Disclaimer: I do Not own Vampire Diaries, only in my fan girl dreams :)
Chapter 3: The Light will shine.
The bar held its breath as Klaus brought his wrist to his lips and bit down on it until it bled. Without bothering to look at the bewildered looks he was getting he pressed his bloodied wrist to the girl's mouth and prayed she would feed.
Elena had stepped back to allow him room, but she too couldn't utter a single word.
"C'mon, wake up Caroline." The urgency in his voice was as clear as crystal and it rung around the dead room.
He couldn't bare it, though he had tried, to watch the light leave her eyes. He just couldn't be the reason for her death, no matter how badly he wished he could.
As if commanded by his voice Caroline's Vampire teeth slipped past her gums and sunk deeply into Klaus's wrist where she began to ferociously feed.
Her friends let out a steady breath and Elena began to cry even harder. She was alive.
Caroline didn't know where she was only that she was weak and right now there was warm, delicious, blood pouring down her throat coating her core.
On instinct her hand reached up and pulled the wrist closer to her, clawing at the fabric of her saviour's shirt with the little strength that she had. She groaned.
Klaus watched with growing calm as the girl was slowly brought back to life, well Vampire life, knowing that she was going to smile another day made his chest feel all that much lighter. He hadn't meant to save her. He really hadn't. But at that last second when her eyes met his and she looked back with un-relentless understanding, she didn't blame him. How could he let her die?
"That's enough now, anymore and you'll have me dry." Klaus said alerting Caroline to his presence. She dragged her eyes up to his face, though her teeth were still sunk into his skin, and froze. Her grip on his arm fell loose as all memory of what had passed came flying back to her. She pulled back from his wrist, retracting her fangs while doing so and touched her stomach.
She was still in Damon's arms; she was still in the disgusting bar: but she was alive!
"Klaus..." Her voice was nothing but a whisper in the night yet it broke though the silence like thunder. There was no doubt now. The merciless King just saved this wandering baby Vampire.
Klaus smirked back at her his eyes glinting, the first words that she could utter were his name after all, and this made him happier than it should.
"You really have no luck when it comes to Werewolf's." He said shaking his head. The listeners all couldn't believe the turn of events, not even the small group of friends who had come here to see these results. They hadn't actually believed it would happen.
"Luck has nothing to do with it. The last two times were your fault, one being your teeth that took a chunk out of my neck." She replied unable to stop the familiar banter from leaving her mouth.
Damon stiffened readying himself to throw Caroline out of Klaus's way when he snapped. But he didn't. He just cocked an eye brow and raised his palms.
"But I healed you every time." Klaus said a softness touching his eyes before he quickly clouded it with a cold steely look.
But that look had been there, they had all seen it and none more than Caroline. She shivered uncontrollably at the emotion flooded her system.
No, Caroline.
Her thoughts rang around her head in a clear warning: that was a dangerous path she was about to cross.
"Now, I believe it is time for you all to leave." He looked around the bar at the listeners and glared pointedly. They all scampered away at once; after all they had learned plenty of new things in the time they had been allowed to stay.
Damon whistled lowly muttering 'whipped' under his breath earning a pointed glare from his brother.
Klaus gestured for the remaining party to follow him to the bar, though the big Vampire was told to stay at the door, ignoring the sibling exchange. Damon sat Caroline onto her wobbly feet and allowed Elena to steady her and help her unto a bar stool, she still looked so weak.
"Please order what you wish." Klaus said in his usual calm voice and took one of the bar stools, Damon slipped cautiously onto the one beside him, then Elena, Caroline and lastly Stefan. It was extremely awkward.
The barmaid, a young Vampire in her late twenties smiled down at them waiting for their command. Caroline couldn't find the energy to mark anything about her other than the fact that she was a 'she.'
"Scotch," Damon said sounded very dazed by the whole situation.
"Same," Stefan murmured his tone thoughtful. He had been very silent through this whole ordeal.
"Beer please," Elena rasped her eyes flickering worriedly down at Klaus as if she was waiting for him to shout 'psych!'
The barmaid smiled and looked expectantly down at Caroline.
Caroline was slumped against the bar the dull pain in her stomach still there but receding, nothing but a bitter memory now.
"Vodka: neat." She huffed out pushing herself to sit straighter.
"And a bourbon for me Anne," Klaus murmured his attention fixed on the blonde a few seats down.
The woman fluttered in an instant and as if conjured their drinks were in front of them.
"Talk about service," Caroline muttered downing her glass the second it reached her hands the bitter taste only lingering for a moment as the taste of Klaus's blood overpowered everything else. Damon chuckled and sipped at his own drink while Elena watched Caroline with worry, she wished she wouldn't.
"Now, pray tell, what happened to get you into such a state?" Klaus asked not looking up from the amber liquid in his glass but they all knew whom he spoke to.
"I was hunting and a hunter shot me, ironic really." Caroline replied into the awkward atmosphere taking his lead and not looking at him.
She was afraid that if she did the wave of emotions that were threatening to crash down at any second would fall a lot sooner than she could imagine.
"And where have you been hiding all this time?" His tone had changed. There was an underlying hint of anger and a touch of bitterness.
"We never stay in one place for too long, so all over." Caroline answered, she knew it wasn't what he was looking for but it was what he was getting. She began to tap a foreign rhythm onto the counter to counter the silence.
He stopped turning his glass in his hand for a split second, just long enough to remember to drink from it and sighed.
"Then you had better be returning. It was lovely seeing you all again but I have business to attend to." He downed the rest of his glass and pushed away from the bar.
Caroline couldn't work up the nerve to look at him.
"Klaus, would you object to us staying in town: for a while." Stefan asked swivelling in his char to look at Klaus who had stopped mid stride.
It seemed that the youngest Salvatore brother had been thinking wholeheartedly about this. He thought this was the best decision for all of them, this town was safe. No one dared disrupt the rules of New Orleans. Everyone new that. But not everyone got to live in New Orleans.
Damon's back became rigid and he looked angrily at his brother. What the hell was he thinking?
Despite herself, Caroline looked up at Klaus who wore a mask of indifference and coldness. She couldn't deny that this place would be the safest place they could ever live, but none of them had ever voiced these thoughts out loud before. They didn't want to upset her. Ha. She thought bitterly, she didn't mind that this man acted like she was never there, she didn't mind that he nearly let her die. No. She didn't mind.
"Ah, I'm not too sure that there is any accommodation. The hotels are fully booked since this trifling new war has broken out." Klaus said flicking his hand and sighing like this distressed him greatly. Caroline scoffed. His eyes narrowed a fraction but he made it seem like he hadn't hear, though the smile the barmaid had on her lips meant that every other Vampire had heard too.
"But, I'm sure I have some spare rooms at my own home, Stefan. If you wish to stay for a while." Klaus looked at the group and held back his grin at the look of shock on their faces. Even dear Caroline lost the battle to hide the surprise from her eyes.
Stefan nodded curtly and looked back at his friends the message was clear: what will we do?
Elena looked at Klaus her mind whizzing at the possibilities of living in a town of near peace. Well as near as peace you can get with the Big Bad Original ruling the town. She gripped Damon's arm and nodded earnestly. No matter what this was their best bet.
If they lived here they could start again and be a proper family. As proper and as dysfunctional as before.
As soon as Elena's mind was made up so was Damon's.
Caroline looked at Klaus her eyes narrowing and her lips pressing into a tight line.
"So what about it, love?" Ah, there it is. The term of endearment he let slip by pure accident. The term he had kept for her over the years.
Her gaze softened, ever so slightly, and she sighed in defeat.
"Yes, I suppose so."
A/N
Just a short thanks for the reviews and the reads guys, this is my first fanfic so I was a litte unsure of it's reception, but thank you!I'm glad I started posting :)