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Chapter 5

As the sunlight slowly crept up the forest-clad mountains, slowly into the sky, and slowly filtered through the windows of a lone mansion, a certain blonde felt the light shining softly on her face.

She turned over in annoyance trying to fall back to sleep, to keep from starting another horrendous day with a certain blonde hybrid that had killed Vicki, imprisoned her father, and forced her to become his servant-oh! And now he was trying to woo her.

With a frown on her face, she angrily turned from the light and closed her eyes. But the more she thought about Niklaus, the angrier she became. And to her dismay, the angrier she became, the more awake she become, so she got angrier. Finally, with an angry grunt, she threw of the sheets and stomped to her bathroom to get ready for what would be her 2nd week as a servant to the hybrid.

Perhaps if she finished all her chores, Niklaus would let her go back to avoiding him. Even if it was unlikely, if Caroline didn't hold on to something positive, her sour mood would worsen.

She showered first, until the whole bathroom was surrounded in a warm fog. Then she dried her hair and put it in a messy bun, then put on a simple sky blue chiffon dress that flowed softly to her knees. On top of that, she put on a clean white apron, and skin colored flats.

Caroline trailed slowly down the stairs, knowing that she would have to have to cook breakfast for him. It was his standard everyday, an English toast with eggs and potatoes-and a glass of blood. And the worst part was that he insisted that she eat with him! Not only breakfast, but she had to eat with him every single meal.

At first, Caroline was furious, refusing to speak to Niklaus the entire breakfast. He would merely shrug off her hostile manner, and even offered to wash the dishes, as if it would somehow compensate for anything!

"Well good morning love!" Caroline inwardly scoffed. To think that British accent used to make her swoon.

"I'm not your love!" Caroline scoffed in reply as she set the food down on the table, and got out the silverware.

"Very well, sweetheart"

Caroline merely glared back at Niklaus, as she stabbed some potatoes and shoved them into her mouth.

"You know, you should be nicer to me. Considering you know perfectly what I am capable of" He shot a wolfish grin before sipping some blood.

"Yeah, well even if you do end me I really don't have anything to loose, do I?"

Niklaus' eyes darted away for a second as his face lost some of its mirth.

"Despite what you may think of me, I do treat what is mine rightly." He said.

"You have not let me believe otherwise, Niklaus."

He set down his fork and slowly looked up at her. "Very well," He said, opening his arms, welcoming a challenge. "Your wish is my command"

"Let me go home"

"This is your home love!" Niklaus said with a dangerous humor. He put a rough hand slowly to his chin. "Well…you could go home, but that would violate our little agreement. Wouldn't it? And then I would have to take back your dear father." He leaned forward. "But by all means, go!"

Caroline's hands clenched. "I cannot imagine what horrors you must have gone through to loose all empathy and kindness!"

"I have shown you kindness. I have given you a home. I tended to you when you were sick and feeble. How dare you undermine me?"

"I dare, because I have nothing to loose." Caroline snarled. "But the little dignity I have is obviously far more than you have, if your only means of gaining company is by force."

Caroline heard an angry roar as Niklaus effortless threw over the table. In a blink, she Niklaus very close to her, veins surrounding his now golden eyes, sharp canine teeth brandished.

"I could kill you right now, young Caroline. I could rip my teeth through your throat, and drink your blood until you have no life left, and you are left a ruined, dead, corpse."

Caroline felt her hands shake, felt the blood pounding in her ears, and she knew he felt it to. But some stubborn part of her made her look directly in his eyes.

"Do it then. Kill me."

Niklaus' lips curled. Caroline closed her eyes in anticipation as she felt the Hybrid's hot breath move closer to her neck. She felt the fangs lightly scratch her exposed neck, and waited for them to pierce her. She suddenly felt the weight lift.

"You're bluffing" Niklaus whispered dangerously into her ears. With that, he sped away to the dark depths of the castle, leaving Caroline alone to clean the mess.

For a moment in the stark silence, Caroline felt the relief, then anger. What was the point of living her, if only for an immortal Hybrid's amusement? What did he take her for? A naïve little girl.

How dare he undermine her willingness to die? How dare he reduce her act of defiance to a simple game of cowardice?

What, in this damned world did she have to live for, if she was condemned to an eternity with him!

With a rush of anger, she marched over to the kitchen and pulled out a knife. This one last of defiance was going to be for her, not him.

With one last hateful glance, and with the force of sheer will, she plunged the knife deep into her chest.

The pain was blinding, and seemed to make the world around her pulse and shake. As she saw the crimson blood spread slowly, a heavy blackness entered her vision.

"I'm not afraid to die" She whispered as her eyes fluttered, and closed.

Niklaus stormed to his room. How dare she provoke him like that! He showed a kindness and mercy to her that he rarely showed others, and yet she constantly ridiculed him, combated his efforts with snide remarks and burning glares.

A scream interrupted his angry train of thoughts. Specifically, Caroline. He sped back to the dining room. Broken plates, glasses, and silverware surrounded the cracked table, which was overturned. But it was the broken sight of Caroline that made him stop. Small hands bravely clasped the knife, which sunk deep inside her stomach. Her eyes were closed, and with horror, Niklaus could feel her fragile, human heart, slow as death approached.

All this to prove her spite against him; But Niklaus could not let her die. Some twisted part of him wanted to give this human a chance to see him beneath the years and years of hardened exterior. He desperately wanted her to look at him the way she did the day found her in his home on that stormy night.

He slowly walked to her, and Caroline's eyes slowly opened.

"So you would rather die, than spend your life within my company." Niklaus softly said, realizing the horrid truthfulness of them only when they escaped his tongue.

"Yes". Her voice was soft and weak, yet held such a courage and determination that made his eyebrows furrow in wonder.

"Do I really make your life so horrible; so hopeless that you truly believe you have nothing worth living for?"

He heard her voice hitch, whether it was from hesitation, or whether it was from the coming death. He desperately hoped it was the first.

"I have nothing here for me. Nothing at my village." She began to chuckle bitterly, but winced in pain. "They think me a fool…You think me an idiot, too…I have freed my father…" Caroline took a deep, breath of air. "I have served my purpose."

"But you truly, do not want to die, do you? To simply cease to exist?" Niklaus whispered softly, and knelt down in front of her frail body.

"Just…let…me die…in peace." Caroline managed to say, then took another breath.

"If you truly believe that your existence has no meaning, if your life has no worth…" Klaus started, looking at her fading eyes. "I have thought about it once or twice, over the centuries." He admitted. He leaned closer.

"But there's a whole world, out there. Great cities, music, art and culture," Niklaus remembered Caroline's bright smile, her burning determination, her selflessness to her father. "Genuine beauty" He said, honestly.

"And you could have it all, if you choose to."

He could see tears coming out of Caroline's eyes, trailing down the soft curve of her cheek, and down her small chin.

"I don't want to die" She admitted softly.

Niklaus carefully picked her up, then rushed her to the couch nearby, and sat her carefully down on top of him, so her delicate head rested on the crook of his neck.

"Then live, Caroline." He felt his fangs protrude and he bit his wrist so that crimson drop ran down his arm. "Drink"

He brought his wrist to her lips, and then felt her begin to take in the blood. Niklaus let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and as she brought her arm closer to her still, he softly stroked her soft hair, resting his chin on her head.

They stayed that way, hours later, when she was done drinking his blood. He felt her heart rate increase back to normal, and breath come back as he cradled her delicate frame. She leaned back towards him and seemed to unconsciously snuggle closer to the man that drove her to take her life. Niklaus felt her eyes close, and slowly drift to sleep.

In the comfort that he had forgotten existed, he let himself drift away to slumber, still cradling the girl that had so miraculously captured his attention.

The next morning, Caroline awoke in her room, surprised to find the knife gone from her chest, though crimson bloodstains stood as a reminder of what had happened. She absentmindedly touched her lips. Had he really saved her?

She remembered what he had said to her; a whole world waiting for her, with so much to offer. She remembered how softly he had spoken to her, with such a sincere empathy she didn't know he was capable of.

How could such a vile man be so gentle?

"I suppose you would want to change out of those clothes." Niklaus said, walking through the door. He gestured to the bath room. He stepped carefully and unsurely, as if afraid of how she would act.

Caroline thought it ironic that a fearless hybrid that lived for who knows how long, would act so…vulnerable. And suddenly, Caroline wanted to desperately believe that this was not an act that perhaps, perhaps, beneath his hard exterior was someone else.

"I'll leave you to it then." Klaus briskly said, seeming to have forgotten about last night's incident all together. He walked across the room when her gently voice stopped him.

"Niklaus, wait…" He turned around sharply, wondering what she could possibly say. Her mouth opened and closed, unsure whether she should speak at all. Her mouth opened again.

"Thank you. Thank you…for saving my life." Their eyes met, Caroline's lips lightly pursed as Niklaus stiffened. He simply nodded in response before speeding out of the room, leaving a conflicted Caroline in his wake.

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