And when you need a place to run to
For better for worse
I got you
-Leona Lewis-

Caroline's arms clung to Stefan, her eyes filling with tears. Stefan sighed and released her, his green eyes narrowing in concern. "Are you sure about this?"

She knew he actually meant to say, 'are you sure about him?' It was all over his face. He may have been friends with Klaus in the twenties, but a lot of things had changed since then. Over the past few months Stefan had seen that Klaus legitimately cared for Caroline, but he still didn't trust him fully. Caroline was like his little sister and he'd seen her in enough bad situations, the worst was his own brother Damon. The last thing he wanted was to let her go off with someone who could cause more damage than all of them put together. Still he couldn't stop her. This was her choice, her life. All he could do was say goodbye and pray like hell that she would be okay.

"I'll call you and check in from time to time." She promised not answering his question. "And you better do the same thing. Don't you go months without saying anything."

He rolled his eyes and gave her a weak smile. "I'll try to call."

"You better," She hit him playfully, but as soon as she was about to leave, she threw her arms around him for one last hug. "Bye Stefan."

"Bye Caroline," He whispered back solemnly.

Stefan watched her walk over to her car, her bright curly blond hair bouncing behind her as she wiped away the tears he knew she had shed. He would text her in a week to make sure she was okay. He would stay true to his promise not to tell the others where she went. All he was supposed to say was that she wasn't coming back and that they shouldn't look for her.

Caroline pulled up to the border of Mystic Falls, and stopped on the side of the road. She said she'd meet him here at 4 o'clock. She was two hours early, but she knew if she would have left on time she would have spent that time with Stefan, and that would have just made it harder to leave. It was easier this way. Cut all ties and just try something new, something that she had wanted to do for longer than she'd admit to herself.

She needed time to think. Time to fully let go. If she was going to do this she couldn't just do it halfway she needed to process it all. This would be easier if she wasn't a sentimental or nostalgic person, but Caroline was full of feelings for all the memories of the past. Her father died here, her mother too. Mystic Falls had been hell to her over the years, but as she sat on the edge of her bumper she didn't see those memories. She saw the good parts; the school dances, the sleepovers, hanging out at the grill. All of it bubbled up in her chest until she started feeling guilty for not saying goodbye to anyone else. The problem with that was Bonnie, Matt and Elena would never let her leave. They would think that Klaus had compelled her and that she would never make this decision on her own. They didn't understand and Caroline knew that they probably never would either.

To her credit she did everything in her power to fight this. She always had the worst luck in relationships; Damon, Matt, Tyler, all of them ended in disasters. Damon and her had sort of reached an understanding over the years, but his words of how stupid and useless still circled around in her head. Matt and her were still friends, they really could have been so much more, but he waited till it was too late to love her. Tyler was gone. He had left after she kissed Klaus. It was simple, but said so much about their relationship. Tyler never fought for her, he was always too concerned about breaking the sire bond, or freeing the Hybrids, he never included her fully or treated her like an equal. And after awhile she just pretended to be in love with him. Sure he didn't love her like she wanted, but he was safe and predictable. Tyler was nothing like Klaus.

At least with the others she had no idea what she was getting into when it started. From the beginning she knew she should have nothing to do with Klaus. He was a mass murderer, manipulative and …incredibly charming. She tried to remind herself of all the horrible things he had done, but she couldn't escape the good things he did. All of the times he saved her, all the times he was just sincerely kind to her. He didn't have to do it. Klaus didn't have to treat her anyway at all, but he did. And she just couldn't stop herself anymore. Somehow in the chaos she had fallen in love with him.

A familiar car pulled up behind hers and she let out a slow breath. She didn't turn around, she knew he would walk up and he did.

"Caroline," He said clearly, moving in front of her. A flicker of surprise was on his face as if he was questioning if she were real, before his usual smirk appeared.

She smiled, "Klaus."

His wide blue eyes scanned her face for any indecision. "Are you ready?"

"Um yes." She nodded.

He took a step forward, so they didn't touch, but were barely an inch apart. "Are you absolutely sure?"

She took a second to think, her eyes locking on his. She scooted of her car, and slipped her hands into his. A smile grew on his face, making it impossible for her not to smile in return. He drew her closer to him, gently brushing his lips on hers. Before leading her to his car. If she had any blood in her system she would have blushed when he opened the door for her.

"What?" He asked, driving away from her car and going over the Mystic Falls border into the next town.

"I just haven't had anyone open the door for me in awhile." She admitted, eyeing him she asked, "Why did you look so happy that I came? I told you I was. Did you think I wouldn't be able to leave."

He glanced over to her; his face was full of emotions she had only seen the surface of. "I thought you might have changed your mind."

"No," She told him firmly, reaching over and interlocking her fingers with his securely. "I'm sure."

They said nothing for a few hours as they drove. Caroline had no idea where they were going and she didn't ask. At one point Klaus looked over and saw she had fallen asleep. Her blond hair had fallen in her face as she laid slumped in the passengers seat. He pulled off the highway to a hotel that looked suitable for the evening. It took a few uses of compulsion, but Klaus snagged a suite for them. When he came back to the car she was still sound asleep. Grinning to himself, he opened her door and scooped her up into his arms. She stirred for a second before resting her head into the crook of his neck. It shouldn't have made him smile like it did, but he had long accepted that when it came to Caroline Forbes he couldn't control himself.

Opening the bedroom door, Klaus easily locked it and rested her on the bed. Feeling the soft sheets underneath her she stirred, "Where are we?"

"Go back to sleep love." He told her softly brushing her hair out of her face.

"Um, not unless you come over here." She retorted back cockily, giving him a smirk.

Klaus slipped off his shoes, jumped into the bed and in a flash had her pinned on top of him. "As promised."

She giggled as his arms locked around her backside permitting her from moving. "You know I can take you."

"Caroline love, I'm a thousand year hybrid. I think you are little out of your league."

"Oh?" She scoffed, giving him a dirty look. "Well I have more weapons at my arsenal than my strength."

"I'm sure you do." He said licking his bottom lip.

Caroline laughed at him, but the expression softened as she began running her hand through his curls. "I'm glad I came."

"We're barely out of the state."

"Still," She said in a serious voice, "I'm happy I did. I don't regret it."

His grip on her loosened to a more comfortable hold as she bent down to kiss him. When she pulled away, he said tenderly. "I'm happy to hear that love."

"And." She began bravely not daring to look anywhere else, but at him as she said this. "I know I haven't said it and I know you don't expect me to, because I don't expect you to either…" Caroline paused, her breath growing heavy as she gathered up all of her courage. "But I …love you. I do. I-"

He seized her, his lips crushing against her ravenously as he flipped her over so she was the one on the bottom. Klaus then cupped her face; his fingers traced her cheekbones like they might draw on a canvas. For a few moments they just laid there with him studying her. Then his eyes darkened, and he seemed to hesitate. This wasn't easy for him. She had been the one to tell him of his own feelings just two months ago, but after her confirming that she felt the same way, he couldn't keep it in any longer.

Klaus said in the lightest voice possible, "I love you too Caroline."