Chapter 10

The dawn has come and gone he was still by her side. The moment of absence came during the brief time his siblings came to inquire about the new/old guest. He told them as much as he could and Rebekah, naturally, figured out that he was more attached to this girl than he let on. It went beyond them being the same kind. He needed her way beyond that. Hopefully with time she can understand how he feels about her, until then he will be a companion. A fellow friend in need and together they will come out of this predicament stronger and wiser.

"It was bound to happen, you showing me your room. Just thought I'd be conscious for the experience."

He looked to see her eyes opened and gazing curiously at him. He withstood many forms of torture from Mikael but with her he feels that all she needs to do is ask and he will respond with truth. It is a scary feeling wanting to indulge someone to that degree.

"Well I guess I just have that sort of effect on you love."

She smiled a bit before reality crashed in and her face closed off from the world. The sadness was there and it just pained him to be helpless in a situation like this.

"Hey, it is going to be okay. I know it's a ludicrous thing to say but there has to be more to life than this. I chose to believe that. I have to and so do you."

He put his hand on hers before walking towards the window. Sometime he lost faith and in that moment he just existed, without a purpose - it is no way to live. Still he held on for something better out there.

"Otherwise, what is the point?"

He said it out loud without thinking. It was still hard for him to grasp that other people were around him. For so long it was just him. It didn't matter then. He heard her voice crack.

"I drank blood from that person. I was out of my mind. Like an out of body experience. All I saw was this animal acting like no human would." she said, her voice sounding so small. "I think I'm going to be sick."

He looked at her, frail and lost. He was like that for years. Nobody helped him, but he was determined not to leave her alone.

"That person was already dead. It wasn't your fault. You just wanted to survive. I know how that feels all too well."

Her whispered 'I don't want to die' was what finally gave him purpose here and now. Above Mikael's shadow and towards the future. He needed that.

"It still doesn't make it right. God, what will my friends think now that I have become this monster. They will never talk to me. I am shunned, you hear me. Do I go to college or just give it all up? What will I do?"

She was looking at him for answers. Answers he couldn't give. As much as he wanted to help, first she needed to come around and not forget that she was still the same person. A bit altered but still the same at the core.

"I can help you, with the hybrid bit. About being human I don't know much anymore. Hopefully you understand that well enough on your own."

It doesn't take much for her to surprise him once more.

"You did more than enough at being human when you helped me."

There she goes, throwing him out of loop.

"Just take one step out of time, I'll help you if you need me."

She looked at him, a serene look on her face as if she was slowly coming to terms with it.

"Okay, alright. I can do this. Just breathe."

She took a few breaths before he turned his eyes away. He just couldn't stop staring.

"Klaus-"

He looked back towards her and she smiled at him.

"For better or for worse I need you."

For now, that was enough.

"You know is it weird that I am thinking that I will be fine." she wondered out loud. "Hopefully my mom doesn't freak out too much. Not that she will care all that much. Never was there anyways."

Now that was something he wasn't all familiar with. Being okay with things. No, he aims to change it all. Rise above expectation and invent something entirely different. A little haven for his peace of mind.

He feels the craving to do damage. His psyche is wired not to rest and mayhem is a way he can channel it. First, he needs time from this place. Get to know the world, its weaknesses and strengths. Find people who make things happen and gain their favor. He will never feel like a prisoner again.

He will make sure of that.

"I am sure your mother will understand. She is your own flesh and blood."

A scoff from his hallucination and he was starting to wonder where the bastard disappeared to.

"Sure like our loving parents embraced us. The doom trotting along was more like it."

Maybe it was like that but she didn't need to know that. He killed his. Caroline probably doesn't want to go down that route.

"Not many do enjoy the trip that darkness takes. We, on the other hand brother, relish it. Thrive on it. How understanding will our Caroline be when she sees us cast in the shadow of darkness?"

His words stung but he knows what he said was the truth. He tries to walk the delicate line of good, but his other side just begs to bathe in carnage and blood. No matter what that will always be true and when Caroline sees it will she just look away or run away?

She was lost in her own thoughts so he didn't want to stay around too long. When his brother appears it means his bloodlust is not so far away.

"You should get some rest. Gather your thoughts. No rush. You can leave when you are ready. I have to go but I will return soon. If you are still here I will accept that as you wanting my help. If not, then I'll assume you went to your mother and returned to your friends. The choice is yours."

She just looked on and nodded slightly before falling back onto the covers with the exasperated sigh. She needs to do this alone. Here he couldn't help her.

He shut the door and moved toward a faint sound of his siblings talking. When he got there all he encountered was his sister's wrath.

"Nik how dare you kill the bloody wolf. He was supposed to die by my hand."

She probably meant the wolf he killed that chased them. He never even knew who he was. Listening to Rebekah she revealed more.

"The damned Lockwood boy escaped from the basement and I wanted to hunt him down. He was my mistake. I would've made him pay. But no- you had to go all bunkers on him and ruin my perfectly good hunt."

She pouted and turned to sit opposite Elijah while his hallucination just laughed and said, "Uh I like her."

Sure he would - give him theatrics and he is all for it. Drama queens the lot of them.

"Niklaus, what do you intend to do with the girl? She will need guidance. As my knowledge is limited I imagine this is where you will step in?"

His brother looked at him while nursing a drink and he sat beside him.

"That is the plan, but first I need to get my own animal under control. For that I need to hunt. I will talk to you later."

As he abandoned the house he heard his siblings, or more precisely Rebekah, pout over his fun.

"Sure he gets to hunt while all I get is to clean up the mess of a battered wolf and a human in our back yard. Since when have I become the house maid. Not fair."

With that Elijah laughed and responded, "I will lend you a hand sister."

With that their voices diminished and all there was left was sound of his own breathing as he let his hybrid side take over and hunt down the next victim. He was aware that he couldn't escape who he was. They all had burdens to carry and this was his.

-KC-

Later as he was returning to a now darkened mansion, he noticed somebody step out from the entrance.

"I must say I didn't expect to see you here mate. What brought this on?"

He sat on the front steps of the mansion as the man joined him.

"I admit I had my reservations about coming here, but we understand that we were wrong."

Klaus glanced at him before turning to look up at the darkened sky.

"You don't say. And how will you manage to acquit yourself Stefan?"

He saw the man smile and just shrug his shoulders.

"Elena already patched things up with Caroline. They were best friends for far too long. It was the fear that made her say most of those things. The two of them went to Caroline's mother. I decided you and me needed to have a conversation."

The air was crisp. He really liked to indulge in just breathing and taking all this vastness in. The freedom of it all.

"So you decided you and me need to be besties or what? Just because Caroline enjoys that right it doesn't mean you all do."

At that Stefan only laughed and returned to looking at his hands.

"I'm not even going to try and understand who or what you are, but for the sake of Caroline we have to be civil at least." he reasoned and Klaus had a feeling he had a lot of experience with that, being the voice of reason.

He knew that even though she put on a brave face, Caroline needed her friends. Not that he claimed to know what that was like. Outside his family he didn't care for anyone else. But out of the bunch he could somehow tolerate Stefan. The others were filled with teen angst.

"If we are going to be civil how about you share the history mate? You and Rebekah I gathered."

The younger Salvatore was caught off guard by that but after a moment of silence he relented with a sigh.

"We met in the twenties. I was less than a model citizen and she was magnetic. I was just pulled into her direction. Not many wanted to be around me but she did. Did you know I tried to attack her?"

Knowing his sisters temper that probably ended up less than fortunate. He had to laugh because he knew that the outcome was hilarious. Stefan seemed to agree.

"Yeah before I knew it I was on my back with her on top yelling at me. In the next moment she kissed me." he said with a laugh. "I enjoyed our time, but then a word from a vampire hunter and she was gone. Years later, I saw her for a short period. She said she was doing something important that involved family. So I let her go."

The longer he talked with Stefan the more he realized them the vampire was as lost as any of them were.

"I don't judge mate, but it seems to me there are still things left unsaid."

The vampire nodded and stood up.

"We will see where all this goes, if she decides to give me a chance."

He also stood up ready to move into the mansion but was surprised when Stefan extended his hand.

"We need to start somewhere, don't we?"

He looked at his hand than at him. Does he want to compromise? Probably not, but he needed to start from somewhere. He firmly shook his and then let go.

"This still doesn't make us mates."

Stefan only laughed and turned to leave.

"Hasn't crossed my mind Klaus."

He was happy at least that Caroline had her friends back but he would watch them just in case.

-KC-

AN: You have my deepest apology for a late update but I hope this chapter makes up for the absence. What do you think, will Caroline give Klaus a chance or walk away forever? Will Klaus and Stefan ever be BFF's jk but I do find their history on the show interesting. Also any Stefan and Bekah shippers out there, do you think they deserve a second chance or are they more broken than KC? Feel free to drop me a line or two as we are nearing the end, only one more chapter to go!