A/N: Thank you all for your patience and nice comments! Here it is my biggest chapter so far. Hope it won't be a mess.
Looking forward to reading you reviews as the more I receive, the more it encourages me to keep on going with the story.
See you at the bottom.
"What do you mean they're gone!?"
"They were gone when I arrived, it seems they had foreseen you lashing out on them and they had an accomplice waiting for you to leave the house, before he undaggered them."
"Tyler…" Klaus growled, bile coming up his throat.
"I don't know Klaus, maybe it was Tyler… but wouldn't it have been a long shot, even for Rebekah and Kol, to bet on Tyler's survival at a confrontation against you?"
Klaus considered the possibility of his siblings having several allies on their side, and the thought did nothing to ease up his mood.
"I'll find out who that person is… and when I do, I will hunt him down and…"
"There's something else" Stefan intervened.
"What?"
"According to a note they left you, they stole the hunter's sword from your safe."
Klaus made his way up the stairs, entranced by his burning need to kill or destroy something. He banged on Caroline's bedroom' door, trying to restrain himself from breaking it in the process.
Elizabeth Forbes came to the door, placing her body in a way that blocked him access to the room.
"Let me in, woman" he grunted. "I will need to stay near your daughter to ensure her protection. You do want her to be safe now, do you?"
"You are not needed anymore" Liz answered back. "We have the situation under control."
Klaus scoffed, "Do you, now?"
Bonnie left Caroline's bedside to join Mrs Forbes, facing Klaus with pride.
"Yes. I've casted a protection spell on and around the house. Nobody can get inside, even those who had previously been invited in. And the house itself will be immune to any external attacks. She'll be safe, Klaus."
The Hybrid was surprised by the young witch's statement.
"Hadn't you lost your powers, witch? Weren't you rendered as useless as a mere human, not long ago?"
Bonnie looked at him with a determined expression. Her friends had kept this piece of information secret from the Original Hybrid as they were sure he would try to use her again for his demoniacal plans.
Now that Caroline had befriended Klaus, Bonnie knew she would be safe, at least if he wished to remain on her good side. If he didn't, well she'd show him what she was capable of now.
"I've started studying a new form of magic" she said. "Expression permits me to..."
"Expression?" Klaus asked getting more and more surprised by the second. "Well, who would have thought one of the Bennett witches would finally join the dark side, having a thirst for power are you?" he laughed.
"I'm not doing dark magic, it's just a different form of witchcraft and it lets me use my powers without having to drain my energy at the same time, and there is nothing bad..."
But Klaus was not listening to her anymore, and he let Bonnie delusion herself with the wishful thinking she was still as white as a dove.
His mind had wandered to Bonnie's new mentor, the one teaching her this "new form of witchcraft" – as Expression was not the kind of sorcery that could be learned in spell books – and he was wondering if it was not that same person that had led him to execute his twelve hybrids a few weeks back.
Expression, he remembered, required the sacrifice of 12 people to tap deep into the earth's magic providing an extreme amount of energy to the witch summoning it.
This could not be a mere coincidence, and he did not appreciate being played as a pawn in someone else's game.
But no fret, he would eventually find out who that teacher was and would let him, or her, know not to mess with Klaus Mikaelson.
"Expression or not, your magic will have its limits. With Tyler and my brother and sister out for revenge, Caroline will not be safe for long under your spell."
"Wait, what? I thought you said you had taken care of Rebekah and Kol?!" Elena called from Caroline's side. She got up to meet them in the doorway, keeping a close eye on Caroline's sleeping form, as they all were.
"Yes well, it seems they had known I was going to incapacitate them, as someone made sure to undagger them before I had a chance to lock their bodies away."
Klaus noticed the doppelganger and the witch exchange a knowing look before looking away innocently.
"What?" Klaus asked menacingly. "Tell me what are you keeping from me?" He advanced on the two girls, ready to get the information out of them by force if needed.
He would find out who revived his siblings, sooner rather than later, and then he would plan his next attack. As soon as Caroline would have regained her strengths back, that is. He would hunt his brother and sister down, kill their accomplice and then, if that person was not his hybrid traitor, he would find Tyler and take pleasure in inflicting him the worst tortures he could come up with, before ending his miserable life.
"We will tell you who we think undaggered them, but you have to promise us not to hurt him" Elena said cautiously.
Klaus looked at her, eyebrows raised. Did she really think she could still bargain with him after all this time?
"Now there, you know I can't make such a promise, sweetheart. Why would I do such a thing?"
"Because Caroline would want you to spare his life" Bonnie intervened.
"Caroline's blind trust in the people surrounding her has put her in the state she is right now" he pointed out.
"Caroline trusts you, are you saying she shouldn't?" Caroline's mother asked sarcastically. She wasn't fooled by his so called aristocratically good manners. And she just knew deep down inside that he was behind Carol Lockwood's death. She couldn't prove it, so she abandoned the case and didn't even bother discussing her doubts and suspicions with the new Mayor. And even if she could prove his guiltiness, what could she do against a thousand years old vampire?
Yet that was not what scared her the most about this man, it was the warmth she could detect between her only daughter and the monster standing in front of her that drove her motherly heart completely insane these days.
Sadly, she had the feeling that right now, he was the only one truly capable of protecting Caroline.
Klaus looked at Liz, smiling, as if he could read her mind "Your daughter's safe with me, and if it's her virtue you're afraid for, don't worry I can behave as a gentleman".
The sheriff scoffed which made him frown; frustrated that she would laugh at his last remark. He didn't know why it bothered him that much though. Was it because since he had feelings for the daughter, he now wanted the mother to accept him as well... Was he getting that pathetic?
Yet, acceptance had always been something he'd been longing for.
"Anyway" Elena intervened "in this particular case we can trust her judgment, since your sister has him under compulsion."
Klaus looked at her, suddenly realizing who the mysterious person must be.
"Let me guess...Busboy?"
"Matt" Bonnie corrected him.
Great, another reason to dislike the kid, he thought. Yet he had to admit the girls were right... Caroline would never forgive him if he so much as broke her human ex-boyfriend's arm, let alone kill him.
Elena noticed Klaus' pensive expression and was afraid he'd actually consider going after their friend, whether the night's events were his fault or not. She knew she needed to do something to get his mind off his revenge mode.
"Mrs Forbes, I think Klaus is right" she said.
All eyes turned to meet hers. Klaus' were burning with an interior fire, piercing through her soul, trying to detect any sign of mutiny.
"What?" Liz asked her, shocked at what she considered treachery from her daughter's friend. It was the Original Vampire's fault if Caroline was in danger; it was his fault if they were in the mess they were. How could they all blindly believe and trust him to keep her daughter safe. How could she even let him inside her house again?
"I think Klaus should stay close to Caroline, at least until she is feeling better. Bonnie's magic will keep Tyler, Rebekah and Kol away, should they wish to pay this house a visit, but if they ever find a way around your spell Bonnie, Klaus is the only one that could confront them. He'd be our safety net."
Bonnie looked at her friend with a hurt expression, but did not argue. She had faith in her talents and if everyone around her had doubts about them, they'd have a surprise later down the line.
"We can stay in the room next door" Elena added. "If we suspect anything, Bonnie can use her powers on Klaus to protect Caroline." She knew she had hurt her friend's feelings with her last uttered words, but Matt's life could be in jeopardy if they didn't get Klaus on their side fast.
Klaus looked at the trio in front of him, amused.
How foolish of them to think they were powerful enough to fight him. Would he want to kill them all, he'd do it in a snap of his fingers.
Bonnie nodded at Elena, "I could do it. I took down an Original before; I could do it again..." She looked at Klaus defiantly, challenging him to differ.
"Then it's settled", Klaus said facing Caroline's mother. "Now, the time we wasted having this nice little chat, my brother and sister could have used to find one of the many powerful old witches we keep contact with, to break through your spell. So, please, let me in so I can keep guard on your daughter." He gave Liz an innocent and pleading look, before she finally gave in and let him inside the small room.
He approached Caroline's bed and sat by her side, looking at her apparent peaceful form. He touched her beautiful fair hair, pushing away a rebellious curl from her eyes, and in that moment he felt like the two of them were alone in the intimate space.
He kept his gaze on the blond beauty sleeping before him, enchanted by her. He had been afraid to lose her tonight and he swore he would not let her out of his sight ever again.
Caroline had been cleaned up, her hair had been washed and her skin smelled like lavender. He noticed her mother and friends had put her in her pyjamas and he noted her red satin dress, torn in a few places and stained with blood, had been abandoned in a corner of the room.
When he had arrived in the gym earlier that night and saw her in a warrior princess stance, weakened by vervain but still ready to fight a werewolf all by herself, he had been impressed and scared for her life at the same time.
Lost in his contemplation of her face he didn't notice the three women leaving the room, the Sheriff mumbling, "I'll go get you a chair" before she went.
Liz came back with, without a doubt, the most uncomfortable wooden chair of the house, which she put by the room's only window. She gave Klaus one last glance before she left, and by the look she saw in his eyes when looking at Caroline, she understood where their blind faith in him came from, and knew that somehow her daughter would be safe with the serial killer.
Klaus had finally left Caroline's bedside to have a look outside by the window sill. He had texted Stefan and asked that he bring him a few things he'd need for the next few hours, as he could and would not take the liberty of leaving Caroline's side. He heard Stefan's silent footsteps in the nearby streets and from what he got from the conversation between Elena and Bonnie in a room not far from Caroline's, the doppelganger had been alerted by it too. She fled down the stairs to meet Stefan by the spell bound's limit.
Klaus could see them clearly by one of the streetlights, and he was amused by how they both now seemed uncomfortable around each other.
"Hi" Elena said, smiling shyly at him. "How are you?"
"Hey" Stefan replied back, looking anywhere but directly at her. After a few more seconds of silence he finally spoke again. "I'm good. I brought Klaus a few things he asked for, he said it would help him keep an eye on Caroline."
"Why would you fetch stuff for him?" she asked bewildered.
"Because he said he couldn't leave her, that he will stay by her side until she is back on her feet". And I would have done the same for you, he thought. "How are you and Bonnie handling the house arrest?"
"It's not a house arrest per say, everyone inside the house when the spell was casted are able to come and go as they please. It is Klaus' wish to remain by Caroline's side. I think he genuinely has strong feelings for her and actually cares for her safety."
Klaus frowned at that, was he being that obvious? Would they take advantage of his weakness for the blond vampire again?
"Do you think she feels the same about him?" Stefan asked.
Klaus leaned closer to the window, listening intently at the conversation taking place between the former lovers. He was also keen to know everything there was about Caroline's feelings towards him. He couldn`t help but wish she'd finally give him a chance.
He saw Elena tap at her ear with her pointer finger before she responded to Stefan's question, and he knew the little pest would censure her answer, probably expecting him to be eavesdropping.
"It is not my place to talk about her emotions for him but...I think she cares for Klaus, yet I know she loved Tyler deeply and I think she will need to grieve over the end of their relationship before she moves on."
Stefan looked down and nodded his head twice before speaking again.
"Like you grieved over our breakup before you started "something" with my brother."
Elena was hit hard by the pain and sadness she perceived in Stefan's voice. She never meant to hurt him, no matter what had happened between the two. She still cared for him.
"Stefan, it wasn't like that..."
"No, save it Elena" Stefan said before dropping his bag on the ground and turning his back on her.
"Please tell Caroline I said hi, and advise Klaus I'll touch base soon" he said before speeding off.
Klaus could hear Elena's soft sobbing as she walked to where Stefan had stood a second before, knelt down to retrieve the sport bag he'd dropped, and then moved back into the protected perimeters of the house. Unable to bear the grief she felt any longer, she fell on the grass hugged her knees and started crying.
How pathetic those two were, Klaus thought. Two soul mates unable to find their way back together.
He turned his hyper hearing off unable to endure the baby vampire's sorrow any longer. If these two weren't having their happy ending, how could he expect one with Caroline? He was wondering, since he had never been blessed with felicity before in his life, if a chance at happiness was too much for him to ask.
He turned to look at Caroline's face, peaceful in her well-deserved sleep, and his own features softened instantly. Perhaps they were indeed doomed, but that never stopped him from pursuing his goals before.
Caroline was feeling like she was floating on a cloud made of cotton candy. Just a few minutes seemed to have passed since she had been lying on the school gym's floor, Tyler's poison coursing through her veins with Klaus' blood battling it, making its way through her body and eliminating all traces of the other werewolf's saliva in the process. She remembered the taste of Klaus' blood on her tongue, how it tasted like heaven to her. She had never had something so sweet and empowering in her whole life before she had had her first taste at it.
Klaus. He had saved her, again. She had never thought that Sirius, the majestic white wolf that had come to her rescue, was in fact the Original Hybrid himself. Yet she should have had. Just a few weeks ago, she had been staring at the night sky and had casted Sirius as a perfect metaphor for her feelings for Klaus. And she had been right to think of him the way she did.
Klaus was the Greater Dog. He had once told her he didn't have to prove his all-mightiness to anyone, and he had been right, he was the ultimate Alpha male and he could have killed Tyler without even breaking a sweat.
Tyler. She knew that once he'd heard that she had befriended Klaus he'd get mad and feel betrayed. This time though, he had been ready to kill her… Although he always had been short tempered when he got mad, never would she have thought that he'd want to kill her and use her death as his revenge at Klaus.
And how could he even believe Rebekah's words and think that Klaus held her, Caroline Forbes, in such high esteem that he'd be as deeply affected by her death as Tyler had been over his mother's murder. It was ridiculous, completely and utterly stupid, yet... She had to admit she cared for Klaus, but she hadn't been sure the Original Hybrid felt the same about her, until the kiss... What had that been all about?
She could see it all again; Klaus kneeling in front of her (naked!-yet she did not allow herself to look at him properly at the time) pleading for her to feed from him so she could go on living. Something in that moment, perhaps because of the agitation she discerned in his eyes, had pushed Caroline to question her right to survive through the night's events. This had triggered such a powerful reaction from the Original, he'd dropped his protective barriers down and displaying a vulnerability - he was probably ashamed of now - before finally kissing her on the mouth. It had been a sweet kiss, full of promises and despair mixed within. It hadn't been a passionate exchange, like the ones from her dreams in the forest. Yet the fact that it had been real and because of the amount of emotions it had triggered inside of her, it made it that much more powerful to her.
She didn't know what to make of it now, though...
Would he act as if it never happened? Would he expect her to retaliate? What would she do if that were the case? Could she, at some point when she was ready, fall for him now that her relationship with Tyler was definitely over? Could she love a man that was so tortured by his family's past and present rejections and betrayals, that committing murder had become an immediate answer to every double-crossing and perfidy he came across?
Could she accept he made innocent victims like Carol Lockwood had been? The answer was no, of course she could never approve of his past methods of action, but should he have a change of heart, could she really forgive him for all the horrible things he'd done in the past and move on? That, she didn't know, but a small voice in her head kept hoping she would.
Klaus saw Caroline stir in her sleep, tossing and turning, her breathing getting faster and sharper by the second.
She started mumbling incomprehensible words as he walked up to her bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, stroking her damp hair and murmuring soothing words. "There, there, love" he said. "It's just a nightmare."
"Klaus" she whimpered, still sound asleep.
Bonnie and Elena came bursting through the door; worried that Caroline was in danger. When they realized Caroline was still in dreamland, they calmed down a little, taking a few tentative steps closer to the bed.
"Is she okay?" Elena asked as she took in Klaus' concerned look.
"She's just having bad dreams" Klaus replied. He caressed her forehead with his fingers sending her happy thoughts and memories, working his influence on her mind. "Wouldn't have expected less, considering what she's been through tonight he finished, straightening up."
He made his way back to the wooden chair, concealing how much he was disturbed by the images that had come to him from Caroline's head. She had been crying his name out, not because she was scared of him, but because she was scared for him. He had seen his own body lying still on the ground, Tyler on top of him holding the handle of the White Oak Stake against his chest, before he caught on fire.
His cell phone buzzed, bringing him back to reality. He shut his emotions off before answering, knowing it would be his good soldier Stefan, ready for his report.
"Stefan, please tell me you have good news for me, mate."
"I think I've found a lead" Stefan's voice came in a whisper. "I can't talk much right now, but as soon as I find them I'll let you know."
"Stefan, bring Matt back to us please!" Elena cried out. "Protect him."
"Yes, Stefan, do bring dear old Matt back, I can't wait to have him at arm's length" Klaus said ignoring the girls' murderous looks. "But most importantly, bring me back the hunter's sword."
From the corner of his eyes he saw Bonnie and Elena exchange a shocked look.
"I'll take care of Matt. And as for the sword, as soon as I have an opening, I'll go for it" Stefan said before hanging up.
"They took the sword?" Bonnie cried out. "You didn't tell us that before." Although the girls knew they did not need the artefact to get to the tomb where the cure was buried, Klaus didn't, and they wanted to keep it that way. They didn't want him to know they had a human compass in Shane.
"I might have failed to mention this little detail earlier, while I was debating Caroline's safety with you obstinate women. But now, as you can see, it is primordial that we get it back, especially if you want that cure" he said, giving a significant look at the doppelganger.
"Does that mean they could go for Jeremy next?" Elena asked worried.
"That's a possibility" Klaus said. The idea of his brother and sister potentially ruining his plan to get to the cure had been nagging at him since Stefan had reported the sword's disappearance. "So I'd contact your boyfriend, if I were you, and tell him to keep your brother safe until we have a better idea of what my siblings have planned."
Elena took out her cellphone before quickly exiting the room.
"Now Bonnie, what would you think about giving me a magical hand in this new plan of mine?"
Caroline woke up hours later on a mountain of pillows. Her hair smelled of her favourite shampoo, her wounds had also been cleaned and she had her favourite pyjamas on. She looked around, confused, and realized she was in her room, the lights were off and the sky was pitch-black outside. As she tried to sit up straighter, she felt every single muscle of her bodies scream in pain. How long had she been in bed? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Klaus' arms in the school's gym.
The gym… where she should have had the best night of her senior year, where she should have enjoyed her Prom night with her friends… instead she had lived her worst possible nightmare; getting tortured both physically and emotionally, and coming close to being killed by the one person she had thought of as her soul mate.
She had had actual nightmares all night, interspersed by short peaceful and joyful dreams. Yet, the night's events kept on creeping their way back into her mind, no matter how hard she wanted them gone from her head, and she had a feeling they would haunt her for a very long time.
Her door creaked opened and the light coming from the passageway temporarily blinded her before her sight re-adjusted itself and she saw Bonnie and Elena make their way into her room, smiling broadly at her. Caroline was relieved to see them both safe. She hugged Elena first, ignoring the aching feeling coming from her tired muscles, as she was just so happy to see her and glad to confirm Kol hadn't killed her.
Bonnie clicked open the lamp from her bedside table, and sat on the bed before joining her two best friends in a tight embrace.
"How are you feeling Caroline?"
"I'm fine" she said. "A bit tired and stiff but I'm okay… I'm alive, so I shouldn't complain. It's all thanks to you… and Klaus."
"Don't mention it" Elena said. "Here", she started rummaging through her backpack and pulled out a blood bag.
Excited at the sight of it, Caroline leaned forward and ripped it from Elena's hands.
"Oh thank you!" Caroline took out the tip from the bag and the scent of blood coming from it made her fangs and the black veins around her eyes stand out. She took a small sip at first, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the sweetness and soothing sensation of the liquid filling her mouth and body. Ah A positive, her favourite, and before she knew it, she had finished it in one big gulp.
"That should help you get your strengths back" Elena said smiling at her. She had been so scared to lose yet another member of her now-considerably-reduced circle of friends and family. If it wasn't for the excruciating feeling of guilt she felt towards Stefan, she'd be dancing and doing backflips around the small room.
"I'm just curious as to why I'm still feeling so weak and exhausted." the blond vampire said, looking at her friends for an answer. She hated feeling like she did; it reminded her of how defenseless she had been as a human.
She saw her two best friends exchange a look, and knew she would not like what was coming.
"Klaus said..." Bonnie started.
"Klaus?" Caroline asked, "is he okay?"
"Of course he's okay Caroline, why are you so worried?"
"I ... I just had a bad dream" she said dismissively. In one of her nightmares her mind had wandered to the possibility of Tyler killing Klaus right in front of her. She had felt such despair at the sight of his lifeless human form lying on the ground, before it caught on fire. Then, a moment later, her dreams had shifted and had brought her to a more pleasant and calming memory, as she relived the Miss Mystic Fall's Pageant day with the Original, the two of them drinking champagne and laughing, enjoying their time together.
"Anyway" Bonnie continued, "he said that your body will take at least a few more hours to heal itself. It's a longer process because of the fact that you were weakened by the vervain before getting your second wolf bite of the year. He said those two factors together are very dangerous for any vampire, especially for a young one such as yourself... Well you're the first to actually survive a first attack before being bitten a second time, but he said you'll be fine now."
Caroline pondered for a second, before questioning her friends again.
"Where is he? Why are you two in my house? How long have I been out?"
"Whoa, slow down with the interrogation, Care" Elena laughed. "Klaus' outside keeping guard just under your window. And we are here for two reasons, to keep you safe, and... for a surprise. And to answer your last question, you've been asleep for twenty four hours now" she finished looking at her watch.
"Twenty four hours? No wonder I'm feeling like a mummy... So what happened when I was sleeping?
"Well, Tyler got away…" Bonnie started.
Caroline jerked her head up her eyebrows creased.
I should have called him, I should have tried to explain… It's over now, he's going to kill me" she said simply. Her two best friends could tell she was scared, but she was trying hard to hide it behind a brave exterior.
"You'll be okay Caroline. Bonnie has put a protection spell around the house and nobody can get into the parameter that was set up and..." Elena looked at her witch friend before she added, "we're sure they can't attack the house either. You're going to be safe."
"They? Whose they."
"Kol and Rebekah. Klaus had neutralized them before coming to your help last night, but they had external help and got away with the hunter's sword... We think Matt might have something to do with it, he could have been the one undaggering them... We don't know where they are, but Stefan is tracking them down. He's going to let us know as soon as he finds them" Bonnie explained.
"In the meantime Klaus is your private bodyguard in case they find a way around Bonnie's spell. If you ask me, you don't need to worry about them, okay? It's just a security precaution..."
"Shane said I'd be able to hold the barriers for a few days when I spoke with him last night" Bonnie said. "I also think Klaus is being overprotective if you ask me, even a bit creepy" she laughed. "Just, don't worry Caroline, everybody is on the lookout for you."
Caroline was grateful for her friends' help, but how could they expect her to keep her calm when everyone around her was in the same degree of danger as she was.
"So Rebekah and Kol got the sword from Klaus, and they've got Matt under compulsion… How about Jeremy, is he back in town? Isn't he in great danger with those two psychopaths on the run?" Caroline asked, suddenly worried about the young hunter's safety. Now that they knew Rebekah and Kol had their minds on a plan of their own concerning the cure, nobody was safe especially Elena's brother. In addition, according to her friends, they still had no news from Matt. Caroline knew that Rebekah would not hurt the young man, but she hoped the youngest Original would keep her rebellious brother Kol in line as well.
"I called Damon, he's keeping Jer safe, and Stefan will bring Matt back as soon as he finds Rebekah and Kol' location, and he's on a good trail. You don't need to worry about everybody right now, okay? Please, you only have to think about yourself and let us worry about the rest, at least until you get better. Believe me, I know it's not a simple task we're asking of you, but we want to give you this one night away from all the drama Can you promise you`ll at least try that and enjoy your time tonight?" Elena said.
"Enjoy my night? Does that have something to do with this surprise you were talking about earlier?" Caroline asked.
"I thought you'd never ask!" Bonnie smiled and went to Caroline's closet where she took out the blond vampire's Prom dress from its hanger.
"My dress" Caroline said, tears forming in her eyes.
She was sad at the thought she would never be able to wear it again, as it was torn and bloody the last time she had a glimpse at it.
Bonnie brought it to Caroline's bed and spread it on her sheets.
To the young vampire's surprise, it looked brand new!
"How is this possible?"
'Nothing a little bit of magic can't repair" Bonnie smiled and winked at her friend.
Caroline looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Bonnie and Elena had worked wonderfully on her make-up and hair. She could still see some bruises on her arm where Tyler had bit her, the vervain in her system keeping it from healing completely.
"We're gonna leave now. If you need anything you call me, okay?" Elena said giving Caroline a bone crushing hug. The girls smiled at each other before Bonnie and Elena left her bedroom, closing the door behind them.
She listened as the girls got down the stairs, making their way to the lobby.
She'll be down soon she heard Bonnie say before the front door opened and closed.
Feeling extremely nervous, she took a deep breath trying to calm herself down, and slowly went for her door. She made her way to the top of the staircase, cautious not to step on the rim of her magically repaired dress. She took down the stairs one by one, keeping herself steady with the railing since her legs were still too shaky. Getting closer to the lobby, her nervousness amplified until she saw him. His dazzling smile, with the cutest dimples showing, his blue eyes bright and alert.
As she took in his allure, looking handsome in a black Armani suit, she couldn't help but think the word perfection suited him like a charm.
She made her way to him smiling shyly.
"Caroline…" he said his eyes shining "you look beautiful."
"Thank you" she said.
Caroline was a confident young woman, and she knew she looked good. She no longer felt the need to compete with Elena ever since she became a vampire.
She still enjoyed getting compliments from men of course, yet something in Klaus' way of praising her beauty always used to make her recoil, reminding her of a spider spinning its net, trying to lure the pray into its trap. Now, she somehow knew he meant every eulogy he gave her, and she was now willing to accept them. Although it surprised her that of all the creatures he came across in his thousands of years of life, he could fancy a typical small town girl-next-door like her.
"Here" he said handing her a small box she didn't realize he'd been holding.
"What's that?" she asked, concerned.
"Don't worry, love, I remembered your last warning" he said teasingly.
Intrigued, she took out the box's cover, and was amazed when she saw the gorgeous red roses' corsage that it enclosed, enlaced with vines and black see-through ribbons. It was simply gorgeous. She had never seen such a piece of art in her life.
"It's beautiful" she whispered, her breath caught up in her throat.
Klaus smiled and took her right wrist into one of his hands.
"May I?" he said detaching the corsage from the box and holding it between them.
She nodded, and he carefully laced it on her wrist, caressing her skin lightly in the process. His touch sent electric sparks up her arm. She swallowed hard and looked away, feeling her cheeks on fire.
Klaus smiled before he stepped to her side, offering her his arm.
Caroline looked up at him hesitantly. "Why are you doing this?" she asked puzzled by his motives.
He looked back at her, frowning. Couldn't she see how much he cared about her?
"You once told me that, I was alone because I didn't try to understand the people around me… and you were right. You opened my eyes that night, love. This, this is me trying, Caroline."
She was taken back to the very moment they had had that discussion, when, at Esther's organized ball for the so-called celebration of their family's reunion, the two of them had ended the evening in Klaus' study. She had been sure he had been close to ripping her heart off her chest after she had told him the plain, unvarnished truth, as he had seemed pretty unhappy with her at that moment. Yet in the end, to her surprise, he had sent her a drawn picture of her with a note, thanking her for her honesty.
She had to admit she had noticed his attempts at learning more about her in the past few months, yet she was curious to know how he had come to the conclusion that she would appreciate recreating her Prom night now.
"I know your humanity is important to you, love. What happened to you last night…. will never happen again. I will hunt Tyler and my siblings down and make them pay, I promise you. Apart from almost killing you (she had to understand that she couldn't still love the punk not after last night) I know they've ruined a very important experience of your human life. Although I can't give you back the last twenty four hours of your life, I want to give you a second chance at a proper Senior Prom."
Caroline was taken aback by his confession and was touched by such consideration. And although she did not want him to hurt Tyler, although the young hybrid did nothing to deserve Klaus' mercy, she didn't want to on edge her whole life, always looking over her shoulder for any sign of a possible attack. Because Klaus was right to say she had almost died at her ex-boyfriend's hand last night and she knew Tyler would not settle just for a scare, if he was out for blood he would come for her and finish the job.
She linked her arm with his and they made their way into her living room.
The room had been decorated just like she remembered the school had been, white and silver balloons were either floating on the ceiling or scattered around on the floor, and the ceiling was also decorated with grey and white ribbons. The lights were dimmed, giving a very romantic feel, Caroline noticed, and most of the furniture had been moved elsewhere, giving them enough space to dance around the room.
The only thing missing was… music.
"It looks great, but… there's no music?" she asked bemused.
Klaus smiled and released her arm, making his way to the sound system sitting on the only furniture left in the corner of the room.
"Throughout my research on your life story" Klaus began and she started to dread what was coming next, "I've learned that you have a magnificent voice and I'm just dying to hear it. And I thought this would be a great opportunity."
"What!? No. I'm not singing… this is too embarrassing!" she said her face turning red but holding her ground.
"Come on, Caroline" he said smirking. "Humor me."
She looked back at him and pondered whether she should run away or slap the smirk off his face. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"I told you …"
"No she stopped him. I mean why are you asking me to sing?"
"What? Are you telling me I've been misled and your voice actually sounds like a cat being strangled?"
"What? No it certainly does not!" she exclaimed, insulted.
"So what's the problem then, love?" he asked, eyebrows raised, giving her his most innocent smile, which didn't fool her. He got her exactly where he intended her to be, and she knew she fell into his trap way too easily.
"It's just… so private here…" she said. With her friends gone and her mom off working at the station for the night, she suddenly felt nervous again.
"I know, from what I heard you're used to either sing in front of an audience at the Pageants, or receive kisses after a performance at the Grill, but don't worry, that part I can do if that's what you want…"
"Don't be a smart ass" she said laughing nervously. Would that be something she'd like? Was he paving the way to the kiss discussion ? She certainly was not ready for it yet.
"Okay fine, one song. she finally accepted. After that you put on whatever music you have in there" she said pointing at the system. "… probably something from your old days… like lute or something" she finished under her breath.
Klaus laughed out loud but didn't answer, proud to have won this little battle. He was actually curious to hear her out. In the thousands of years he'd been on this earth, he'd heard numbers of singers trying to charm him and get his attention, but somehow he had a feeling that Caroline Forbes' voice would outshine them all.
Caroline thought hard of some song she could sing that wouldn't show how torn she felt inside. She needed to find a song with lyrics that expressed her current feelings, the ones she'd been keeping for herself.
She looked up at Klaus, and the moment their eyes met she recognized his attempts at putting up the wall behind which he hid his vulnerability. Or more specifically, the sadness he often tried to hide from her but which he never managed to completely eradicate from his features. And in that moment she knew what she was going to sing.
She moved closer to him and, her face determined, placed one hand on his shoulder and held her other in midair waiting for him to take the lead.
Klaus half smiled before taking it in his, placing his other hand on her delicate waist. That red dress was like a second skin on her. It was tight and fitted her perfectly. He took a deep breath and waited for her to start her performance, feeling like a kid waiting to receive a well-deserved candy.
Caroline closed her eyes and dug inside her very soul for the courage she felt she didn't have, before opening her eyes and locking her gaze with his. Klaus started swaying as soon as she started on the first notes.
You-ou with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
it's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I lo...
She stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing what she was saying. She wasn't ready to talk about their first kiss and she was certainly not ready to utter words to him such as "I love you" even if it would only be meant in a friendly way. That second where their eyes had locked and their bodies had moved in harmony inching closer as they danced, she doubted Klaus would have taken the L word lightly. Hell, she doubted she would have herself!
Yet this particular song had come to her instinctively the moment she had looked in his eyes and she realized it definitely expressed her true feelings towards the Original Hybrid. She indeed saw him in a different way than the others did, maybe even differently than he did himself. Her friends now accepted to be on friendly basis with him, but Caroline were no fool, she knew they didn't trust him and didn't think he could be one of the good guys. No matter what, he wouldn't get the same treatment as Damon did, even if their actions and intentions weren't that different.
Embarrassed at the way she ended her singing, she faked a cough "I'm sorry, I'm gonna go get myself some water, my throat is so dry" she said, quickly heading for the kitchen.
Klaus looked at her retreating figure, amused.
Well, that was interesting. Did she really mean those words to him? Was she telling him she was seeing through his darkness and through his armour, and finding something positive underneath?
In a way, he felt the same way about her. He was sure he saw her in a different light then her friends or that bastard Lockwood did. They never seemed to give her the importance she deserved. She always seemed to be left out of their plans, except when they could use her to their advantages, and never cared if she got hurt in the process. They didn't see her inner strength as he did. They didn't see her dreams and needs for adventure. They didn't realize, the way he had long ago, how Caroline, if given the choice, would never give away her vampire nature. He knew she was not interested in taking the cure.
And yet last night her friends had been chatting about how their lives would all be better once they took it together in some sickly cute bonding moment, assuming the blond girl sleeping in the room next to theirs, saw that alternative in the same light as they did.
Satisfied with the turn of events so far, he moved to the sound system and turned it on.
Caroline took a sip of water trying to clear up her mind. She was shaking and exhausted but not ready to call it a night; she actually was looking forward for the next hours.
She put her glass down, the moment she heard music coming from the room she had just left, quickly realizing the song was coming from her ipod's favourite playlist she made her way back to the living room, smiling widely.
Klaus had his back to her but nonetheless spoke the moment she entered the room.
"I thought you'd like this song" he said turning around and holding his hand out for her to take "Especially since it is part of your "love, love, love" playlist."
His smile was contagious and she grinned back at him before she took his hand and they started dancing again.
"So this was a way to lure me back?"
"Let's just say I hoped you weren't going to call it quits after just one dance, which was interrupted by a very unfortunate coughing fit, may I add."
He raised one eyebrow at her, suggesting he knew perfectly well it had been staged. "But I must say, my sources were right."
She looked back at him quizzically, their noses an inch apart.
"About what?" she felt like her brain was wrapped in a thick cloud and it was unable to function properly.
"Your voice" he said. "You sing like an angel, love".
She scoffed.
"And what, you're gonna tell me you've never heard such a melodious voice in your thousands of years of life…" she said rolling her eyes, mocking him but still smiling.
"Would you believe me if I did?" he said flirtatiously.
"No" she laughed.
They both beamed at each other before Caroline broke the eye contact again, unable to hold his fiery gaze without getting herself in what she knew would become a complicated situation.
Her body screaming at her to stop beating around the bush, and just jump him already.
A few yards away from the Forbes' house, a figure lurked between trees, spying at the dancing couple inside the house. He couldn't get closer than where he was but he knew he had seen enough.
A deep growling sound escaped Tyler's lips as he left the neighbourhood, running at hybrid speed.
Klaus brushed Caroline's hand with his thumb, nervous at what he was going to ask her.
"Caroline, a few weeks ago you told me you enjoyed me…"
She stopped in motion and looked up at him, doe-eyed.
Although he noticed her fright, he kept on pressing, not willing to let her get away without an answer.
"Would you care to elaborate on that, love?"
She immediately dropped her gaze, embarrassed.
"I need a drink" she said trying to find a distraction.
"I've got that covered, sweetheart" Klaus said going over to the kitchen and walking back with a bottle of champagne and an ice bucket she hadn't noticed, but which he had probably set aside earlier.
"Where did you get that? I know my mom does not keep champagne around the house."
"Let's just say I had a little help from one of your friends. And after all, I couldn't let the opportunity fly by, since, even if you do not want to admit it, this is starting to become our thing. It has its precedents after all" he said smiling playfully.
She smiled back, anxious. She knew he wouldn't drop the ball so easily.
Klaus popped the bottle open, and her mind drifted to the thought that her mother would give her a lecture on "underage" drinking with a man under her roof the next day. Yet this was the least of her worries at the moment.
"So your enjoyment of me, love?" he insisted again, pouring the crystalline liquid in a flute he handed her, before serving himself a glass as well. He put the bottle back in the ice bucket he had set on the table next to them and, taking a gulp from his own flute, he patiently waited for her answer.
"Seriously!? Why do you want to torture me like this?"
Klaus joined her side and moved closer to her, his eyes serious and all traces of playfulness gone.
"Because I have tortured myself over the last few weeks trying to understand what it is you feel for me, Caroline. While I was under the impression I had been played for a fool by you and your friends again, it turned out you were not playing an act...at least not the way I thought you were."
Caroline looked at him with a scared expression. She was afraid to tell him how it had been for her to be around him lately... Always torn between two very distinctive feelings and needs. She took the plunge anyway, knowing full well he would harass her should he not get an honest response from her.
"When I told you that I enjoyed you, I meant it." Now that she started talking she realized she needed to get it out, and the look he was giving her confirmed he wouldn't let her bail on him anyway. "I like being around you, I like the way you let your humanity show when you're with me" she finished, looking down.
Klaus braced himself, because he knew full well there was a "but" coming.
He put a finger under her chin, lifting her head up so she would face him again.
"But...?" he encouraged her. He needed to know. Even if it would anger him, he needed to know what was going on in her pretty head.
"But... But then you go about and kill or torture innocent people. Out of frustration, out of revenge, out of sport, whatever the reasons, and it's wrong. And I can't agree with that kind of behaviour."
It was Klaus' turn to look away, staring at the wall behind her.
"Why would you say that you enjoy me then..." he asked returning his gaze at her.
"I don't know... I ... I find that every now and then, my brain and my... my heart fight over my emotions. Sometimes I want to hate you, but all I hand up with is a desperate need to be near you."
Klaus looked at her intently, an internal turmoil apparent in his intense blue eyes.
"I find that, when I'm around you... I feel safe. You saved me again last night... Thank you" she continued.
Her eyes were shining and she was blushing slightly because she again remembered the kiss they exchanged, just a few hours ago.
Klaus just stood there motionless, no matter how much he wanted to kiss her, he forced himself to resist. He would let her make that move next, once she figured out her true feelings for him.
He gave her a genuine smile. "Always, I'll always be there for you, love."
The intensity of his words caught Caroline off guard and she almost started crying.
He laid out his hand for her to take, "Now, how about we resume our dancing?"
After two hours of dancing, Caroline was so tired, she almost collapsed in Klaus' arms as he escorted her back to her room, where she took her pyjamas and headed for the next door's bathroom. Klaus stayed behind in her room and resumed his place next to the window.
He heard her start the shower and, taking his jacket and shirt off, he turned his mind off before he started fantasizing about joining her in there. He did not know if he could be strong enough to resist his emotional urges tonight, not after all they had discussed earlier.
Caroline came back to her room and headed directly for her bed. She tossed the pillows around making herself a nice little nest to cuddle into, and only then realized Klaus' presence. He was looking at her, amused by her actions. Only then did she notice his bare chest, as he leaned nonchalantly against the window sill.
"What are you doing there?" she asked troubled by his presence in her private cocoon.
"I'm on guard duty, love, remember?"
"I know that, but what for? I thought Bonnie's spell prevented anyone to come near the house. You don't need to stay here Klaus, I'm sure you have plenty of things to do..." Like prepare a revenge plan no doubt, she finished in her head. Her old self would have thrown it in his face, emphasizing on his bad behaviours, but now she did not want to tick him off. He had been so nice to her tonight; she would not ruin it all.
"There is nowhere else I'd rather be" Klaus' response came, bringing her back in the moment. "Anyway, my sister and brother know very powerful witches that could easily break through Bonnie's shield. You're safer with me in here."
He saw Caroline's features change to horror, and he cursed himself for scaring her. He quickly moved to her side and taking hold of her arms with his hands, he sat her down on her bed before joining her.
"You know you are safe with me Caroline" he said, his face close to hers. "Go to sleep now love, nothing will happen to you, I swear it on my life. Tomorrow you'll be back to your normal self and we will plan our next moves, together."
She looked back at him her eyes fluttering between his eyes and lips entranced by his scent.
Klaus suddenly stepped away and quickly moved back to his spot next to the window.
Caroline felt herself flush and pulled her covers over her shaking body as she lay down on her pillows.
She tried to go to sleep but her mind kept being pulled back to the man sitting a few feet away from her. After a few minutes of tossing and turning she gave up, opened her bedside lamp and got up on one of her elbows.
"Why do you have to sit there?" she asked him.
Klaus turned to look at her and was hit again by her remarkable and natural beauty.
"To have a better look at the grounds outside" he simply answered. "I told you I'm not letting you out of my sight...Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I can't sleep... It must be uncomfortable to sit over there for hours."
"I'm a thousand years old vampire Caroline. I've seen and been in worst situations."
"Still..." she bit her lower lip before adding "I can make some place next to me..."
Klaus' face went blank, not showing how those simple words troubled him deeply. Sleeping next to her? That would be playing with fire.
"I don't think your mother would approve, love."
"She's off at the station for the night, she won't know. Speaking of which, I heard there have been a few people missing since last night, they're out searching the forest day and night. Do you think Rebekah and Kol are behind this?"
Klaus looked outside the window again.
"It is possible. But you don't have to worry about them Caroline. Please you need some rest now."
"I'd feel better knowing you were closer next to me."
Klaus stared back at her and after a few seconds he got up from his seat and walked slowly towards her, giving her plenty of time to change her mind. But she did not and simply pushed the pillows aside so he would be comfortable. He took out his shoes and lay down next to her, making sure he was not touching her skin.
He was afraid she'd asked for his closeness only because he'd made her feel vulnerable and scared, and not because she wanted him, period.
She smiled brightly at him, turned on her side and turned off her light again.
"Thank you" she whispered.
He pulled the covers up to her chin and before he could pull his hand back, she grasped it and held on to it tightly.
"I need you ..."
"I'm not going anywhere Caroline" he said. She was clutching his hand in an angle that obliged him to crawl closer to her burning body. Did she have a fever? He realized she did not flinch away from his proximity and instead cuddled closer to him, grabbing his arm to her heart and intertwined her fingers with his.
"I'll keep you safe" Klaus added, his voice hoarse. Although he was no stranger to sharing a woman's bed, having had his fair share of mistresses in the past, actually sleeping with a woman, and one that he truly had feelings for, was a whole different story.
"I know..." She truly did she trusted him completely and she was grateful for what he had done for her tonight.
The two of them fell asleep quickly, finally feeling complete in each other's arms, in a way they hadn't felt in a long time. Klaus' last thoughts before he dozed off was of the new belonging feeling he had in his chest, and of how much he wished he could hold on to it.
A phone ring pierced through the silence of the night, waking up the couple instantly.
Suddenly aware that she was sprawled across his bare chest, Caroline jerked away and sat up quickly rummaging through the stuff on her bedside table, trying to hide her discomfort in the action. She finally found her cellphone, which had been hiding under her diary, and answered the call before it went to her voicemail.
Klaus slowly sat up and crossed his arms, patiently waiting to know what was going on that justified a call this late at night. He looked at Caroline's back, wishing he could touch her, tracing his fingers from her neck, all the way down her spine. How he was looking forward to feel her shiver in his arms from the pleasure he would inflict her should she ever surrender to his advances.
"Hello?"
"Caroline!" Bonnie's panicked voice came from the receiver.
"Calm down Bonnie" Caroline heard Elena's soothing voice coming in the background.
"What's wrong?" Caroline asked. She turned to face Klaus, who looked as puzzled as she was, except she knew he didn't worry about her friends' safety like she did.
"They've got him Caroline!" Bonnie cried out. "They're going to kill him!"
"Who? Who's got who, Bonnie?" Caroline asked completely awake and panicked now.
Klaus put a hand on her bare knee trying to calm her with the gesture. He did not appreciate her friends calling her and ruining what should have been her night off the drama. They had agreed to his plan and had been enthusiastic about it, the witch especially had been happy to display her powers for her friend's sake. Caroline had been through enough in the past forty-eight hours she did not need more drama. He didn't care what was going on right now, it could wait, He would make it wait.
"It's Rebekah and Kol!"
Klaus' head snapped up, his attention now completely caught in the conversation the girls were having.
"What have they done?" he asked looking at the phone.
"They took Shane!" Bonnie cried out.
A/N: So what did you guys think? I had such a hard time trying to find a good song for Caroline...
Comment please! Next chapter I plan on bringing back Damon and Jeremy to Mystic Falls. I bring characters in whenever they are in interaction or in proximity of either Klaus or Caroline, which is why you do not know more or less than those two characters do.
P.-S. I do not own the song's rights or TVD either.