Chapter 15

Hand in hand, they walked back to the house stealing glances at each other and keeping smiles on their faces when morning came. The weather outside was new. Fresh. The air was crisp and nature filled the world around them. Caroline could imagine herself living in a place like this, waking up each morning to a new day so peaceful and lovely. When they got to the house Klaus stopped her before they went inside and turned her toward him, grabbing her other hand and holding her close. He moved in without a word to give her a sweet kiss, tasting the sweet flavor of her kisses and earning a smile from her. When he pulled away her eyes were closed and her mouth was open which made him want to immediately kiss her again. Again and again.

"Just in case you don't remember," he said, pushing her hair away from her face, "I love you, Caroline" his voice was bleak and it reminded her of the young boy side of him, like he were confessing it for the first time. She smiled and watched him for a moment, "I couldn't forget if I tried," she said, kissing him again, "I love you too, Klaus,"

"Well good morning! We thought you two had run out on us, now!" Maggie was eating breakfast with Artie, but immediately got up and went to grab dishes and food, "I made some extra for you guys just in case you decided to show up today," she said with a smile, looking at Caroline with a knowing look while Klaus went to grab the dishes. Caroline fought a laugh, blushing at the thought that Maggie obviously knew exactly what they were doing. They had a nice breakfast, Caroline and Klaus sat next to each other at the small table and Caroline almost burst out laughing when Klaus attempted to stroke her foot with his but got Maggie's instead.

"Klaus I know that I'm hard to resist, but Artie might not appreciate your foot sending me all of these mixed signals." Klaus was mortified and pulled his foot back immediately while everyone else giggled, but he was comforted when Caroline's hand moved over to hold his. He glanced over to her and her smile was too contagious to keep him embarrassed, he ended up laughing too.

"Hey!" Maggie put down her fork and caught everybody's attention, "I was going to go out to town for a while and I know Artie would rather stay and hunt so since we can't ever agree-" Artie interrupted her, "We can definitely agree on some things," obviously Klaus and Caroline weren't the only ones in love.

"Okay, why don't we try to refrain from the sexual subtext if that's alright," Klaus said, and Caroline could only imagine them being like the parents he never really had,

"You're one to talk with your foot practically groping Mags," Artie retorted, getting a laugh from the girls and a serious look from Klaus turned laugh once more.

"Anyway," Maggie finally added, "Caroline, why don't you accompany me to the boutique that I run and boys can be boys with their killing and whatever," Artie and Klaus smiled at each other and then turned to look at Caroline, trying to convince them with their eyes, only making Caroline laugh, "I'd love to,"

"So how did you meet Nik?" Maggie asked Caroline once they were in the car on their way to a town just about a few miles farther away,

"Well technically…he tried to sacrifice me in order to break a spell…but I never actually saw his face then, and months later after tons of things had changed he came to my room to save my life after he made my hybrid boyfriend bite me…" Caroline listened to her own words, sounding ludicrous when she heard them. Maggie nodded with a small smile, as if this was nothing new to her, and Caroline didn't know what to think of that,

"Well I guess that'll be a great story to tell people," she said, and Caroline laughed quickly, knowing that she hadn't even told anyone yet,

"Yeah if only he wasn't the most hated hybrid in my whole town. I have no clue how I'm going to tell my friends that the evil vampire killer and I are in love," she said that with ease, which kind of scared her, but Maggie didn't even react, it was like she already knew. They pulled over onto the street where boutiques and cafes surrounded them and Maggie pulled the keys out of the ignition and turned to face Caroline.

"You know, Niklaus has always been…complicated. I mean he's this man who cared so much for his family and earned absolutely no love from his father and barely any from his mother because of something that he couldn't change if he wanted to, which he did. He watched his little brother get torn to pieces when he was supposed to protect him and he was forced to become a vampire and watch the rest of his family suffer through their first few months as vampires while suppressing how much he was actually fighting back the violent side of him that he got from being part werewolf. Then that side couldn't be controlled when the first full moon came as a vampire and he killed his mother, which made his family move all over the world and caused his father to hunt him for their entire lives. Then he found us and he let us take care of him, and I'm sure he's told you what became of that, which we don't blame him for at all, but he blames himself. He blames himself for everything, and all that he's ever wanted is for his family to be together again no matter the consequences. So he's definitely got some baggage. But one thing that I can say is that," Caroline could see her almost struggling to find the right words, "I have never seen him the way he is around you, Caroline. He lets his guard down with you and he looks at you with more love than I've seen him look at anyone before, not me or Artie or his sister, with you it's like he's willing to change everything that he has ever done. After all of the struggle that he has been through, shutting people out and living with the guilt of everything that has ever happened to his family, you are the one to change him. That's something that has never been done before and I don't know if anyone else could. So if your friends don't understand right away then that's understandable, I'm sure that he's done some horrible things. But if they want you to be happy, they'll understand your relationship with him. Maybe not right away, but your friends aren't there to shut you out because you feel something for someone that you can't control, they are there to love and support you. Don't worry so much about what everyone else will think, all you need to know is how you feel."

Caroline and Maggie spent the rest of the day shopping and spending the day bonding. Caroline had never heard about the things that Klaus had been through, and she couldn't stop thinking about everything that he'd been through. Maggie acted as if nothing had ever happened, and there was no awkward moments after what Maggie had told her, it was only bonding and fun. When they got back to the cottage, they were laughing when they came in, only to be interrupted suddenly when Klaus and Artie burst in. Artie looked like he had just won the lottery holding an entire deer in his hands and pointing to at least ten others in his truck, "Look! We got so much meat we could stay in this house for years!"Maggie stood in the doorway eyes wide open and she started to yell at Artie for killing so many but Caroline didn't notice once Klaus stepped inside.

His eyes were that hazel yellow, veins protruding from his face and blood on his mouth. Caroline didn't think he could look sexier. He smiled at her and she was in front of him in a flash, dropping the bags by the door and pressing her lips to his. She took him by surprise, something that he never thought could happen, and she had her arms around his neck immediately. She could taste the blood on his lips, making her deepen the kiss to taste him more. Once his shock had gone away he wrapped his arms around the small of back to keep her from falling back and to hold her close, fighting back the combination of wanting to take her back to the house and jump her and wanting to let his teeth go and bite her.

Artie and Maggie stopped yelling and looked at them as if they had no idea what was going on, but she smiled at the thought that Caroline only loved Klaus more after she heard what Maggie told her, and she pulled Artie away to the kitchen to start yelling at him there. Caroline and Klaus laughed against their kiss when they heard Maggie start to yell again, but they stopped once Klaus brought his teeth in and his eyes went back to normal. Caroline touched his face gently and he looked as she eyed him with wonder.

"You ready?" he asked, and she knew what had to come next, "I'm ready." She replied with confidence, knowing that when they went back home, she wouldn't have to be worried, because Caroline, she knew exactly how she felt.

(sigh) Okay I wanted a Maggie/Caroline bonding before they left, so I hope you guys enjoyed it! It was nice to write and get out what I thought of him but I also tried to make it from her point of view. Let me know what you think, please R&R! :D More to come next weekend! (: