Author's Note: Well. I guess this is it... The last chapter of Risks Worth Taking! I can't believe it. It's been... interesting. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read, who left reviews, who favorited and followed. But there are three special people I need to thank.
Chetopat- Thank you so much for your reviews, encouragement, and faith in this story. It made it so much easier to write, and I hope we can develop further together.
redbudrose- I've gotta admit, that one review you left cut me to the core. It definitely hurt to hear, but I appreciate your criticisms and advice so much. It forced me to become a better author, and I'm so happy that you stuck with the story.
justine- Your reviews have been favorable from the beginning. No matter what the chapter, I knew I could count on you. Thank you.
To everyone else, my deepest and greatest thanks. I read all of your reviews, and tried to take your comments into account.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Klaus stared hungrily at Caroline, fighting his first instinct to gather her in his arms and sweep her away. Blindly aware of the thump of Stefan's body on the floor, he couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from the blonde beauty standing in front of him.
With only one glance, he knew that Caroline hadn't turned her emotions back on. She was glaring silently at him, with a void of vague disinterest clouding her eyes. Their eyes were locked, him gazing with nothing but sickening love and relief. When Stefan's body dropped two feet behind her, Caroline's gaze slid languidly from Klaus to the carpet of their hotel room.
"You really had to snap his neck?" She said disinterestedly to Damon. He merely shrugged, gazing at her with passion to rival Klaus.
There was silence for a few moments, both men just drinking in the sight of the blonde. Even though it had only been a little over a week since they had seen her, it felt like an eternity. The three stood stock still, Caroline refusing to even glance at the two men. Then, they all moved at once.
Caroline made a bee line for the door, attempting to at least try to outrun her inevitable capture. Klaus lunged for her, toppling them both over and pinning the girl beneath his body weight. Damon swiftly ran to the door, kicking it closed to muffle Caroline's screams of protest.
Klaus quickly covered Caroline's mouth with his hand, quietly trying to shush her without hurting her anymore than he already had. Shifting his weight off of her upper body, the hybrid straddled her waist.
Caroline saw this as an opportunity, quickly bucking him off of her and speeding up. She immediately ran to the adjacent balcony of the hotel room, deciding that throwing herself off of it would be a better choice than staying with Damon and Klaus. She didn't get as far as the sliding glass door before it was blocked off by a pained looking Damon.
Quickly realizing her mistake, Caroline turned around. Again, she was deterred by Klaus. With both potential exits blocked, there was no escape.
Glaring boldly at both vampires, she decided to make one more desperate plea.
"You don't have to do this." she begged, looking imploringly at Klaus. "I don't want them anymore. I'm so happy. Isn't that all you want? For me to be happy?"
Klaus' eyes softened at the blue eyed beauty. In reality, yes. That was literally all he had ever wanted. For her to be happy. Happy and safe from any harm.
But he had fucked up that possibility the second he stepped into Mystic Falls almost seven years ago.
With his gaze still trained on Caroline, Klaus heard Damon sigh. "Blondie," the raven haired vampire said tiredly. "You don't even know what happy is anymore."
She had barely had time to turn her head to face him before Damon snapped her neck.
Setting Caroline's body gently on a seat next to him on the plane, Klaus once again glared daggers at his companion.
"That was completely unprecedented. The plan was to get her too come with us willingly. We can't just keep taking her free will from her! That's what caused this entire mess in the first place!"
Damon just glared back at him, alternating between looking at the blonde with worry and pacing back and forth in the airplane aisle.
"Oh, don't go all morality police on me!" Damon finally burst out, meeting Klaus' accusatory glare. "It was the only way she would ever come with us. You don't actually believe that if we gave her a choice, she would willingly change back, do you? Because she wouldn't."
Klaus just huffed, throwing himself down on the seat beside Caroline. Smoothing her long blonde hair out of her face, he realized there was a feeling of relief mingled in with the rest of his emotional turmoil.
He was so thankful to have her back with him. If he could have it his way, Caroline would never leave his side again. He realized now what a mistake it was allowing her to leave him that day back in Mystic Falls. If Klaus had known the kind of trouble and pain it would have caused both of them, he never would have allowed her to get on that plane.
Even though Klaus had told Damon that Caroline was free to make her own decision regarding the two of them, he was beginning to regret his promise. He was never very good at keeping his word, and he was even worse at watching another person take what was his.
Not that Caroline was his to claim. She had made it abundantly clear over the years that she was no one's, that she would rather die before being bound by another.
But Klaus just couldn't stay away. Even if she hated him, even if she cursed his existence every time they were in the same room, at least he would know she was safe.
It had been almost two hours since Damon broke her neck. Damon, as if sensing she would wake up soon, had taken off to the bar. Klaus was left with Caroline, an opportunity he didn't take lightly.
When she began to stir, Klaus had a shot glass filled with blood ready before her eyelashes even fluttered open. However, he was positive this gesture wouldn't be enough to get back in the blondes good graces. It was his fault she had her neck snapped, his fault she turned off her emotions in the first place.
Klaus was so caught up in these feelings of guilt, he didn't even notice Caroline was fully awake and glaring at him. What he did notice was her snatching the shot glass from his hand, downing it like an alcoholic, and the long measured glare she gave him before slapping his cheek.
His face still stinging, Klaus suppressed the urge to tear her throat out. No one had ever gotten away with touching him before, not to mention hitting him. But this was Caroline. Klaus wouldn't do anything to hurt her.
Rubbing his cheek, he slowly pulled his gaze up to Caroline's face. She was examining the shot glass with a confused look in her eyes.
"Why a shot glass?" she asked, finally locking eyes with him. Klaus practically had to pull himself out of her spell before finally answering.
"It was the only glass Damon left behind. And drinking straight from a blood bag seems a little barbaric, even for my taste."
Caroline laughed at this, but it was nothing like her normal laugh. She would usually let out a sweet, melodic giggle. This was sinister. A low, malevolent chuckle that didn't fit her persona at all. Klaus didn't like it, and he once again ached for the girl she used to be.
"I'm assuming Damon has run away with his tail between his legs. He never was very good with guilt. I'm sure snapping my neck has him reeling."
Klaus smirked. "Yes, he's been particularly broody. Much like his brother."
"How is Stefan, by the way? I'm sure one of you ripped his heart out. After all, he did steal your one true love from right under your nose. And you're not exactly one for forgiveness."
Klaus had to look away from Caroline's accusatory gaze. He knew she would be difficult and insistent that she didn't need to be fixed. But he knew better than her. This life wasn't one she wanted to live. She was sweet, and gentle. Nothing about the blood thirsty, vengeful person she had become reminded Klaus of the real Caroline.
"Oh," she continued. "And incidentally, why haven't you just compelled me?"
"Rebekah sold you out. I agreed to spare Stefan's life if she gave me your location. I can't compel you. A few years back, I had an anti-compulsion spell placed on you. No one can rob you of your free will, not even me."
Caroline just shook her head, sighing and rubbing her eyes. For the first time since he had met her, Klaus saw that she looked tired. Caroline was famous for dealing with situations efficiently, able to get to the source of the problem and fixing it before most even knew something was wrong.
"No good ever comes from an Original." Caroline said, getting up from her seat and pouring herself a generous helping of bourbon from the bottle on Damon's empty seat. Klaus couldn't tell if she was talking about him or Rebekah. She downed her shot, barely grimacing. Klaus followed her movements warily, waiting for her attempt at escape.
Looking out the window of the plane, she finally continued. "Why can't you just let me go?"
If Klaus hadn't known better, he would say there was a tone of desperation in her voice. This question tore at him more than anything. Why couldn't he?
He had tried. Many times over the past few years. But anytime he had gotten close to being able to forget her, she was there. In the blonde bartender, in a blue eyed stranger passing on the street. Caroline was always there, in the back of his mind just waiting for the most inconvenient time to reappear.
"I can't," he whispered almost
imperceptibly. "Every time I try... I just can't."
All of a sudden, Klaus felt angry. More angry than he had felt in a long time, pure rage rushing through his veins. Who was this girl to question him or what he thought was best? He was the Original Hybrid, damn it! She would obey him!
"That's bullshit, and we both know it." Caroline growled, not sensing or not caring about his anger. "You won't let me go. I was the most stable thing in your life, and you gave it all up for some werewolf slut. I didn't want you, and you made it some egotistical goal to make me love you. Well guess what? I didn't then, and I definitely don't now."
Klaus saw red. His hands were in his hair, practically ripping it out. Good. Pain was what he needed right now, and he couldn't inflict any on Caroline, no matter what his natural instincts were.
"I'm done with your shit, Klaus. I'm not some defenseless little girl anymore, running away from her problems. Believe it or not, I've grown over the past seven years. I'm capable of taking care of myself. I don't need you or Damon to do it for me!"
"Yes you do!" Klaus roared, throwing the bottle of bourbon at the wall. It shattered, soaking everything around them. But neither vampire even noticed. "You need me to care! Because you don't. If you were left to your own devices, you would be dead right now! You think all those saves when you got into trouble were lucky? No! They were me. Because I couldn't stand to see you hurt! If you think for one second that I don't care, or haven't cared about you then you're dead wrong. Because I do care, Caroline. Sometimes I think I might care about you even more than you care about yourself."
There was a silence only punctured by both of their heavy breathing. It took Klaus about six seconds before he realized he had Caroline backed up against the wall of the airplane, barely a breath away.
Screw it, he decided. Then he kissed her.
It was the kind of kiss that both vampires knew they could never forget. It ignited a fiery passion between them that couldn't be extinguished, a deep fire in their bellies. Klaus cupped her cheek, Caroline wound her fingers through her hair.
Letting out a low moan, Caroline nipped at Klaus' bottom lip. Gathering all of his willpower, Klaus pulled back. Resting his forehead on hers, he took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he felt Caroline blow out a shaky breath.
"Attention all passengers," the intercom sprang to life with the cheery voice of a compelled flight attendant. "We will landing in New Orleans shortly. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts for landing."
Klaus slowly drew away from Caroline, not sitting down quite yet.
"After we lift the spell," he said, staring straight into her eyes. "You can leave. You don't need to choose me or Damon. You're free to go, no strings attached. I'll let you go."
The truth was, all Klaus really wanted was for Caroline to be happy. He would never be able to live with himself if she resented him for the rest of eternity, so he would do whatever was needed to avoid that.
Even if it meant letting her go.
The only affirmation he needed to know he made the right decision came when Caroline sat beside him five minutes later, fastening her seatbelt. She had made no sign that she had even heard his statement, but looking into her eyes, Klaus knew she had.
"Thank you." Caroline whispered, a true smile lighting her face for the first time in months. She took his hand, squeezing it as the airplane descended through the sky. Klaus swore he felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces, blowing away in the dark sky.
But for her, it was all worth it.
Klaus opened the door of a small house in the middle of the woods. Why Claudia would choose this place of anywhere, he had no idea. But he had no time to think about this, as he had to pull an unwilling Caroline in after him. Damon followed, slamming the door shut to announce their arrival.
"You do know that the second I leave, I'm just going to turn them off again, right?" Caroline snarled, trying to shake Klaus' iron like grip off of her arm.
"Well, it's a good thing you're not leaving our sight after this, huh Blondie?" Damon said mildly, not looking at Caroline.
She just smirked, still trying to shake Klaus off.
Klaus hadn't told Damon of his new plan yet. It was more important to get the old Caroline back, then perhaps they could talk some sense into her. But if she still wanted to leave... Klaus would let her go.
"Ah," he heard a voice from the opposite side of the room. "I see you've returned. And this is the girl, I'm assuming?"
Claudia stepped into the light, looking even more tired than when they had left. She had bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept for hours on end, and her usually luscious hair looked dank and flat.
"Introduction aren't important, Claudia." Klaus snarled, thrusting Caroline towards her. "Just tell me you can fix this."
"I told you I would."
There was silence as Claudia assessed Caroline. Taking hold of her chin, she forced the blonde to look at her.
"I'm not going to hurt you," the witch said in a strangely soothing voice. "I'm just going to reverse this spell. Nothing bad will happen. Do you trust me?"
Instead of answering, Caroline's wide gaze slid over to Klaus. "You promise?" she whispered.
Klaus knew what she was referring to. His promise on the plane, the promise that would almost literally kill him. He hesitated, before nodding curtly. Caroline seemed to take this as affirmation, and locked eyes with Claudia once more.
"Yes." Caroline said quietly.
"Good. Now go stand by the hearth, honey. I have a few things to set up."
"Klaus," Damon growled as Claudia went to her spice cabinet. He walked closer to Klaus, his face a cloud of confusion and frustration. "What the hell was that? What did you promise?"
"You," Claudia said, pointing to Damon. He turned unwillingly towards her, breaking eye contact with Klaus. "Go outside and keep watch. The last thing we need is the local police swarming the place."
Damon unwillingly went outside, but not before giving Klaus a long distrustful glare. Klaus just stared straight ahead. He didn't care about Damon at the moment. Neither one of them deserved Caroline, and they both knew that.
"Now," Claudia said, grounding some spices together and sprinkling them over where Caroline stood near the hearth. "We can begin. Klaus, I'll just need a bit of your blood."
Klaus bit into his wrist, offering it to Claudia. She dipped her finger in the open wound, then smeared some on Caroline's wrist at the same spot he had bitten on his own. Klaus retreated as far away as possible, not wanting to watch the spell happen. Claudia followed him, standing at her table about four feet away from Caroline.
She began chanting, her eyes rolling in the back of her head. Just as last time, there was a palpable energy in the air. But Klaus didn't care. His gaze was trained solely on Caroline's, her blue eyes sliding up to meet his grey ones.
They were the last thing he saw before the fire in the hearth erupted, causing a mind numbing explosion.
When the dust cleared, everything was absolutely silent. The small, god-forsaken shack Claudia had chosen for her spell had been blown to bits. Klaus wasn't surprised. Based on the enormity of the spell, he was surprised the surrounding forest was still intact.
Surveying the remaining property, Klaus could not pick out a heartbeat. Slowly walking over to where Claudia had been chanting moments previous, he knew without a shade of doubt that she was dead. Looking down at her slumped figure, he felt a slight pang of pity. Once rich, chestnut hair had been streaked with grey, her vibrant electric green eyes turning into a dull, lifeless stare.
Moments after he realized all of this, Klaus registered movement from near where the hearth would have been. Caroline.
Flashing over to the blonde, he immediately bent down and surveyed the damage afflicted on her. Gently circling his fingers around her wrist, he pulled her up into a sitting position. Caroline was not hurt badly enough to warrant a taste of his blood, but he was tempted to not take the risk.
Slowly blinking open her blue eyes, Klaus was almost able to fully relax for the first time since this whole fiasco started. If all had gone according to plan, Caroline would have the ability to be compelled and emotional once more. Just the thought of having his Caroline back again was enough to take the pressing weight off of the Hybrid's neck. A feeling he would almost describe as hope began to pound in his chest, waiting to be set free.
However, this newfound emotion came crashing down upon him the second the two made eye contact.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked, snatching her wrist back from his grasp. Caroline glanced around the smoldering house in a panic, fear slowly invading the corners of her eyes. Klaus didn't have to hear her next words to know that something had gone terribly, awfully wrong.
"What's going on? Where am I? Who-" she seemed to pause for a moment, nostrils flaring as if searching the very crevices of her brain for any hint of information. "Who am I?"
AN: Well. We all know spells go wrong. The good news is, I'm not going to keep you hanging! I have a sequel on the way! A title and summary can be found at the bottom of this note.
Unfortunately, there are other things that need my time and attention right now. Personal stuff, and God's Gonna Cut You Down will most likely take precedent. But I will write the sequel. I promise.
I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with this ending, and there's enough Klaroline for everyone to be satisfied. Once again, I appreciate all the support and love.
Thank you so much. I love you all.
Title: Hope Is The Thing With Feathers
Summary: With Caroline's memory loss, even more problems have become apparent in the world of Mystic Falls. Returning to her childhood home, will Caroline be able to regain what she's lost? And as a not-so-new threat looms, who will protect her when she needs it most? Caroline must make decisions she never dreamed of making, decisions of love, hate, and protection. She must become herself again, while still trying to regain what she's lost.