.
Caroline was seated on a wooden chair in the middle of the study. A circle of herbs surrounding her on the floor as Freya took a stand behind her. "Shall we begin?" she asked the vampire, bringing her to chew on her bottom-lip in response.
She glanced over at Klaus as he stood by the door, his arms crossed over his chest and a furrowed look on his face. He smiled when he met her eyes, making her take a long breath as she already felt much calmer. "Let's do this." she said to the witch with a determined nod.
Freya dipped her fingers in a bowl of water, it had a strange smell along with rose petals floating on top, but Caroline couldn't figure out just what it was. They both took a long breath before her cool fingers touched the vampire's temples, the unfamiliar water dripping slowly over the sides of her face.
"Close your eyes." the Mikaelson instructed. "Focus on your friend. Manifest her within your mind and use the ring as an anchor. Something to connect to her as we try to reach through the veils of magic."
Doing her best to follow the guidance, Caroline let out a long sigh and gripped the ring tightly in her hand. Thinking of Bonnie, of her voice, the smell of her shampoo, the color in her eyes…
Whispers filled the air as Freya began chanting, a rush flowing through the young vampire as she felt the magic washing over her. The image of her friend flashed before Caroline's eyes as her mind played through memories. She saw Bonnie at their high school graduation; in her room when they were kids and having a sleepover; standing in the woods while twelve witches surrounded her – drawing off her powers in an attempt to kill her, right before Caroline set her free…
She saw their fight after Caroline had told everyone about Bonnie getting her first period during PE; Bonnie ruining the blonde's hair with an overheated curling iron and making Caroline freak out in response; the way the witch had looked at her after finding out about her becoming a vampire…
She saw her sitting on her bed, Stefan giving Bonnie a ring before placing it on the sheets. Spelling it to work as her protection against the sun for the rest of eternity.
And then, she saw something which she knew wasn't a memory. She saw her curled up in a dark corner, muttering something to herself as her whole body shook violently.
"Bonnie?" she called out, gasping when the witch turned around in result. "Bonnie, it's me." she stammered with a lump forming in her throat.
"Caroline?" she croaked back in response, causing the blonde to let a hard breath out. "Care? H-how are you here?"
"I had help." she explained, moving closer to her on the floor and reaching for her hand. "I'm coming for you, Bonnie. You just need to hold on a little longer, can you do that?"
The witch flinched when she brushed against her skin, surprising Caroline too as she hadn't expected to be able to touch her. They shared a wide-eyed look before immediately throwing their arms around each other, the hug being the first one they had had in years.
"That must be some powerful help you got there, Care." Bonnie chuckled with a thick voice, tears filling her eyes as they held each other close.
"Yeah." Caroline sniffled. "I guess so." she said with an anxious laugh as she pulled back to study her friend's face. Stroking her cheek and pushing some hair away from her forehead. "You look old." she joked, earning a watery snicker in response.
"Well, I guess that happens when you're the only one of your friends who continues to age." she scoffed, gripping her hands tightly as her eyes scanned Caroline's features.
"Are you okay?" she asked, unsure of what else to say as she couldn't quite get her mind to work. "Can you tell me where you are?"
"I don't know…" the witch whispered, glancing around the dark room with a furrowed expression. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think this was hell… I don't even know when I'm imagining things and when they're real anymore."
Caroline's heart broke for her as she saw the witch defeated and hopeless. "I might as well be imagining you." she added in a mutter, making the blonde squeeze her hand then.
"Well, I'm real." the blonde assured her with a nod. "And I'm coming to save you. I'm fighting for you."
Bonnie beamed at her with tired eyes and wet cheeks. "He has witches working for him, keeping me locked in this preservation spell."
"What does that mean?"
"Damon and I, we found someone to help us locate Julian." she explained. "Clara Duarte; she spelled me to stay in a state between life and death. It made me pass through the veil freely, and… I saw him."
"That's when they took you?" the vampire asked with a dark frown, receiving a confirming nod from her friend.
"I've been like this ever since." Bonnie sighed out. "There's so much I need to tell you, Care. To show you."
"I don't have a lot of time, Bon." she grimaced in reply. "Just focus on whatever is the most important. Give me the best lead to finding you and we'll deal with the rest later. Okay?"
The witch nodded at that, reaching for her face and cupping her jaw with a determined look in her eyes. "Don't let go until I tell you to." she instructed her before the world suddenly warped around them.
Caroline felt disoriented as the settings changed, turning from a dark room to a big outdoor space. Her memory slowly pinpointing where they were as she glanced over at Bonnie. Standing next to her with their hands interlocked.
"Lafayette Cemetery." the vampire concluded, earning a nod in response. "How could you see this? How did you even know about this place?"
"The veil doesn't work like the real world, there isn't a physical geography." Bonnie said. "You can move through places in separate parts of the earth, as long as you know what you're looking for."
A voice echoed through the air as two figures appeared before them, Caroline recognizing the male as his dark hair and wicked smile remained the same. Lucien Castle.
"You were supposed to stay in hiding until the proper time." he said, nodding to the tall and dark-skinned woman before him. "The Mikaelson's still want your head on a platter, you know."
"I needed to reach you." the woman told him. "The witch is refusing to cooperate."
"Then kill her. If I get Davina to agree to our deal, we won't need her anymore."
"Julian has reasons for keeping her alive as long as possible."
"Then kill him too! I never wanted to include him in this plan to begin with."
"Don't be foolish, Lucien. Almost all our allies have been hunted down and killed. We need to keep the people around us that are loyal to us, otherwise our plan will fall apart."
"Our plan will fall apart if you expose yourself to the Mikaelson's." Lucien countered and studied her for a moment before speaking again. "Did you bring it?"
The woman revealed a bag and opened it, showing its contents to him. "The spell is in the grimoire." she explained. "We will use the candle to forge the weapon."
"And what of Marcel?" he pressed. "Is he still lurking around in all the improper places?"
"Focus on Davina for now." the lady mused with a shrug as she offered the bag to him. "The Dawning alone will give her all the power she needs to break the wardings."
Lucien nodded at that, something flashing over his face as he turned to the woman again. "I have decided to reveal my return to the Quarter." he told her.
"How will you explain yourself to them?" she asked with a furrowed face, her eyes widening as Lucien directed a dark look at her. "No." she breathed out and turned to leave, stopping abruptly a few yards away as he caught up with her.
"I thought I could trust you." she coughed out as his hand plunged into her chest, gripping her heart. "Don't do this, you still need me."
"I'm sorry, Aya. But you have something I need, and I'm going to have to insist on taking it." he said before swiftly ripping her heart out. The name circling in Caroline's mind as she realized she had heard it somewhere…
Aya… Aya as in the Aya who used to rule the Strix.
Their surroundings morphed into a large and well-lit room, yet again Caroline recognized the place as Lucien's penthouse. The front door was thrown open as a familiar face stormed inside.
"Am I to assume you have fulfilled your promise, Lucien?" he called out. "Or did you forget about our deal and merely decide to stop by for beignets?"
"Hello to you too, Niklaus." the vampire chuckled darkly in response, seemingly unbothered by the hybrid's mood.
"Well?" Klaus demanded, standing right in front of him with threatening eyes. "Do you have something for me?"
Lucien looked over his shoulder at that. "Michelle, darling." he called out. A girl walked up to them with a pale face and dazed eyes. "Show my friend what you saw." he told her, gaining a nod before the girl raised a wrist to the hybrid. Bites already tracing her entire arm and making Caroline feel queasy.
"What is this?" Klaus asked with an exasperated sigh. "I assumed you would bring me Aya's head. Not the mere second-hand review of her death."
"All in due time, mate." the vampire crooned, nodding to him and urging him on. "You still do not seem to trust me, so - why don't you see for yourself?"
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, studying the girl as if trying to determine something. Taking her hand gently, he brought it to his lips and dug in. She winced when he did, but it was the look in her eyes that drew Caroline in... She looked dead, yet there she stood. The eerie expression on her face attempted to make the blonde's skin crawl, if she had been in her physical body she might have.
Soon, Klaus let go of her and dried his lips. Looking to Lucien with squinting eyes as if skeptical of what he'd seen. A long moment passed before the hybrid reached for his shoulder and patted it with a wide grin. "This calls for a celebration, old friend." he smirked, gaining a wide grin from Lucien in response.
Then suddenly, the scene before them began to accelerate. It was like they were watching parts from a movie. They saw Lucien promising to help Davina bring Kol back. He moved in the image, showing them how he had carried that awful blade he used on Caroline at the ball. Watching Klaus with something dark and unfamiliar as he danced with the blonde host.
The vision in front of them continued to transform, showing them pieces of his plan. Of what he had done since returning to New Orleans. They saw him break a sealed tomb and help a desiccated woman out of it, bringing Caroline to conclude that she had just gotten the first glimpse of Aurora de Martel.
Then, they seemed to have caught up with time as they watched Lucien talking to someone. Handing them a drink as he turned away with a twisted smirk on his face. "We are closer than ever before, love." he said, the other person blurry to Caroline as she listened intently.
"They will all die, and we; we shall be the strongest beings to walk the earth." he beamed crazily. "All other vampires will bow before us as we rise up victorious. We will be heroes, saviors, Gods, as we accomplish what none other have."
Argh... Caroline grunted as she felt something burn her, hissing while she glanced at Bonnie with wide eyes. "Did you feel that?" she asked.
"Feel what?" she asked, a worried frown on her face as she studied the blonde.
"Ah!" she yelped as her knees buckled beneath her, the pain spreading through her limbs as she watched her skin sizzle. "What is happening?" she whispered desperately before letting out another deep cry. "Aah! Stop! Stop it!" she screamed out.
"Caroline!" Bonnie kneeled beside her. "What did you do? What magic did you use?"
She tried to respond to her friend's questions but couldn't focus, a loud ringing running through her head. "Stop it... Freya!" she yelled out, bringing her to let go of the witch's hand and press her own to her temples.
"No, don't-" Bonnie's voice said before she disappeared before the vampire's eyes. The pain growing and bringing Caroline to curl up on the ground with tears running down her face.
"Stop!" she begged. "Please, stop! Please!"
Looking down at her hands, she watched them take on fire and burn brightly. Her head shaking in panic as she saw the flames spread over her body. "No, no!" she cried out, trying to force herself out of the vision somehow. Begging for Freya to hear her and set her free. "Help! Please!" she screamed with desperation as her arms turned black as coal.
"Klaus!" she yelled out then, the panic gripping her heart as she suddenly couldn't breathe anymore. The smoke filling her lungs and making her head spin. She looked around her for something, anything to help. Someone to help... Until a shadow popped up, suddenly standing next to her with a dark face.
"Help!" she begged it, whomever and whatever it was. The silhouette kneeled before her, tilting its head as a pair of bright eyes suddenly pierced through. "Please, help me!" she growled as her heart constricted tightly in her chest.
The dark shape brought a hand out to her, reaching for her face slowly. A few words finding her before she couldn't think anymore...
Máš ho mít.
Just like that, Caroline opened her eyes and saw Klaus' face before her. Her hands still burning, she quickly opened them and stared in disbelief as dark liquid dripped down her skin. Realizing it was the melted metal from her ring.
"Caroline?" Klaus called, making her look up at him again with a strangled breath.
She shook her head, panting heavily as she felt like she had been choking. Slowly feeling a sense of relief as she understood that she was back. That she was safe... Alive.
"Caroline?" Klaus asked again, his voice firm as his eyes glowed with panic.
"I'm okay." she stuttered in an anxious scoff. "I... I think." she corrected herself, gulping hard as he cupped her face softly. His gaze slowly taking her in, examining her. But for what, she didn't know.
"What happened?" Freya pressed as she appeared by her side then.
"What?" she breathed out with furrowed brows. "You mean you weren't there with me?"
"I was." she said with a nod. "But when you let go of Bonnie's hand... It was as if you were ripped away. I-I couldn't see you, I couldn't feel you..."
Caroline shook her head in confusion, wincing as she still felt echoes of that shrill ringing in her mind. She brought a shaking hand to her forehead, fighting to push the pain out from her memory.
"You should rest." Klaus concluded, helping her up from the chair and wrapping an arm around her waist.
His eyes meeting hers as he studied her closely, stroking her cheek with a sigh. She nodded slowly, leaning into his chest as she felt like her body was broken. Her bones shattered. Her skin charred.
"I still need to piece together what we saw." Freya stuttered.
"Not now." he demanded with harsh eyes directed at his sister. "It can wait until she is recovered."
The witch nodded in acceptance as the pair turned away from her. Klaus' arm steadying her against him as they walked together. Her heart starting to calm down as she held onto him tightly, breathing him in to convince herself that she was really out of that vision.
The eerie chill it left behind still coarse down her spine as she fought to shake it off. Those eyes haunting her, the unnaturally white color of them blinding as it tried to dig into her soul. The strange words still lingered in the air as Klaus helped her lie down and a heavy exhaustion took over.
Máš ho mít.
Sixteen days ago
or One night after Caroline's arrival
New Orleans, Louisiana
"You're back."
Klaus blinked out of this reverie and turned to meet Marcel's surprised expression. "I didn't expect you until next week."
The hybrid put his glass down and studied his old friend closely. "Freya called me. She believes she has a way to help Rebekah."
The vampire's eyes widened at that as he put his jacket on a chair and walked over to his sire. "Tell me."
"She found a spell that can remove curses and lock them into a dark object." he explained as he glanced around Marcel's apartment. Noticing some changes to the decor since the last time he'd been there. "Which means that we need to find something appropriate for holding the curse."
"What can I do?" he asked with a shrug.
"Nothing for now. Elijah and I will send some men to search a few of the Strix' reservoirs abroad."
Marcel nodded at that as the hybrid clenched his teeth in an attempt not to ask what he wanted to. "Well, Davina and Josh are on their way for dinner, you could stay if you'd like."
Klaus ignored his offer and walked over towards him in silence, his eyes drilling into the man's dark ones as he tried to think of some way to approach the topic. "Perhaps some other night." he said, tilting his head as he spoke again. "Anything new in the Quarter?"
He had no idea how he managed to keep the question casual despite a voice in his head screaming impatiently for a reply. His old protégé squinted shortly before shaking his head. "No, nothing interesting at least. Why?"
"I have been away for some time now and simply wished to be filled in on any happenings." he shrugged back. "I need to return to the abattoir and tuck Hope in for the first time in months… But I expect to share a drink with you soon, old friend."
Patting the vampire's shoulder firmly, Klaus gave him a short smirk before heading out. Determining that the man didn't have any knowledge of newcomers in the city after all. He decided not to rush home but instead take a stroll through the streets.
Walking down the French Quarter as he glanced over at the pedestrians around him. He studied a group of musicians playing jazz, the tourists gaping with stars in their eyes as they took everything in for the first time, the locals sharing drinks at the bars through the street.
It had been too long, he thought as he felt a serene smile framing his face. A serene feeling filling his chest as he felt truly happy about finally being back - and hopefully, he would be able to stay longer this time.
He really had started to resent the magnitude which Hope changed and grew during the weeks he was away. Every time he returned, it was as if he had missed several years of her life. Her childhood was passing before his very eyes and he wished he could stop time and allow her to be so young and innocent a little longer.
Soon enough the world would learn of her existence, and being the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson would not allow for an easy life. One day they may even be forced to ponder the question of which family name she would come to carry. Because his did not come without its problems, and fair share of enemies, but it did however instill fear and respect in the right environment…
He scoffed internally as he thought of the complex meaning behind a name. And how he couldn't get a certain blonde's out of his head.
Where is she? Why did she come?
Why didn't she call?
The legions of questions filling his head came to a silent halt as he entered Rousseau's and recognized the current musical talent on stage.
He had to shake his head and look away shortly, turning to the band as the song played on. Unsure whether he was imagining her… or if Caroline Forbes really was standing barely ten feet away from him.
It couldn't be…
He had a vague memory of her including singing as a special skill in her application for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant all those years ago. But he had never gotten the chance to ask her about it. And he certainly didn't expect her to be so magnificently gifted.
She was sensational. All patrons in the bar appeared to be holding their breaths as she sang, their faces filled with awe of the incredible voice filling the establishment.
The song seemed to be coming to an end and he found himself at a loss for what to do. Perhaps it would be best not to make himself known, to wait for her purpose in the city to become clearer, to make sure he didn't force her into some confrontation…
Why was she here?
His phone vibrated and tore his attention away as a call came in from Freya then. He watched the display shortly before glancing up through the crowd again just as applause broke out through the locale. Her brilliant smile was stunning as she accepted the praise, gazing out over the audience with a nervous giggle that warmed his heart.
And then she turned to him.
In the mere second it took him to realize that she really had spotted him, the decision was made for him. There was a flash of something in her face when her eyes met his across the room… Panic. Fear. Guilt. All emotions which he had dreaded seeing ever since hearing of her arrival. And it was the reason he ran out before she could properly pin him down, before she could be certain of what she had seen.
It was better to be a shadow. A ghost in the darkness, shielded from her rejection. It was safer to be a mistaken identity in a crowded room with poor lighting than to be the person she was terrified of facing before she was ready.
A strange hollow dug into his chest as he flashed out to the street. Certain that she had reached through the bar and hit him with something heavy.
His phone was ringing once more, refocusing on his sister as Freya's name appeared on the screen for the second time. "Sorry about that, Freya. I got a bit held up, but I'm on way."
"Good. Because we have a problem." she replied, bringing him to shake the melancholy off. "Hayley got some intel from the pack about Lucien being spotted in the city."
"What?" he bit out, clenching his jaw as he squeezed the phone tight. "Where did they see him?"
"That is the strange part… They saw him leaving New Orleans, not entering."
"Leaving?" he echoed in bewilderment. Shaking his head shortly as he glanced down the street. "I am close to the penthouse he used to rent, let me see if I can find any clues as to what he was doing here."
"If you could find something to use for a locator spell - all the better." Freya replied with a sigh, making him nod as he turned and headed towards Lucien's former building.
"I'll handle it, get the spell ready."
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
As she started to come to, Caroline noted muffled voices coming from the distance. It took a while before she could identify one of them as Klaus', blinking away the blurry haze of fatigue and glimpsing him through the bathroom door. He was pacing, only coming into view as he passed the creek. His hands in dramatic gestures as his words slowly started to make sense.
"I don't care!" he hissed. "If you know what is best for you; you will stay away."
She flinched at hearing the hard tone to his words, noticing him freeze up then as if having heard her reaction. He turned and watched her with a soft smile, quickly hanging up the phone as he walked over to her bedside.
"I'm glad to see you awake." he chimed, stroking her cheek as he brushed her hair back.
"Who were you talking to?" she asked, earning a tiny flash of anger in his eyes before his features softened again.
"No one important." he insisted, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I got something for you." he said, looking back at her with a playful smirk that made her heart swell.
"What?" she drawled, sitting up straight against the headboard and taking a glance around them. "How long was I out?" she pressed as he reached for something in his pocket, revealing a small box in his hand.
She raised a brow at that, swallowing the fluttering nerves that rose up in her chest. "A ring?" she stuttered in bewilderment, earning a wide smile from him in response. "That doesn't seem a little sudden to you?" she chuckled anxiously.
He shook his head in a snicker. "After having spent centuries waiting for you to enter my life? No, not at all." he countered with a wink, the sure tone to his voice making her falter slightly as she began to wonder if he wasn't kidding after all.
Another nervous laugh escaped her as she studied him closely, reaching for the box without knowing just what to think of his mischievous face. Holding her breath, she opened and eyed the content closely.
Oh, it was a ring alright…
Just not the kind she'd expected.
Inside was a thin band that appeared to be of white gold. It had a timidly sized and oval-shaped sapphire on top with a frame of sparkling diamonds. The way it shimmered as she turned it over was incredible… It was delicate and professionally detailed and… amazing.
However, there was one thing she didn't quite understand; if this wasn't an engagement ring or promise ring or whatever else thousand-year-old hybrids gave their girlfriends - then what was it?
She looked up at him with questions circling her mind, meeting his delighted smirk with a shaking head. "Isn't this when you tell me why you got me a lavish and expensive-looking ring?" she teased, receiving a chuckle in response.
"To replace your daylight-ring." he chimed. "I imagined you'd appreciate something slightly more elegant than the clumsy rock you carried before."
"This is a daylight-ring?" she echoed in disbelief. "I thought it had to be a lapis lazuli?"
"Well, the rules have never really applied to this family." he quipped. "And it helps to have an exceedingly powerful witch at your disposal."
Her eyes went to the ring again, finding it difficult not to, and she noticed something on the inside. An engraving. "Toujours et à jamais." she read, her high school French aiding her with the pronunciation.
"Loosely translated, it means 'always and forever'." he explained warmly, bringing her to blink in surprise. "It has been stored away for some time now, I thought it should be accompanied by your brilliant beauty."
"I-" she breathed out, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't think I can accept this, I mean it is clearly old and probably antique and ridiculously expensive and it belongs to you and your family…"
He grinned at that, sighing as he studied her closely. "I could always find you another, more alike your previous one. But frankly, I feel this suits you far better."
"This would suit anyone." she scoffed. "I don't think a single person could look ugly wearing this."
"Yet, no other person could be a better fit for it." he chimed, making her face break out into a shy smile. "Now, will you accept it already or do I need to waste more time searching for other options instead?"
"No, no!" she laughed, reaching for his chin and pulling him in for a long kiss. Sighing in content at the incredible level of happiness she suddenly felt. "Thank you." she whispered against his lips, mirroring his joyous expression as she leaned back and eyed the ring again.
"Here." he said, taking it along with her right hand as he gently put it on for her. The notion making her suddenly nervous and elated all at once as it felt like it held a strong meaning to it. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, watching it sparkle against her skin. "Perfect."
She studied him in awe, wondering how the man could go from threatening someone on the phone to making such a sweet gesture. Moving closer, she brushed her fingertips over his jawline and cheek. Her forehead touching his as she pressed close with a deep breath. Feeling at peace within his proximity, realizing he always did have a way of making her feel secured and safe.
"How are you holding up, Caroline?" he murmured gently, drawing another sigh from her in reply.
"I'm tired." she admitted. "It feels like I always am nowadays."
He nodded lightly, cupping her jaw and moving down her neck in soothing strokes. "You have exerted yourself far beyond any normal standards, my love." he noted. "You really should try to rest a little longer."
"I'm okay." she insisted, leaning back and meeting his eyes with a shrug. "Hey, I'll have plenty of time to rest once we get Bonnie back, right?"
Nodding again, he furrowed his brows as he scanned her face. "What happened when Freya lost the connection?" he asked. "What did you see?
She gulped hard, flashes of the dark shadow flickering behind her eyelids. "I have no idea." she told him honestly. "One second; I'm standing with Bonnie, watching all these fragments of Lucien's memories playing… The next; I'm burning."
"Burning?" he echoed with a set jaw, pain filling his features.
"I think it could have been the spell, it melted the ring and…" she mused with a shaking head. "Maybe it was trying to feed off me too."
"Is that what it felt like?" he pushed on. "As if Freya's spell was feeding off your strength?"
"Maybe." she shrugged. "Why? Isn't that what you felt when you looked for Lucien?"
"Actually…" he murmured lowly, looking away as he seemed to remember something. "It wasn't quite like that for me. The spell drained me, but I wasn't ever as consumed as you were…" he explained with a thoughtful look. "In fact, I believe I may have felt something like that once before, but it wasn't whilst locating Lucien. It was when we searched for you."
"What do you mean?" she drawled slowly.
He swallowed hard, shaking his head as if hesitating to reply. "It was different when we used the spell on you. Freya felt it herself, it took far more power to complete it…" he relayed. "We had a few theories on the reason, but it is possible we missed something."
"Something about me?"
"Yes." he nodded, squeezing her hand in both of his and bent down to press kisses over her knuckles. "If there is anything, we will figure it out." he promised, making her sigh out in relief.
He moved closer then, leaning down and resting his head on her lap. She welcomed it with a smile, her hand threading through his hair as she watched him close his eyes and relax under her touch. "What about now, did Freya get something useful out of the vision?" she asked softly.
"She has already begun to decipher everything you saw." he confirmed with a nod. "My sister believes herself able to figure out how all of this connects to the sire-lines."
"That's good." she agreed with a nod of her own, deepening her breathing as she stroked Klaus' face and hair. Finding it soothing as it worked to clear her mind.
"Do me a favor, love." he murmured, his eyes closed as he spoke. "There is a drawing block and some pencils in the bottom drawer of the nightstand. Would you get them for me?"
She snickered at him, shaking her head while reaching for the drawer as she accepted his request. "What, too lazy to move?" she taunted, earning a dazzling smirk from him as he looked up and accepted the supplies.
"What you call 'lazy' I call 'content'." he chimed, making her roll her eyes despite the grin on her face. He settled in his position, lying on his back as she leaned against the headboard. The block propped up, steadied by a bent knee as he flipped to an empty page.
Seeing his routine brought her chest to swell as she studied his relaxed face. The pencil moving over the paper in precise and skilled motions, the rhythmic drawing meditative as she resumed stroking his hair. She focused on the image taking shape with each stroke of his pencil, mesmerized by the ease that covered them. A voice whispering in her head with wishes for more moments like these, for more time together where they could just… be.
She scratched over his scalp and noticed him still with closed eyes in response, bringing a thought to her mind that made her giggle to herself. "Are you sure you're a werewolf, Klaus?" she asked teasingly.
"Hybrid, love." he corrected, flashing her a smirk before he returned to his sketch.
"Yeah, yeah." she snickered. "I was just wondering if you weren't a cat instead?"
"I never cared for them." he scoffed absentmindedly.
"Of course not." she chuckled. "You're not someone I'd associate with anything other than dogs."
His movements stopped abruptly as he tilted his head and squinted at her. "Are you calling me a pet?" he drawled in disbelief, a playful glow in his eyes as she bit her lip in response.
"Well…" she chimed, noting something flash across his features as if to say 'game on'. Before she could say anything else, he tugged at her arm and spun them quickly. Pinning her to the mattress as she squealed in surprise. "Klaus!"
"What was that, sweetheart?" he pressed, nipping at her neck and tickling her sides.
"Okay, okay! I g-get… I get it!" she chuckled as she tried to wiggle out of his hold. Choked laughter filling the room as he taunted her, nibbling her skin and pinching her thighs and bottom daringly.
Managing to get a forceful push to his chest, she pinned him down and straddled his lap with panted breath as he beamed beneath her. She studied him as it struck her just how much she cared for the smug, obnoxious, manipulative, passionate, strong and incredible hybrid.
"What's on your mind, Caroline?" he asked softly, noting her faltering smile and cupping her cheek in a tender caress.
"I just…" she stuttered with a shaking head, an anxious snicker falling off her lips as she didn't quite know how to express herself. "I think, it's just been so long that… I forgot what it's like."
Confusion covered his features as he scanned her closely in a silent question. She chuckled incredulously at that, framing his face with her hands as she took him in. "To be really happy." she clarified.
His lips parted in surprise as he blinked up at her slowly, tilting her chin slightly as he gazed into her eyes with an intense look in his. "Then stay." he said, the words making her still as she sensed a serious question in his voice.
"Stay… here?" she asked in search for clarification.
"Yes." he replied determinedly. "After we find and rescue Bonnie, after we destroy that candle to make sure it is never used again… Stay, Caroline. In New Orleans. With me."
She opened her mouth mutely, shaking her head as she didn't know what to think of the Big Bad hybrid right then and there. It wasn't chocking to learn just how deeply he cared for her - she had known it for years. He had always been very clear about what he wanted, and whom he wanted it with.
But she couldn't wrap her head around it… Was this it? Was this when his promise of happily ever after was fulfilled? Was this when they agreed to be together - for the rest of eternity? It was one thing to declare your undying love for someone when you're human. When both of your lives were limited, when marriage vows of 'until death do us part' were fulfilled by the age of eighty… Ninety maybe, for the lucky few.
It was big enough of a deal to say yes to something like that, to a human life with a human love. But what Klaus was laying out to her was way more serious. He wasn't asking for them to grow old, to go through life's phases together and raise a family. He wasn't asking her to stay for the next few decades… He was asking for forever. And she had no idea if she could give it to him.
Her silence stretched a little too long, resulting in his hopeful expression to fall as he seemed to understand what she was trying to say… Or rather, not say. She closed her eyes and gulped hard, guilt and pain filling her stomach as she hated herself for not being able to give him what he wanted. She hated that she still wasn't ready for him, when all he's ever done was wait for her to be.
If she wasn't by now, after concluding how deeply she cared for him and how much she wanted to be with him - then when would she be? Would it take another eight or ten years? Another hundred? Could she ask him to wait that long? Could she wait that long?
When would she be sure? the question tortured her as she felt like she was ruining the wonderful connection they had just begun to build. She felt like she was writing them a death sentence, an expiration date… As if she was giving up before they even tried.
"I…" she whispered, completely lost as to what she was trying to say. What could she say? "Klaus, I love you." she told him honestly.
A sad smile formed his lips as he nodded, his eyes filled with disappointment and rejection as he insisted on putting up a straight face. "I really, really do." she said, a lump forming in her throat as he seemed unable to respond for a moment.
"I know. And that is enough for me." he said with a determined nod, as if he was trying to convince himself rather than her. "No matter what you decide."
Leaving the question in the air like that was such a Klaus-thing to do. To make sure she knew, yet again, what he wanted. Even if she didn't. Her eyes burned as he leaned up and kissed her in an effort to soothe her nerves. As if to promise that he wouldn't ask for more, that he would be happy with however much she gave him. And she wanted to believe that he loved her enough to do just that…
However, she couldn't shake the dark pit in her stomach as she kissed him back. Wanting to show him that she wanted him, that she loved him even if it didn't hold up to the way he did her.
So then, why did it feel like she had just lost him?
Sixteen days ago
or One night after Caroline's arrival
New Orleans, Louisiana
Klaus was quick to return home and enter Freya's study with a steely look on his face. His sister looked up from her desk as the door closed behind him. "Did you find anything?" she asked as he dug into his pocket. Revealing a wristwatch and placing it on the table between them.
"No sign of him having been there recently, but I hoped this timepiece could work as an ingredient." he explained, leaning against the back of a chair as he started to get a worrisome feeling in his stomach.
What were the odds of Caroline Forbes and Lucien Castle appearing in New Orleans at the same time?
He had returned to the States with the purpose of winding down, of spending time with Hope and possibly save Rebekah… Instead, his troubles had piled on and doubled over one night.
"I found a different kind of locator spell." Freya said as she flipped through the pages of a leather-covered book. "It plays on astral projection and allows me entry into the mind of the person we seek. I can see through his eyes, hear what he hears, and hopefully - find out where he is."
"Great, we've got no time to lose. Tell me what you need."
"Your blood. It helps to have an anchor that is connected to the target. You were the one who turned him - I am hoping it will be enough."
Klaus nodded at that and tugged at the end of his sleeve, folding up his shirt as he bared his arm for the witch. "Ready whenever you are."
She smiled reassuringly before reaching for his hands, guiding them to hover above a laid-out map. His palms directed upwards as she held hers over his and nodded pointedly. The watch placed on the map and a candle lit beside them as she closed her eyes and begun chanting.
As she did, runes were suddenly being carved into his palms. Blood dripping from between his fingers and covering the timepiece as she chanted on. A strange chill filled him as she repeated the murmurs over and over, the chill turning into a searing pain as it cut through him like a blade.
"Freya…" he gritted as he glared at the witch with terror in his eyes.
"I feel it, brother. Just hold on a little longer, I think I see him." she said, encouraging him to close his eyes and push through. "I found him." she finally said, making him let out a breath as it seemed the words brought him some relief despite the spell feeding off his strength. "He was in New Orleans, but he isn't anymore."
"Can you see why he came here?" he asked with a strenuous voice as he fought back against the magic weakening him. "He was not to return unless he succeeded in killing Aya."
"I'm not sensing her presence anywhere near him." she told the hybrid. "Is it possible that he was following her to Louisiana?"
He swallowed hard as he mulled it over, not enjoying the thought of both vampires in the same city - possibly conspiring against him once more. "What else do you see?" he encouraged her to hurry as he began to feel his legs shake underneath him.
"He must have a witch working with him… I cannot hear him after all." she mused aloud, shaking her head lightly before whispering the chant once more.
The spell ended abruptly, causing another deep exhale to rush out of Klaus as she was no longer anchored to him. Her furrowed face studied him with a frown before she began to clean up the desk. "We should try the spell again at some other time, it seems there may be a risk of his witches detecting us if we are not cautious."
He nodded at that, accepting a cloth from his sister and drying off the excess blood on his hands. "If both Aya and Lucien are here…" he muttered darkly, noticing her still as she looked back at him with wide eyes. "There is no telling what dangers they will unleash within the Quarter."
"Agreed." she said with a nod, her features turning grim. "We cannot bring Rebekah back home if there is any chance that you are right. The risks are far too great."
"Then we leave her for now." he proposed. "Until we get some answers regarding Lucien's swift visit."
"What do we tell Marcel?" she asked with a sad tone and empathetic eyes, knowing her brother had told the vampire of their progress in helping the lost Mikaelson.
"That we found her." he sighed. "That we have her here and we are waiting for a proper time to wake her."
"He will want to see it with his own eyes." she pointed out, earning a short nod from him in response.
"That seems to be the least of our problems right now, Freya." he said with a scowl. "I will handle Marcel. You should keep working on removing Rebekah's curse for when we do get her back. In the meantime… I'll see if I can discover Lucien's current schemes."
"Am I right to assume this entails Hayley and Hope being sent back to the Safe House?" she pressed with a displeased frown which mirrored his own.
He didn't like the idea of being parted from his daughter, especially not now as he had returned with the intention of keeping her near him at all times. But it was clear that Lucien needed to be dealt with before he could lean back into domestic life and fatherhood.
"There's something else we need to investigate." he thought aloud as he was reminded of the blonde in the bar, a weight filling his chest in response. "I have reason to believe that Marcel is keeping things from me."
"What kind of things?" she asked with sceptic eyes.
"Let's just say that this would make the second vampire to enter the Quarter without my knowledge." he snickered silently. "It seems Marcellus doesn't find it potent to inform me of such anymore."
"Do you suspect him of smuggling Lucien back into the city?" she pushed on seriously.
"It's possible." he sighed. "However, I'm afraid there may be something larger at stake here. I'm simply having trouble seeing the full picture right now."
She nodded at that, reach over and squeezing his arm reassuringly. "I will work on perfecting the locator spell, hopefully we can find Lucien before he decides to reveal his intentions to the world."
He frowned in agreement as he feared the worst was yet to come. "Hopefully it won't be too late by then to stop him."
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Klaus had insisted on moving past the conversation, knowing it would be foolish to demand that she shared his feelings about them. He had to, or else he worried he might ruin what they had now with what he hoped they could have in the future.
The fact that they'd gotten as far as they had was groundbreaking enough, and he couldn't help but wonder if it would be selfish of him to push for more. Caroline had told him that she loved him. She had opened her heart in ways he couldn't even begin to imagine years ago. Perhaps it was ungrateful to disregard all that and pressure her further…
He had decided to put it on hold for the time being, but he could tell that she was still consumed in thought. The anxiety she exuded was unnerving as she sat across from him, her lip constantly tucked between her teeth and her fingers tapping against her leg. All he wanted was to convince her to let it go, because he refused to ruin what little time they had to be together if she continued to insist on leaving him in the end.
Freya's words rolled off him as she explained to Elijah and Hayley what conclusions she had drawn after the spell. His mind was already occupied with other things, such as the desperate will to go back in time and unsay everything he had said to Caroline previously. He was gob-smacked as to how the words had slipped out of him on their own volition. How carelessly he had acted, demanding an answer from her so early. He hadn't planned on it, truthfully. He was aware of her young age and limited comprehension of what an eternity really meant.
How could he be so reckless?
And yet, as much as he blamed himself for the awkward turn between the two - he couldn't help but feel beaten down and torn apart at her reaction. Had it really been such a surprise for her to hear what he wanted? Hadn't she considered their future herself?
Why the bloody hell did he open his mouth at all?
"… Niklaus?"
Elijah's voice broke through the grave he dug himself into internally, despite his efforts to keep Caroline from doing the same. So, in addition to reckless, selfish and ungrateful - it appeared he was now a hypocrite as well.
His mind worked quickly to catch up to what his brother was asking him, nodding as he sipped his drink with a leisure shrug. "I don't understand the problem here." he quipped, the words the first thing he could think of in the moment. Not wanting to alert the young blonde in the corner of his train of thought. "All we need to do is find and destroy the Candle." he went on. "It's as simple a plan as ever."
"Should we not exhaust all possibilities in locating Aurora and Lucien first?" Elijah countered with a squinting look at the hybrid.
"And what, allow Davina Claire to disappear with the remains of our dearest brother?" Klaus scoffed. "I can't say I'm particularly a fan of that idea."
"Davina isn't important right now." the female hybrid in the room protested firmly. "We have to find Aurora before she comes after us."
"And how do you suggest we do that, Hayley?" he snickered bitterly, waving his glass in the air. "Especially now that Josh is nowhere to be found, Marcel is locked up and unwilling to cooperate and Aya remains very much dead. Which lead would you like to begin with?"
"Kol." Caroline said with wide eyes as they all turned to her in surprise. "Bonnie told me that the veil is geographically fluid and anyone with the know-how could move freely within it. I'm guessing that applies to Kol as well."
"Are you suggesting a seance, love?" Klaus interjected.
"Maybe." she shrugged, turning to Freya then. "Maybe we can contact him just like we did Bonnie."
"It isn't quite that simple Caroline." his sister sighed out.
"Sounds pretty simple to me." the other blonde countered, bringing a smirk to the Original hybrid's lips. "You need someone with a close connection to him, right? I'm sitting in a room full of candidates right now."
"We would also need something he had spelled." Freya explained with a frown. "Kol didn't spend much time using magic before he returned to the Other Side."
Klaus felt his pocket buzz and quickly moved to turn off his phone, glancing at the message and freezing up instead. "Excuse me." he said to the others before leaving the room. Hurrying down the hall and into the library, closing the doors behind him and turning to his phone again.
Dialing the number, he waited shortly before Damon Salvatore's voice replied. "Just wanted to give you an ETA." he quipped smugly, making the hybrid scowl. "Seems like we'll get there the day after tomorrow, somewhere around five in the afternoon. So, just in time for dinner."
"Did you never learn the basics of cordial behavior and etiquette as a child?" he muttered. "When someone specifically tells you not to visit them, you comply. Especially when that someone is capable of twisting your head off your body with the flick of a finger."
"Come on, Klausey! I thought we were closer than this." the vampire went on, pushing the Original's patience to the brink. "Or are you trying to keep us away because you're worried about Caroline? Think she'll drop you like yesterday's news once we get there?"
"I don't have time for this, Damon." he gritted out, pacing the room as he tried to think clearly. Feeling the weight of the numerous problems building up. "I am telling you right now, if you take a single step into the Quarter without my permission-"
His voice died as he looked up and saw Caroline's face as she peeked through a crack of the doors, not having realized that she had followed him there. He swallowed hard and let out a sigh. "I will call you back." he told the vampire on his phone before turning to the one in the hall.
He walked towards her as she entered then, studying him with furrowed brows. "What's going on?" she asked, his instincts fighting with his mind as he remembered his promise to start 'filling her in' more.
"Damon plans to come here, along with your friends." he explained.
"Okay, great. We need all the help we can get." she said with a shrug.
"Caroline…" he sighed out, running a hand over his face as he had hoped to wait until things had settled before having this particular conversation with her. "I know." he said.
She raised a brow at that, cocking her head to the side as she watched him closely. "You know what?"
He gritted his teeth shortly, unsure of how to keep his anger at bay as he spoke again. "I know the reason for compulsion being such a sensitive subject to you." he clarified. "I know it stems from the time when you were human, and that it is most likely connected to the Salvatore's."
Her eyes closed as she sighed in response, her fingers threading through her hair before she faced him again. "I didn't tell you about that for a reason, Klaus."
"Which is why I didn't share my hypothesis with you."
She shook her head incredulously, crossing her arms over her chest as she stepped closer to him with squinting eyes. "So what, you decided to cut my friends out as some sort of collective punishment?"
"I thought it best for them to stay away." he corrected. "At least until I have the time to properly handle this."
"You mean, until you could kill him in some twisted attempt to defend my honor?" she interjected.
He let out a long breath before responding, realizing he was already threading on thin ice with the vampire as is. "Tell me which brother it was." he pleaded, making sure to keep his voice steady. "Or at the very least tell me why you are protecting him."
"I'm not protecting him! I…" she protested with a sigh. "I'm trying to let it go."
"Let it go?" he echoed in chock, closing the distance and cupping her face with a shaking head. "Caroline, why are you so blatant about this? Why are you even entertaining the idea of forgiving him?"
"You don't even know what he did." she pointed out.
"I know enough." he countered. "I know that you abstain from feeding on humans directly but have no trouble using blood bags. I know that you detested seeing the unhealed bites on those women at Lucien's penthouse, because you feared that they had been abused. I saw how horrified you were after the incident with that waiter, because you consider yourself a monster for being capable of hurting others in such a way. I hear you have an anger inside of you that somehow only displays when protecting yourself - and thus far exclusively from men."
He let out a long breath, his heart aching as he pictured her fear and pain. "I know that you crave control and that you genuinely dread being used by someone stronger, older or more powerful than you… Even me." he continued with a frown. "These are not the attributes of a person who has let go of the past, Caroline. They are signs of trauma. An unhealed and deeply rooted pain."
She shied away from him with a flash of shame on her face, the look of it enough for him to know that he hadn't been wrong. "Caroline…" he whispered, beckoning for her to meet his eyes. "You could go on to carry this burden within you for centuries if you allow it… Or you could have closure."
"By killing him?" she scoffed, but her tone showed deep sadness as her hardened gaze met his. "You weren't supposed to see all that, Klaus." she sighed out with a deep frown. "You weren't supposed to see how… How broken and beaten and messed up I really am."
He couldn't believe his ears as he watched the glorious woman before him, hiding the same kind of darkness that he himself had fought with for eons. "People don't stay broken." he chimed tenderly, earning an amused scoff at hearing her own words turned. "And you, Caroline Forbes? Out of all others… you could never be beaten down or 'messed up'. You are light itself and anyone who dare deny it is too small-minded to understand your strength."
"You keep calling me strong, but I don't feel like it." she whispered in confession, her eyes glistening as she looked up at him. "I'm constantly falling apart or breaking down into anxiety attacks or freaking out over my ethics not lining up with me being a freaking vampire… I can't even get my shit together for long enough to-"
The end of her sentence wasn't uttered, but he knew what she was going to say. And it broke his heart. Because he realized then that she blamed herself for not understanding her own pain… She was blaming herself for not being able to enjoy happiness completely unencumbered by fear or insecurities… and it didn't make any sense to him.
"This is exactly why I cannot let him go unscathed." he muttered darkly. "What he did to you is still affecting you today. It is driving you to put these impossible demands and just unimaginable pressure on your character. How can you accept that for yourself?"
She sighed, a wave of various emotions washing over her face. "I don't want to." she explained. "That's why I have to move on."
"And the only way for you to do that is to forget it ever happened?" he pushed on.
"I don't know." she chuckled coldly. "I just… I need to be better, Klaus. Better than who I used to be, better than who he made me... Better than him."
"How can you say that and still not hear yourself?" he asked in disbelief and awe as he smiled at her. "Don't you understand? You already are better, Caroline. You are incredible - and you are somehow still not pleased."
"Stop, okay?" she sighed. "You're clearly blinded by us and are putting me on this ridiculously high pedestal… I just- I can't live up to your expectations of me, Klaus."
"Is that what you think?" he pushed. "That I am embellishing the truth in order to satisfy some need for perfection? That I am not seeing you clearly?"
"Maybe! I don't know…"
"Caroline…" he snickered incredulously. "I don't have any credibility to speak of to criticize another's character. In case you haven't noticed yet… I am the one unworthy of you, it is not the other way around."
Her cynical scoff urged him on before she could chime in with her protests. "I'm not a particularly nice person, love." he noted. "I have caused an awful lot of hurt in my years. Done far more bad than good, repeatedly chosen myself over others, not bothered caring about the people standing in the way of what I want… Witches, vampires, werewolves… they all speak of me as if I were the devil himself. They spread cautious tales to their youngest of my horrendous past and paint me the villain in every single rendition. I am the monster all other monsters fear."
"That's what you want, though." she pointed out with a grim frown covering her features. "You want them to fear you."
"Yes." he confirmed swiftly. "Fear is a strong motivator, Caroline. If you are feared, none will dare cross you."
"What about loyalty? Respect? Love?" she quipped, drawing a smirk to his lips in response.
"It is far easier to make someone fear you than it is to make them love you." he explained. "My power stems not from loyalty and my way of gaining respect does not come from love, but rather from fear and misery… grief, pain… That makes me an expert on the subject of darkness and the sins we carry with us and it is how I recognize it in others... Others, but not you."
She scoffed incredulously, her eyes glossy as he refused to accept her protests and instead went on. "I often see similarities between us, characteristics which make us better fit or aid in the understanding of the other. Such as our common need for control, our shared neurosis or hightened intelligence and advanced intuition. However, there is one substantial and outstanding virtue which we do not share - grace." he proclaimed. "You are good, kind, empathetic, thoughtful... You are light, Caroline. I know this because I am darkness, and you are the opposite of everything that I am."
"Okay, enough talking." she quipped before pulling at his shirt and meeting his lips with hers in a hard kiss. He smirked as he reciprocated, holding onto her waist as he delighted in her sweet taste. She moved back shortly, an enchanting smile on her beaming face as she met his eyes. "I love you, Klaus." she chimed, creating a wonderful delight which filled his heart. "And I don't want you to think that you are some all-evil monster just because that's what the world thinks... Because even if you're not entirely good, you still have this incredible strength and light inside of you. So darkness or no darkness; it doesn't change how I feel about you... Which is; I can't imagine my life without you in it."
"I thought you said no talking." he quipped with a wide grin, earning an eye-roll in response.
"Whatever." she scoffed before crashing into him again, bringing a sigh from his lips as he returned her fervor. He lifted her up swiftly and she immediately circled her legs around him. Her hands roaming over his shoulders and tugging at his hair, urging him on as he quickly turned desperate for her.
A gasp escaped her lips as he flashed them forward, pushing her against the bookcases and causing various objects to fall off the shelves in result. She grasped at his shirt and pulled it off him, hitting a vase and bringing it crash to the floor. He looked at her for a short second before they shared a deep chuckle, her eyes sparkling so beautifully when she did. His heart felt like it was glowing, as if she had reached in and filled it with light… And he couldn't help but grin as he joyously kissed her again.
He ran his hands over her legs greedily, enjoying the easy access to her smooth skin as he moved past her skirt. Gripping her hips tightly, he brushed over her welcoming core with the hardened member struggling against his zipper. Their heavy breaths mixing as they rubbed together with parted lips, making him wonder how she was capable of driving him so utterly crazy.
His mouth ventured over her neck, nibbing on her skin as he slowly reached the sensitive spot by her pulse-point. Smirking as he sucked hard and drew gasps from her in response, her fingers gripping his hair as she clung to him. Her hands created a path over his chest as they traveled between them, working on his belt and sliding past his clothes. Palming his cock firmly and making him grunt into her neck with each stroke.
Losing his patience then, he pulled the clothes up over her body and discarded them quickly. His lips meeting hers again in a scathing kiss as he explored her bare breasts hungrily. She leaned back in a content sigh, her hooded eyes meeting him as he took in her magnificent expressions.
"I love you." she whispered against his lips, creating another jubilant grin to his face as he ripped at her underwear.
"I love you." he proclaimed as she moved to push his jeans down, certain that he hadn't loved anyone the way he did her. Bringing a hand to trace her sex, his knees nearly caving as he felt her wet response.
She directed him to the addictive heat, drawing his tip over her and coating him slowly. The strong urge for her making him shiver as he pushed against her opening, feeling his eyes roll back in pure ecstasy as he buried himself in her. His face pressed to her chest, he stilled as she covered him fully, her magnificent walls embracing him and twitching lightly at the contact.
Her breathy moan made him look up to meet her eyes again, mesmerized by the emotions in them as he began to move inside of her. Steadily pulling out before thrusting firmly back in, earning tiny whimpers each time he stretched her again. Her angelic smile held such sultry heat that he fought to keep a calm rhythm, wanting to completely lose himself and shatter into her tender core.
Urging him to speed up as her nails dug into his shoulders, he sighed out in bliss and surrendered to her. His thrusts transitioning from deliberate and slow to deep and needy. Pushing into her harder as she gasped against his lips, groans leaving him every time his balls slapped against her ass. She threw her head back at the shelves in a euphoric smile, allowing him to bask in her glorious beauty as he moved with the deep pull of pleasure clawing at his soul. Giving into the primal need, her sweet moans pushing him on.
He tilted her hips, angling her pelvis until he received the guttural sounds he was looking for. Pounding hard against the powerful spot that made her fully lose control. Her mouth hanging open with short breaths, her eyes burning into his and her fingers digging into his arms and shoulders as she fought to steady herself. Meeting his thrusts with purring calls, his lips crashing to hers and swallowing them all.
She hummed under her breath, her body signaling how close she was to reaching her climax. The recognition bringing him to drive wildly into her in hunt for it, in need for it. His eyes fully fixed on her face, taking in the pleasure washing over her in vibrant waves as she hit her edge and fell apart. The way her skin seemed to glow as her body slackened urged him towards his orgasm. Gripping her thighs with bruising force as he felt himself nearing it.
"Again." he growled against her lips as he reached for her clit and circled it with his thumb. Craving another display of her satisfaction as a final push, desperate to find release while she rode her high.
Her legs tightened around his hips and her walls pulsated against his cock as her body headed for another wave of explosions. He sucked at her skin, feeling the blood rush through her veins as if to deliberately call out for him. But the thought made him glance up at her in question, not sure if she wanted him to bite her after everything he had just learned.
"Yes… Do it." she groaned darkly as she understood what he was asking. Leaning into her neck again, he panted heavily and thrusted hard before piercing through her skin with his teeth.
As soon as her blood touched his tongue, he was gone. Her climax lining up with his then and making him shake in result. The blood-sharing strong despite the sting of vervain sullying her ambrosial taste. She whispered sweet sounds into his ear as he fed, causing his skin to feel like it was on fire - with her being the only thing capable of quenching it.
Her fangs dug into his shoulder, convincing him that they had left their bodies and were flying together right then. The shared connection somehow more intense than ever before, a possible effect of their joint acclamations of love. Creating a vivid depth to the blood-sharing which he was sure he had never had in his thousand years on this earth. A sensation of bringing their souls together, as if they were expressing themselves to the other in a celestial and abstruse language.
His mind raced with images of them… Of what they could be. Where they could go together, what they could experience and everything they could take part in... He saw them traveling, him telling her about the history of each place from his past knowledge. His gaze glued to her reactions while she allowed him to see it all through her eyes, as if he himself was seeing the world for the very first time. Making it a completely different experience, a new adventure… Making it theirs.
He saw them happy together. A future where he would always have her by his side, a life where she would truly be his.
An eternity. With her.
There was no doubt that she shared the visions in his mind. The pull to her thoughts giving him glimpses of what she felt about it. Excitement flowing through her as she seemed to genuinely share his dreams, his hopes… his adorations.
That's why you have to stay, he thought, not wanting to go through the rest of time without her. Wishing for her to understand how their life could be. Hoping for her to want it too.
He pulled back from her neck with a long sigh, his hips still thrusting leisurely as if completely unable to stop. The tempo rhythmic and steady as he echoed the pulse of their heartbeats. As her body began to settle, his did as well. Making him grind into her with slow and gentle moves, as if soothing her while she returned from her high.
Her lips left his skin before their eyes met, a spent and blissful vibrancy covering her face. The sensation of it mirrored inside of him as he rejoiced in raving satisfaction. Amazed by her hold on him then, both physically and emotionally as he felt completely bound to her.
"You're right." she whispered, making him raise a brow as his breathing gradually returned to normal. "I don't want to go back to not seeing you every day, to a life without you in it." she proclaimed, the words ringing within him like the most wonderful sound. "I want to be where you are, Klaus... and as long as you're here - then so am I. What I'm trying to say is… I... I'll stay. I mean if the offer still stands-"
He kissed her lips immediately, cutting her off as the joy gripped his heart and took him over. It astounded him how she continuously filled him with such radiance, convincing him that he was growing dependent on the young vampire. Needing her in order to function… To live. To be happy.
"I will love you forever, Caroline Forbes." he announced. Feeling as if he had never been surer of anything else in his life.
She beamed back at him warmly, bringing his heart to soar as she did. "I'm gonna have to hold you to that, Klaus Mikaelson." she chimed gleefully. Their ecstatic giggles and laughter filling the room and covering them with something precious and delicate.
Something eternal, Klaus decided as he watched the grandest love of his life promise to be with him. For good.
"Are we the worst teammates in the world?" Caroline asked with a guilty grimace as she cracked the bedroom door open enough for her to peek down the hall.
"I'm sure they have everything under control." Klaus sighed out from the bed behind her, making her glance back at his smirking face and bare chest. A duvet loosely covering him from the hips down while he leaned against the headboard with untidy hair. The drawing pad on his lap as he turned back to his sketch in an unbothered manner.
"So, you don't think they hate us?" she pressed before poking her head out the door again, chewing on her lower-lip and gripping the sheet around her body tighter. She wondered what the other inhabitants had and hadn't heard from the latest hour or so. Feeling the need to know just how embarrassed she should be about the two of them ruining the library downstairs and crashing their way up to Klaus' bedroom in a heap of unsubtle whispers and laughs.
"I heard them leave a while ago." he chimed, putting his pencil down against the pad with a sigh. "Will you come back to bed already?" he asked, bringing her to roll her eyes before closing the door. Moving towards him with a raised brow as he stowed the art supplies away.
"What, you worried the post-coital high will suddenly wear off and I'll change my mind about staying?" she teased, sitting down on the bed next to him as he gazed on her in a pout.
"Well, I certainly don't care to test it either way." he quipped, tugging at her arm and pulling her closer.
She rested her head in his lap and lied on her back in a sigh. He brushed her hair from her face and stroked her cheek with a sweet smile making his eyes sparkle. "What happens now?" she asked.
"Now…" he drawled, pursing his lips shortly as he mulled it over. "We set up for you to finally meet Hope and move you into the room I had prepared for us… Actually, we should probably utilize the apartment at the Lumiere until your sex-crazed brain finally settles down."
She hit at his chest in disbelief, earning a deep chuckle in response to her feigned outrage. "Sex-crazed!?" she repeated in a scoff. "What about your brain?"
He moved beneath her with a dark look in his eyes, pulling at the sheet covering her as he replied. "Which one?" he purred.
"And you call me hormonal." she snickered with a challenging smirk. His fingertips brushing over her, gradually revealing her skin as his touch traced the curve of her breasts. "You're the one with a one-track mind."
"The male species hasn't yet learned to master our impulse control, Caroline." he retorted with a shrug. "You should take some responsibility here. Being of the superior sex and all."
She scoffed in chock, sitting up and pulling away from his touch at once. "Oh, sure… I'm the one to blame here." she taunted, standing from the bed and letting the sheet fall in the motion. She shrugged calmly, glancing over her shoulder as she pushed on. "Why don't I just go get dressed and leave you to your pure and innocent thoughts, hm?" she countered, catching the flicker in his eyes before she walked away.
As expected, she didn't get very far. His arms caught her around the waist and pulled her back to bed swiftly. Holding her tightly against him, her giggles filling the room as he nibbled at her neck. "I think that means I win." she pointed out cheekily, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a bright smile.
"Does it now? Then how come I am the one to claime a prize?" he challenged, his hands roaming over her body as he nipped at her shoulder.
She rolled over and lied on her stomach beside him, propping her elbows up as she studied the hybrid. "What happens after we're done?" she asked gently, clarifying her earlier question. "When we save the world and kill the villains and so on… Then what?"
He turned to his side and traced her skin with his fingertips, drawing patterns over her spine as he wore a sweet expression on his face. "We can go anywhere you want, do whatever you want." he said tenderly. "We'll have eternity, Caroline. Simply ask and I shall give you the world."
"Not the galaxy then? That's pretty cheap of you." she teased, causing him to grin in reply.
"If I promise the galaxy, will you stop worrying about the future and enjoy the moment instead?" he countered, brushing hair back from her cheek as she bit her lip timidly.
"Fine." she sighed, moving to face him fully as she reached for his face. Stroking his cheek, jaw, neck. A gleeful smile taking over her features as his touch traveled across her ribs and curves. "But I do need to get my laptop." she said, earning a raised brow from him.
"Whatever for?" he asked, lining circles over her hip before tracing upwards her body again.
Her heart fluttered as he gazed on her, so lovingly and warm that she swore she felt it in her bones. "To send in my two weeks' notice." she explained, causing him to still his movements shortly before breaking out into a bright smile.
"Really?" he chimed, sighing dramatically as he pouted in disappointment. "I suppose I could spare you for a minute or two…"
She giggled at that, leaning in and pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss. "When I get back, we can toast to our future." she suggested. "Or present, whatever."
He hummed in agreement, meeting her eyes in a shared smile. "I'll fetch the champagne." he decided, cupping her cheek as he took her in one last time. "I expect you to run right back the moment you have the computer in your hands."
Kissing him gently once more, she pulled away with a content sigh and sat up straight. "Get dressed, Mikaelson. I'm not toasting to anything in the nude." she quipped, drawing out a deep smirk from him as she reached for her underwear and his discarded Henley.
She ran her fingers through her hair as she glanced back at him where he stood zipping his pants and flashing her another great smile. Making her shake her head in response as she suddenly felt like she was high on something while absorbing the incredible look in his eyes.
Walking up to her, he framed her face with his warm hands and angled her head to meet his gaze. "Remember to come right back." he crooned. "I don't want to wait another second for our life to begin."
A face-splitting grin took her over as she nodded in response, leaving a kiss to his cheek before turning away. His hand connected with her ass quickly, making her squeak in surprise before squinting at him in a half-hearted glare. He winked at her in response, causing her heart to make cartwheels in her chest as she shook her head profusely and left for her room. Convinced that she wouldn't ever be able to leave his side if she didn't right then.
The high kept coiling inside of her as she scurried through the hall happily. Reaching her room at record-setting speed as the eager pull in her chest made her hurry. Wanting to go back to that infuriatingly extraordinary man as soon as physically possible.
"Aah!" she squeaked out as the butterflies in her stomach aimed to drive her insane. Shaking her head again as she focused on finding her laptop. She was surprised to notice the balcony doors standing open, remembering having closed them before she left the room last. Walking over to them, she made sure to shut them firmly and turn the locks.
Her eyes flashed over a reflection in the glass-doors then, making her still as she depicted a dark figure standing on the other side of the room. She patted the doors shortly, as if to make sure they were properly closed, while keeping her breathing normal as she watched the shadow make its way closer. One more step, Caroline thought and waited. Until she spun around in a blur.
She grabbed the intruder by their throat and pushed them against a wall. Barely getting a good look at the person before they got out of her grip and kicked her off. Caroline stifled a grunt as she stared up at the woman before her. Her face round and hard. Her eyes as dark as her skin. For a moment, Caroline thought she recognized her. But she didn't get the time to process it fully before the woman was aiming for her again.
She thanked her training with Marcel as she managed to keep the stranger down, her head pressed to the floor as Caroline sat on top of her. The intruder bared her fangs as she hissed at the blonde. "Who are you?" she said, the question nearly leaving the younger vampire too. But before she could responde, Caroline had been flipped and pinned down by her attacker. Her dark hand keeping her throat in a tight grip. That's when Caroline realized why the woman was familiar to her and her eyes grew wide.
"Y-you're supposed to be dead." she managed to stutter out despite the chokehold. The woman leaned in close for a moment before she glanced over her shoulder in a quick move, as if having heard something from another part of the house. At that, she got up and disappeared. Leaving Caroline gasping on the floor as she stroked her throat. Her heart racing as she realized where the intruder was likely going...
"Klaus!" she yelled out in warning and ran to look for the hybrid. Coming to a stop in the middle of the courtyard where she saw him holding the woman up in the air. His bare chest such deep contrast to her as they shortly looked like a poetic depiction of darkness and light. Of good and evil.
"Isn't this an interesting surprise…" he chimed. "I am fairly certain I attended your wake, Ms. Al-Rashid."
Caroline gulped as he confirmed the intruder's identity then. Watching Aya as she merely smiled at him in response. It made Klaus' features harden as he suddenly grabbed onto one of her arms and ripped it off of her. She let out a shrill cry of pain before it turned into a cold chuckle instead. Causing the blonde to glare darkly before Aya turned back to Klaus again.
He leaned in closer to his victim and muttered threateningly in her ear. "Cooperate, and I might just leave you with some limbs still in place." he said, increasing his hold on her throat and making her grunt in pain. "How are you here?" he demanded through his teeth.
The vampire's smile simply grew at his words, making her look so crazy and bizarre as she spoke. "Magic." Aya croaked out, the attitude chocking Caroline as she couldn't understand where she got the nerve. That's when the intruding woman quickly pulled something from behind her back and drove it into Klaus' chest. Making him drop his victim and stagger backwards in result.
Reacting immediately, the blonde rushed forward and took her opening. Snapping Aya's neck and watching her body fall to the ground with a thud. Caroline's face turned into a scowl as she shook her head at the temporarily dead vampire. "Pretty foolish of her to come alone." she concluded in a snicker. "You okay?" she said while turning back to check on Klaus then, freezing as she saw him fall on his back.
"Klaus?" she gasped out as she ran to him in panic. His body convulsing in choked breaths as his eyes stared up in dread. "Klaus!?" Her gaze fell at the weapon Aya had used as it remained inside his chest, the sight of it brought her heart stop right away.
A dagger in gold, covered in a glass-like color by the edges. The combination of it causing a dreadful bell to ring in her mind as she realized what it was.
The Candle.
"Oh my god." Caroline breathed out while pulling him to her lap. His face beginning to turn grey while veins spread over his body, covering his chest and arms. "No, no... Klaus, hey? Stay with me here!" she stammered, gripping the weapon tightly and hurrying to free him of it.
Her skin sizzled and burned as she did, as if she had pressed her palms against a red-hot iron or tried to grab onto a flame. The dagger seemingly fighting back as it refused to budge from its position within the hybrid's heart. She let go of it with a groan, her hands slowly healing as she stared at the man in chock. "No… No, wait. Klaus, just hold on! Okay?" she shrieked, noting his eyes glazing over and bringing her to try again.
"Come… on…!" she yelled out when the weapon responded the same way, her will making her hold on a little longer as her arms shook from the effort. Flames licked at her skin as she gritted her teeth, feeling the dagger move just slightly. "Aargh!" she screamed as she felt close to succeeding, only for her hands to let go on their own as she fell backwards with a sharp hiss.
"Shit!" she bit out as she quickly leaned over him again, cupping his face and watching water drip on his skin. It took a moment before she understood where it came from - that she was crying. Drying off her cheeks quickly, she watched him in despair. His body frozen like stone as his eyes remained open, the empty look in them as cold as his skin. He wasn't seeing her anymore. He was...
"No no no no... Klaus!" she sobbed, holding him tightly as she shook her head as she refused to accept the thought in her mind. "What the hell did she do to you!?" she sniffled, the anger suddenly replacing the grief as she looked back at the body on the other side of the courtyard. She took in a sharp breath as she saw that it was no longer there. Aya and her detached arm had both disappeared.
Looking back to him again, she cupped his face in her hands. "Klaus!" she cried, begging him to react to her. "Don't… Please don't die. Please." she sniffled, shaking his shoulders as she desperately fought to wake him up. "Klaus, look at me! Fight back! Please!"
"Caroline?"
The blonde's eyes shot up as she stared at the man in front of her, squinting lightly as tears blurred her sight. "She did this!" she yelled as she met the chocked expressions of Elijah and Freya. Hayley appearing beside them as they all stared in chock at the scene before them.
"Who did?" Elijah demanded, making the blonde shake her head.
"Aya!" she growled, noting their lost faces as they glanced around the courtyard and found nothing to prove her claim. "She stabbed him!" Caroline yelled on in panic. "She came out of nowhere, I-I couldn't stop her! She was here… She was here!"
The three shared a nod before the Original vampire flashed away, Hayley and Freya both kneeling beside her then as they assessed Klaus' injuries together. "I can't get it out." Caroline sobbed, hating her tears as they refused to stop coming. "I-I think… Lucien, he… he did it. He used the candle." she concluded, earning another dread-filled reaction from the women in result.
"Come on, I'll try it with you." Hayley said in a firm voice, gripping the dagger and urging the vampire to do the same. They looked at each other for a short moment before they squeezed the weapon tightly and pulled. Groaning as the female hybrid's hands began to burn just like Caroline's had.
"Stop!" Freya shrieked then, causing them to break away as the witch stared at the weapon. "You can't take it out without being fatally harmed yourselves." she explained in a scowl. Raising her hands and closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and whispered a chant to herself.
"Veci vati eximo..." she murmured as she hovered over Klaus' chest. "Veci vati eximo, veci vati eximo..."
Blood started to run down the witch's face, from out of her eyes and through her nose as she desperately kept chanting. "Veci vati eximo!" she grunted out, the weapon still not leaving Klaus' body. "I... I can't..." she exhaled as she dropped her hands in a defeated sigh. "You're right, it's the candle, it's absorbing my magic... All of our magic."
"Does that mean-" Caroline sniffed as she stared up at them with wide eyes. "Is this it? Did they win? Is-is Klaus…?"
The hybrid and the witch wore a matching pair of deep scowls to mirror the dark worry in Caroline's stomach. The blonde gulped hard at their silent response, shaking her head as she wasn't sure what else to do. She bent down to wrap an arm around him, fighting a losing battle against heavy tears as the Mikaelson family ran through the building in search for Aya. In search for answers. For help... For hope.
"I'm sorry." she whispered as she watched his still face. "I'm so sorry, Klaus. I-I couldn't stop her. I couldn't protect you…" Her heart broke as she thought back to their morning on the yacht. She had promised to keep him safe. She had sworn to not let anyone use that fucking dagger on him…
Studying his grey skin with a hard gulp, the warmth he usually emanated completely gone. The cold tearing her apart as she felt it under her touch, hating it with everything she had. "You can't die, Klaus." she breathed. "You can't, you just can't…" Her voice broke as she pressed her face to his cheek, biting her lip in an attempt to stop it from trembling.
"Please come back." she murmured into his skin. Her whispering pleas filling the air as she thought she might just wake up and find out that it was all a dream. A nightmare. Dreadful and cruel... but not real. Thinking shortly that she would open her eyes and turn to see him next to her. Lean into his open arms as he soothed her back to sleep again.
Maybe, if she just waited long enough…
She stroked his face, willing him to open his eyes and tell her that it was all just a mistake. Some sick joke. To tell her that none of it was real and that he wasn't going anywhere, ever.
Because he promised.
He said he would be there.
It was the only reason for her choosing to stay, the only thing that convinced her to take a chance. On him. On them…
Wasn't it ironic? a voice said in the back of her mind, spreading venom through her blood as it taunted her coldly. How much he had worried about her leaving him…
