Author's note
Update time, yay. Sorry to keep you waiting. I hadn't had time to upload or write because I'd been travelling in England, visiting Exeter, Bath and London. But now I'm back home and I have found some time to revise and upload. But here it is. I hope you guys like it :)
Caroline
Caroline woke up, momentarily disoriented about her surroundings. And then it hit her. Harvard. University. She smiled. This was it. Her life was actually starting. The past was in the past and she could start anew. A dark thought crawled into her mind. Caroline tried to shoot it down, but it wouldn't go away. She didn't want to think about the fact that she would start anew many times during her long existence. For now, she would just be a normal girl, heading out on her own. Caroline wasn't going to let the fact that she is a vampire stand between her and the normal life she had always wanted, even if she could only have it for a little while. Caroline got out of bed and put on some clothes. Today was the first day of class.
She'd been at Harvard for two nights, getting adjusted to her new life. They'd spent the past day walking around the campus, seeing if there were any groups they might be joining. They hadn't found anything that piqued their interest. Besides, there wasn't anything like a 'Supernaturals Unite' which would've made it easier for them to come into contact with any possible member of the supernatural community. Caroline started to like her roommates more and more. They weren't anything like Elena and Bonnie, but that was what made them new and exciting. She really liked Elodie's brashness and Marissa was the exact opposite of brash. It was funny how Marissa and Elodie managed their friendship.
Caroline grabbed her bag with the things she would need for her lectures. Someone knocked on their dorm. Caroline heard someone get up to open it. She checked the messages on her phone. Both Bonnie and Elena had texted her, wishing her luck at her new university. Stefan had sent Caroline a selfie with some nice scenery. Caroline smiled at Stefan's photo. He seemed to be doing just fine. She heard a man ask whether Caroline was there. Caroline headed back to the common area and was met by a man in his early thirties. "I'm Caroline, can I help you?" The man smiled. "Yes, Miss Forbes, I was asked to personally see to it that this was brought in your hands." The man held a rather large package, wrapped in brown paper. Caroline took it from the man. She was a bit confused by the meaning of this. Caroline had no idea who it could be from. "Do I need to sign anything?" The man shook his head. "No, I'm just the intermediary. The package is in your hands, so my work here is done. Have a nice day ladies."
Caroline stood rooted on the spot. It didn't take too long for her to recover. Elodie asked who it was from. Caroline just shrugged, she had no idea. She still had some time before her first lecture and letting curiosity take the better of her, she opened the package. Caroline gasped as she unwrapped it. It was a painting. She didn't need to search for a card, knowing who it was from. Klaus had sent her a painting. A beautiful painting of the woods at the Salvatore Boarding House. Or at least that was what Caroline believed it to represent. It was a bit blurry and thinking back on that moment, it had been a bit blurry. The woods anyway, everything else she remembered in detail. She could still remember kissing him and how good it had felt and... She stopped herself there. Caroline shrugged. She was probably just reading too much in to it. Still, she couldn't quite shake it off. Why would Klaus even consider sending her a painting? And how had he even known where to send it too? Suddenly Stefan's words from two nights ago echoed through her head. Could Stefan be right? Did Klaus still harbour some feelings for her? "There's a note." Marissa said as she handed Caroline the envelope. Caroline contemplated whether she should open the letter. Should she? After all, hadn't Klaus promised her to walk away? Yet, here was a painting, for her, that told Caroline something else. "You okay, Caroline? You seem a bit shaken. Who's the painting from?" Caroline took a deep breath and turned towards Elodie. "I'm fine. I should get going, I don't want to be late on my first day, do I? We'll meet up after for coffee, right?" Caroline didn't wait for any response and literally whooshed out the door.
Caroline still had ten minutes before her class actually started, but people were slowly filing in and taking a seat. Caroline still had the letter in her hand. Once again she wondered whether she should open it. It's not like Klaus would show up here to check whether she'd opened the letter. Klaus had promised he would leave her be. And yet, she couldn't quite ignore that there was a tiny part of her that wanted to see Klaus again. Caroline tried to suppress the part of her that wanted him, the part that actually cared for him. She couldn't give in to those feelings, not again. Maybe it would be better if she would just throw the letter away. Caroline resisted the urge to scream.
"You look like you're planning to murder someone." Caroline looked at the person who'd said that. If only he knew. "Well I just might, but fortunately for him, he's far away from here, I hope." The guy looked a bit confused. Caroline laughed. "Don't worry, I was only kidding. I'm a good girl, I don't go around killing innocent people." This time the guy smiled. "Good to know. I'm Jasper." "Caroline." Caroline took a good look at Jasper. She didn't find him bad looking, he looked sort of geek chic. He pulled it off rather nicely. "You're a transfer, right?" "Yeah, that obvious?" Caroline asked a bit surprised. "No, it's just that everyone in here has followed the intro to microbiology and I didn't recognise your face. It's obligatory to pass the intro to enter this class, so..." Caroline nodded in understanding. "Where did you transfer from?" "Whitmore college." "Never heard of it." "It's a small college in Virginia." It was that moment the professor walked in and the class began.
When the professor took his leave, Caroline jumped out of her seat. She texted Stefan and asked him to call her as soon as he could. Caroline put the letter in her bag, still not sure what to do. She hoped Stefan might offer some advice. "That was interesting, right?" Caroline looked next to her and saw Jasper. "Yeah. It was." Caroline was still staring at her phone. "You want to go grab a coffee?" Jasper asked a bit hesitantly. It took Caroline a moment to register what he'd said. She was being rude. Caroline really looked at Jasper. He was cute, she had to give him that. And he was probably smart too. Maybe she should give him a chance. It was just a coffee. "Well, I'm supposed to be meeting my roommates, but you're welcome to join." He smiled and accepted the offer. They got some coffee and headed over to the table where she had spotted Marissa and Elodie. She introduced them and before she could say more, her phone went off. Caroline quickly excused herself.
"Finally." Caroline said as she answered Stefan's call. "Hello to you too, Caroline. What's up?" "What does walking away mean to you exactly?" "We're talking about Klaus, I assume. What did he do, show up at your door this morning? Did he ask for another confession?" Stefan said jokingly. Caroline wasn't amused. "I'm serious Stefan. And he might as well have. Klaus sent me a painting. To my dorm room." "So he's keeping tabs on you? It's to be expected, Care. Klaus cares about you, and in his own way he's making sure that you're okay. But I have a feeling there is something more than just a painting." "A note." "What did it say? Did he kill Tyler? Or did he declare his undying love for you?" Caroline didn't respond. She couldn't believe that Klaus would really kill Tyler. "Care, you didn't read the note yet, did you?" "I just don't know if I should. He said that he would walk away, Stefan. I needed him to be out of my life. Gone. And then he just gives me a painting. Totally out of the blue. I can't have this, not now." "Care, I'm not going to tell you what to do. If you don't want to read the note, then just throw it out. But be honest with yourself, why do you care? Don't get mad at me for saying this, but you care about Klaus, even now, you still do. And you hate yourself for it. You hate the fact that you care and that you have feelings for him. You were never in a relationship with Klaus, and I'm not saying you should be in one, but you never gave a chance to those feelings. They've never got the chance to run its course. There is a possibility you're always going to have feelings for him or that there's a small part of you that's going to care. You're going to have to find a way to live with that. And having Klaus out of your life isn't going to change that fact. Or maybe the letter will give you closure. Although I doubt that it would offer more than your time in the woods. Read it or not, it's your choice." Caroline listened to Stefan. She hated that he was right. Why did Klaus fancy her? Her of all people out there? Why did she care about him? Caroline sighed. "You're right. I hate myself for the truth, Stefan. I don't want to feel this way. I want a normal life, simple and easy. Even if it's just for a little while. I can't have him in my life, not when I'm figuring out what I want." "Care, you're not making a life time commitment here. You're just making a simple choice. Reading the letter isn't going to make him show up at your door. When it comes to you, Klaus honours his promises." "Thank you, Stefan. I should probably leave you to your travelling." "Care, I won't love you any less if you decided you wanted to be with Klaus, nor will I think of you differently. You're my best friend and I want you to be happy. I love you and stop worrying, it'll be alright." Caroline felt a tear form in her eye. This was what she had needed to hear. "Thanks again, but I'm not going to just jump on a plane to New Orleans. And I'll try not to worry. I love you too. Stay safe." "You too, Care." And they hung up.
"How is our traveller fairing?" Elodie asked as Caroline rejoined them. "He's good, I guess." Caroline felt a bit guilty for not asking Stefan how he was doing. "So it's about the painting and whoever it's from. Is it from Stefan?" Caroline shook her head and silently cursed Elodie's curiosity. "Let's not talk about that, okay? So, Jasper. What are you majoring in?" Caroline swiftly changed the subject. "Bio-engineering. Who's Stefan?" "My best friend. So, wow, engineering, that's impressive." "What about you guys?" They talked some more about their majors and then headed to their classes. Jasper had asked Caroline out and on a whim, she'd agreed. They would be going out on Friday.
After her first day of class, Caroline was glad to have a moment of peace. After dinner and a shower, she'd decided she needed some time alone. Caroline sat down on her bed and pulled out the letter. She was nervous. And thinking back on her conversation with Stefan, she knew that he was right. Caroline had feelings for Klaus. The Original Hybrid had somehow found a way into her heart. It was easier to admit here, in the dark, when no one was around. Looking at the painting, she also knew that his feelings may have been more than just a crush. He was out of her life. For good. She was looking at the letter and before giving it a second thought, she opened it.
"Dearest Caroline,
I hope you are well. I know I had promised to walk away, so consider this a parting gift. A little late, I know, but since my graduation gift hasn't been what you had hoped it would be, I believed you might find yourself in need of something else. When it came to my ears that you were going to be attending Harvard, I thought you might want something nice to decorate your room with. I hope you find a place to hang this. Congratulations on Harvard, sweetheart, they're very lucky to have you. I hope you get to build the life you've always wanted. I know you will succeed in whatever you do and that you will excel in your life. And I'm certain Harvard will help you get there. Make the most of this experience, love. You deserve this. If there is ever anything I can do, you may always call or visit me in New Orleans. And just in case no one has mentioned it today, I want you to know that you are beautiful, you are strong and you're full of light. If you ever need to talk to someone, I'll be here to listen. I still want to know all about your hopes, your dreams and anything you want in life.
Just in case you forgot, the world is still out there, waiting for you. And perhaps one day, you'll ask me. If you were wondering, I still fancy you, love, and not a day will go by that I won't think of you.
I must be off, my city won't run itself.
Yours truly,
Niklaus Mikaelson"
Caroline couldn't believe it. What game was he playing? They'd made a deal. He was going to butt out of her life and leave he be. This wasn't part of the deal. That jerk wasn't being fair to her. He couldn't throw those words back at her. Caroline got off her bed and started pacing. How dare he? How dare he write something like that? Who did he think he was? Her epic last love? No, she wouldn't take this. And there was no way he was getting away with it.
Klaus
Klaus was sitting at Rousseau's thinking about his life with a glass of bourbon. Getting New Orleans back wasn't as satisfying as he hoped it would be. Rebekah was off, enjoying her freedom. Elijah was still here, though. Still, this place was missing something. "You look like you could use another one." Cami said as she poured him another drink. "You could say that, sweetheart." Seeing the blond hair, reminded him off another blonde, far away from here. He wondered what she had thought of the painting. He hoped she'd liked it. Would she have read the letter? Part of him hoped she'd thrown it away. The letter had been more serious and grave than he had intended it to be. But nothing to be done about it now. Klaus groaned when his phone rang, but he picked it up anyway.
"Mikaelson." He grumbled. "What the hell is wrong with you? What part of walking away isn't clear to you? You can't do this." Klaus' spirits were immediately lifted when Caroline's voice rang through the phone, even if she was upset with him. "Caroline, sweetheart, how lovely to hear you voice. How are you, love?" He could hear Caroline huff in frustration. "Don't sweetheart me, Klaus. The painting is one thing, the letter is something else. That went way past walking away and you know it. You promised me you would be out of my life, for good." Klaus smiled despite himself. Her voice had just spun his bad day into pure gold. "If we're speaking of technicalities, I promised you would never again have to look me in the eyes, love. Last time I checked, I'm still in New Orleans and I haven't seen you since our little adventure in the woods." He wondered what Caroline looked like right now. There would probably be a slight blush on her cheeks, both from being upset with him as with the reminder of the woods. He knew that there was a part of Caroline that cared for him. Caroline was attracted to him, but he felt as if there was more to it. Some of the words he had written must have struck a sensitive chord. He couldn't help but feel a little pleased with himself. It was always nice to know that she cared. "That's how you want to play it, fine. You know what, Mikaelson, you are an insufferable, annoying, cocky, frustrating, controlling, selfish, arrogant, stubborn, domineering, hateful Original Hybrid." Klaus almost chuckled when he heard Caroline insulting him. He thought it was endearing. If only he could be doing this face to face. She had stopped pacing somewhere halfway through insulting him. He imagined she was standing with on hand on her hip and just shouting at him. That was his Caroline. He noticed both Marcel and Elijah walking his way. He gave them a small nod in acknowledgment. "And you are a truly magnificent woman, Caroline." She snorted. "Don't turn this around. You promised you'd walk away. I gave you my confession and you had promised. Because I swear to god Klaus, if you ever pull something like this again, I will find a way for you to regret it for the rest of your eternity. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a life I need to get back to. Goodbye, Klaus." "Goodbye sweet Caroline, enjoy your life." And the line went dead.
Klaus smirked at his brother and Marcel when they sat down next to him. "You're in a better mood, brother." Elijah remarked. "Yes, my gift had quite the reaction I had hoped it would be." "So, you're plan was to get a girl to yell at you and tell you that she never wanted to see you again?" Marcel chimed in. "Marcel, my friend, you obviously don't know the lovely lady in question. You see, if she didn't care, she would've just let the whole incident slide. But no, Caroline went through all the trouble of calling me, even though she'd much rather pretend I don't exist. She called, mate, and that is a huge step. Besides, she could've just deleted my number after I walked away, but she kept it, even after almost a year. There is still a part of her that cares." "And how will you proceed?" Elijah asked. "I won't. I did promise her I'd leave her be. I'll give her some time to herself. I remember her telling Stefan that she wanted a nice and normal college experience. I'll give her that. At least for now." Klaus emptied his drink and headed back to his house.
He picked up his paintbrush and started painting, thinking of the lovely blonde at Harvard. She was probably still cursing him. Klaus wondered when Caroline had become such an important aspect of his life. He certainly had never planned for this to happen. Love was a vampire's greatest weakness, and yet, here he was, thinking of a girl he didn't deserve. But he couldn't help himself. Caroline was his light in this endless darkness he had been living in for the past thousand years. Caroline made him question his actions, he made him want to be better, because for some reason, she still saw good in him. He wanted to be the kind of guy that deserves her, but he knew that no one will ever be worthy of the goddess that is Caroline Forbes. As Klaus was painting, he couldn't help but think of that night when he had decided that her life meant something to him. That Caroline being alive was more important than the death of any single one of his enemies.
It had been Caroline's eighteenth birthday, and she'd been dying of a werewolf bite. He'd got sheriff Forbes to invite him into her house so he could save her daughter's life. When he'd seen her lying there, having made her peace with dying, something had cracked within him. For the first time in a thousand years, Klaus saw light. He'd saved her life, simply because he didn't want to take that glowing light away. That night, Klaus had told her all about what the world had to offer. He didn't want her to give up, he had wanted to show her the world, because she deserved to see what the world held. He hadn't realised it then, but at his family's ball, he'd known. Caroline wasn't something fleeting, she was always and forever. The blonde had managed to find her way to Klaus' heart. She'd wormed her way in when he had believed it to be impossible. Caroline had touched something inside him that had been forgotten for a thousand years. Klaus had known darkness, the shadows were his friends. He knew pain, death and fear. Hell, he caused it most of the time. And Caroline, sweet Caroline, was something from another world. She was ethereal.
Klaus looked at the likeliness he had painted of Caroline. His heart ached for her. How he missed her. Klaus missed her presence, her smiles, her beautiful blue eyes, sparkling with life. He missed the way she would keep him on his toes, yelling at him. Klaus had tried to forget her, but he'd failed miserably. No one had ever quite captured his attention as Caroline Forbes. She had bewitched him, body and soul.
Caroline
Caroline sighed in frustration and anger. She cursed herself for calling him. And she cursed the bloody hybrid. But most of all, she hated herself. She hated that his words could affect her like that. Caroline needed a life without the Big Bad Hybrid. She needed to forget his entire existence. Caroline took a deep breath. She made herself a promise. From this day on, no more Klaus. She was just going to pretend that he didn't exist. Her focus would be on her studies. And there was Jasper. He seemed nice. And so far, it didn't seem likely for him to be connected to anything supernatural. Normal. That was exactly what she needed.
Author's note
I hope it was worth the wait. I'm going to try and upload again next week, but I can't make any promises. University has started again, and soon I'll be swamped with work, writing papers and doing research. But I'm going to try and write. I really will.
Until then, thank you for reading and I like feedback. Reviews might encourage me to write more often ;) Hopefully I'll have a new chapter by next week.
Once again, thanks for reading.