Author's Note: There was a time when I thought I could write of these every week. That was a happy time. Anyway, I hope you guys like this one, thank you so, so much for your lovely reviews and alerts on the first sonnet drabble. I've interpreted this one a little loosely, mostly because I came up with the concept before actually choosing the sonnet to go with it, but I think it worked out fairly well at the end. (At least, I hope!) Anyways, read on!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine, or Klaus would've done a lot more than just say Caroline's name on TO last night.

Let me confess that we two must be twain,
Although our undivided loves are one:
So shall those blots that do with me remain
Without thy help by me be borne alone.
In our two loves there is but one respect,
Though in our lives a separable spite,
Which though it alter not love's sole effect,
Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love's delight.

Truth be told, Klaus had missed celebrating victory. He had endured enough time being forced to watch Marcel parade himself around his city as some charlatan king, but finally, finally, after two years the long war was good and done. Through magic and force Marcel had been soundly defeated and his most loyal followers with him. Klaus had claimed his victory and with it, his rightful crown. Now was the time to revel in his victory, a time for his family and allies to celebrate.

In the living room of their family's mansion, Elijah sat in conversation with Rebekah, while near the window stood Hayley with Camille, the wolf reveling in her ability to consume alcohol again. For a moment Klaus' thoughts lingered on the unborn child Marcel had gleefully taken from him, but he shook it off. Some things were never meant to be, and to be honest, this was a development he could live with. His brother had been so convinced the child would have redeemed him, brought him some measure of humanity, but then, would he have achieved his current success? After all, rage was a powerful motivator.

He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, turning towards the future and what it held for his kingdom. He had everything he wanted, surely – but something was missing. And in the back of his mind he knew exactly what was missing, but he didn't dare think about it – about her – because if he did, then he was setting himself up for another challenge, one he wasn't sure he could win.

The entirety of his fight with Marcel had been spent thinking of ways to regain his kingdom and plotting revenge; it hardly gave him much time to cast his thoughts towards the young blonde he had once promised to show the world. In all honesty, he felt a pang of guilt whenever he dwelt on Caroline, wondering if he hadn't completely missed his chance with her by waiting so long. To say nothing of the atrocities he had committed and the blood on his hands – the fight for New Orleans was his to bear, he never could have brought Caroline into that.

Just then, the five were interrupted by the door opening and light footsteps coming closer. They braced themselves, wondering if one of Marcel's lackeys was foolish enough to seek some sort of suicidal retribution, but they relaxed upon seeing Sophie Devereux step into the room. Klaus realized he had completely forgotten to check on the witch's welfare; when she had agreed to channel her powers to cast the spell that would render Marcel's and his allies' daylight rings useless, they knew Marcel had sent his own forces to track Sophie and stop her. Still, when the vampires who challenged the Original family fell to the first rays of the sun in heaps of ash, they knew the spell had worked and Sophie had done her job.

"Join us for a drink?" Elijah asked the witch cordially. She nodded tersely; taking the tumbler from Elijah's outstretched hand and downing it instantly. She was on edge, Klaus realized.

"You can relax – you did well," he said, feeling generous enough to compliment her despite the problems she had caused in the past.

"It was lucky no one found you," said Elijah, "things really went off without a hitch."

Sophie frowned into her empty glass. "See, there's the thing – they did find me. A small group of Marcel's men, they found my spot in the bayou and were ready to kill me – I wouldn't have been able to hold them off myself."

"So what happened?" asked Klaus, suddenly on alert.

Sophie took a seat, leaning forward and bracing her hands on her knees. "She came out of nowhere, this vampire I'd never seen around before. She didn't say anything, just starting fighting and managed to hold off Marcel's men until I completed the spell right before the sun came out."

"She just showed up and saved your life?" asked Camille from where she'd been listening in. "She sounds like some sort of guardian angel."

"Who was she?" asked Rebekah.

"That's the weirdest part," said Sophie. "She absolutely refused to tell me who she was; she wouldn't even give me her name."

"Well I'm sufficiently intrigued," said Elijah, leaning forward slightly. "Niklaus, do you have any idea who this mystery benefactress might have been?"

"Not a clue," his brother replied honestly. He didn't know that there were many people out there willing to do him favours, especially such a dangerous one, but his curiosity was officially piqued. "What was she like?"

"She was blonde, nice enough. She didn't want to tell me who she was at all, but…"she stared Klaus straight in the eyes, "she had a message for you."

"Oh?" The hybrid prepared himself for a short speech on debt, or owing favours.

Sophie took a moment before she recalled the girl's exact words. "The message was…. 'you were right about champagne'. She said, 'Tell Klaus, 'he was right, champagne is our thing', and he'll know.' Does that mean anything to you?"

The occupants turned towards Klaus expecting some form of answer, but the hybrid was speechless. The words meant something, alright. They meant everything. "Did she say anything else?" he asked hoarsely.

Sophie nodded, "Right before she left, I asked her where she was going. And she gave this funny little smile and said she was going to the Hermitage – there was a painting she needed to find."

He wasn't aware of the conscious decisions he was making, all he knew was that this was the opportunity he couldn't waste. His siblings were trying to get his attention but he steadfastly ignored him, focusing instead on the daydream that had cropped up in his mind. He could see it so clearly, the tilt of her lips as she gave her message, her Mona Lisa smile knowing with complete conviction that he would understand her words. He could imagine the glint of dawn's rays in her hair as she turned away, flashing off to see the world. Before he knew it, he was on his feet.

"It was her, wasn't it?" asked Rebekah, looking exasperated, wary and intrigued all at once. "It was Caroline."

He nodded quickly. "I'm going to Russia," he said determinedly and moved to stride away only to be stopped by his older brother's hand on his shoulder.

"You've have just won your kingdom, Niklaus," he said in disbelief. "You're already going to leave after finally becoming king?"

"I'll be back soon enough," Klaus replied with finality. "And when I do, it'll be with a queen by my side."

Klaus' footsteps reverberated off the tiled floors as he strode authoritatively through the large hallways of the Hermitage. Priceless works of art adorned the walls, telling the tales of empires long gone and kings long dead and as he passed them he wondered what it would be like to show Caroline this beauty. He would hold her close by his side, lean down to whisper in her ear, tell her the stories of the world's history and she would be absolutely enthralled…

His first order of business, however, was actually finding Caroline. She had made no effort to contact him, let him know why she had done what she'd done, or how she had even known what was going on. He didn't even know where to start looking for her – St. Petersburg was huge, and there was no telling how long she had stayed. All he knew was that she had gone to find his painting, and as he rounded the corner into the hall where it was hung, it occurred to him that she might be standing there waiting for him.

She wasn't, of course. No Caroline –and no painting, either. Perplexed, he found the nearest docent, compelling the young man to tell him what happened to the painting.

"It was taken by a young woman last night," he explained, glassy eyed. Klaus stepped back, confused at what the bubbly blonde was playing at before the docent spoke again.

"Are you Klaus Mikaelson?" he asked.

Klaus nodded and the docent pulled out an envelope from his jacket. "She told us to give this to Klaus Mikaelson when he asked about the painting."

Klaus snatched the envelope from the boy and tore it open, finding only a scrap of paper with a short message.

'The painting was beautiful, but Russia's a little too cold. I've heard the Coliseum looks beautiful at night.'

Grinning, Klaus made his way out of the museum, hailing a cab to take him to the airport.

'Time to see Rome'

The tourists brushed by him in droves as he stood at the entrance to Rome's most well-known landmark. Klaus did his best to keep his frustration in check, but no matter which direction he looked, there was no sign of Caroline was to be found. He wasn't sure what her plan was, if she was waiting for him to find her, or intentionally leading him on a wild goose chase – but he refused to give up hope.

The Coliseum was proving fruitless, so he turned on his heel and walked down the street, passing a grizzled old man who sat in front of an easel, sketching the tourists as they posed. He had some of his past portraits displayed and Klaus barely glanced at the board before stopping dead in his tracks. Right in the center was a fresh painting of a young blonde woman with a vibrant smile and bright eyes. Klaus felt his mouth go dry as he inched closer – it was definitely her.

"She is beautiful, no?" The old man had noticed Klaus fixated on the portrait and gave him a knowing smile. "You are Klaus?"

"You were expecting me?" asked Klaus quickly.

"She said you would come, she said to expect you. And to tell you – she was not staying long. She wanted to see the view from the Eiffel Tower." The artist smiled to himself before returning to his painting and Klaus was ready to flash off before the he was called back.

"When you find her, bring her back. I shall draw the two of you together."

Klaus found himself smiling as he gave the old man a quick nod, before setting off through the busy streets.

The metal railing was cold under his hands as he gripped it tightly. It threatened to snap under his strength, but he refused to let up, scanning the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower with his keen eyesight, zeroing in on every blonde head of hair he came across. Again, he had shown up to find no Caroline, and no indication that she was anywhere in the city.

He searched for some sign of her presence, but could find nothing. All that Klaus could do was let his frustration build and contemplate snapping some of the tourists' necks before he was brought out of his musings by a soft voice.

"Une rose, monsieur?"

Klaus spun on his heel to find a woman holding a basket of roses, holding one out to him. He was ready to berate the woman soundly before he noticed the small piece of paper that was wrapped around the stem. Heart racing, he took the flower and the woman gave him a knowing smile before walking away. Klaus unwrapped the small piece of paper, recognizing familiar writing.

'Paris is beautiful, but it's no fun alone. I think I need some peace and quiet – the gardens in Tokyo are supposed to be beautiful. See you soon Klaus.'

The world was quiet in the East Garden of Tokyo's Imperial Palace. Spring weather had brought with it the bloom of the cherry blossom trees; soft pink petals were being swirled around by the wind, settling on every surface. Although the skyscrapers of the city loomed over them, the garden itself was an oasis in the bustling metropolis, managing to remain peaceful despite the bustle outside its walls. Klaus almost wanted to take a moment to appreciate the serenity, but he had more pressing matters. As he marched down the walkways he kept his eyes peeled for a head of blonde hair amongst the Japanese tourists, but could see no sight of Caroline.

It was nearing sunset and as he continued meandering through the garden, he began to panic. What if she wasn't here? Rome, Paris, Tokyo – what came after this? If there was no resolution to be had, would she simply melt away, having led him on this chase for nothing? Not for the first time in the week that he'd been following her little clues did he start to wonder if this was all just a game to her, to make him chase her around the globe so that she could derive some amusement out of it. But still, that wasn't Caroline. That wasn't her – then again, if he didn't find her soon…

"Took you long enough to show up."

Klaus snapped his head up, and whipped around to find the source of the musical voice. A little ways off there was a small koi pond, spanned by a small footbridge. And in the center of that bridge, silhouetted against the dying sunlight, was the figure of a young girl, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, head bowed as she peered into the pond, hands clasped neatly in front of her. She wasn't looking up at him, but he knew she was well aware that he could hear her.

Klaus clenched his fists by his side to keep his hands from shaking, surprised at his own nervousness. He was over a thousand years old, and yet one baby vampire was reducing him to a nervous wreck. Slowly, he walked closer to her, taking in her appearance. She looked much the same as was expected, but she still seemed a little…older somehow. Not in any obvious way, but she held herself a little straighter, was a little more world-weary. From the moment he had realized Caroline had helped him in New Orleans, he had been so intent on finding her but now he stopped to wonder what exactly had happened to her in Mystic Falls that would result in her coming to New Orleans and actually helping him, only to leave so quickly.

'Time for answers.'

He stood next to her on the bridge, watching her closely while she watched the water. Neither said anything for a moment.

"Do you think this will ruin sushi for me?" Caroline asked suddenly.

"Sorry?" he asked, slightly bewildered.

"I mean, it's not that I think the fish are cute or anything, but I've been watching them for a while and I'm thinking if I go to a sushi bar now I'll just think I'm eating their cousin or something and-"

"Enough, Caroline!" he snapped suddenly, surprising even himself. He hadn't expected his first meeting with her in years to go like this, but then, he wasn't sure what exactly he had been expecting.

Caroline didn't seemed perturbed, but she finally lifted her head and looked him in the eye. He had been right about her being more hardened – some of her youthful joy was missing from her gaze. But underneath it all was the light he admired so much, and he knew that regardless of what her life had thrown at her, she was still the same Caroline.

"Hello Klaus," she said softly, a smile spreading across her face. "You can relax, I was joking. I thought things might be a little…"

"I know, Caroline," he replied. With a sigh, he wondered where he should start. "You helped me take New Orleans," he said. "You have to know how much I appreciated what you did. Thank you, sweetheart."

Her smile widened, and she blushed slightly. "Yeah well…don't mention it. Seriously," she added, shooting him a stern look, "don't mention it. To be honest, I'm not sure what I was thinking. I wanted to leave the whole 'constant war' thing behind."

"For what it's worth, you saved Sophie Devereux's life."

"I didn't – I didn't do it to save her life. I mean I'm glad she wasn't hurt in the end, but when I went looking for her – I was doing it to help you."

Klaus stared at her in awe and disbelief. Was it possible that after all this time, she was finally, finally, ready to end their separation, give him a chance? "What happened these past few years, Caroline?" he asked gently, knowing she must have undergone some monumental changes to be here with him now, and judging by the way her face fell and sorrow crossed her features, he was right.

"Mystic Falls has been an interesting place," she said drily. "You missed a lot."

"I can believe that," he replied, then softened his tone. "Tell me what happened, Caroline."

She shook her head a little. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say, all hell broke loose. Silas…he took control. Between him and his crazy ex-fiancée, we were all just…collateral damage." Her voice was bitter now and she couldn't look him in the eye.

Klaus felt the pull of guilt. He had wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls but the exile he had imposed on himself should never have resulted in a complete loss of contact from her. "Caroline, did he kill…did you lose any –"

"My mom," she said quietly. "Silas got her. No, it's fine," she said, raising her hand to stop the condolence about to come out of his mouth. "It happened, and I grieved, and then I left. I couldn't stay in Mystic Falls anymore."

"So you came to New Orleans?" he asked, slightly anxious.

"I did – about six months ago."

Klaus balked. She had been so close to him for six months?! "Why didn't you ever seek me out?" he asked, almost desperately.

Caroline sighed and ran a hand through her golden curls. "I couldn't, okay?" I found you in the middle of this – this war – with some guy named Marcel and I couldn't just put myself into that life of battle after battle, constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next attack! Besides…I managed to figure out the plan in the end."

Klaus couldn't help but be impressed at that, despite everything. "How did you piece it all together?" he asked, curious to know.

Caroline gave a light shrug and a sly smile. "You'd be surprised what people are willing to let slip when the only person around is a dumb blonde. Plus, I've gotten really good at sneaking around."

Unable to help himself, Klaus smile at her ingenuity, and motioned for her to continue.

"Like I said, helping Sophie was a snap decision. I guess we hadn't seen each other in so long that I thought it would be some a…gesture. Of good faith," she added nervously.

"Of course, Caroline, and you have my gratitude. But sweetheart, why run?" He gestured towards their beautiful surrounding. "What was the point?"

"Ah, I was hoping you'd ask," she said, confidence springing back. "See, while I was in New Orleans, I heard this interesting story about the mighty hybrid and a loophole of nature, a 'miracle' that should have been 'impossible'."

Klaus blanched, "You know about-"

"I know about Hayley," she confirmed, voice hardened. "You know, while you were promising to be my last love, you might've mentioned that."

"You have to know sweetheart, she was nothing more than a passing night – she meant nothing. And as for our child…"

"I know, Klaus," Caroline said, her voice considerably softer. She took a step towards him and laid a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. "I'm so sorry. I was ready to leave, but when I heard about how that turned out… to be honest, I think I wanted Marcel dead myself. What he did…he deserved to die."

Klaus swallowed the lump in his throat, and let his gaze bore into hers, finding nothing but kindness and compassion. He laid his hands on her shoulders and trailed them down her arms, causing goose bumps to rise on her smooth skin. Once he reached her hands, he gripped them tightly. "So why didn't you come straight to me after it was done?" he asked.

She smiled sheepishly and ducked her head. "Okay, this is going to sound stupid – but after all that had happened I didn't know if you were still –if the offer still stood. God, why is this difficult?!"she asked, exasperated and Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at her. He picked up her hands and lifted them to her lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"Go on love…I want to hear this," he said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, but he didn't miss her light blush.

"I guess I wanted to see if you'd come –to see if you still cared. Besides, Rome, Paris, and Tokyo – those were the cities you once promised, right?"

"Yes, but the point was for me show them to you," he replied, slightly annoyed but he was teasing her. "Now that we're here, I trust I've passed your test?"

"I wasn't testing you," she muttered, "but…yes. You passed with flying colours," she said coyly and gently pulled her hands away from his to wrap them around his neck. He grinned wolfishly and put his hands on her waist, tugging her close.

"You do realize love, that we could've have already have had months together?" he whispered, his breath ghosting over her face.

"Isn't that the point of eternity?" she replied. "Who cares about six months – we've got forever."

Her words were all he needed and before anything else could get in their way he dipped his head down and captured her lips in a fierce kiss. It was better than anything he had envisioned before, her lips were soft and warm, moving against his own with as much urgency as he felt. He nipped at her bottom lip and she gasped softly, allowing him to plunge his tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss and delighting in the small moan that she gave. His hands gripped her waist tighter, pulling her impossibly close and he vaguely registered her hands entangled in the curls at the nape of his neck, tracing patterns on the skin of his neck.

It took them a few moments, but they eventually pulled away from each other, still wrapped up in each other's arms. "You know love, there's one thing I don't understand."

"Oh?" she asked, slightly dazed.

"Why did you take my painting?"

She giggled, "Right the painting…okay, I'll admit, that was petty. But it was beautiful and I didn't know if you were coming or not, and I kept thinking that you had your whole 'kingdom' with your family, and Hayley was still around-"

"Caroline…" he said teasingly, rolling his name off her tongue, and in that one word he knew that she understood exactly what he meant. No matter what, she was always the one for him.

"I've got the painting in my hotel room," Caroline explained. She pulled away from him slightly, and grabbed his hand, tugging him off the bridge and down the garden path towards the park's exit. "If you'd like, you could come back to my hotel room – see it for yourself?"

"Just the painting?" he asked, eyeing her body with a smug grin.

"Easy there, Big Bad Hybrid," she said over her shoulder. "Remember what I said? We've got forever."

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,
Lest my bewailed guilt should do thee shame,
Nor thou with public kindness honour me,
Unless thou take that honour from thy name:
But do not so; I love thee in such sort
As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

And there we go! Pretty please leave a review and let me know what you thought? In the meantime, I'm going to go listen to Klaus say Caroline's name for a couple hundred more times.

Good night!

(Feel free to follow me on Tumblr at hummingbirds-and-champagne)