A/N: For Bex.
Enjoy!
-Angie

Mate AU: the one where you can straight up talk to them in dreams until you find them

"What do you mean you've never shared a dream?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, Elena. I've never shared a dream with him," Caroline said irritably, already regretting confiding in her best friend.

For as long as anybody could remember, once they turned seventeen, everyone had a person they shared dreams with who turned out to be their soulmate, and once they found each other, the dreams stopped. Elena hadn't been able to shut up about Stefan for months once she'd turned seventeen.

Caroline honestly was pretty glad Elena had been born in modern times when Stefan was a phone call and/or plane ride away, because listening to Elena be upset for the three months until summer vacation when she could fly out to Chicago would have been nothing to her potential whining if it had been two hundred years ago and they hadn't had access to modern travel amenities.

Either way, Caroline had turned nineteen six months ago and hadn't shared a dream once. She had been sitting on the secret, letting it fester, wondering if that meant that there was no one for her, and she'd be alone forever. She had finally gotten the courage to sit Elena down and tell her, hoping for the other girl to give her some ideas. So far, Elena had just sat there looking like someone had kicked her puppy (which was strange, considering that the only investment Elena really had in the whole situation was regarding Caroline's happiness, which she'd never been too fussed about anyway).

Caroline needed new friends.

"Maybe he's just not seventeen yet," Elena suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Caroline agreed, picking at her nails and staring off into space.

There were a million reasons why it might not be happening. He could be younger than her, or live on the other side of the world and therefore very rarely share sleeping times with her, or perhaps they had shared dreams and he'd just never responded to her reaching out, preferring to ignore her. Or he could be dead, but she'd rather not entertain that thought.

"I'm sure it'll happen eventually," Elena continued optimistically. "Until then, just keep trying to reach out."

XXX

She knew she was dreaming.

She could see clearly, but she felt an odd disconnect from her body, her limbs, and she didn't know quite how to move.

She'd gone to sleep hoping that she'd see him tonight. It had been a week or two since she talked to Elena, but nothing had happened yet. She was nothing if not determined.

This dream though...it felt...different.

"Hello?" she called.

"Hello," a voice responded quietly from behind her, making her whirl around in fright.

He was cloaked in shadow, though she saw glimpses of golden curls and combat boots, and a quick flash of a face that looked older than seventeen. Much older. Perhaps a year or two older than her.

"Are you my—"

"Yes," he said simply. "I must apologize for not responding to you earlier. I was otherwise engaged."

"You were...excuse me?" Caroline asked, suddenly feeling a bit angry.

"I was busy," he said simply.

"And you couldn't have told me?"

"I saw no need."

"So what you're saying is that I've sat here for two years wondering whether you even existed, and you were too busy to just check in?"

"Well, to be fair, I had been waiting for quite awhile before you reached out, love."

"Don't call me love," she snapped, pressing her lips together.

"What should I call you?"

"My name is Caroline. Caroline Forbes"

"All right, Caroline."

The way her name rolled off of his tongue made her shiver, and she resisted the urge to glare at him. "What was so important?"

"Work," he said shortly.

"What's your job?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why?" she asked. "What, are you a spy or something?" she asked sarcastically.

He didn't respond, simply stepping closer to her, his calloused hand briefly brushing against her cheek. She jerked back, taking a few steps away. "So, what's your name, then? Can you tell me that?"

"I'm afraid not, Caroline."

"What? But you're my soulmate, or whatever. You can't tell me your name? How am I supposed to find you?"

"You don't. I'll see you soon, Caroline."

"But wait, where—"

The world around her went hazy, and she felt heavy, falling into a dreamless sleep.

XXX

"Good morning," Caroline's father greeted as she walked into the kitchen.

She nodded back and grabbed the cereal out of the cupboard, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Hi, Dad."

"How did you sleep?"

She shrugged, her mind filled with dirty blonde curls and twisted smirks and the lilt of that horribly unfair accent. "How's work?" she asked, sitting across from him at the table.

"Got a new assignment a month ago after we caught Tatia Petrova."

"Cool. Anyone interesting?" Caroline asked.

Her father 'worked for the government', and helped catch dangerous criminals, and she knew that everyone who didn't have a parent in that business would probably think it was the coolest thing ever, when it really just involved spending half your days wondering if your dad would be home for dinner, or home in a bodybag.

"Yes, actually. This one's an agent from the MI6 who went rogue with his brother, and they were last seen in Chicago of all places. We have no idea what their goals are, but we're supposed to eliminate the threat. The two of them are pretty ingenious, really. They're surprisingly resourceful."

"Cool," Caroline said, giving him a small smile. "Where's Stephen?"

"He left already. I just wanted to see you off."

"Dad, I'm nineteen. I can drive to school myself."

"You can't blame me for worrying."

She shook her head ruefully, used to his overprotectiveness while privately thinking that she totally could blame him, since making her go to a college within driving distance for her own safety was just about the most inconvenient thing in the entire world.

"Whatever. I'll see you tonight."

"Have a good day Carebear."

XXX

"Caroline?"

Caroline flinched as she was pulled out of her very pleasant dream and turned to see him standing behind her, still half-bathed in shadow.

He had pulled her into his dreams four times now, and every time she'd pushed him away. She was getting tired of it though, and she wanted to get to know him. She was so curious, and if he was supposed to be her soulmate...well, she was stuck with him anyway, wasn't she?

"I don't want to talk to you," she said, walking away in a random direction through the empty space, knowing he'd chase after her.

"But I want to talk to you," he said, catching up with her quickly and strolling beside her.

"So? We can't always get what we want," she said grumpily.

He just laughed and grabbed her hand, squeezing it softly, but letting it go when she made to wrench it away. "Sit with me. Get to know me. I dare you," he said, giving her a quick glimpse of a dimpled smile.

She bit her lip. "Okay. Fine. But you have to be honest with me."

"Of course. I'll always be honest with you, Caroline. I may dodge questions or refuse to answer, but I'll never lie to you," he said.

"Okay. Tell me your name," she said, refusing to move.

His smile faltered, but he answered. "Nik."

"And where are you fro—Whoa!"

A plush carpet had bled out of the ground from nowhere, and he pulled her to sit on it across from him.

"My sister told me that it's possible to manipulate the dreamscape, within reason," he explained.

"Oh. Cool."

They sat there in silence for a moment or two before Caroline crossed her legs in front of her. "So?"

"So…?"

"Where are you from?"

"England."

"Well I know that," she said, gesturing vaguely at him to indicate his accent. "I mean like, where city-wise."

"London."

"Okay, how old are you?"

"Are we not taking turns?" he asked, and she could hear the tinge of laughter in his voice, making her roll her eyes.

"Fine. Go ahead."

"Where are you from?"

"Mystic Falls, Virginia."

His smile faltered for a split second, but he recovered so quickly that she might have imagined it. "Do you like it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. My dads and I moved away when I was little. We live a few hours away, now."

"May I ask where?"

"I can't tell you that," she teased.

"Fair enough."

"How old are you?" she asked again.

"Twenty-three."

"Are you in college?"

"No. I didn't go to uni."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"It just wasn't in the cards," he said, shrugging. "Do you study?"

"Yeah."

"Where?"

"Whitmore. It's right near where I live now."

"What are you majoring in?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know yet. Journalism, maybe."

"Interesting."

"Where do you live?"

"I'm a bit of a nomad," he said, smiling. "I've lived quite a few different places."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "My father was a businessman of sorts. We moved around quite a bit."

"Where was your favorite place?"

He was silent for a moment or two, clearly thinking through his answer. "I don't know. I didn't really get to stay long enough at any of them to decide."

She nodded slowly, processing, and he reached out to grab her hand again, and this time she let him. He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand, and she looked away. "Why won't you tell me anything?"

"I will. Soon."

XXX

"So you talked to him and he won't tell you who he is?" Elena asked.

"No."

"You should find him. I mean, you're meant to be together forever, right? He should tell you who he is."

Caroline shrugged. "If he doesn't feel comfortable, there's no use rushing it, Elena. As you said, we have our entire lives."

She wasn't going to add that it did hurt that Nik wouldn't tell her anything, but she figured that he must have his reasons, and she wasn't going to pressure him.

Elena seemed to think differently.

"You need to make him tell you, Care. You can't just sit around waiting for him."

"I'm not. We're talking in dreams. It's fine. Nik and I are different than you and Stefan, okay?"

"Yeah, because you don't know who he is. You haven't even seen his face."

"It's fine," Caroline said stiffly. "Everything will work out."

XXX

"Can I see your face?" she asked impulsively, and he stiffened. "Please?" she added, her voice quiet.

It was their third time talking after their conversation where she'd learned his name, and they were getting much more comfortable with each other. She was leaning against him on a couch, his arm around her shoulders, and they'd been talking about he fight she'd just had with Elena.

As she'd told Elena, she could tell that he must have a reason for keeping himself a secret, but he didn't look like any actor she knew of, or anyone that might have a reason to hide himself. She was so curious.

"Maybe next time, love."

"Okay," she said, a bit disappointed.

He sighed. "I would show you if I could, Caroline, but it's not safe."

"What do you mean it's not safe?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. It's not safe. For either of us."

"Why?"

"Because I have people after me, Caroline. People who want to kill me."

"Why?"

He shifted next to her, getting a bit more comfortable. "I made some really terrible decisions, and I trusted the wrong person. Now I'm on the run."

"But...Look, my dad works for the government. Maybe we can get you witness protection or something."

He pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head. "I'm afraid that's not an option, sweetheart."

She found she didn't mind the petnames as much as she used to.

XXX

"So, how's that boy?"

Caroline huffed, pushing her peas around on her plate. She never should have told Stephen that she had finally made contact with her soulmate six months before.

"He's fine, I think."

"Are you planning on visiting with him anytime soon?"

Caroline shrugged. "He's busy."

"Too busy for you, Carebear? I think the fates must have made a mistake. No one that stupid is good enough for you."

She laughed, setting her fork down. "It's more complicated than that, I think."

Stephen nodded sagely. "Right. It's complicated."

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, turning when the front door opened and Bill walked in, looking frustrated.

"Bad day?" she asked sympathetically.

Bill sighed. "We nearly had them. They were just a few miles from here, but they lost us. They seemed to be coming this way, though."

"Why would they do that? This is the last place they'd want to be," Caroline said, frowning.

Bill shrugged. "Well, if you see anyone who looks like one of these two, you call me, okay?"

Caroline nodded, glancing at the pictures on his phone that he was holding out, before doing a double take at the one on the right.

Klaus Mikaelson, b. 1988

It was clearly a candid shot, and she recognized the dimples and dirty blonde hair… But it couldn't be...

"Isn't 24 a bit young to be in the MI6?" Caroline asked.

"The one in the MI6 is the one on the left, Carebear. The one on the right is his brother," Bill said, his eyes narrowed as he watched her reaction.

Caroline attempted to act naturally, looking at Elijah Mikaelson, who was apparently almost thirty, and then gave Bill and Stephen a smile. "I'll let you know if I see anything."

"Great."

She was silent after that, only half-listening to Bill and Stephen talk about their days, and went to bed early that night, still reeling from discovering what she was almost sure was the identity of her soulmate.

XXX

"You lied to me," she said as soon as she saw him that night.

"What?"

"You lied to me," she repeated, trying to keep the hurt from her voice. "You said your name was Nik."

"It is."
"Oh, really? Because today I saw someone named Klaus who looked suspiciously like you—or, at least, the parts I've seen of you—who was on the run from the governments of six countries with his brother Elijah."

She knew she was right when he stiffened.

"What did you do?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. "Why are they all after you?"

"There was someone after my brother. I saw them holding him at gunpoint, so I snuck up behind them, grabbed the gun off one of them and used him as a shield while I shot the other five," he said tonelessly. "It turned out that they were 'the good guys', and my brother—well, he wasn't. In any case, I'm on the run now."

She felt all her breath whoosh out of her, and she ran a hand through her hair. "You can let me help you, Nik. Just...Just let me tell my dad, and—"

"You can't tell anyone, Caroline," he said urgently, finally—finally—moving into the light, letting her see him, not giving her time to process before grabbing her hands. "My brother—"

"Dragged you down with him, apparently. He ruined your life, Nik."

"But he's my brother. And besides, that day I wasn't informed, but every kill since that moment I have done fully informed of my actions."

"So you've killed more people?" she asked quietly.

"I did what we had to do to survive," he bit out.

"Oh."

They stood in silence, just looking at each other, their breaths echoing through the empty space, before he let go. "Are you going to tell your father?"

She felt like the room was spinning around her, and she tried to reconcile the Nik she knew with the Klaus that apparently killed people. She really should tell Bill. They were criminals. But if Nik was locked away, then that would be it. He'd be gone. She'd be alone.

But he killed people. Lots of people, apparently.

She felt him cup her cheek, his gaze catching hers, and her breath caught.

Could she really love a murderer?

Of course she could, she realized. She already did.

"No. I won't tell him."

XXX

Nik hadn't shared a dream with her since she'd promised she wouldn't tell, which had been a week and a half ago, and she was starting to get worried, not because she thought he'd abandoned her, but because that might have meant that something happened.

She tossed her backpack to the ground next to the door and locked up behind her. Bill and Stephen were out for dinner, which gave her time to catch up on some television. She nearly screamed when she walked into the living room to see Nik on her couch, clearly waiting for her.

"What the—how—how did you get in here?"

"The back door," he said, shrugging.

She blinked, and he stood up, walking towards her. There was a feeling that Elena always talked about, that her health teacher had also told them all about. It was supposed to be a sharp sexually charged pull, one that overwhelmed you, and you just felt hooked.

And now she knew what they were talking about.

His warmth was encompassing and his smile was hypnotizing and his gaze was consuming and she felt like she'd never be able to get enough of this nearness, this intimacy. He touched her cheek and she let her eyelids flutter closed, leaning into his touch, her hands fisting his shirt before she even realized it.

"I'm leaving tonight. My brother and I have managed to make contact with someone to take us to a safe location. I won't be able to come back, and I can't give you our location. If you want to come, now would be the time to say something."

She froze.

It would be astronomically stupid to leave, she knew. Nik loved her—he had to love her—but that didn't mean she'd be safe. She'd be wanted as an accomplice just as much as he would. Her parents would be furious. It was a huge risk, and it might not pay off and have disastrous consequences.

Or it could be the best decision she ever made.

"Do I have time to pack?"

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought :)
Hugs!
-Angie