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Lessons of Love, Chapter 21: Klaus to Caroline, Part 10

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." Anatole France

"Caroline?" he asked as he came through her open window. He found her before she could answer, not that it was difficult to spot her in her bedroom.

She was sitting on the floor, leaning against her bed with her legs drawn up to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on the head of a stuffed animal that was clutched between her thighs and her body. She looked up at him, away from the boxes that her life seemed packed up in, and smiled slightly. The small gesture wasn't enough to hide the tears in her eyes. Klaus sighed, his eyes wandering around all of her packed belongings that she planned to take with her before he sat down beside her.

They sat in silence as Caroline rested her head on his shoulder and drew her legs tighter to her chest, if that was possible.

"You're going to suffocate whatever that is, sweetheart," he said, trying, albeit very lamely, to lighten the mood by referencing how tightly she was clutching the stuffed Tigger to her chest.

She shrugged. "I can't believe it's here. That I'm leaving. It's weird," she whispered. "And I don't like it."

"Why?" Klaus prompted. There was obviously something else bothering her.

Caroline was quiet as she breathed slowly. In and out, in and out. It was as if she was fighting for control. "Because…this is all I used to want. But now, I don't know anymore." In and out, she reminded herself. "Because what if everything goes wrong? What if I loose control and the next thing you know is that there's an alleged serial killer running around UVA's campus because I've gone all Ripper on everyone?"

"You're on human blood, sweetheart, even if it is, ah, filtered," Klaus said, his nose scrunching up in distaste at the thought of blood bags. "I highly doubt you'll loose control like that."

"But how do you know? I'm going to be away from Mystic Falls, by myself, with no one to control me. Things might get out of hand and no one will be there to help me. I mean, people give me way to much credit for my control."

"Why are you so doubtful? Everything's going to be fine, Caroline."

"Because…I don't know the people at UVA. It's different at home. I know everybody here and…and I could never imagine hurting them but at school… no one will be there to hold me back," she finished in a whisper.

"You're frightened because there won't be any ties to your humanity and you could lose yourself because of it." He felt her nod against his shoulder. Klaus sighed as he was reminded, not for the first time, how tragic Caroline's situation was. She was eighteen-years-old and she should be excited about college. She should be ecstatic about meeting new friends and cheering for a college football team (Klaus found that entirely more exciting than high school football) and what sorority she wanted to join. But instead, here she was, eighteen-years-old and worrying about losing her humanity and dealing with blood cravings and it wasn't fair and all Klaus knew was that she didn't deserve to have to grow up so fast.

"I know I told you that you were right but I'm not ready to leave home yet. I'm scared, Nik." Caroline felt a tear dangling on the edge of her nose. It fell and was absorbed in the fabric of Klaus' shirt before he shifted so he could look at Caroline.

She turned her head to the floor, unwilling to meet his eyes. She wanted to hide her tears and the worry that was in her eyes from him. She felt awkward talking about this, just like she always did when talking about her faults. Caroline felt his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look into his face as his eyes searched her features.

"Caroline, sweetheart," he said gently. "I want you to listen to me. You are going to be fine. Everything is going to work out. You're going to leave here in the morning because it's the best thing for you right now. It's not goodbye, love, and it doesn't have to be for a while. You can come back here whenever you need to, whenever you feel like you're losing yourself, but, I can assure you, sweetheart, that if you stay in Mystic Falls until you absolutely have to leave, you'll lose who you are faster than if you leave tomorrow. If you stay here, you'll get lost in this little town's games, you'll be smothered and I don't want that for you. You don't deserve that.

"But you do deserve to get out. You deserve to go and act your age, sweetheart. We'll figure out the feeding issue, I don't want you to worry your little head over it; just because you won't be in Mystic Falls anymore doesn't mean you'll be in this alone. I don't want you to grow up too fast just because you're a vampire, Caroline."

"But I have to. You moved on, without a backward glance."

Klaus cocked an eyebrow at her. "And yet, here I am, back in Mystic Falls. Do you really believe that?"

Caroline thought about it for a moment. "I guess not," she said with a sniffle and a couple more tears.

"Change is inevitable, Caroline. You can't stay the same person forever but you don't have completely forget who you are, I won't let that happen. I happen to like my small town Caroline," Klaus told her, a small smile pulling at his lips as he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. "Don't grow up too fast," he murmured against her skin, thumbs wiping the tears from her cheeks before pulling away.

"Promise me something?" she asked, leaning back onto his shoulder and taking one of his hands, threading their fingers together. She felt him turn his head towards her, waiting. "You'll come see me. A lot. 'Cause I won't be able to come home much during the football and basketball seasons."

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll come whenever you want me to."

"And that you'll behave."

He smirked. "I'll be a perfect gentleman."

Satisfied with his answers, Caroline settled into silence. Her eyes still wandered over all of her packed things as Klaus' rubbed circles on the back of her small hand. She yawned after a few minutes and nestled into Klaus.

"I guess it's time for bed," he chuckled.

"I guess so," she said with a sigh as she made to stand up. She yawned again as she fell into bed, her stuffed Tigger still in hand.

Klaus knelt down and kissed her goodnight. "Sweet dreams, love," he said, brushing strands of hair out of her face before turning to leave. Caroline caught his wrist and he turned back around, looking down at her.

"Stay," she whispered. "Please?"

A small smile graced his lips and she scooted over to make room for him.

"Well isn't this a scandal? The world's oldest criminal spending the night in bed with the sheriff's daughter."

"As long as you don't take all the blankets, I won't complain," she said sleepily, cuddling against Klaus' side as his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him.

Neither Klaus nor Caroline were entirely sure of what would happen she left tomorrow but there was one thing that Klaus was sure would never change: he would stay with her forever.

All she had to do was ask.

A/N: I've been planning this chapter since I started writing these little glimpses into the Klaus/Caroline relationship so it kept building in my head and it took me forever to get it the way I wanted it. No, it's not perfect but it'll do:) I know it's not exactly sunshine and rainbows like I had said it would be but I had to add a little angst back in. I think it's a really sweet moment that says a lot about how Klaus' character has grown throughout the chapters.

Chapter title goes to the song Sugarcane by Missy Higgins:)

Thanks for reading and, please, if you have a minute, review!