To Knows-it-all, dreamingoflove36, Mah Luka, and gothicpoet0615 for asking me to make this more than a one-shot.
To FoarsakenMythr2012, here is Caroline finding out and a have a follow up chapter that will focus on the season finales crossing over, but for now I hope you like it.
Also a massive thanks to all who reviewed, favourite, followed and generally viewed. It really helps me to continue writing.
Sorry upfront guys, feeling really angsty today and so my writing reflects that. Before you kill me, I am a Klaroliner to the core, remember that!
NB, Fuel to Fire took place the morning of the funeral. Mikael's attack took place shortly after the mass. This takes place that night after Hayley agrees to move back into the compound
Xoxoxo
"Every meeting led to a parting…In every meeting there was some of the sorrow of parting, but in everything parting there was some of the joy of meeting as well"
Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess
Xoxoxo
Camille sat in the bar sipping the last of her beer. The door opened and the stool beside her was dragged out.
"Bad day, love?"
She glances to the side before staring back at her drink. "Not great," she sighs. "But not the worst either." She gulps the last of her drink, "You?"
He reaches across the bar and grabs a bottle of bourbon and a glass. Pouring a generous amount, he tosses it back making a satisfied noise and pours another.
"Where to start, Camille? Well my father decided to attack the werewolf carrying my child even though he's dead on the Other Side. I personally saw to that. Despite that he managed to stop Hayley's heart for a time and almost killing my child. I don't know who is responsible for blowing up the bayou. The witches are peeved and Genevieve is up to something. Not to mention she is more dangerous than I first imagined." He throws back the second glass,
"To top it all off, Marcel has admitted that he has a revolution planned just across the river that he is going to enact at any time," he sighs heavily. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Camille looked at the hybrid who stared down at his drink, swirling the glass gently. She gets up grabbing her jacket off the back of the stool.
"I'm heading home," she sighs tossing him the keys. "Lock up. I'll collect them in the morning." She walks out the door. Turning back to his drink he sits contemplating his life in silence and solitude, before long it is interrupted by the creak of the door opening. He turns around and drops his glass from his lips.
Xoxoxo
"Caroline?" he asks surprised staring at the blonde standing in the doorway.
"Hey," she hesitates before taking a step into the bar looking around. "I'm looking for Cami, er…Camille O'Connell," she swipes a lock of hair from her face. "Um… she wasn't at her apartment, so I thought she'd be here, you know…I didn't realise you'd…" she pauses mid rant as Klaus walks up to her. He smiles tentatively at her
"Yeah so…I need Came," she stands hands grasped together.
"Anything I can help with, love?"
"Um… well my car broke down and it won't be fixed until tomorrow morning, so I need to crash at hers for the night," she mumbles. He turns back to the bar and grabs the keys off the counter.
"Well love, Camille went home and left me to lock up so you can come with me for a drink if you like," he says passing her and holding the door open his eyebrow cocked in challenge.
"Fine," she says striding past him.
Xoxoxo
Walking down the street side by side, Klaus looks at Caroline. "I was at the funeral," he states watching for her reaction. She looks up at him before staring back down the street was Klaus turns them towards a tall building.
"I know," she replies simply. He looks back at her as he holds the door open, "I saw you."
He scoffs, "And here I thought we were friends, and you don't even come over to say hello." He walks into his private study and starts fixing them drinks while she browses the shelves. After a long pause, she sighs and answers him quietly,
"Yes, I suppose I could have. But a friend also tells their friend that he's going to be a father," she avoids looking at him. He stares at her for a long time at her wandering around the room, tracing a finger along the spines of the books on the shelf.
"How did you…?"
"I saw Hayley beside you," she cuts him off.
"Yes well unforeseen consequences of drunken mistakes and all that," he quips handing her a drink. She smiles softly at him, taking a sip and humming her appreciation.
"You never mentioned that you had connections in New Orleans, love." He walks towards the fire and stokes it. She laughs loudly,
"You mean that piece of information wasn't dug up by your hybrids." He chuckles in response, "we all have secrets," she states an icy tone sharpening her words.
"Ah… touché love," he remarks moving towards her. "Let's not turn this into some point scoring match because if you recall, you kept many secrets from me in Mystic Falls," a hard glint flashing in his eyes.
"Onto more pleasant things then, like how long are you going to be staying in New Orleans?" she cocks her head at him. "So, we could spend the night reminiscing on good old times," a wicked glint enters his eye as he moves closer to her. "Or talk about favourite places…I recently found I have a real love for the woods in Mystic Falls,"
She chuckles hastily, placing her glass on the nearby table and he copies her action, leaning close to her to reach it.
"Yes, I have fond memories of that place too," she tilts her head towards him and before she can continue, his lips press against hers and when he pulls away she notices his eyes are childlike and vulnerable.
"I missed you," she barely catches the whisper that escapes on his breath. She grabs the short hairs at the nape of his neck and pulls his head back down to hers. Theirs lips meet in a gentle caress, languid and searching, they embrace knowing that this time they have all the time in the world for each other with no fear of interruption or discovery. Gone is the rush of frenzied lust. This was an acknowledgement of their feelings.
Pulling her closer, he moves her back onto the sofa until they lay together, him on top of her, they continue their unhurried dance. They stay like that for hours it seems, with gentle rocking, soft sighs and exploring hands. Then he sits up staring at her in wonder, he stands up and she follows him. They walk hand in hand to his bedroom, laying down on his black silk sheets and they continue into the night.
Xoxoxo
She wakes from the too warm embrace of Klaus who has wrapped himself around her, locking her in place with his arm. She wriggles out of his hold throwing the tangled sheet back over his nakedness and grabbing her discarded dress from the floor. She searches successfully for her underwear and drags them on. Finding one heel tossed under a writing desk she bends to reach it, noticing a canvas tucked discreetly down the side of the table. Pulling it out, she rests it on the table and heaves a heavy sigh. She examines the skilful strokes that created the sleeping flame haired woman splayed naked across the sheets she had just woken on.
He stretches smiling as he sees the baby vampire standing by his desk her back to him and a heel dangling off her fingers.
"Morning love," he props himself up on his elbow and she turns to him. "Come back to bed," his voice is sinfully husky.
"Why?" she murmurs running a finger down the painted sheets, "do you want to draw me as well?" she tilts the painting towards him and he shakes his head and sits up.
"I'm no saint, Caroline and neither are you. I am a single man and I have needs, she…" he gestures to the painting, "fulfilled that urge."
She drops the painting back to the desk and drags a heel on, "I have to go."
"So you're going to run," he snaps as he drags on his jeans. "Why are you angry? You know I would make you my queen in an instant, but I will not be celibate during the wait. Although I despised my hybrid, I never judged you for being intimate with him. Hypocrite much, love?" he snarls in her face.
"Me? A hypocrite!" she shouts back, "pot or kettle, Klaus?"
"You spared Tyler for a few hours but swore revenge for his betrayal with your hybrids. Yet Hayley was the mastermind behind it and your revenge was what…?" she throws her arms wide. "You fuck her and knock that traitorous bitch up?"
She gasps when he slams her against the wall.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" he shouts at her, "I may not have wanted this but that is my child and the mother of my child." He pushes away from her and storms back to the table, tossing the painting back into its spot by the back of the table. Turning back to Caroline he walks toward her and swipes a tear from her cheek.
"Why is this happening?" he sighs. "Last night we showed each other our true feelings. Our reunion as perfect and honest," he cups her cheek and she sobs.
"I thought that on the way here, Klaus" she whispered, one hand grasping his necklaces and the other resting on his lower stomach. "I thought that I could leave Mystic Falls and find a new home, possibly here. And our reunion would be epic and romantic."
He pulls her closer and kisses her forehead, "And it was."
"You silly hybrid," she pushes him away "After everything… this isn't a reunion… it's our final goodbye." His face closes off as he barks out a laugh,
"Well, it wouldn't be our first 'final goodbye' love"
She turns away from him and grabs her bag,
"No, but I never meant the woods to be our final moment and you know that. You knew that I meant for you to stop following me and that one day I would follow you." She turns back to him and he grabs her cheek again smiling, "And you did" he says.
"And I did," she nods.
"But then I realised you entered a room I cannot follow you into," he steps back from her a shocked 'no!' escaping him.
"You became a parent and I will never be that." He scoffs angrily,
"You'll never be a hybrid either," she walks away from him placing her hands to her forehead and spinning back.
"You don't understand!" she shouts. "I have spent my life being second best to Elena, prejudice, and revenge. It took time, but I learned that I deserve better… you taught me that." She breaths heavily and tears well up in her eyes.
"So I believed you, Klaus. I honestly thought I'd be first for you." The tears run down her face.
"Now I will never be that for you," she cries and he lets her sob. Gradually they ease and she takes a few deep, calming breaths before meeting his steady gaze. She wipes her cheeks clear of tears and opens her phone when it beeps.
"My car's ready," she mumbles shoving the phone back into her bag. He nods and she walks to the door, pulling it open.
"I'm sorry," he whispers and she turns to him standing there shoulders slumped,
"So am I," she whispers.
"Goodbye Klaus," and she walks out the door.
Xoxoxo
A/N
Well there ya go folks, let me know what you think and I will have part three up in the next few days.