I walked down the empty graduation stage as I listened to faint owls and crickets in the distance, my thoughts drifting to Klaus. He had just shown up right before I was about to die. He was like one of those fantasy heroes in the movies, but this was real. He killed the witch I had killed without blinking, and with a graduation cap! It was disturbing yet comforting, having someone like him to protect me.

I grabbed a box and started packing things away, trying to not read to much into it. I mean, he would of sticked around if he came here for me, right? He was already gone. He probably had unfinished business to take care of with Rebekah or something and just happened to show up at the right time. I huffed as I brushed my hair behind my ear and duct-taped the last remaining box shut.

I was officially free of school, yet I had no idea what to do in this world. There was all eternity, as Klaus said the night he saved me.

No.

I need to stop thinking about him.

I took one last look at the stage and gave a small smile as I mentally said goodbye. I turned to leave and ran smack right into another body.

"Caroline." Klaus said with a smirk.

"..Klaus?" I said not being able to hide the shock in my voice. He had stayed.

"Do I look that different already love? It's only been a week or so."

"No it's just.. nevermind. Why are you still here?" I said, shaking my head at even thinking of brining up the Silas situation. He scanned my face, staring straight into my eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"He got into your head, didn't he?" He said looking down. I gulped at how he could read me so easily.

"It's not that big of a d-" I began before he cut me off.

"Don't say it's not because it is. Silas is dangerous, Caroline." Klaus said seriously, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah well I figured that out when he shoved me down a flight of stairs and nearly killed my mother." I said annoyed at the memory.

"He's a dead man." Klaus said as the rage built inside him.

"It's fine now, I promise." I said giving him a reassuring smile. "So why are you still here? Don't you got a new life in New Orleans you need to rush back to?" I said trying not to sound hurt at how he had left so suddenly.

"Well.." he began, pulling my graduation invitation out of the inside of his suit, "I had received this graduation invitation in the mail and wasn't planning on missing the big day of my only friend." He said with a small smile. I blushed at how he referred to me as his only friend. It made me feel one of a kind.

"I got you something." He said getting excited as he pulled a black box out of his pants. I grabbed it and my fingers brushed his in the process. I quickly opened it and let out a tiny gasp at the bracelet he had given me the night he saved me. I always secretly wanted it back, it reminded me of him. It was also breath taking.

"Thank you." I said smiling and handing it back to him, and then extending my arm. "Would you mind.. putting it on for me?" I said hesitantly.

"Of course."

His hands brushed my wrist as he clicked the two sides together, letting the beautiful bracelet now hang on my wrist. It sparkled so bright it could blind someone.

"You know, that wasn't the original gift I was going to give you.." He said, biting his lip in hesitation.

"You don't say?" I said curiously.

"I had actually bought you a first class ticket to come visit me in New Orleans.. but I knew what your answer would be.." He trailed off.

"Yes?"

"What?" He said confused.

"My answer would be yes." I said and watched his face light up like I had never seen.

"What made you want to..?" He said not being able to stop the smile on his face.

"The first rule of truly living, do the thing you're most afraid of.." I said, quoting something I heard Rebekah say before.

"You're afraid of New Orleans?" He said somewhat lost.

"No, I'm afraid of you. I'm having deja-vu because I told this to Silas thinking it was you.. he had invited me to New Orleans and asked me what I was afraid of when I didn't give him an answer. And I confessed I was afraid of you."

"Then what?" Klaus said curious to get as much information on what I had confessed to Silas.

"It doesn't matter." I said shaking my head at the memory, as the line about having my perfect feathers ruffled were on a constant loop in my head. He squinted his eyes, trying to read me again.

"It's funny - this little thing we have. I've always been very, open perhaps I would say, on my feelings towards you. And this whole time, you've been denying it, and you're telling me - the one time you confess how you truly feel about me is towards Silas pretending to be me? And you can't even relay the conversation to me?" He said laughing at the irony.

"I'm sorry Klaus," I began, grabbing his hand. "It's just, really hard for me. What he said hit me pretty hard."

"Well, go on." Klaus said.

"After I said that I was afraid of you, he said 'Wouldn't it be more accurate, to say, you're afraid of your darkest desires?"

"You desire me." Klaus said smirking at the words.

"No!" I said slapping his chest playfully. "This is why I didn't want to tell you, it's embarrassing."

"I appreciate you telling me this, Caroline. I truly do." He said seriously, his gaze never leaving mine.

"Yeah, well.. today it hit me that I have all eternity to do whatever I want. It's funny, the only thing that came to mind was all the times you offered to show me the world. My friends can never give that to me, they want to stay near Mystic Falls. I don't want to though.."

"Then don't. Let's do it, together, let's go on a journey." He said as his smile grew wider.

"A journey? What about New Orleans?" I asked.

"New Orleans could be our last stop. Elijah has everything under control there for now.. we can at least head to Rome for a while." He said rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand, still holding it. I gulped as my cheeks turned a dark shade of pink.

"As friends?" I asked.

"As friends." He repeated.

"Well, we should get out of here before those pesky hybrids I slaughtered come after me, or worse, you."

"Why would they come after me?"

"They probably see you as a weakness to me."

I raised my eyebrow at how Klaus basically just admitted I was his weakness. He was making it really hard to surpress any feelings I had towards him.

And this was only the beginning.