I'm sorry for taking so long, but another story held my attention for a time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!

Please remember to review at the end! :)


"God! He is the most infuriating, aggravating man I have ever met!" Caroline ranted, as she entered the kitchen where her best friend, Bonnie was cleaning.

Bonnie suppressed a laugh as Caroline grabbed a beer from the fridge, and twisted the top off. "Problem?" She asked, lifting a brow.

Caroline groaned as she lowered the bottle. "He's staying in my house! Eating my food! And you have the gall to ask me if I have a problem!" She remarked, pointing to the stairs.

Bonnie tugged her bottom lip in between her teeth, and nodded before going back to her cleaning.

Caroline sighed, and set the bottle down on the counter, and placed her palms on the cool top. "I'm sorry, Bonnie." She apologized, shaking her head.

Bonnie shrugged. "It's okay, Care." She returned, softly.

Caroline groaned, and collapsed in the chair across from Bonnie. "No, it's not." She said, lowly. "He just makes me so…" She trailed off, waving her hands around.

"Wanting?" Bonnie finished, causing Caroline to jerk back.

"I don't want him!" She nearly shouted.

Bonnie shrugged. "Could have fooled me?" She muttered, turning to place her rag in the sink.

Caroline scoffed, and turned her head to look at the stairs. Her shoulders deflated as she thought about Bonnie's words. "How am I going to get through this?" She whispered, shaking her head.

"Talking about now or then?" Bonnie asked, turning to her friend.

Caroline lowered her eyes, and placed her right hand on her face. "I don't know, both, I guess." She said, in a low tone.

Bonnie lowered her hands on the counter. "I take it, he still doesn't remember." She remarked, watching her friend sag in the chair.

"How could he, Bonnie?" Caroline asked, lifting the beer to her lips, but only took a sip.

Bonnie smiled, and shook her head. "So that's why you avoid him." She concluded, firmly, watching Caroline begin to shake her head. "He doesn't remember, and that hurts you, so you avoid him." She added, pointing at her friend.

Caroline sighed, not wanting to admit to anything. "I gotta go check my girl." She whispered, standing up, and grasped the bottle in her hands as she left the kitchen.

Bonnie shook her head, solemnly. "One of these days, he's going to remember, Care." She muttered, straightening up. "One of these days he will, and then you won't be able to avoid him any more."

~XXX~

Rebekah flinched as the wind blew, and surrounded the house with a loud wail. She bit her thumbnail to the quick, and closed her eyes as she rocked back and forth on the couch.

She wanted her brother. She needed him there.

Letting out a cry, she jerked her body all the way on the couch with her knees curled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, and her face buried in her legs.

"Senorita, I brought you a blanket."

Rebekah lifted her head, and tried to smile, but the wind blew once again, and she let out a low whimper.

Regina sighed, and sat down next to the young woman, and gently wrapped her arms around her. "Niklaus will return tomorrow." She comforted.

Rebekah nodded, but it didn't help her much. "I know, Regina." She remarked, lowly. "I just need him. Why did he have to provoke her?" She asked, rocking back and forth. "He wanted to see if she cared, as she used to, before…" She explained, though Regina knew the reason.

"After everything we've been through, and he still pins for her." She whispered, shrinking when the house shook, slightly from the wind.

"I want Nik!"

~XXX~

Caroline set the bottle aside, and shook her head, as she leaned forward on her knees. Bonnie was right. She avoided Klaus because he didn't remember, and she did.

Oh, did she remember.

She shook her head, and slowly stood up. She moved towards the stall where her horse was standing, and lifted her hand to touch the silky face. "Hey, girl." She whispered, as her mare nudged her hand.

She turned her head slightly, and saw Klaus' stallion in the paddock next to her mare, and sighed. "Even when he's not here, he's here, aye, girl." She muttered, shaking her head as the stallion jerked his head up and down.

"You know, if you just told him the truth, then everything would be so much better."

Caroline sighed, and shook her head. "Leave me alone, Stefan." She stated, stroking her mare's face.

Stefan shook his head, and walked closer to her. "That's the beauty of a friend. We don't listen to crazy remarks." He stated, stepping up the Klaus' horse.

Caroline scoffed, and shook her head. "So now you're a friend?" She asked, though her voice held a teasing tone.

Stefan chuckled, and turned his head. "I'm always your friend, Caroline." He answered, softly. "Which is why you should tell him the truth," He added after a moment.

She shook her head, and placed her hands on the gate. "I can't do that, Stefan." She stated, firmly.

"Why not?" He asked, turning to face her.

She sighed, and grasped a brush with her right hand. "Because then I won't be able to hate him, anymore." She muttered, opening the gate, and stepped in the paddock with her horse.

"You know, Caroline, he will remember, or somebody will tell him what happened, and then he will be the one to hate you." He stated, firmly, watching her still her movements. "You've spent so long trying to ignore the fact that he cares for you, and you care for him, that you will miss it when he realizes you've been lying to him for the past two years." He added, stepping away, leaving her alone in the paddock.

Caroline held back her tears until she was sure he was gone, and wrapped her arms around her mare's neck. With a low sob, she cried, with no one to hold her.

~XXX~

Klaus sat up in his bed, as the wind blew around the house. Shaking his head, he climbed out, and staggered to the door, not caring that his leg was throbbing.

Swinging the door open, he looked down the hall.

"Anybody there!" He hollered, hoping someone would hear him.

Footsteps raced up the stairs, and he sighed as Bonnie came into view.

"Klaus, what is it?" She asked, slightly panting.

Klaus shook his head, and sighed. "I need my clothes." He stated, roughly.

Bonnie shook her head. "They're not ready." She returned, as his right hand ran through his curly hair.

"I need some clothes." He remarked, firmly.

She shook her head once again. "You can't leave." She stated, just as firmly.

He shook his head, cringing as the wind blew, harder. "Hear that?" He asked, watching Bonnie nod her head. "Okay, I've got to get back, now." He added, firmly.

Bonnie shook her head. "You can't leave, Klaus, besides, it just wind." She said, softly, but the hint of authority rang in her voice.

He groaned, and closed his eyes. "I need to get to Rebekah." He growled out.

Suddenly everything became clear, as Bonnie pieced it all together. Nodding her head, she stepped back. "I'll see what I can do."

He nodded, and relief washed over him. "Thank you."

She smiled, and turned on her heel, and ran down the stairs.

She shook her head just as she hit the last step, and the door opened, and Stefan entered the house.

Stefan stilled at the look on Bonnie's face, and narrowed his eyes. "Bonnie, what's wrong?"

~XXX~

Caroline ran a brush over her mare, her tears dried, and her wall was semi in place, when she heard the door slam, and a truck revving up.

Tilting her head to the side, she left the paddock, locked the gate, and ran out the barn. She stilled as she saw Stefan driving away at break nick speed, and raced towards the house.

Running up the stairs, she saw Bonnie helping Klaus hobble down the stairs, and swallowed at the sight of his muscles stretching in front of her.

"Where's Stefan going?" She asked, pointing towards the door.

Klaus growled, and glared at Bonnie. "I should have gone with him."

Bonnie shook her head. "You are in no condition to leave, just yet, Klaus." She stated, leading him towards the living room.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and followed them. "Where is he going?" She demanded, as Klaus settled down in a chair.

Bonnie straightened, and slowly turned around, saying the one word that made perfect sense. "Rebekah."

~XXX~

Stefan turned the ignition off, not sure if he put the truck in park, as he clamored out of the truck, and raced towards the house.

Knocking on the door, he rolled his eyes, impatiently as the door opened, and he nodded to the medium height woman with tan skin. "Regina." He greeted, as she sighed in relief.

"Senor Salvatore." She breathed out, motioning to the living room. "She's in there."

Stefan nodded, and ran into the living room. He stopped as he saw a blonde woman with her hair mushed up from running her fingers through, wearing pajamas, but he didn't care about that. All he cared about was the look of fear on her face as the wind blew once again. "Rebekah," He whispered, snapping her out of her fear.

Lifting her eyes, she let out a quick breathe. "Stefan," She whispered, fear leaking in her words.

He groaned, and rushed towards her, gathering her in his arms, as she practically climbed into his lap. Lifting his eyes to Regina, he nodded. "You can go to bed, Regina. I've got her." He stated, holding Rebekah close.

Regina nodded, and smiled. "I'll just be in the spare room, Senor Salvatore." She remarked, though she knew that she wouldn't be needed.

Not tonight anyway.

~XXX~

Klaus placed his right hand underneath his chin, listening to the wind blow outside. He shifted his eyes to Bonnie who placed a cup of tea beside him, and he smiled in gratitude, to which she nodded back.

"I'm sorry."

He turned his gaze to Caroline, and sighed. "For what, love?" He asked, taking the cup in his right hand.

"If I hadn't pushed you, then you wouldn't have gotten hurt, and you would be with your sister." She explained, running her hands through her blonde hair.

Klaus swallowed a sip of tea, and shook his head. "I deserved it." He remarked, setting the cup down.

"Still," Caroline stated, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have let my anger control my actions." She added, placing her right hand on her temple.

He sighed, and lowered his eyes. "I egged you on, Caroline, so it's my own fault." He muttered, laying his arm on the arm rest.

She shifted her eyes to him, and frowned. "Why do you?" She asked, after a moment.

"Why do I what?" He asked, keeping his eyes down.

"Why do you egg me on?" She asked, staring at him with a rough look on her face.

He sighed, and slowly lifted his eyes to hers. "I don't know, Caroline." He answered, truthfully.

She scoffed, and slowly shook her head.

"Why do you?" He asked, causing her to shift her gaze to his.

"Why do I what?" She asked, repeating his question, shrugging her shoulders.

"Why do you get so angry with me?" He asked, after a moment.

She swallowed, and shifted in the chair. Now was not the time to get into this. "I don't know." She lied, shrugging her shoulders.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, not believing the word she said. There was something else that she wasn't telling him, and he wanted to know what that was, but not tonight. Instead, he nodded, and sighed.

She sighed, and lowered her eyes.

An unsteady silence filled the room, and they both shifted in their chairs. Klaus felt his heart beat faster in his chest as he searched her eyes. He saw all the pain, anger, and fear in her eyes.

He also saw something else. Something he was sure he had imagined: love or the equivalent of.


Please be kind!

I hope to keep this story on track, and I apologize if my updates are a little long in between!

Next Chapter: Klaus has flashbacks. A little more of Rebekah is revealed. Someone shows up, and puts a crimp in Klaus' plan.

Until Next Time...