I have left this story hanging for too long, so forgive me if I confuse you in this chapter, but I've tried to stay true to what I had originally planned.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!
Please remember to review at the end! :)
Caroline lowered the piece of pottery to the table, and let out a long breath. It was hot, but not hot and muggy. It was hot temperature, and yet there was hardly any trace of sweat on her body. Today, they had decided to stay in the tents, and catalogue some of the artifacts they had recovered from the site.
Or at least she was trying to catalogue.
"You're worrying again."
Caroline turned her head, and smiled at Bonnie, who approached her with a soft gaze. It amazed Caroline how quickly Bonnie and Kol had adapted to this time frame with their pants and tanks and short sleeve button down shirts and boots. "It's not worry, Bonnie." She remarked, and Bonnie tilted her head to the side. Caroline rolled her eyes, and groaned, "Okay, it is worry, but not the worry you're thinking of." She added, turning from the table to the small desk, and leaned against the edge of it.
Bonnie folded her arms across her chest, and waited, but the face of her friend became easy to read. "You remember the second ceremony." She dictated, in a strong tone.
Caroline sighed, and closed her eyes. "The second and…the third," She responded, letting her head fall forward. "I dreamed last night." She added, and Bonnie slowly moved forward.
"So you know the truth, now." Bonnie remarked, lowly.
Caroline averted her eyes, and sighed. "I haven't told Klaus." She confessed, off-handedly.
Bonnie lowered her eyes, and she realized what Caroline meant. "So he doesn't know," She paused, as Caroline moved her eyes to Bonnie's.
Caroline shook her head. "No, he doesn't." She breathed out, placing her hands behind her on the edge of the desk.
Bonnie bit her bottom lip. "Caroline, this is something he needs to know." She remarked, and Caroline turned her head once again.
"How can I tell him?" She asked, absently.
Bonnie smiled, and leaned forward. "The same way he told you about Tyler." She answered, truthfully.
~XXX~
"So, how does it feel to be back among the living?" Kol asked, with a smirk.
Klaus turned his head, and glared at his brother. "I wasn't dead, Kol." He returned, firmly.
Kol pursed his lips. "I saw the dagger go into you, dear brother. I saw you die. There was death." He remarked, moving his hands around.
Klaus rolled his eyes. "I was in limbo, Kol. There's a difference." He defended, picking up the trowel, and moved the sand away in the unit they were excavating.
Kol smiled, and moved his in the same fashion. "I got to tell you though, I never imagined you would return to this world as a…what do you call yourself?" He asked, turning his body to face his brother.
Klaus sighed, and leaned back on his knees. "We are archaeologists, Kol." He responded, shaking his head. "We excavate sites that we believe has some historical value." He added, leaning forward, sliding the trowel through the dirt.
"Yet, you are 'excavating'," Kol began with a quotes made with his fingers. "A history you were a part of?" He asked, or more or less stated.
Klaus paused in mid-stroke, and leaned back. "I didn't know at the time." He defended, and turned his head to look at his brother. "Besides, if I tell anyone that I actually lived in Ancient Egypt, how will it look to the others?" He added, with a smirk.
Kol pondered that question for a moment, and finally sighed. "You'd be institutionalized." He stated with affirmation.
Klaus' eyebrows lifted, and he scoffed. "How would you know? You haven't lived this century." He mocked, and Kol shrugged.
"Just because I haven't made an appearance, doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in this world." Kol remarked, with a devilish smirk.
"I should have known." Klaus returned, throwing his head back.
Kol smiled, and chuckled as Klaus chuckled with him. His smile dimmed, and he lowered his eyes. "I haven't asked, but have you felt the change." He asked, in low tone.
Klaus sobered, and moved to sit completely on the dirt. "You mean have I felt him rise." He amended, lifting his right leg and rested his right arm on top of his knee. Lifting his eyes to his brother, he saw Kol nod his head. "I felt the air change, but I can't be sure." He answered, turning his head to the tent in the distance where Caroline was working.
Kol sighed. "Have you told her?" He asked, though part of him knew the answer.
Klaus shook his head. "No, I didn't want to worry her. She has so much on her mind as it is." He revealed, slowly, dropping his head.
Kol moved his eyes to the tent. "You can't do it alone, Nik." He remarked, gently.
Klaus nodded. "I know, and I'm not going to, but until I know for certain that Tyler has returned. I won't burden Caroline." He stated with fire in his eyes.
"She's stronger than you think, Nik." Kol spoke out, and Klaus bowed his head.
"I know, but part of me wants to protect her from it all." Klaus revealed, lowly. "No matter how strong she is, I can't lose her."
~XXX~
Caroline leaned her arms on her knees as she rested on the small bed, and closed her eyes. Memories were fickle, and despite the calm she felt when Klaus held her, she still felt unease at the truth that had revealed itself over the past few nights.
Her mind faded into a time long past, and again another memory or was it the same one? She wasn't sure.
~XXX~
"He's bonded himself to Niklaus, Bonnie. This has to be done." Caroline urgently replied, moving around temple she had come to pray, after they had escaped from the Pharaoh.
Bonnie sadly looked around them, and nodded. "You can't break the bond once it's been made." She stated, mournfully.
Caroline nodded and felt tears burn her eyes. "I know, but I can move the bond." She explained, moving behind the altar, and picked up a small object, placing it on top of the altar.
Bonnie started to shake her head. "Priestess, you can't…" She argued, reaching for Caroline's hands.
Caroline smiled through her tears, and bowed her head. "The Goddess has given me permission, and a way to move the bond from Niklaus to another object." She explained, placing her hand on her stomach. "I have to do this."
Bonnie sighed, and lowered her eyes. "If you do, then there could be a chance to…" She trailed off, and Caroline nodded.
"That's what I'm counting on." Caroline returned, and laid all the objects out on the altar. "For the future," She whispered, as a single tear trailed down her cheek, and fell into a bowl.
"A tear of true love," She began, placing some herbs in the bowl with the tear. Lifting a small vial with blood inside, she poured it in the mixture. "Blood of her love," She continued, and Bonnie swallowed. Caroline then proceeded to place few more ingredients into the bowl, and slowly stirred the combination.
Bonnie straightened, and moved her hands out. "What will you use for the Pharaoh?" She asked, as Caroline lifted a jeweled dagger, a sacrificial dagger.
Caroline lifted her eyes. "Something he will never suspect," She answered, lighting the bowl with a small fire, and recited an incantation, feeling the bond move from Niklaus and Tyler to a new object, and felt her body strengthen.
In that moment, Caroline smiled. Klaus, her love, was not bonded to Tyler.
He was bound to her.
~XXX~
Caroline lifted her eyes, and smiled. The pain of knowing he was bonded to Tyler ceased to be a memory as she remembered the ritual.
"We are bonded, Klaus." She remarked, in the silence of the tent, just as he entered.
Klaus tilted his head to the side, and caught the glimmer in her eyes. "Caroline?"
Caroline slowly stood up, and approached him. "There's something I should tell you. Something I remember from the past," She added, taking his hands in hers.
In the quiet of the tent, she told him the truth, and watched as hope filled his gaze. It was the truth they had hoped for, and wanted more than anything. It was something that affirmed their love in so many ways, as if it was possible.
She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him in an embrace that made her laugh even more as happiness filled them both.
"But Caroline," He began, pulling back, and searched her eyes. "What is he bound to now?" He asked, and she smiled, even more.
"I'll show you."
~XXX~
Kol nodded, and bowed his head. "You were right. He couldn't feel Tyler." He replied, turning to face his wife.
Bonnie nodded, and placed her hands on his chest. "That's because that bonding is no longer present." She answered, gently.
"But he believed it when they woke up." He argued, and she smiled.
"Because this was something she had to remember, Kol." Bonnie returned, matter-of-factly. "Everything in its time,"
"You know, it's all very confusing. Knowing one thing, and then finding out something completely different," Kol began, folding his arms over his chest.
Bonnie smiled, and touched his arms with her hands. "The story is never finished, Kol. You know that better than anyone." She explained, searching his eyes. "With each memory, more and more of the story is revealed. It's the ending that matters, and now, they know there is a way to defeat Tyler without Klaus giving up his soul again." She added, smiling.
Kol sighed, and unfolded his arms, and touched her face. "You're right, darling." He whispered, stroking her cheek. "Why do you have to be always right?" He asked, with fake annoyance.
She laughed, and grasped his wrists with her hands. "Because I'm a woman," She answered, and he laughed before bending his head to kiss her lips, gently.
"I see." He commented, with a laugh, and smiled even more when she joined in, before capturing her lips once more.
~XXX~
They held hands as they entered the crypt, and Klaus turned his head to look at her, asking the question in silence.
"Over there," She pointed towards the sarcophagus.
He nodded, and together they approached the place where they were supposed to lie for all eternity. "Now what?" He asked, turning his head to look at her.
Caroline swallowed, and closed her eyes. "I…" She began, and tried to focus.
Klaus sighed, and let go of her hand, moving around the empty tomb, trying to locate a sliver of information. "Perhaps, you…"
Caroline opened her eyes, and Klaus stopped in mid-sentence. Her eyes focused to the painting behind him, and slowly she walked around the tomb to stand beside him, facing the wall. Lifting her left hand, she traced the inscription underneath her image. "Isis…" She whispered, and a smile touched her face. "It's here." She exclaimed in a joyful tone. "It's here." She exclaimed again, and turned to face him.
Klaus smirked for a brief moment, before looking around them. "Okay, then where?" He asked, just as she placed her palm on the drawing of her hand, and the wall began to move. "Why am I not surprised?" He let out in a disbelief tone.
She scoffed, and lowered her hand, as the wall slide to the side, revealing a small slot, holding the daggers that had killed them nearly four thousand years ago.
"Where else would I place the weapons that could kill him?" She asked, reaching forward to grasp the jeweled daggers in her hands.
She turned to face him, and determination lined her face. "The only things that can kill him are the daggers he is bound to."
Klaus' eyes shifted from the weapons to her eyes, and felt his chest ache. "There is a downside, isn't there?" He asked, watching the light in her eyes fade, slightly. "Caroline?"
She lowered her eyes, and swallowed. "If he gets these daggers, he can kill us, forever." She explained, fear lining her voice. "But if we kill him first, then he will die not only here, but in the past, and…"
"We can be together." He finished, reaching forward to grasp her hand with his, taking one of the daggers. "What do we have to do?" He asked, and she smiled.
"Ram these daggers into that son of bitch's heart." She stated, and he smiled.
"I believe I've been a bad influence." He replied, watching her eyes spark with revenge. "But I agree with your answer." He added, securing the dagger in his hand.
She smiled, and stepped towards him. "We have to do it together, Klaus. That's the way it was meant to be."
He returned her smile, and lifted his hand to her face, caressing her cheek. "I wouldn't have it any other way, love."
She relaxed, and leaned forward to place her forehead on his, brushing his lips with hers. "Good,"
~XXX~
He watched from a distance her blonde hair shining in the sun, and he felt the lust he often felt when he looked at her. True, this was a different time, but she was as beautiful as she was four thousand years ago.
"Soon, my dear, soon you will be mine, forever."
The sun began to set in the horizon, and he smiled, but it faded when another figure emerged from the tomb he realized was hers.
"Niklaus," He cursed, and shuddered in disgust. "You will not have her this time." He added, clenching his fists at his side, and felt the wind pick up around him. "I have Ra on my side, and you will not win."
Please be kind!
Okay, I have mentioned in a previous story (Christmas Miracle) that I'm trying to wrap up some stories so new ones can come up, and I'm working on it. This one has only four chapters left, and the last one is already written, so this one is the next to be wrapped up. I'm also working on updating others, so bear with me a little while longer.
I have several new stories I'm working on, and I'm excited to get them up. Even though TVD is over, doesn't me we should stop reading and writing, does it? If there comes I time that I don't want to write, I'll let you know, but rest assured the only way I'll stop is if I stop getting support!
Next Chapter: The Curse Returns
Until Next Time...