Final part of 'Losing Your Memory'.

It's mid-October, and the air is chilly enough that Caroline has to tighten the brown crop jacket that she's wearing around her shoulders as she huffs.

"Bekah," she starts as she keeps on following behind her friend. "Could you please tell me where the hell you're bringing me, already?"

"Nope," the other blonde immediately replies, popping the 'p' with her quip and flipping her long hair behind her back with effortless grace and confidence.

Caroline narrows her eyes at her friend, gritting her teeth together in annoyance.

"We've been walking for over ten minutes," she points out, looking at the brown and green trees around them, the fallen leaves and branches and the little, flying birds.

Rebekah rolls her eyes with a smirk. "So?"

"So—I'm starting to think that you're leading me to the middle of the woods to murder me."

This time, the Brit actually laughs.

"We're following an illuminated, paved path," she answers, stressing every word as she turns around to raise an amused eyebrow at her friend. "Are you sure the accident didn't actually leave you with some brain damage?"

"Ah-ah. You're so funny, Bekah," Caroline mocks, pausing for a moment before sighing in exasperation. "I just don't understand why you insisted on me dressing up if you just wanted to go sightseeing."

Rebekah scoffs. "Sightseeing? In Mystic Falls?" she repeats, a mixture of incredulity and disgust evident in her tone. "There's not a thing worth seeing in this freaky town. Well," she pauses for a moment, as if pondering something, "except for my family's mansion, I suppose."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline shakes her head, although a small smile still reaches her lips.

"Modest as always."

"It's a Mikaelson family trait, so I'd worry about your kids if I were you."

Caroline immediately blushes at the obvious insinuation, her cheeks flaring an embarrassed red. "Shut up," she mumbles under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest as she lowers her eyes to her feet.

In front of her, Rebekah simply laughs wholeheartedly, enjoying the fact that she's again able to joke around with her best friend like this. The first, long and silent weeks right after Caroline's accident are still fresh in her mind, and she's determined to never take the other blonde's friendship for granted from now on. She has missed her way too much.

As they keep on walking in silence, Caroline's mind can't help but wander to Klaus. Since their not-so-first kiss, a few weeks ago, they started to 'officially date', and things were going extremely well, so much more than Caroline could have ever dreamed of. It seemed such a cliché to say it, but it was true—being with Klaus felt so different from her previous boyfriends, in all the best ways. He was caring with her, but also smug and confident when the situation called for it. That, in itself, wasn't too much of a difference from her previous relationships, but what really made what she had with Klaus special was the fact that it felt so much more real. It didn't feel like the typical relationship between two teenagers, no, it was still lighthearted and sweet and innocent in some ways, but it felt a lot more mature, a lot more serious, and, for some reason, that thought didn't scare her.

Oh, how things change.

A small, shy smile graces her lips as she recalls the kisses that they have shared, as she recalls the way in which he always manages to make her feel so incredibly cherished and important. It's a feeling that—she already knows—she never wants to have to live without. Even if she doesn't have her whole memory back yet, just snippets of this and that thing, she doesn't need it to know just how important Klaus is to her. Yes—she would absolutely love to be able to remember all their time together again, but the fact that Klaus managed to woo her not once, but twice, means so much more.

"Are you still with me?" Rebekah's voice suddenly cuts through her reveries, bringing her attention back to the present.

"Uh?"

The Brit shakes her with a small smile. "I just wanted you to know that we have almost arrived."

"Oh. Good."

"Yup. We're just about... here."

Caroline's breath catches in her throat as she raises her eyes and takes in the beautiful sight before her.

There's a small clearing in the middle of the woods, much like the one where she remembers that her and Klaus have had their first date at, but this time there's so much more adorning it than a simple tablecloth and a few picnic baskets. There are lit candles everywhere, their flames softly swaying to the wind and giving the whole place a perfect, suffused atmosphere. A table is elegantly set a few meters away from her, glasses and plates and food ready and waiting. She's in complete awe, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted.

"Do you like it?"

She immediately turns around to see a slightly nervous looking Klaus at her side, where Rebekah used to be just a few moments before. He's wearing a tux and looks as handsome as ever.

"Did you do this?" she asks in an awed whisper, gesturing to the arrangements in front of them.

Klaus simply smiles in answer, offering her his hand, which she gladly takes.

"Today marks a month since you've been dismissed from the hospital, and agreed to give me a second chance," he explains as he leads her towards the table and then gently pulls her chair out for her. "I thought it deserved to be celebrated."

Caroline sits down, biting on her bottom lip and nodding as a genuine smile curves her lips.

"Thank you."

"Everything for you, love," he simply says, lowering down to her level to lay a sweet, simple kiss on her lips.

They share an intense, meaningful look before Klaus sits down as well, occupying the chair just next to hers.

They talk and hold hands and softly kiss throughout the whole duration of their date, simply loving to be in each other's company. This peace and quiet is not something that they get to enjoy very often, what with being around Klaus' siblings most of the time that Caroline is over at his place, which is basically several hours every day. They will need to go back to college in a few weeks' time, so every little second that they get to spend all alone is more than welcome.

When they're finally finished, Klaus stands up and offers her his hand again.

"Dance with me."

Caroline giggles. "There's no music!"

In response, he simply gives her a pointed look, eyebrows raised and smirk in place, as if to say 'so what?'.

With a slight roll of her eyes, Caroline eventually takes his proffered hand, allowing him to help her up from her chair and lead her to the middle of the spacious clearing.

He wraps his arms around her waist, bringing her body as close to his as he possibly can, her cheek resting against his chest, her eyes blissfully closed and her hands gently gripping his forearms as they sway to a melody known to no one but the two of them.

It all feels surreal. And if it weren't so damn romantic, Caroline would probably be laughing at how cheesy the situation really is. But she just can't bring herself to. Everything about this moment—about every moment that she spends with Klaus, really—feels absolutely perfect. She can't even comprehend how it can actually be possible, to feel this happy and loved, but, somehow, it is. It's not like they don't still have their little spats and disagreements from time to time, their relationship is not by any means a fairytale, but there's just something that completely clicks when they're together, and she is absolutely sure that she will never be able to find it with anybody else but him. She doesn't want to. Because he is the only one she wants, the only one she will always want.

As the realization suddenly hits her, she gasps, stopping her movements and slightly drawing back from him.

"Love, are you okay?" he immediately asks, eyebrows knitting together as he looks down at her in worry and confusion, his right hand finding the curve of her cheek and caressing it lovingly.

"I love you," she blurts out before she can even think about what it is that she's saying, and the words surprise her as much as they surprise Klaus.

She immediately brings one hand up to cover her mouth, and her widened eyes mirror his.

Klaus gulps, feeling his heart frantically beating underneath his ribcage. He has to clear his throat a couple of times before he can actually find his voice again.

"Did... did you remember something?" he asks slowly, almost hesitantly, his tone insecure. She must have remembered something, that is the only way that she could ever–

Caroline shakes her head, taking a deep breath. She lowers her hand from her face only to bring it up to his cheek, delicately caressing his light stubble. With a smile, she answers.

"I don't need to."

Klaus' eyes immediately soften, and he releases a sigh of relief that he didn't even know he was holding. He bends down until his forehead is resting against hers.

"I love you, too," he says, his smile as genuine and as beaming as hers.

She already knew he did, he had told her—well, yelled at her—that day at the hospital, but it still feels reassuring to hear him say it again. It's never only been about her remembering him, but also about him accepting that maybe she would never completely be the exact same person again.

They look at each other intently for what feels like an eternity, all smiles and shining eyes, until they suddenly both release a relieved laughter, tightening their hold on each other and moving closer until the sound dies on their lips as they meet, fusing together and becoming one.

Maybe Caroline would never again remember their third date, or the first time that they fought, or bought ice-cream together, or had dinner with her father, but the past is just that—the past. They're together now, they have all the time in the world in front of them, and he's more than willing to help her make new memories.