"Stay forever"
"When morning came, for the first time in many months the fire was out, Jo's place was empty and the room was very still. But a bird sang blithely on a budding bough, close by, the snowdrops blossomed freshly at the window, and the spring sunshine streamed in like a benediction over the placid face upon the pillow-a face so full of painless peace that those who loved it best smiled though their tears, and thanked God that Beth was well at last."
" So this is supposed to be a classic? Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Elena told me this is your favourite book but I still don't get it. Maybe if you read it to me instead? I'd give my life to hear your voice again sweetheart. I'd give anything …"
Nik wiped a tear from his eye and put the book down so he could touch Caroline's hand. It wasn't cold as one would think, it was still warm as always, and smooth. And this still gave him hope.
"You look like an angel, you know that? Even now you're the most beautiful woman in the world. And I know you need your beauty sleep. But it's been two weeks love, long enough. Please wake up. Please wake up so I don't have to feel like a fool for talking to myself, but … I know the doctors said the chances of you actually hearing me are slim, but what do they know? I know you can here me; I know you're still there beautiful. And I have to believe you'll come back to me. Please Caroline, I have nothing to live for without you. One life to live we said, don't give up on us just yet …"
Nik stood up and went to the window; he opened it and pushed his head out. He needed some fresh air, well if we would be perfectly honest he needed cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, anything to numb him down, but he knew for once in his life he had to be a better man and not go down that road again. For her … He had to be a better man for her, because he truly hasn't given up on her yet … He remembered what happened after the ambulance took her away. She was clinically dead they said, her heart stopped pumping because of the blood loss. And although they managed to make her heart start beating again the stress of it was too much for her body and she fell into a coma.
"There is a chance she could wake up. But I want to be honest with you Mr. Mikaelson, the chances are zero to none. Her condition was very severe, and every day that passes and she's still asleep is a one more sign you should make your peace and let her go."
That was two weeks ago, two weeks from the time Nik put his fist through a concrete wall in the hospital. Didn't do him match good though, she was still more dead than alive, as the fine Chicago doctors liked to put it. Stupid idiots, his Caroline wasn't dead, she was just … Sleeping … And he wouldn't dare give up on her just yet …
" What are you thinking about?"
" Bekah, you scared me. Please don't do that." he looked at his sister that was standing at the entrance of Caroline's hospital room while realizing why he got so worked up.
" Oh Nik, I'm so sorry … I wasn't thinking … You thought it was her, didn't you?"
"Bekah please don't look at me like I'm a mental case, not you too. She will wake up, I just know it."
"I believe you Nik."
" Really? You're not just saying that?"
"No, I really believe in that. I have to. I have to believe that there is someone out there who won't let such an innocent girl die, and make you suffer again … You've been through enough."
" This is all my fault."
" Nik please don't say that. You're only torturing yourself. Caroline wouldn't want that."
" But it's true Bekah. That bullet was meant for me. I'm supposed to be here, lying in this God awful bed. Not her … Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a horrible selfish bastard, that I was a better man, if I had let her be, this wouldn't have happened."
" You can't think like that brother. She was so happy with you; she loved you so much …"
" Don't talk about her like she's dead Bekah. She's right here."
" You're right, I'm sorry. She loves you, and if she had to, I know she'd choose you all over again. No matter the consequences. Because that's love. I'd do the same for Matt. I just couldn't not to. If you don't risk everything you risk even more. Some people are worth it. You were worth it in her eyes."
" I just feel so helpless. It's the worst feeling in the world. Just sitting here day after day, talking to her, reading to her, but actually not doing anything. I do anything … I'd give my life for her in a heartbeat."
Rebekah came and hugged him, and he let her. She was doing it a lot for the past two weeks, being his sister, and he was letting her. He was even letting Finn, Kol and Elijah to be his brothers. He was obviously a mess, and going insane.
" You're doing everything you can Nik. But you need to rest from time to time. You're are no good to her sick, you have to be the handsome devil you are, full of life and energy when she wakes up. So please go home and get some sleep …"
" No Bekah, I …"
" Yes Nik. You've been here all night. Don't worry, she won't be alone. I'll stay with her. And Katherine is in the hallway. Btw. she has some news, you need to speak to her. So go …"
So Nik reluctantly kissed Caroline in the forehead and left her with his sister. But only for a few hours, that's the limit how much he could endure without her. He needed her presence like oxygen. No matter what happens, I'll never leave her side, he thought to himself.
" Hey Nik."
" Hi Kat. How are you?"
"You know. Every day's the same." she said with sadness in her voice. Nik could see her usual quirkiness and energy was gone. She was the first person that, accompanied by Stefan, rushed to the hospital and held his hand through the numerous hours that Caroline spent on the surgery table. And he'd never forget that.
" Is she?"
"The same …" he said with a voice of a broken man desperately trying to hold it together somehow.
" I actually came here for one more reason Nik … We finally have some news. Bill Forbes has been arrested this afternoon. They found him when he was trying to pass the Mexican board with a fake passport."
" Good." was the only thing Nik had the strength to say. He hated that scum; he hated him so much that nothing would give him more pleasure than to kill him with his own two bare hands. But the point of that would be? It wouldn't make her open her eyes. And that was the only thing that truly mattered.
"Stefan has some contacts in the police and he told me Bill doesn't want to rat out his accomplice."
" Accomplice?" Nik asked in a confused tone. He really hadn't had time to think about it, any of it, he had more pressing matters to take care of. Like being next to her, and thinking about nothing but her, but now as Katherine mentioned it …
"Well yes … I mean, it was Bill who did the shooting, there's no doubt about it. I mean, you were there. But how did he know you'd be on that very boat at that time? How did he know Nik? First of course I thought that low life of Tyler Lockwood was his accomplice but that just doesn't make sense. I mean I'm sure he'd do anything to see you dead, both of you, but … He couldn't have known … Only members of your family, Stefan, Elena, Damon and I knew … And that just doesn't make any sense …" Katherine sat down with a confused look on her face.
"It's been bugging me so much. I know that doesn't change anything, but it's killing me. How? Because none of us told, I am sure none of the members of your family would ever do such a thing. Elijah was the one that arranged everything for God's sake."
In that moment everything in front of Nik's eyes went black. My God. How couldn't he see it sooner? He was just so consumed with pain he didn't see the obvious in front of him. It was her … It had to be her …
" Tatia …"
" What?" Katherine asked
" No, nothing. Listen I have to go. You'll be here, right? Contact me if anything happens."
He had to go. He had a certain brunette to kill.
He ran to the Mikaelson mansion like a fury. Like he was chased by the devil himself, and in a way he was really. He was chased by a devil telling him he was a fool for not connecting the dots earlier. It had to be Tatia; she's the only one that was vicious enough to do such a thing. And now a woman he loved more than anything in the whole world was lying in a hospital bed half dead because of her.
"Where is Tatia?" he screamed at one of the servants.
" Sir? Is everything alright?"
" No, nothing is alright. Now tell me where she is."
" The lady is upstairs, I believe she's in her room. Taking her rest."
"Oh, I'll end her rest. I'll end her." he screamed more to himself that to anybody else and ran up the stairs. He barged into her room, almost knocking the door down.
She was sitting at her table, putting on make-up. She screamed when she heard him burst into her room. He could see she saw the terror in his eyes, the blind rage that was consuming him. He saw she right away new he figured it all out.
" Nik …" she tried pleading with him.
" Don't you say another word you worthless piece of shit. Don't you dare deny it."
" Nik, please calm down. You're obviously ill, you need help."
She was such a good actress, somebody else would have fallen for that, but this time around he knew better.
"You're the only sick person here. So you wanted me dead, ha? But did it make you even happier when you heard it was Caroline who got shoot? Did it? Answer me, damn it."
" Nik, you're rambling. I have no idea what you're talking about. Please seek help, you're really scaring me."
Nik approached her in one quick step and grabbed her tightly.
" Don't you dare look me in the eyes and lie to me. I'll kill you right now if you don't tell me the truth. I'm crazy you say, if that's true than I wouldn't tempt me if I were you."
" Nik, please let go of me. You're hurting me."
" Good, you deserve it. I swear to God I have never hit a woman, before but I will strangle you in cold blood in you don't tell me the truth right this instant."
His hands started to wrap around her neck.
" I suggest you start talking, this is your one and only warning."
" Ok, yes. YES! It was me." She managed to push herself of him and hit the table behind her grabbing the first thing that came to her hands, a small pair of scissors. He could see the wildness in her eyes; she wasn't just a calculative bitch, now he saw she was completely mad.
"You were mine Nik. You should have loved me forever. I'm better than her, I am …"
" Don't you even dare to compare herself to her, you're not worthy of kissing her feet."
" Don't say that, just stop it. We were good together, you loved me once."
" And then you left me for me brother … What's your point?"
" But I never stopped thinking about you …"
" That's too bad because I stopped thinking about you."
" Because of her! That's why I had to do it, I couldn't have just let you happy. But I was so glad when I heard you were alive, I really was. Now she's out of the picture, we can have a second chance together."
Tatia started approaching him seductively but he right away grabbed and threw her at the floor.
" Elijah …" he uttered when he saw his brother at the door, he wondered how much of this had he witnessed and heard. Nik hoped all of it, because he was too tiered to explain it all, and this time he knew there could be no more lies.
" Honey, my God I'm so glad you're home. Nik has gone insane, he accused me of …"
Elijah cut her half way.
" Don't bother. I heard everything. Collect your stuff and leave my house at once if you don't want me to remove you myself."
"No, please don't talk like that. Nik is completely delusional, he made a pass at me, he tried to force himself on me. I had to say all those things because that's what he wanted to hear, I only said it so he wouldn't hurt it. You trust me, don't you? I love you; I'm your wife Elijah."
" And Nik's my brother, who do you think I'll trust? Don't bother love. Nik come, we have some discussing to do. You pack your stuff and leave before I call the police and tell them you were in on a plan to kill my brother, the plan that put Caroline into a hospital. And if you ever return here, and ask a dime of me that's exactly what I'll do. Please come with me Nik."
And so Nik followed him into the study leaving awestruck Tatia to cope with her own doing.
Before he even got the chance to close the door and realize what was going on a fist flew into his direction, into his face to be precise. Wow, he couldn't believe Elijah actually, punched him?
" That felt good. My wife Nik? You hate me that much?"
" Whoa, for the record I have never slept with her since she became your wife. She was with me first, and left me for you."
" You could have told me that. I'd never marry her …" Elijah said quietly.
" I know, maybe I should have but I was so angry, consumed in my envy for you. You always got what I wanted – a family, mother's love, Mikael's respect, and than her, the woman I thought I loved at the time. I hated you. I really did."
" Do you still hate me."
Nik sat next to him on the table and signed.
" No, I realized that was my shit I needed to learn to handle. I had to stop blaming everyone, even that son of a bitch of your father, for my mistakes and my behaviour. We create our own life, Caroline thought me that." Nik said and the mere mention of her name almost made him cry, how he wished she could haven been here now, by his side to make all of this easier. She always made things easier, just by existing and shining in the Sun. To him she was the God damn Sun.
" So, I guess I've just lost a wife. And yours is in a coma. Aren't we a pair?" Elijah was trying to be funny but Nik could see he was still hurt. Not that he could blame the guy.
So he tapped him on the back and said: " It'll get better … brother … I has to be, we can't lose our hope just yet. We have things to fight for … Caroline and … Our family …"
" Family" Elijah repeated and for the first time that day Nik saw a glimpse of a smile on his face.
Nik came back to the hospital that evening. Rebekah and Katherine went home to rest, so he was alone with his princess, just the way he liked it.
" So apparently we're starting Jane Eyre today, Katherine tells me it also one of your favourite. Sweetheart, I just keep thinking … I don't even know you're favourite colour, or your favourite childhood memory. There is so much more about your hopes and dreams I want to learn. We had so little time together; it's just not fair …"
Nik just couldn't hold it any longer. He leaned to her and started crying. Was everybody right? Was it all hopeless? Would he have to let her go? Oh God, however would he manage to live on without her, she was his light, and he was so scared of going into the dark again, alone. He knew his tears were soaking her hand but he just had to be near her, exhale her scent … " I just can't let you go love." he barely uttered shaking in tears.
And then it happened … No, did it? Did it happen or was he really going crazy and starting to hallucinate? He felt something touch his hair. He right away stood up and looked into Caroline's eyes, they were still closed but something felt different.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily Nik." she whispered in her beautiful voice, a bit weak but still beautiful.
" Caroline?" he approached her carefully still examining if it was just a dream, his wishful thinking and his imagination playing tricks on him.
And then she managed to open her eyes and look at him with those gorgeous baby blue eyes. His baby blue eyes, and they were open … They really were …
" I'll get the doctor." he right away said and started to leave when she managed to grab him by the arm.
" No, stay. Stay forever."
I am soo sorry for the long update, I'm not trying to torture you or anything, I mean I looove you guys and all your lovely REVIEWS and the genuine interest for this story ... My life is just a bit messy, exams, and I'm the last year of college so I'm supposed to graduate soon and have a tone of work to do. But here goes, a new chapter, hopefully you won't be disappointed with it. Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW ;) ...
