He couldn't take his eyes off her as she basked there, the sun shining through the leaves painting her with gold, her long tresses shining like the sun it's self. He could see where this fiery maiden could have drawn his attention. Perhaps he would paint this scene after all.
"Enjoying yourself Sweetheart?" He asked flashing out to her standing in her light, she frowned opening her eyes.
"This is exactly how I imagined it would be, down to every detail." She told him before she flashed up pushing him over into the water. He only had a second to be shocked before he was hit by the cold water. He burst through the surface of he water prepared to be pissed, but then he saw her standing there waiting to see if he was okay before she bust into laughter and he couldn't help but crack a smile.
"You've done it now love." He growled grabbing her around the waist at inhuman speed and tossing her into the water with. The look of shock and horror in her eyes was comical, he thought she would be mad like most women he knew, but she surfaced with a smile.
"Jerk!" She yelled splashing him while she giggled, it had been a life time since he'd had this kind of fun. With inhuman strength there splash fight got a little out of hand and before they knew it, any one watching would have thought it was raining.
"Wow!" Caroline's breath caught as she looked at something he didn't see he flashed to her side to see what it was that had enthralled her. The spray of falling water had caught the light and cast a rainbow that hung low in the air.
He looked over at her look of wonder and once again couldn't keep the smile from his lips, he didn't know how this woman did that to him but it irritated him so he splashed her again. She gaped at him then turned and attempted to dunk him so he threw her over his shoulder.
"Hey, cheater!" She squeaked struggling to escape his arms while she laughed with him, he dropped her on the shore falling to the ground next to her while they laughed until it was hard to breath. Klaus had never been so amused by anyone, when his breathing had finally settled he looked over at Caroline.
"Maybe you aren't so different." She whispered with a radiant smile, she was soaked and filthy as he was sure he was too, but even still.
"You are a peculiar woman to say the least Caroline." He told her, she closed her eyes when she heard him use her name remembering the last time she'd heard her name in that accent. He watched a look of sadness cross her porcine features and it made his chest ache somehow, which only made him mad.
"So are you ever going to tell me where to find my moonstone?" He asked, she looked over at him as if she had just remembered that he wasn't the man who had known her for however long he had supposedly been with her.
"Mystic falls." She told him simply but when he went to move she smirked. "1864." She added deflating his excitement instantly.
"that's over a hundred and fifty years from now." He told her with a bit of a scowl, she just shrugged.
"Good thing you live forever." She told him tossing a clump of grass at him, then a thought occurred to her.
"And you have to let me go get it." She added, he tossed his own hand full of grass at her trying not to glare, how was he to charm her if he was nothing but a bother after all?
"And why would I do that prey tell?" He asked looking at her in disbelief, she just batted her eye lashes at him like it was the dumbest question ever.
"Because otherwise you'll have to wait another two hundred years to get your hands on it." She told him simply, he sat up leaning on his hand.
"Why exactly would that be?" He asked brushing a strand of her wet hair aside, she knew he was trying to seduce the information out of him, but it still made her stomach flutter the way his touch always had.
"I'm too smart to be seduced by you remember." She whispered not nearly as convincing as she wanted to be, he had spent a lot of time breaking down her walls, it was hard to remember to keep them in place around this Klaus.
"Tell me why I can't retrieve the moon stone myself." He said looking her in the eyes as his dilated, she realized hat he was doing a second too late.
"Because it's a delicate mater, if you interfere and the Salvatore brothers aren't turned then Elena will die and you'll never break the curse." She told him then covered her mouth flashing away from him feeling betrayed. She had never dreamed he would compel her, she knew he could, but it had never been a danger before.
She looked back at him all her hurt shining in her tear filled sea foam colored eyes and for a second Klaus felt genuinely guilty for what he had done, then he remembered he was not weak, and he did not care for her.
"You really are nothing like him." She hissed flashing away, she just kept going until she was exhausted, then started frantically searching for vervaine. Why hadn't she thought about this sooner, she knew he wasn't the man she knew, but she had still trusted him and his family without question.
It took almost an hour to find the flower she wanted, she had found some that looked right, but they hadn't burned, but now she had a dress full of the horrid plant.
She ripped the slip under her dress into one large square and a long thin strip, she ground them into a powder and collected as much of it as she could find into her square of fabric. She tied it into a pouch and tucked it into her bodice so Klaus wouldn't find it swallowing a pinch.
It burnt like acid in her throat, but she knew that he couldn't force anything on her like that, ever again! She clutched the bag through her dress letting the tears fall now that she knew he could never betray her like that again.
Klaus had seethed at the idea that he was falling short of himself, of coarse she would compare him to the person he had never been. He would have left her out there to die for all he cared, but she still had information he needed.
She had run in circles all over the woods, he was finding it had to track her down, every time he though he'd caught her trail it flitted away and by the time evening was setting in he was getting worried that he may have lost her.
She heard him before she saw him and did her best to compose herself, she was still damp and filthy, but she would not let him see her cry. She got to her feet turning to him with her best hate filled glare.
"What come to force me into something else?" She snarled, Klaus sighed when he saw her, he should compel her to stay by his side until he had all the information from her.
"You will stay with me until I know everything love." He told her trying to compel her again, she glared at him walking up to stand by his side, no need to let him in on her secret quite yet.
"Good, now you will be loyal only to me sweetheart." He told her, she gave him the saddest smile he'd ever seen and it bothered him.
"Until today you never would have had to compel that from me." She told him, he looked at her with a scrutinizing glare trying to catch her in a lie that wasn't there.
"I don't believe you." He told her, she shook her head remembering another moment when she'd called him on this, the night of the ball where he'd shown her his art for the first time.
"You're so spoiled, just snap your fingers or flash that look and get whatever you want! I get it, your father didn't love you so you assume that no one else will either, and that's why you compel people, but that's not how that works! You don't connect with people because you don't even try to get to understand them." She growled, he growled at her his long hair stuck to his stubble covered cheeks.
"Never speak to me like that again!" He told her, she smirked reaching up and touching his face lightly then full on slapped him.
"Deal with it!" She yelled turning to leave, he flashed in front of her seething with irritation and confusion.
"Don't turn your back on me!" He yelled back, she got right in his face matching his anger without much effort.
"You can't control me, not ever again. If you so much as think about hurting me you'll never get what you want, so back off!" She snarled flashing away from him back towards the village, he gaped at the empty space that she left behind.
How had she resisted his compulsion, no one outside his family had ever resisted him like that? Something about her made him seething mad and stupid happy at the same time. She was a challenge like none before her, she was so confidant and innocent, reckless but smart. She fascinated him and that bothered him even more then it normally would if the witch hadn't implied she was somehow his soul mate.
Caroline found herself locked in he room Klaus had given her, she hid the Vervaine behind a painting frame so Klaus wouldn't find it. After a few minutes someone knocked on the door, Caroline sighed, but went to open the door.
"Hello lady Caroline, I was sent to see if you required anything." Charlotte told her when she opened the door. Caroline sighed letting her in the room.
"Who sent you?" She asked thinking Klaus had sent her to keep an eye on her since he couldn't compel her. She smiled letting her thick black hair drape over her delicate features, and Caroline found herself wishing there was something she could do to help her.
"Elijah miss, he worries for all the women Sir Klaus takes an interest in." She explained, Caroline chuckled, ya if any of them were going to worry about her it would be Elijah.
"Ya, he's a man of honor, if I'm stuck back here I should really try and help him, he was always nice to me." She said mostly to herself, Charlotte sighed a breathy sound that gave away her feelings for the elder Mikaelson brother.
"He truly is miss." She sighed, sitting down on Caroline's bed then gasping as if she remembered she was in her room and quickly got off the bed.
"Don't worry, you can act however you want with me, I won't control you like they do." She told Charlotte, who visibly relaxed as she went over to her bed side table with a small knife and filled a cup for Caroline.
While she was turned around Caroline went behind the picture taking a pinch of vervaine and replacing the picture at inhuman speed. She held it out to Charlotte with a slight smile.
"Here eat this, then at least you can make your own choices." Caroline told her, Charlotte did as she was told and Caroline drank the contents of her cup with a smile.
"Thank you miss Caroline, most people here aren't so nice to me, except Elijah of coarse." She mumbled the last bit, Caroline smiled a nefarious plan to help her while away the years until she could have her Klaus back.
Charlotte had drawn her a bath already, and went about warming the water for her, the talked while Charlotte combed the dirt and grass out of her hair. It was nice to clean off, but she missed her shower already and it was a bit awkward to have Charlotte in there with her.
"Thank you for being my friend here Charlotte, I think I might be stuck here for a while, these dresses are murder though, do you think you could help me with that tomorrow?" She asked, Charlotte smiled nodding happily.
"Yes miss Caroline I would be honored. I'll see you in the morning." She told Caroline before leaving her to her own devices. Caroline didn't wait around in her room for long, she wasn't tired and she would not hide.
She decided instead to explore the house, it was rather large and after a few empty or locked bedrooms she ended up in a sitting room where Elijah was sitting by a fire reading something. Caroline went over to the comfy looking couch and sat down tucking her bare feet under her lap.
"Good evening Caroline, I trust it finds you well." Elijah said putting his book down on his lap to talk with Caroline.
"As well as can be expected after a day of dealing with Klaus, I mean could he be civil for like two seconds. Charlotte was nice enough to stop by and see if I was okay earlier though." She told him with a sweet smile, Elijah couldn't help the hint of a smile that crossed his lips.
"She is a charming young woman." Elijah added, Caroline tried not to smirk, she loved meddling with peoples love lives.
"Ya, she seems to really like you, I'm glad at least one of you treats her alright." Caroline said quietly looking off into the fire, Elijah studied her for a long time trying to see if she really cared or if she was trying to manipulate him the way his family often did.
"You have genuine concern for her don't you, it's rare to meet someone who actually cares." He commented, she looked over towards him and just shrugged.
"Ya well if it weren't for your brother I would never have living this long." She mumbled, she hadn't really meant to say that out loud, but she couldn't help but bring him up.
"Is that so?" He said curiously, she grimaced wishing she'd kept that to her self, she wasn't sure how much she could trust any of them.
"Ya, he convinced me that there was a whole world of genuine beauty out there for me and I had forever to have it all. It's stupid, but he saved me so many times, I just miss, I miss who he was, or will be, whatever." Caroline whispered, Elijah stared openly now like the idea of someone caring for Klaus of there own free will was madness.
"I never would have imagined our Niklaus could inspire such affection." Elijah said sounding as if he didn't believe she felt for him without some sort of manipulation.
"Ya well I hated him for a long time, but under all his violence and bravado he's decent, and passionate, and deep, and broken. He needs people, but he's too insecure to even try and get to know people." She told him, Elijah chuckled taking a sip of whatever he had in his cup.
"You do seem to know him well." He laughed, Caroline hid her face in her hands, she felt like an idiot.
Klaus had a bath drawn for him then shooed his servants so he could get clean, he was still frustrated by Caroline and her refusal to give him what he wanted. He would never have admitted it even to himself, but seeing her in tears feeling betrayed by what he had done had put a knot in his stomach that he couldn't shake.
Klaus attempted to comb out his hair to little avail, and after only a few tries he became frustrated and simply hacked it off in a close crop calling in a servant to fix the clumsy cutting he had done. Now Klaus stood at the mirror in his room examining the new style, she was right it suited him much better.
Caroline sat with Elijah for a while just thinking about the past, she remembered when everything had started to change with them after she'd helped him with the imaginary white oak splinter, but she hadn't realized just how much she liked him until he had agreed to let Tyler come back to town.
It had been two weeks since she'd called and told Tyler he could cme home, she'd spent four straight days with Klaus trying to convince him to say yes and it had payed off, but she hadn't heard from Tyler yet. She was thinking of asking Klaus to go with her to the prom her finger hovering over dial when a gust of wind hit her.
"Tyler!" She gasped looking over her shoulder and seeing it was him who had flashed into her room.
"Hey Care." He said not sounding nearly as happy as she thought he should be, she launched herself at him in a tackle of a hug and he held her for a long moment. She pulled back to kiss him and he took a step back stopping her.
"What's wrong?" She asked looking him over worriedly, he frowned running his hand through his hair.
"Look Care, I, I really, I love you I do, but with everything between you and Klaus, and I, I found a pack up in Montana. I'm there alpha now, they need me Care." He told her, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, was this really happening.
"What are you saying, what stuff with me and Klaus?" She asked sure she was Klaus' friend now, but that was it! Tyler looked at the floor still rubbing his neck uncomfortably.
"Oh come on Care, he's in love with you how else could you have convinced him to let me be, but that's not my point." He told her, she took a step back shaking her head like if she could just get away from this none of it would have happened.
"Then what is!?" She asked, her sadness coming across as anger, Tyler responded in kind.
"That I'm not anymore, I, it doesn't matter, I just came to say good bey in person, I'm not coming back." Tyler said flashing out of the house, she never did see him again, she was left there in tears. She hadn't noticed when she'd hit dial on her phone, but as soon as she collapsed on her bed Klaus flashed in the window Tyler had left.
"What's wrong love?" He asked crouched down at her side, she collapsed into him, and he wrapped his arms around her picking her off the floor. He took her to her bed and he'd held her all night without a word.
That had been the time she'd realized she didn't love Tyler, she loved Klaus, and she'd asked him to the prom. Everything had been perfect that night.
"Good evening my sweet Caroline." Klaus said with his incredibly charming smile, Caroline bit back a smile as he pinned a perfect orchid corsage to her dress. They matched nicely with her in a long slim deep purple dress with pearl lace, and Klaus in a stunning tux with the same color tie.
"Thank you." She whispered, Klaus smirked holding his arm out for her to take.
"Shall we love?" He asked, she took his arm happily and let him lead her to the limo opening the door for her and helping her in. They got there later then most people, and Elena was already dancing with Stephan, and Matt was spinning April to the soft music.
"May I have this dance love?" He asked holding his hand out for her and she grinned taking his hand.
"Yes you may." She giggled following him out onto the floor, they spent the night wrapped in each others arms, and then he lead her outside so they could be alone, that had been when Silas had shown up.
Caroline sighed shifting to get up, she was suddenly exhausted, she hadn't even gotten one night with him, ugh life was stupid. Just as she wen to leave she ran right into Kol who gave er a sickly sweet smile.
"Well hello Caroline, leaving so soon?" Kol asked, She took a step back out of his personal space, Kol was the brother she knew he least about, other then they'd killed hi to find the cure. She remember the look on Klaus' face when he was staring at his desiccated body, even when she'd hated him that look he had.
"Well I was getting tired, why?" She asked looking him over, he had the shortest hair of the three, but a bit of a beard for now, she remembered how clean shaven the two of them had been when she knew them, only Elijah kept well shave now.
"I was just coming to see if perhaps you would do me the honor of accompanying me on a bit of a stroll tomorrow since you seemed to have so much fun with my brother. How did you both get soaked any way?" He asked she laughed remembering the better part of the day, she ran her fingers through her silky hair, Charlotte had brushed it until it shined.
"I pushed him in the river, he may have retaliated, and I would love to walk with you tomorrow, perhaps Elijah and Charlotte could come with us." She said looking back at Elijah who looked over at them a bit shocked.
"Unfortunately I have a previous engagement, but thank you for asking Caroline." Elijah offered, Kol laughed shaking his head.
"Seems it's just the two of us darling." He smirked, Caroline rolled her eyes at the youngest Mikaelson brother.
"I think I can handle that, good night you two." She told them sidestepping Kol and going back up to her room.