Chapter 16

Caroline ran as fast as she could. She felt like her feet were not touching the ground. She heard Klaus running after her. The tree branches whipped her in the face and cut at her skin. She healed quickly , she didn't care. His heavy foot falls were gaining on her. At least he was chasing her and Bonnie was safe. This was all to familiar to Caroline. She remembered her dream. How Klaus was chasing her?

"This was crazy." Caroline thought and suddenly stopped in her tracks. She heard Klaus coming up behind her, slowing his speed until he was just walking. Caroline turned around and looked at him. He stood a few feet away from her. His shoulders were hunched like he was ready to attack. His mouth was twisted in a mean snarl and his eyes were narrowed and focused on her, watching her every move. Caroline looked at Klaus. She could still see the man he was. The man that she…..

"Klaus." she said. Klaus hunched down further and opened his mouth, bearing his teeth.

Not knowing where her bravery came from Caroline took a step towards Klaus. She reached her hand out to him and he growled loudly.

"Klaus." she said again taking another small step towards him. He cocked his head to the side as she took yet another steps towards him and touched his face. For an instant she thought she saw his eyes. He looked at her like he had before. Passion, wanting, understanding.

"Klaus." she said again softer. His body relaxed slightly and she felt him react to her touch. He pressed his face into her hand.

Then in an instant he slashed at her with his claws. At first she was shocked that it happened so fast. Caroline stumbled back and fell into a near by tree. She placed a shaky hand on her stomach and came up dripping in her blood. She looked down and saw three deep gashes in her flesh, her shirt was shredded. She looked up and saw Klaus coming at her.

This was how she was going to die. She had been through so much. She thought she was dead a long time ago. She was going to die at the hand of the man she loved. Klaus knocked her down on the ground and stood above her. He snarled and growled and drooled over her. And then he was on her crouching, hovering inches from her face but she wasn't scared.

"Klaus. I love you." she said her voice weak. She looked into his eyes and saw the beast, the wolf. She closed her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Klaus reared back and was about to attack but stopped. He looked down at Caroline on the ground, her golden hair dirty, deep gashes in her stomach and her tattered shirt soaked in blood. He felt a pain in his chest and fell backward.

Caroline waited on the cold ground for his teeth to tear into her but nothing happened. She opened her eyes and looked around. She touched her stomach and realized that the bleeding stopped and the healing had begun. She got to her knees and saw Klaus laying naked on the ground. He was no longer a wolf. She crawled to him and touched him. His skin was colder than usual. How long had they been like this? She pulled him towards her and turned him over. His eyes were closed and there was no movement. Hot tears came to her eyes again. She touched his face.

"Klaus." she screamed. She swung her leg over him and straddled him. She took his head in her hands .

"Klaus." she screamed again. She sobbed out loud and looked up at the moon. She screamed a painful heartbreaking scream. She looked back down at him and moved to lay her head on his chest. She turned her head and kissed his chest then looked up at his face. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his softly. She felt his hands on her legs, moving up to her hips. She gasped and pulled back from him. He was holding on to her waist. His eyes fluttered open. Caroline looked down a him shocked.

"Caroline." he said. His mouth dry. He tried to sit up.

"Oh easy. " she said and helped him. Caroline moved and knelt next to him on the hard ground of the forest. Klaus looked down at himself naked then he looked at Caroline. He saw the remains of the gashes in her stomach. He reached out slowly and touched her with his fingers. He looked up at her, pain in his eyes.

"I did this." he said.

"Its fine. I am healing." she said and reached for him.

"And what if it wasn't fine? What if I had bitten you?"

"But you didn't." she said trying to pull him closer.

"Caroline I was about to maul you to death." he said angrily and moved away from her.

"But you didn't." she reached for him one last time. He pulled his arm away. "Please." she said.

"I can't do this Caroline." he said. "Its too easy for me to hurt you."

"But the spell. Didn't it work?" she asked, chocking on her words. "Klaus. Did the spell work?" she demanded.

"It doesn't matter Caroline." he said and stood up. He turned his back to her. She sat on the ground and shook her head.

"NO! No way did we go through everything we went through for you to give up." She stood up and walked towards him. She stepped in front of him and looked into his eyes. "I love you Klaus." she said again. To him this time.

He turned his face from her and looked down at the ground.

"Don't you love me?" she asked and suddenly was afraid of the answer. He would not look at her. Caroline grabbed his face and pulled it back up to face her. "Do you love me Klaus?" he saw the anger in her eyes.

"I can't Caroline. I just can't." he said. Caroline was furious. She slapped him hard across the face.

"Then why did you come here and take the potion and have Bonnie do the spell if you don't love me. You don't want to be with me?"

"I thought I could."

Caroline stepped back and had to physically stop herself from punching him.

"So what was that all about Klaus? Everything we did to each other? You have not changed then? You were playing me the whole time." She turned around and gripped her hair tight in her fists.

Klaus stepped up behind her and reached out to touch her back, feel her hair. But he didn't.

"No Caroline I was not playing you. We had a very strong connection. But I realized tonight that we can't be together. I am not ready for this." he said,the words struggling out of his mouth. He watched as her body convulsed a little holding in her sobs. He wanted to take her in his arms one last time.

"We can't be together. Not now."

Caroline turned to him but he was gone. Her eyes scanned the trees for a glimpse of him. Then she heard. "I love you Caroline" The words drifted on the air and surrounded her. Then silence again.