I am amazed at how many of you are enjoying this story! I will try to live up to your expectations for this story.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH! :)
Please remember to review at the end! :)
Caroline rode until she couldn't anymore, and pulled back on her mare's reins to slow to a walk. Her anger boiled down to a simmer, and she wanted nothing more than to erase the words that were said a few moments ago.
Climbing down off her horse, after stopping her, she led her down into a meadow that lay just below the mountains. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered when her mother brought her here to engage in the beauty and simplicity of the mountains.
"Nature is created not made, Caroline." Liz had said, softly. "And if we don't preserve it, then it's lost forever."
Caroline smiled, and bowed her head. She wanted so much to protect what her mother had sacrificed so much for. Her mother had arrived in Montana ten years before Caroline was born, and had strived to make ends meet.
That's when the Mikaelson's entered the picture. Esther Mikaelson had been the sweetest woman, Caroline had ever known, and her mom's closest friend.
It was Esther, who taught Liz how run a ranch, and gave her the money to start, even though she had none to give. It wasn't until a couple of years later, when Liz's ranch had taken off that she met Bill Forbes. Esther had warned her not to trust him, but Liz followed her heart, and married him. Only after Caroline was born, did Liz see his true colors. He never cared about her, only the ranch. It didn't take long for Liz, with the help of Esther, to force Bill to leave, forever.
Liz always told Caroline that sometimes the heart will betray you, but other times, it can be the best thing you will ever experience.
Caroline scoffed as she remembered that conversation. She had been ten when her mother had told her the truth, and warned her about giving her heart so easily to a man she barely knew.
When Caroline had graduated high school, she had applied to college, at the University, and studied there for four years, earning a degree in business and, her favorite, music. During that time, her mother had called, and informed her of the sad news.
Esther Mikaelson had passed away.
Caroline had drove the nearly two hundred miles to get to her mother, and to repay her condolences. When she had made it there, she had went with her mother to the Mikaelson ranch, and her heart leapt in her chest.
Caroline closed her eyes as she remembered that day, the day that had changed her life. She couldn't stop the smile on her lips as she remembered walking into the house with her mother at her side, and met with the Esther's children. One in particular made her stop, and time itself stopped around her. He was gorgeous with a scruffy face, and piercing blue eyes. The moment her hand had touched his, she felt the spark she had dreamed about for so long.
His name was Niklaus Mikaelson, and she had fallen in love.
Caroline shook her head out of her memories, and rolled her eyes when she heard her name being called behind her.
"Leave me alone, Mikaelson!" She shouted, turning to see him, hop down from his black stallion, with a slight stagger in his step, and walked towards her.
Klaus shook his head, and cringed, lightly as the pain in his leg increased. "No, not until we finish our little conversation." He stated, stopping a few feet from her.
She shook her head, and folded her arms over her chest. "I think me riding away, ended that talk, Klaus." She stated, narrowing her eyes.
He shook his head as a scowl appeared on his face. "Caroline, I made the offer to repay the kindness your mother showed me." He stated, glaring at her.
Caroline turned her head away, and shook it with disbelief. "No, you made the offer to get a hand on my ranch, Mikaelson." She stated, jerking her head towards him.
He stepped closer to her, and glared into her eyes. "Your mother helped me out when no one else would, and I believe she would want the same for you." He stated, holding her eyes.
She felt her resolve weaken as his eyes…his familiar eyes…searched hers. She wanted to give, or at least a small part of her did, but she couldn't. Her mother taught her that strength resided in doing it for yourself, and not relying on others to do it for you, and she stood by that code.
"I know she helped your ranch, Klaus, but she was paying back the debt that was owed by your mother." She whispered her voice shaking as she remembered.
Klaus bit down the lump in throat, and turned his head. He wanted to tell her it was more than that, but how could he?
Caroline backed up, and walked away from him, from the feelings she hated to have around him.
"Why do you always walk away from me, Caroline?" He called out, stopping her in her tracks.
She inhaled deeply, and whirled around, to face him, head on. "You walked away from me, remember?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
Klaus frowned, and felt his heart still in his chest. "Caroline…I…"
She shook her head, and lifted her hands. "Save your breathe, Klaus." She stated her eyes cold and distant. "I'm not going to accept your proposal, because I want nothing to do with you and your so-called heart, which we both know you don't have." She added, shaking her head.
Klaus narrowed his eyes, and stepped closer to her. He opened his mouth to say differently, but she beat him to it.
"You lost it when Esther died, and I was a fool then to believe you still had it, but I won't be tricked into believing it now." She remarked, pushing passed him towards her mare.
Klaus bit his tongue, and reached out to grab her upper arm, stopping her from going further. "That's what this is all about?" He asked, holding her eyes. "You think I turned you down that day because I had turned all emotions off after my mother died?" He asked, though she read it as a statement. "Caroline, I was hurt, yes, by mother's death, but I didn't shut off my emotions." He stated, holding her eyes.
She scoffed, and jerked her arm out of his grip, and stepped back. "You'll say anything to get back what you lost." She stated, reaching for her mare. "Well, here's a news flash for you, Niklaus Mikaelson, it will be a cold day in hell before you get it back." She added, climbing on her mare.
Klaus frowned as she turned her mare around, and glanced back towards him. He started to step towards her, but the pain in his leg began to worsen, and his vision began to darken. Shaking his head, he felt his body fall, and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he shouldn't have followed her without tying off that wound.
Caroline felt her heart stop as he collapsed on the meadow floor. She might have said she hated him, but she never wished him to get hurt. Climbing off her mare, she rushed towards him, her hat flying off, and knelt down beside him. She surveyed the damage, and groaned when she spotted his right leg covered in blood, and her heart twisted in her chest.
She had hurt him.
~XXX~
Hours later, Klaus slowly opened his eyes, and sighed as he looked around the room he was in, and groaned as he sat up, the sheet around him, falling to his waist. He looked down, and noticed he was stripped to his briefs, and his leg had been wrapped in a bandage.
Suddenly, the conversation he had, had a few hours before flashed in his mind, and he wondered who had found him, because he knew for certain that she wouldn't have.
The door opened, and the object of his thoughts entered with a tray in her hands. "I heard you groan, so I figured now would be a good time to change your bandage." She stated, walking over to his right side.
"You brought me to your ranch?" He asked, watching her nod.
"You needed medical attention, Klaus, and yours was too far to ride to, so I brought you here." Caroline remarked, not adding that she had to bring him here because it was her fault. "Stefan called Rebekah, and told her that you were here, so she wouldn't worry." She added, removing the bandage, and tried not to smile when he hissed as the bandage pulled a few of the stitches she had placed in his leg.
"Why are you doing this when you hate me?" He asked, watching her move her hand, gently around his wound.
She shrugged her shoulders, but didn't lift her eyes to his. "Well, if I didn't, mother would come back to haunt me." She stated, hearing him laugh.
"Well, well, Forbes, who knew you, had a sense of humor?" He remarked, watching her roll her eyes, but a smile tugged on her lips. "I do believe that's a smile." He whispered, leaning over, slightly.
She scoffed, and the smile faded from her face. "Dream on, Mikaelson." She stated, shaking her head.
He smirked, and watched as she cleaned his wound, and checked the stitches before backing away.
"You should leave that open for now." She stated, standing up, and picked up the tray.
Klaus smirked, once again, and nodded. "Where are my clothes?" He asked, looking around, before settling his gaze on her.
She motioned her head towards the door. "They're in the machine. I had Bonnie wash them for you. Hopefully, the blood stain will come out of your jeans." She added, moving towards the door.
"When will they be ready? I need to get back to my ranch." He asked, looking around.
Caroline inhaled deeply, and slowly turned around. The words she said next left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. "You're staying here tonight, Klaus." She stated, watching his eyebrows lift at the suggestion. She shook her head, and scoffed. "Get your head out of the gutter, Mikaelson." She remarked, moving towards the door. "You're staying here because you lost a lot of blood, and you need to rest, that's all." She added, throwing a look towards him.
Klaus pursed his lips, and nodded, though he hated the idea of being away from his ranch, even for a night. "Can I at least call my sister, so she won't worry?" He asked, watching her motion to the phone next to his bed.
"Feel free." She stated, opening the door, and stepped through the threshold.
"One more thing, Caroline," He called, causing her to sigh with aggravation. "Who undressed me?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. "And did you like what you saw?" He asked when her face turned scarlet.
She opened her mouth, and quickly closed it. She growled, and slammed the door behind her, closing her eyes as she heard him laugh on the other side. "You do one good thing, Caroline, and he still acts like an ass." She muttered, shaking her head as she walked on.
~XXX~
Klaus chuckled, and picked up the phone beside his bed, hating that he didn't bring his cell phone with him, but when he went out riding this morning, he didn't intend to run into her or get hurt.
Dialing the number to his ranch, he sighed as a familiar voice answered the phone with worry in her tone.
"Rebekah, love, it's me." He remarked, pulling the phone away from his ear as she spat at him.
"What the hell, Nik? Are trying to send me to an early grave?!" She shouted, on the other end.
"Relax, Rebekah, I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He said, glancing at his leg.
"Just a scratch?!" She shouted, causing him to pull the phone away from his ear again. "Nik, if it was just a scratch, you wouldn't have to stay there overnight. You'd be home with your family." She added, with a touch of sadness.
He sighed, and closed his eyes. "I know, and I'm sorry, Rebekah." He whispered, knowing how much she hated staying at the ranch alone.
"How did it happen?" She asked, worriedly.
He shook his head, and leaned it against the back board. "I ran into her." He whispered, though Rebekah heard him. "I provoked her, and…"
Rebekah hummed, and he could just see her shaking her head. "Nik, I thought we agreed to take it slow." She whispered, as though someone might be listening.
He sighed, and bowed his head. "I know, Rebekah, but…"
"I know…I know." She whispered, and he could picture her eyes rolling. "Look, just rest, okay, I'll come by to pick you up tomorrow, okay?" She asked at the last bit, and he smiled.
"Okay, are you going to be alright?" He asked, softly, listening to the door open, but ignored it.
"I'll…be fine, Nik." She answered, hesitantly. "I'll ask Regina to stay with me tonight." She added, thinking of the elderly housekeeper, who had become like a mother to them.
Klaus smiled, and nodded. "Tell her, she'll see a rise in her paycheck if she does." He remarked, lifting his eyes to find Caroline standing in front of him with a tray of food in her hands.
"Will do, Nik, see you tomorrow. Love you." Rebekah called, somewhat sadly.
"Love you." He returned, ignoring Caroline's rise of her brows, and hung up the phone. "Aw, did you bring me food, love?" He asked, watching her roll her eyes.
"It's amazing that you are still the same man from a minute ago." She stated, shaking her head. "Why can't you act like you do with your sister?" She asked, smirking as she glared at him.
He smiled, and shook his head. "My sister is special, Caroline." He whispered, reaching for the tray as she handed it to him.
She nodded, and bowed her head. "I know, Klaus." She whispered, lifting her eyes to his.
He sighed, and moved his eyes over the food.
She rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "It's not poisoned, Mikaelson." She stated, firmly. "Bonnie wouldn't let me." She added, with mild disappointment, though the gleam in her eyes told him, she was joking.
He chuckled, and shook his head. "Remind me to thank her later." He whispered, moving his fork around the vegetables on his plate.
She shook her head, and folded her arms over her chest.
He sighed, and lifted his eyes to hers. "Something on your mind, love?" He asked, watching her eyes spark at the nickname reserved only for her and his sister.
"I'm not your love, Klaus." She stated, shaking her head. "And this does not change anything." She added, firmly.
He pursed his lips together, and slowly nodded. "Is that rancher Caroline talking or the hurt one?" He asked, lifting his eyes to hers.
She swallowed, and backed up. "Just make sure that you're gone by morning." She stated, shaking her head.
He moved the tray to the table, and reached for her hand. Taking her hand, he pulled her across his lap. She cried out, and struggled against his hold, placing her hand on his bare chest.
"Caroline, if you don't stop squirming, you're going to have what you wanted five years ago." He whispered, causing her stop.
She swallowed, and lifted her eyes to his, only to feel the tension she had longed wished would go away. "Let me go, Mikaelson." She stated, firmly pushing at his chest, hating the burn of his skin against her hands.
He shook his head, and lifted his left hand to her face. "Caroline," He whispered, causing her to stop moving, and still at the tone of his voice.
Her body burned for his touch, a touch she dreamed, reluctantly about for five years. She remembered calling out to him in the night, loving the sound of her name on his lips, but it had all been erased with the morning light.
Klaus searched her eyes, and saw the hurt he hated to see in her eyes, but couldn't stop the next move.
Leaning forward, he crushed his lips against hers, and felt her stiffen in his arms, but didn't pull back. Instead, his mouth moved her with expertise, and held her close, feeling her nails bite into his chest, and he wished she would mark him with those nails.
Caroline wanted to slap him, punch him, do something to get him away from her, but God, she wanted this, and didn't realize how much until his lips caressed her.
As he pulled back, she opened her eyes, and felt his hold around her waist, loosen, and she jumped up, after slapping his face with a shaky hand.
With an unsteady glare, she rushed towards the door, and glanced over her shoulder at him, her body still stinging from his touch. "You bastard." She whispered, before leaving him alone in the room.
Raising his fingers to his lips, his brow furrowed, and the usual satisfied smirk on his face didn't appear, as his heart pounded in his ears, the sting on his face forgotten, instead replaced with the memory of her lips underneath his.
A faint, familiar touch, one he couldn't quite place, and wanted to.
Please be kind!
I know this wasn't exactly like the first chapter, and I may have changed what was supposed to be in here, but as I started writing, Klaroline took on a mind of it's own, as it often does with me!
Next Chapter: Caroline and Stefan have a heart-to-heart. Rebekah comes to get Klaus, and meets and old friend.
Until Next Time...
