Warning: There are 2 smut scenes in this chapter. It's what the M rating is for.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of the related fandoms

Place: Vera Phallon's Living Room, Salem, MA, USA

Date: June 10, 2011

Her eyes shimmered with cobalt wisps as she watched everything unfold. It was almost time. Everything was coming together. In a few more days, everything she and Saga sought to achieve would come to fruition.

In the beginning, all she was doing was focusing on reverse engineering the immortality spells. She was going to let the decades pass until the Tribrids' conception. But Tara sent her to Enzo and then Kai, to change their futures, to rescue Enzo and destroy Augustine and bring Kai into the fold so he never ends up in the Prison world in the first place.

She had remained friends with Gloria since the 20s, but that was an arrangement for mutual benefits. Gloria would gain more power from her and she would use the help of the Witch whenever she needed a certain spell performed.

Enzo, Maggie, and Kai became her family. They were the people who made the years fun to live in and made the world her playground. Had it not been for Kai, she would've never become such good friends with Caroline, which allowed her to influence the girl to be more selfish and more honest with her heart.

Although Caroline was in conflict with her emotions, she was also more accepting of herself and more willing to allow herself to love Klaus. Should she give into her feelings for him, Tara would allow the Tribrids to be conceived between the two.

She felt Hope's conception, the power of the firstborn Mikaelson Tribrid like a beacon in the supernatural world. With Malivore's opposite having been conceived, the sealing spell that sealed away Caroline's and Liz's abilities as Nature Spirits broke. Slowly but surely, their abilities would come to the surface. Even from a distance, she reapplied the protection spell so Malivore and the Triad would not sense the two and come to hunt them.

"I still don't see what my resurrection has to do with Nik and his little blonde infatuation."

Vera refocused her eyes back into the room, the blue wisps disappearing as they turned back to their earthly brown. She looked at the exasperating ghost of Kol Mikaelson.

"It doesn't. But Bonnie Bennett will lower the Veil to the Other Side, which will allow me to bring a certain few back to life, including the vampires of your sireline. She'll try to bring Jeremy Gilbert back but I'll hijack the spell to resurrect you instead."

"Why not just bring me back with those of my sire line?"

"I don't want to risk you returning to the Other Side when the veil goes back up should my spell fail. The resurrection spell will ensure your return instead of Jeremy Gilbert."

Kol smirked at her. "Well, we cannot allow my murderer to return now, can we? And it will be the perfect punishment for the doppelganger and the Bennett witch to keep the hunter from resurrecting."

Vera got up and Kol followed her around the house. "I don't care for the boy or the doppelganger or her friends. I only care about Caroline."

"And you believe she'll forgive you once she learns you allowed her friend's brother to remain dead?"

Vera turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you going to tell her?"

Kol hummed as though he was actually pondering the question. He walked to Vera behind the kitchen counter, stopping in her personal space. He was several inches taller than her five-foot-nine but Vera had never been easily intimidated by any of the Originals, especially not by one who's a ghost.

Kol trapped her between the counter and his body as he reached a hand up to touch her cheek. "I won't… if you tell me why you're truly so invested in my brother's romancing the blonde."

For some reason, even though he was still dead on the Other Side, around Vera the veil was thin enough for him to become visible. He could even touch her.

He had observed everything that went on after his death. He had followed her from the Gilbert house after she had given Elena a tongue lashing. He was curious about her, the woman who claimed to be his brother's best friend. He had watched her for a while, at her workplace and in her home, but when he touched her for the first time, somehow magic made a connection between them which allowed him to be seen and touched by her. He had stayed by her side since then, coming and going, and returning to her whenever he got tired of watching his siblings.

For a thousand years, Kol Mikaelson had wandered the world alone. He explored and learned different languages and cultures and magic. While his siblings never ventured far from the Mediterranean, Kol traveled through the Middle East, all the way to East Asia and South Africa. He knew hundreds of languages, both dead and living. He had walked through the markets of Great Zimbabwe, fed on the armies of Genghis Khan, and fucked the concubines in the Harems of the Ottoman Sultans.

For a tactile, attention-whoring, touch-starved person like Kol, being dead on the Other Side, unable to interact with the world was the worst possible hell. He clung to Vera like a Koala when he found out she was the only person who could see him and touch him.

Vera reached up to touch his hand on her face. "How about I give you your magic back?"

The flirty atmosphere had gone when Kol's body froze and his eyes went wide as he looked at her. It wasn't registering in his head. He could get his magic back. His magic had been taken from him when he was turned. He spent his thousand years roaming the earth, to find a way to get back his magic. The closest he ever came was the feeling of the magic of the witches he surrounded himself with.

Kol snapped out of his shock before his eyes hardened. He wrapped his hands around Vera's throat and slammed her into the wall. "Don't patronize me! I searched for a thousand years for a way to regain my magic, my connection to nature. Don't you dare tell me you can just give it back." Vera wiped a tear from his cheek, causing the angry Original to slowly deflate from anger to depression. "Don't you dare give me hope. Don't yo…"

Vera held his cheek in both hands. "Kol, you and your siblings are not abominations of nature. I've told Nik that many times so I'm telling you now. Nature didn't reject you."

Kol searched her eyes for any sign of deceit but all he saw was compassion and sincerity. He let his hands fall from her throat. The reddened bruising around her neck immediately vanished before his eyes.

Vera took his hand. "Come with me." He let her guide him up the stairs to the top floor of the house. They entered a sanitary space, all white, with test tubes, a centrifuge, and other lab equipment, new and old. At the back of the room was a great library full of grimoires, notebooks, medical textbooks, and magical tools. On the front desk, beside a microscope was a vial of blood with his name on it.

"What is this?"

"I've had this since the 20s. Don't ask me how I got it because I don't know, but I have blood for everyone in your family. For decades, I studied the magic and scientific nature of the immortality elixirs, both the ones made by Qetsiyah and Esther. I studied the effects they had on your blood, then I reverse engineered it to make my own immortality spell, a mix of the two."

Kol's eyebrows raised to his hairline as he looked at her. "You reverse engineered my mother's immortality spell from our blood." It wasn't a question but a statement that was almost unbelievable to him.

She shrugged and smiled with pride and satisfaction. "What? Like that's hard." Vera turned to a cabinet with an electronic lock. "I also studied each of your blood after I removed the immortality spell and discovered that you still have magic in your blood. Your magic never left you. Esther's immortality spell blocked you from using it." She entered the code and opened the cabinet. She passed her hand through the shimmering barrier of magic and she retrieved a vial of red liquid. She shut the cabinet and held the vial out to Kol. "Immortality is not against nature, so long as the immortal has a weakness or some way to die. The price for immortality is blood. Even Silas needs to drink blood. Silas was also able to keep his magic after taking Qetsiyah's immortality elixir."

"So I didn't lose my magic due to the vampirism. I didn't lose my magic at all."

"It's why you were able to sense the magic of other witches. Your magic was reaching out to it. Esther butchered Qetsiyah's original spell. Your mother treated you like a human rather than a witch and shut you off from your magic. Rather than taking a butcher knife to the spell, I used a scalpel to make one tailored to each of your siblings."

She placed the vial in his hand and lightly closed his finger around the glass. She placed a hand on his cheek and forced him to look into her eyes. "You are not an abomination, Kol. Nature didn't take your magic. You will have it back. You will be whole again."

Kol couldn't hold back his tears as he looked at Vera. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. She held onto his body, slowly lowering herself to the floor as he cried. She caressed the baby hairs at the base of his neck, unbothered by the tears soaking her dress.

Kol remained in her arms, long after his tears dried, in a strange state of bliss. It had been such a long time since he cried. Since he showed such vulnerability. The last time he cried was probably a thousand years ago when his little brother died. He never could with his siblings because they would see it as a weakness and they would mock him. He couldn't do it in front of anyone else because he never trusted anyone enough to allow them to see the pain he had been in for the past thousand years.

For some reason, he felt no need to hide his emotions with Vera. He felt he could trust her as she simply allowed him to cry on her as she caressed his hair and hummed a soft tune.

He felt refreshed after crying. His heart felt lighter as though he had shed all the burdens he had carried with him for the past thousand years.

"Why did you do it?"

"Hmm?"

Kol raised his head to look at her. They had gotten so close as his face was only inches from hers and their chests were touching as they were in the same position they had been when Kol hugged her. "Why did you spend decades reverse engineering an elixir customized to every member of my family?" He placed a hand in the crook of her neck. "You knew Rebekah and Niklaus for only two years. Rebekah was daggered and Nik never contacted you again. You didn't know me or Finn or Elijah then."

Vera exhaled. "No, I knew you. I can't tell you everything at the moment but I want you to know that I just wanted you, and all your siblings, to be happy. I wanted you to live."

They were silent as Kol took in all of her. He watched her, his eyes boring into hers. They took in one another, finding comfort in the closeness between them.

Kol's eyes trailed down to her lips when he felt her warm breath ghosting his neck. He heard her heart beating louder as he leaned in. "Then allow me to show you my gratitude."

Their lips melded into each other for a few moments before Vera pulled back. She held his gaze for several long moments, conflicted about whether she wanted to continue on this path or not. Yes, she found Kol attractive. She didn't know if she had strong romantic feelings for him but at the moment, she wasn't feeling the familial love she felt towards Enzo and Kai or the love between friends she held for Nik. All she felt was lust and desire with his body flush against hers.

She leaned in to allow him to capture her lips once more. They kissed with fervor as Kol stood up with his arms around her. With his hands in her dreads, he deepened the kiss. His tongue roamed the inside of her mouth, tasting her.

Although she could see and touch him, he was still dead. Whenever he was far from her, he returned to his incorporeal state. But with her, every sensation was as though he was still in his body. He could feel her feminine curves pressed against his body, the powerful magic humming just beneath her skin, and the scent of her arousal.

She grasped tightly onto his jacket as she continued to move her lips passionately against his. Great Tara, she couldn't remember the last time she had sex. She ground her body against his and moaned at the feeling of the hard length of his cock on her stomach. She wanted this. She pushed the jacket off his shoulders and broke the kiss to quickly pull off his shirt. She unbuttoned his pants, letting them fall with the others in a pile on the floor.

Kol turned her around and unlaced the back of her black mini dress as she stepped out of her platform sandals, leaving her in nothing but her lace underwear and knee-high tights.

She turned back around to face him. She placed her lips on his, giving him a soft, long peck before slowly moving away. Their breaths intermingled as she stared into his smoldering eyes. The veins beneath his eyes rippled under her palm and his eyes turned bloodshot red in his haze of lust. But blood wasn't the first thing on his mind at the moment.

Kol pushed her back, forcing her to lie flat on the lab bench as he began to kiss down her neck and chest. He pulled down the cups of her bra, licking around her large areola before he took her perky nipple into his mouth. He placed a hand on her other breast, kneading and pinching the sensitive nipple as his other hand roamed down her body. He pressed the pads of his fingers into the lace fabric covering her wet slit. Kol smiled when she moaned his name as she ground her hips further into his finger.

"You're already so wet for me." He swirled his tongue around the nipple before closing his lips tight around it.

The tight suction of his lips brought her painful pleasure. "Kol, harder." She pinched her other nipple, taking her own pleasure as his hands and lips were occupied with other parts of her body.

"You like that?"

Heat and magic built up inside her. Her nerves screamed with pleasure when two of his long fingers entered her while his thumb circled her clit.

"Yes." She grasped the bench -which she'd have to clean with detergent and sanitizer later- as she came undone under his ministrations.

She breathed heavily. "No more. Not just your fingers." Kol released a guttural moan when her fingers wrapped around his dick, her long nails digging lightly into the skin. She caressed the head with her thumb and spread the leaking pre-cum over the length of his shaft. She brought the head of his cock to her entrance. She looked straight into his eyes, hers flashing blue with her magic as his turned red in his lustful haze. "I want your dick inside me."

Kol growled before taking her lips in a bruising kiss. With a sudden thrust of his hips, he filled her warm sheath, both of them breathing moans of pleasure into one another's lips. Once he settled inside her wet heat, he began thrusting at a fast pace, eliciting a moan from her lips with each thrust.

Her inner muscular walls expanded with the thickness of his shaft with each thrust. Her insides seared with the heat of their bodies pressed into one another as her mind was clouded with nothing but pleasure.

His large hands covered her breasts as he kneaded the muscle gently with his long fingers, increasing her sensitivity. The pressure inside her mounted as she moaned his name, begging him to go harder and faster.

Her muscular walls tightened around him, causing him to buck against her as he moaned. He could tell she was close to coming from her shallow, uncontrolled breaths to the static energy he felt from her magic.

With her sex-mussed hair splayed out on the bench and the lust in her eyes, he wanted to see her completely fall apart. All the tightening of her body told him she was close. He reached between them and rubbed his fingers over her sensitive clit as he continued to knead her breast. He loved the sound of the moans on her lips and the tightening of her vaginal walls.

"Kol, please… harder. I-I… I'm so close." Her long black nails dug harshly into the skin of his forearms as she begged.

His cock became harder inside her as his balls tightened. He, too, was close to his climax. He wanted to deliver her pleasure before taking his own. It didn't take long for her to reach the edge. He thrust fast and deep as she exploded around him.

She came with a strong cry as she arched her back off the bench. He slowed down his thrusts to drag out her orgasm, giving her slow deep thrusts. Her nails dug into his hips, pulling him even closer. He had given her multiple orgasms but he still hadn't climaxed.

"You're so tight. Tell me, how was it?"

Her eyes opened. "It was good. So good -oh." He hit a spot inside her that had her heels digging into his ass cheeks. "I guess-" she spoke between breaths, "this is… what… a thousand years of… experience… feels like."

Kol let out a full belly laugh before pulling her up to kiss her again. Although their kiss was soft, he thrust harder and faster into her cunt. In the new position, he hit that spot inside her that made her throw her head back in pleasure. She was going to have another orgasm. Her fingers clinging to his shoulders, he found purchase in her hips as the tightly coiled ball of pleasure inside him finally came undone. He brought her body flushed to his as he finally released inside her.

He nosed her neck and bit lightly into her shoulders with his blunt teeth. His eyes turned bloodshot and his veins popped, his body wanting to satisfy his bloodlust. But Kol held himself back and his fangs retracted.

Several minutes passed as they came down from their high. Kol removed his cock from inside Vera as he slowly brought her down on her feet.

She clung onto his arms, their bodies flushed against one another, slicked with sweat, while their mixed fluids ran down her thighs. She waited until she could finally feel her legs as she caught her breath.

She had no word to say and neither did he. They lowered to the floor, on top of the pile of clothes as they basked in the mood of their post-coital bliss.

He had vowed to be her last love. And then he left. He left to protect his family but to also give her time and space to come to terms with her own feelings.

Caroline had spent the past few weeks thinking about what she wanted for her future. It felt like she was being pulled in so many directions.

Yes. She can admit to herself that she has feelings for Klaus. She might even be in love with him. But she was only 18. She knew if she went to Klaus, he'd want to keep her for an eternity. It delighted her that he wanted her so much that he'd promised to be with her forever. But it also scared her. Klaus was the type of man who always selfishly took whatever he wanted. And he wanted Caroline. Yet, he was being patient with her, allowing her to live out her human dreams before she would come to him on her own terms.

What she feared most was that when she would go to him, he would expect her to stay by his side until the end of time. Klaus was possessive of those he loved, as proven by the number of times he's daggered his siblings, the greatest example being Rebekah, to keep them from leaving him. To keep them with him always, even if that is in a semi-death state in a casket. Should she ever want to leave him for any reason, he'd view it as a betrayal and would surely do everything he could to keep her by his side.

And she didn't want their relationship to become toxic because of their insecurities. She didn't want them to come to resent each other in a few centuries.

In the past two years, she had made so many mistakes. Her insecurities and jealousy of Elena made her throw herself at Damon. She became the sadistic bastard's sex toy and mind slave.

Then once she got him out of her system, she jumped on Matt. She always liked Matt. He was kind and when he showed sexual interest in her, she jumped on him. But, in hindsight, he was still in love with Elena and she was still healing after all those weeks under Damon's thrall. She shouldn't have jumped into a relationship when she wasn't ready.

But she made the same mistake again. She was still dating Matt when she was helping Tyler with his transformation and they grew close. Once she broke up with Matt because he couldn't handle being with a vampire, she jumped at Tyler. They were both supernaturals, who only recently entered that world. They both needed a friend and they supported each other. Then their relationship turned sexual. Feelings of comradery turned to feelings of love. But Caroline failed to see the red flags in the relationship. She and Tyler spent most of their time together having sex and when they weren't having sex they were talking about the supernatural world. They had nothing else in common.

Then Klaus came to town and showed an interest in her. At the same time, Tyler became more attentive and sweet to her, traits she failed to see were possessive behavior because he saw Klaus as a competitor for the claim he had on his 'mate' . It was the same way he treated Vikki at the start of junior year. Even though he only wanted her for sex, when Jeremy showed an interest, Tyler became more antagonistic toward Klaus while being more forceful in their relationship. But she hadn't realized it at the time and relished in the attention Tyler gave her.

But Tyler left her and he cheated on her with Hayley. He said nothing of the sort happened and she wanted to believe him, but she could smell her all over him. But she stayed with Tyler because she didn't want to prove Klaus right. If she stayed with Tyler, she would have to be faithful and she wouldn't have to give in to the constant attraction she felt toward the Original Hybrid.

When Klaus sent Tyler on the run, it was just another reason for her not to give into her feelings for him. But then, he chose to allow Tyler to return home, to return to her just because he wanted her to be happy. But Tyler was so rageful. He always gave in to his temper as an untriggered wolf. He didn't have time to get used to being a wolf before he was forced to be a hybrid. All his feelings of anger turned to rage and he became obsessed with her. All his rage became directed at Klaus for turning him into a hybrid, for the sirebond, for wanting her. So she gave him an ultimatum: return home to be with her or continue on his path of revenge. So she ended it with him. She had had enough of choosing men who couldn't put her first. Men who couldn't put her over their obsessions, over their egos.

Since spending Prom night with Klaus, Caroline spent the past month focusing on her academics as she wrapped up her responsibilities in the town committees to ensure a smooth transition for her successor.

Caroline was also looking over her college applications and acceptance letters to figure out what college she wanted to attend. Since she was a little girl and was able to understand what college was, she planned on attending Whitmore College, the Alma Mater of the majority of the population of Mystic Falls. She planned on sharing a room with her best friends, Elena and Bonnie, but over the past two years, nothing ever went as she planned.

Elena had her humanity off and Bonnie was high on Expression trying to bring down the Veil that neither of them went to class. They didn't complete their college applications or their SATs either.

Caroline on the other hand had already received several acceptance letters from colleges all along the Eastern seaboard, including Whitmore.

At first, she wanted to go to Whitmore to experience college life with her friends just like her parents had with their own friends. But, as it seemed like her friends wouldn't be attending college at all, Caroline would prefer to have her college adventure somewhere far from Mystic Falls. Somewhere in a big city where she could disappear, somewhere she would escape the supernatural horrors of the past two years, where she could get to experience some art, culture, and music.

And Whitmore wasn't even among the top schools on her list anyways. Caroline was Mystic High's valedictorian. She had worked hard all her life for this. She kept her attendance and grades as close to perfect as she could, even with the supernatural shitshow happening in town. So shouldn't she choose the greatest reward for all her hard work? And Whitmore wouldn't be the same without Elena and Bonnie, anyways.

Caroline kept herself busy with anything and everything she could think of doing because if her mind wasn't focused on something, she'd be thinking of a certain Hybrid.

Tyler wasn't willing to give up his revenge for her.

Klaus was willing to give her anything she wanted. He was willing to wait for her to come to him. He would give her however long she needed, whether it be years or centuries.

But Caroline was stubborn. She knew her feelings for him but she buried them deep in the dark corners of her heart. It didn't matter that she was constantly thinking of him, dreaming of him. It didn't matter that every once in a while, she could look at his personal contact number on her phone and get the strong urge to call him. To hear his voice. It didn't matter that whenever her insecurities reared their ugly heads, it was his voice there telling her she was strong, beautiful, ageless, and fearless.

No. She couldn't choose Klaus.

'And why not?' tempted the selfish voice in her head.

Because he's the enemy. He's a monster. He tormented everyone. He killed Jenna and Carol. Spoke the reasonable side of her.

But not you. No matter what you said or did, he never hurt you.

He bit me. He had Tyler bite me.

But he healed you. He could've let you die both times but he didn't. He should've let you die as revenge when Jeremy killed Kol. He shows mercy, pity, compassion, all for you. That's why you're always Klaus-bait.

But… I can't. He's the villain of Elena's story. I can't fall in love with my friend's murderer.

But Elena loves Damon, the villain of your story. Your rapist.

I never told her. She doesn't know.

Really? Don't be a fool, Caroline. She loved him long before she became a vampire and turning only heightened the feelings that were already there. Remember when you were human, at the Founder's Ball, in the bathroom, she saw the bruises and the bite marks.

No…

She knew what he was doing.

No…

She never did anything to help you. None of them did. Not Bonnie, not Stefan, especially not Elena.

He raped you. Made you feel worthless. If it wasn't for Kai, he would've killed you.

Stop!

Klaus would never do that to you.

Caroline's eyes opened. Tears streamed down her face as she curled up into a ball on the bed. Her sobs turned to violent hiccups as the images of the horrible weeks she spent under Damon's control resurfaced. No matter how much she tried to forget, no matter how many times she buried the memories in the dark recesses of her mind, they always returned. The weight of his body pressing down on her, his penis inside her, his fangs in her neck. She felt everything as though she was reliving it.

But something different happened in her memory this time. She imagined Damon being thrown off of her as her friends came rushing into the room. But it wasn't Elena or Bonnie, or Matt or Tyler or even her parents who came. It was Vera and Kai, Maggie and Enzo who appeared to save her. They all held Damon down. Then he would come in. He'd cover her up and wipe her tears. He'd try to comfort her. " Shh, Caroline. It's me. It's alright now, love. You're safe." And he'd take her away to a safe place.

Caroline's sobs ceased and she dried her tears. Just the thought of Klaus made her feel safe. Then, there were her friends, Vera, Kai, Enzo, and Maggie, all of whom had her back. They had told her repeatedly to have more confidence in herself. They taught her how to fight back, they taught her to be strong. And when she couldn't be strong, they were always there for her, to protect her, to lift her up when she couldn't on her own.

Caroline went to the bathroom and took an hour-long shower. As she looked at her graduation announcement, she thought of Klaus once again. She picked up her phone and listened to his voice saved on the voicemail he sent her. "Caroline, I'm standing in one of my favorite cities surrounded by food, music, art, culture, and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me." She listened to it repeatedly, each time making her more and more sure of her feelings.

She needed to see him. She needed to speak with him. She had made her choice.

Vera levitated Kol's burnt body into the caves under the cloak of an invisibility spell that masked her scent, magic signature, and heartbeat from all supernaturals. She laid his body on the ground before she pulled out a syringe full of the red liquid that was her version of the immortality spell. She stabbed the needle in his heart and injected him with the elixir.

Vera sat in silence, meditating in preparation for the upcoming spells she would perform. She cleared her mind as she focused her magic on Bonnie's signature, grasping tightly onto the Terran Witch's magic. The sensation of the Expression that tainted the witch's magic made her almost physically ill.

The Expression tried to latch onto her as well, but her mental shields protected her from Silas' influence. Someone such as Vera who was a creature made almost entirely of magic was the perfect conduit for a power such as Expression. But Vera didn't graduate at the top of her class at the Stella School of Magic without learning how to keep her being pure and free of the influence of malicious magic.

She felt the wave of magic when the Veil to the Other Side was lowered. Kol appeared beside her. He had a boyish grin on his face. He impatiently drummed his fingers on his thighs as he waited for the moment he would return to the land of the living, in his physical body.

Vera sensed and Kol heard when Bonnie turned Silas to stone. They heard her voice and felt her magic as she prepared for the resurrection spell.

Vera's eyes shine with their ethereal blue glow as she forced her will upon the young witch's mind and magic. Bonnie had prepared for Silas but she was not prepared for Vera. With her hand on Kol's chest, she directed Bonnie's spell to the Original's body. She wanted to resurrect Kol, not Jeremy. She wanted Bonnie to resurrect Kol, not Jeremy. The spell has to resurrect Kol!

The burnt scabs slowly began to crack and peel off. Soft, undamaged skin knitted together under her palm as his body slowly healed. His hair grew back to the original length it had been when he died. Under her palm, his heart thumped a slow but steady rhythm before his diaphragm spasmed. With a large gasp, he inhaled his first breath.

Vera led Kol to Kai's apartment, where the newly resurrected Original gorged on all the blood bags stored in the refrigerator. Vera decided to rest after the taxing spell as she needed to prepare for the other taxing spell she would have to perform the next day. Kol, on the other hand, went to town to torment his traitorous sister and his murderers.

He didn't correct them when they all assumed he appeared because the veil had lowered. If they knew he had been resurrected, his brothers would eventually find out and he'd be dragged back to New Orleans to help protect the pregnant she-wolf. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen. He didn't want his brothers breathing down his neck, droning on about family loyalty and their Always and Forever vow, especially not since Nik, the traitorous bastard, daggered Elijah. He didn't want to end up with a dagger in his heart. Kol planned to enjoy his resurrection away from his family. Soon, he would have his magic back and he had so many spells he had learned and created over the past thousand years that he wanted to try his hands at.

When morning came, Kol incited the temporarily resurrected witches and hybrids to attack the graduation ceremony. It would keep the pesky doppelganger and her friends busy while Vera worked to bring back the dead vampires of his sireline.

Vera set up in the school gym. It was the only place big enough for the spell as well as the center of the Expression Triangle. She walked around the gym in a perfect circle as she recited words in a language Kol did not understand and formed hand signs he had never seen before. When she finished, she came to stand in front of him in the middle of the room.

"Kol, no matter what happens, you must not stop the spell once it's activated."

Kol nodded in affirmation. He had seen and experienced the consequences of an outside force interrupting a spell. Usually, the witch who cast the spell bore the consequences.

He held his hand out to Vera, who cut his palms with magic from two fingers. She placed her hands in his, using her power to keep his wounds from closing. When a drop of his blood fell on the floor, a glowing blue magic circle formed on the wood, the magic skript written in the circle. Vera chanted in the unknown language, her voice gaining an echo as her body glowed with a blue aura. Kol held her hands as the chant continued for several minutes. His blood pooled at their feet.

Kol felt his skin abuzz with the vast amount of magic surrounding them. He could even taste it. He had been around magic all his life. Every witch's magic was slightly different, due to their magic signature and the type of magic they use. Witches of the same bloodline will have similar magic signatures, which is why they can easily sense each other as family and can even undo each other's spells with little resistance. The types of magic they used also differentiated the witches. Spirit magic and ancestral magic were slightly different from one another but they were both very different from traditional magic and even more different from dark magic.

Vera's magic was completely different from any magic he had ever seen in his long life. Not only was she powerful enough to extend the Expression Triangle to different parts of the world, but she was also specifying it to the vampires of his bloodline, which could be in the hundreds of thousands. Not even Bonnie Bennett, high on Expression, could perform such a feat when a simple resurrection spell killed her.

But Vera was performing a magical feat that should be impossible: bringing thousands back from the dead. If the glowing eyes and blue magic circle convinced him of anything, it was that Vera Phallon was a very special witch.

Kol felt the amount of power around them waning just as her grip on his hands tightened. Blood poured from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Her teeth were stained red with her own blood as her voice wavered, growing weaker. Her body swayed and convulsed violently but she continued to chant. Kol held her upright. He was still worried but he knew she had to finish the spell or else she would suffer from the backlash.

Once the last phrase of the spell was spoken, Vera's body seized and she fell limp in Kol's arms. The magic circle and the blood vanished. Kol held Vera in his, now healed, hands before flashing out of the gym with her.

He carried her to Kai's apartment, where he placed her in the tub and removed her, now bloodied, clothes. Using a towel, he washed away all the blood before rinsing her off with warm water. He dried her body and wrapped a robe around her before carrying her to bed.

Kol knew how witches usually felt about vampire blood so he didn't feed her any. With his ears focused on her slowly beating heart and his eyes on the movement of her chest taking in shallow breaths, he pulled up a chair beside the bed and waited.

Anxiety filled the young vampire as she walked through the woods. Her heart was beating fast and her nerves were on end as she made her way to the Mikaelson mansion.

After Klaus saved her and her entire graduating class from the angry resurrected witches and hybrids, she asked him to wait for her at his house.

She stood in front of the door for a long few minutes, her heart thumping against the ribcage as her mind raced with thoughts of him. Thoughts of what she was going to say to him. Thoughts of how he would react and the thoughts of the aftermath of what she planned to do that day. The choice she would make and how her friends would react and…

Caroline shook her head to clear her mind. She was at his door. If she thought of the consequences, she would never have the confidence to make this decision for herself.

Before she could knock, the door opened and she came face to face with Klaus. He had changed out of his suit and was wearing his usual outfit: beaded necklaces, a henley shirt, and dark-washed jeans. "Hi." Was all she could say.

Caroline straightened her back and waltzed past him into the house. She had waltzed in enough times to be familiar with the layout of the mansion and went straight for the bar in the living room.

Klaus watched her with a pleased smile, glad that she was comfortable in his home. There was nothing said between them as Klaus took a seat on the couch while Caroline paced back and forth.

Klaus waited patiently for her to get her thoughts in order. He was happy to receive her graduation announcement, which was a mundane human thing he didn't really care for, but he came because it was important to Caroline. He was delighted that she wanted to share such an important milestone in her life with him. After the graduation, she told him she needed to speak with him in private. He was anxious to find out what she wanted to talk about. After he had left for New Orleans with a heavy heart, he believed for certain she would never wish to see him again, at least not unless she needed something from him.

"I need you to tell me why?"

Klaus' brow furrowed in confusion.

"We were getting along so well before and I didn't hate you or Rebekah or the rest of your family. I thought that we had some type of rapport but you told Tyler to bite me? Why?" She was almost in tears as she thought of the words he said that night. Collateral damage.

Klaus inhaled. He regretted his order the moment he gave it to Tyler but he had been a stubborn fool and was not one to admit when he was wrong. Klaus sighed as he stood up to look at the blonde in her blue eyes to show his sincerity. "Caroline, there's not a moment that has gone by that I do not regret my actions that night. I-" He closed his mouth trying to find the words to explain himself. "I wanted you from the moment you walked away from me in that hospital parking lot after our first meeting. You were confident, brave. When you said you remained by Tyler's side, knowing full well the possibility that his bite could kill you, I couldn't help but imagine what it would've been like a thousand years ago had you been by my side during my first transformation. I desired your loyalty more than anything from that moment."

Caroline exhaled a breath of surprise. She placed her tumbler on the coaster and gave Klaus her full attention.

"Caroline, I have not wanted… loved-" he said the L-word "-a woman in over one thousand years. And the woman I love broke my heart -that will be a story for another day- and I closed my heart to everyone outside of my family. Until you. I believed it to be simple physical attraction, as you are a very attractive woman, Caroline Forbes." He grinned, causing the blonde to smile. "Mikael realized my feelings went deeper than that and tried to use you as a shield. Then, when Stefan cut off Mindy's head, I imagined it to be you. I supposed having Tyler bite you was half me proving to myself that I didn't care for you while also protecting you from Stefan. You have no idea how torturous it was for me not to immediately rush to your house to feed you my blood. Enzo and Maggie coming to me to make a deal was the perfect excuse. You for my family." He placed a calloused hand on the blonde's cheek, caressing her softly. "I am sorry, Caroline."

Caroline was almost speechless at the genuine honesty in his eyes. "I don't get it. Why me? You said you kept your heart closed for over a thousand years but why me? Why did your heart open to me?"

A smile -not his usual smirk- but a truly beautiful dimpled smile that had his face sparkling and her heart melting in her chest, formed on his face. "Sweetheart, in my one thousand years of life, I've met many people like you." Disappointment and confusion washed over Caroline's face. "They were kind, loyal, selfless, and full of light but they were born in a cruel world that sought to snuff out that light. Some were humans who died too young. A few I turned but as vampires, they lost themselves. But you…" He brushed her hair behind her ear. "I've heard many of your Mystic Falls friends describe you as shallow, bitchy, and insecure as a human while KVEM (Kai, Vera, Enzo, and Maggie (I'm tired of writing all their names)) have described you as a kind, energetic, and ambitious with abandonment issues and the tendency to suppress your innermost thoughts and feelings. As a vampire, both positive and negative personality traits and emotions are heightened. Though I must say, I'm more inclined to believe KVEM because I believed you already shined with your kindness and loyalty as a human, but turning into a vampire brought out your light in full force. When I met you, you appeared strong and confident and fighting to protect Tyler and your friends, no matter how undeserving." She gave him a playful yet reprimanding look she usually did with a tilt of her head before she burst out in a bright smile. "Although I wish I could have seen you Judo-throwing my sister across a hallway into lockers." The two laughed together for a short while before Klaus continued his monologue. "You don't cower in the face of strength and cruelty. You were honest and passionate in your disagreement about my treatment of my hybrids and I admired you for that. Your loyalty to your friends was unwavering even though they were always throwing you into dangerous situations, with a certain big bad wolf." His eyes hardened as he looked at her. "Had I not cared for you as much as I did, I would've killed you for the part you played in my mother's attempt to kill me and my siblings."

Caroline swallowed hard, knowing very well what he had declared was true. "Why didn't you, then?"

"It would've been a shame to snuff out your light. I wanted to bask in it. It's why I indulged you whenever your friends sent you to distract me."

"You knew?"

"Of course, love. Whenever you were yourself, you were cold, honest, and cutting with your words. Whenever you were working as a distraction, you became docile…"

"I was not…" Caroline huffed.

Klaus laughed. "And more flattering toward me. I let you play the distraction because it was the only time I had to interact with you. I wanted you to get to know me." He paused for a short moment. "I didn't realize when my simple curiosity turned into something else, something more. I didn't want you to see me as the monster everyone else saw, so I stopped attacking your friends. I wanted to prove to you that I was capable of showing compassion and mercy. If it were not for you, Caroline, Mystic Falls would be ashes after everything your friends have done." Caroline swallowed hard, once again, knowing the truth in his words. "I wanted your loyalty. I wanted your love." They paused for several long moments, looking into each other's eyes. "Why did you invite me here, Caroline? I have been completely honest with you. I think I deserve the same courtesy."

Caroline thought carefully about how to respond to his sudden confession. She opened her mouth… "I'm going to college. I'm planning on building a life for myself, a life I've worked for my whole life. I have plans and a future and things that I want, and none of those things include you, okay? None of them."

Klaus' face fell with dejection and he clenched his jaw. Her words cut like a knife, as they had always done. "I see-"

"No, you don't. Because, yes, I cover our connection with hostility because, yes, I hated the fact that I have feelings for you. You're supposed to be the bad guy. You're not supposed to give me romantic gifts and drawings or save me even after my friends and I do horrible things to you. I'm not supposed to feel safe with you. You're not supposed to swoop in and save me like a knight in shining armor whenever I'm in danger and you're not supposed to show me more loyalty than the people I've been friends with my whole life." Caroline was panting as she ran on a tangent in front of the Hybrid. "No one chooses me. Not Tyler, not Matt, not Bonnie. Don't even get me started on the Salvatores. Everyone always chooses Elena. You came to save me with Kai when you didn't really have to and you saved me from the town council. You selflessly care about me and my shallow feelings. And even though you could've, you never forced me to give you anything I didn't want to." She exhaled. "I called you here today because I wanted to see you. I needed to see you face to face so I could make a choice. So I could be honest with myself about what I wanted. So I could look at you and tell you, yes, you're everything I want, Klaus."

A boyish grin spread over his face as he took Caroline into his arms. He was overjoyed that she wanted him. She chose him. His heart fluttered like a hummingbird against his ribcage, almost flying out of his chest as he held the beautiful woman in front of him. She was everything he wanted and more.

"Say it again, Caroline."

"I choose you, Klaus."

He took her chin between his fingers, his eyes trained on her pink lips. "I want to kiss you." He looked deep into her eyes. "May I make love to you, Caroline?"

Her heart skipped a beat when he asked her. He was waiting for her to give him permission rather than forcing himself on her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to touch his lips with hers. She pulled away for a moment and replied, "Yes, Klaus. Yes."

He took her lips into his. He began with short pecks, savoring the taste of her. But his love was an impatient wildcat.

She pulled on his hair to deepen the kiss as she wrapped her thighs on either side of him. She pressed her body close to his as they spent several long minutes exploring each other's mouths.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Caroline was out of breath and her pupils were blown wide with lust. Klaus chuckled. "Impatient, are we, love?"

Caroline leaned forward, her breasts sensually pressed on his chest, causing the Hybrid to let out a sharp exhale. Her hot breath tickled the lobe of his ears. "Take me to bed, Klaus."

He didn't need to be told twice as in the next moment, they had left the living room and he was dropping her onto his bed.

Caroline propped herself up on her elbows as she watched Klaus remove his shirt. Her eyes roamed over his body, ogling at his lean yet strong physique. He noticed it too and he chuckled, "Like what you see, sweetheart?"

"Yes." Labor in the 10th century did wonders for his body. "I like it very much."

She squeaked and laughed when Klaus pulled her by her legs to the edge of the mattress. His fingers traced the length of her legs, lighting the nerves of her skin on fire. His lips caressed the skin of her thighs as his hands reached beneath the skirt of her dress. "May I?"

She nodded with a breathy "Yes," as his hands took the hem of her lace thong and pulled it down her legs slowly. He joined her on the bed, kissing the back of her foot, her ankles, her calves, all the way up to her thighs.

Fear gripped Caroline when she realized she was still in the tight gold slit-thigh dress she wore to come to meet with him. She couldn't handle him touching her neck, especially not from behind. She pushed him off lightly with the tips of her fingers. "Wait." She pushed him back on the mattress and straddled him as she reached behind her to find her zipper. She exhaled a breath of relief as he simply laid back and allowed her to take control of her body.

She unzipped the dress, pulled it down her shoulders, and shimmied out of the dress in a sensual dance. The fear that gripped her had gone as he just let her take control, just observing her with his piercing blue eyes. She felt beautiful as he watched her expose her body to him. When she removed the strapless bra, she took his hand and placed it on her breast.

He caught her meaning and began massaging the supple tissue. "Klaus," she moaned, her head falling back in pleasure when he placed his hand over her pussy, her arousal spreading all over his fingers.

"Nik, love. Call me Nik."

"Nik, please." She looked down at him. "I want you."

He liked the sound of his familial nickname falling from her lips. It made him feel that much closer to her. He flipped them over and nipped on the skin of her inner thigh, his fingers still playing with her labia. She felt his lips nearing her center, each breath bringing her closer and closer to the edge in anticipation. She was so wet and waiting for him as the feeling of his hot breath on her clit just before his tongue licked her pussy in a broad stroke drew a loud moan from her.

"You like that, my love?"

"Yes. Nik, please," she begged. "Stop teasing…"

She cried out once more when his finger entered her and his tongue flicked over her hardened clitoris. He was licking her in painfully slow strokes that had her grinding her hips against his lips to gain more friction. But he held firm as he pleasured her at his own pace. He entered another finger inside her, his long fingers hitting a sensitive spot inside her at the same moment he lightly bit her clit, causing her orgasm to explode all over his face.

Caroline watched as he cleaned her of her fluids with his tongue. The sight of him between her legs filled her with strength. To have the most powerful man in the world licking her pussy, pleasuring her, broke all of Caroline's inhibitions. Her eyes darkened as she flipped him onto his back. She kissed him deeply, licking her own juices from his lips as she straddled him. She smirked down at him when she declared, "My turn."

Klaus gave her a smirk of his own. She was beautiful as she took charge of him. He liked to be in control and he was always on top but he didn't mind letting his queen, his Alpha Female take the reins. Especially not while she was pleasuring him with the lips of her labia sliding along his shaft. He groaned as he arched his back off the mattress when she slid herself down his shaft, sheathing him completely within her.

The fluttering of her inner walls worked to bring him over the edge but he had a thousand years of control. He wasn't going to let the little wildcat completely dominate him. He grasped her hips and lifted her up and slammed her back down on him. They both moaned at the sensation, muffled by their kiss. Her perky nipples rubbed against his, bringing them even more pleasure.

"Do you want to come, Caroline?" he whispered at the corner of her lips. "Shall I give you the best orgasm of your life?"

Her walls fluttered around him once more in response to his hot breath and sinful words. "Yes, Nik. Please, I'm so close."

She looked at his disheveled appearance. His skin was flushed and his blonde curls were all mussed as she loved combing her fingers through his hair. His heart was beating so fast that she could see his carotid artery pulsating under his pale skin. Caroline felt canines elongating as blood welled in her eyes. With everything heightened, she was not only lusting for his body but also for his blood.

"Beautiful." He touched her face, his own monster coming to the surface with his golden eyes and double fangs. He moved his head to give her access to his neck. "Go on, love. Have at it."

Caroline sunk her teeth into his neck, eliciting a moan from him as she took deep gulps of his blood. She pulled away, his blood coating her lips. She passed her hands over his face, his eyes, his lips. She pricked her finger on his fangs and placed the finger in his mouth, watching him suck the small drop of blood like it was the nectar of the gods. She trembled in anticipation. "Bite me."

She thought she'd feel more disgusted with the thought of someone biting her during sex and drinking her blood, but with Klaus, she only felt anticipation.

"Caroline…" Klaus hesitated.

She kissed him passionately, his own blood spreading from her lips to his. "I already have your blood in me. I want you to bite me, Nik." She felt no pain when his fangs entered her neck, only pleasure as he greedily drank from her. Caroline returned to feeding on his neck. The feeling of their bodies pressed together, inside and out, made them both feel whole. As their blood circulated within one another, they couldn't feel where one of them ended and the other began. Their emotions melded into one: love, contentment, trust, and pleasure all at the same time.

Euphoria passed through them as they bloodshared, bringing them both to their climax. They cried out as he released himself deep inside her.

Klaus laid back on the mattress with Caroline on top of him, his cock still sheathed inside her. They laid together in silence enjoying one another's presence as they basked in the after-sex glow.

Klaus pulled out of Caroline and left her resting on the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a pair of towels.

Caroline couldn't help but smile as he tenderly wiped her down with the warm wet towel. "You know, if you hadn't been so persistent, I probably would've broken up with Tyler after what happened with Hayley."

Klaus paused and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You were stubbornly pursuing me and I was stubbornly resisting you. I knew he cheated on me with Hayley -I could smell her all over him. Tyler's and my relationship was almost empty. We shared nothing in common other than both of us were learning to be supernaturals at the time. Sometimes, the only thing we talked about was you… Oh wipe that smirk off your face."

"I'm flattered, love. Although, had I known I was sabotaging myself, I would've stopped while ahead."

Caroline laughed before she picked up the other towel and did the same for him. "What does this mean, Caroline?" Not that he didn't enjoy making love to her, but he needed to be certain of where they stood.

Caroline sighed. "I'm not sure. I want you to know that I want this; I want us. But I still want everything else. College, a job. I want my dreams to come true."

Klaus nodded in understanding. He, too, wanted this. But he was fighting a war in New Orleans. He wanted her. He wanted her in his home, in the city he had built with his family but the time was not yet right. He needed to make the city safe for Caroline.

And there was also Hayley and the baby. "Caroline, there is something I must tell you."

"What is it?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on his chest.

"When I went to New Orleans…" He told her about the night he had with Hayley and the child they conceived…

Caroline pulled away from him as though she had just been burned. "You slept with her?!" Caroline jumped off the bed and began to dress in Vamp-speed. "I can't believe you. After everything she did to me, you still couldn't keep it in your pants."

Klaus bristled and his temper flared under her accusations. His face hardened and his walls went up. How dare she…? At the sight of her tears, he stopped and lowered his hackles. "Sweetheart…"

He reached out for her but she stepped further toward the door. "No! First Tyler and now you." She shook her head as she flashed out of the room.

Klaus sighed. He wanted to chase after her but he knew Caroline didn't respond well to pressure. He had to give her space. He threw his clothes and the bedsheets in the laundry basket and went into the bathroom for a shower.

When he finished, he heard the slow heartbeat of a vampire…

"Nik, it's me." Caroline.

He walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, his face a mask of indifference.

She was sitting on his freshly made bed. "I'm sorry," Caroline said.

Klaus relaxed.

"I shouldn't have accused you like that. You were interested in me and I rejected you. You were in your right to sleep with whoever you wanted."

"Caroline, I do not love Hayley. But she is carrying my child and will be a part of the child's life after they're born. Which means she will be a part of my life as well." Klaus sat on the bed beside her.

Caroline nodded. "I understand." She took his hand in hers. "And I still want us in the future." When the tension between them dissipated, she joked, "But really? Hayley?"

Klaus laughed at the lighthearted teasing. "I was drunk and she was nothing compared to you, sweetheart."

Caroline placed her head on his shoulder. "Good. You know, when I found out the hybrids were planning on trying to kill you at the Winter Wonderland event, I tried to stop it. Hayley wanted to stop me and tried to snap my neck but I pinned her to the wall, almost drained her of blood, and left her for dead on the bathroom floor." Klaus looked at her in disbelief. He hadn't known that. "She'll probably attack me first thing the next time we see each other."

Klaus laughed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She was full of light but she was strong and able to protect herself. And his little wildcat could be so vicious sometimes. "Tell me about New Orleans."

He told her about Katerina's letter. He told her of how Marcel, the man he raised as his son and thought had died, took over his city. He felt her shiver when he told her of the witches threatening the life of Hayley and the child.

"So, the son you adopted took over your city, pushed the local werewolves out, and now has the witches on a leash that they can't even cast simple spells without getting caught. And he's not planning on handing over the reins now that you're back."

"Yes."

"And the witches want you to kill Marcel and they're using the life of your unborn child to force your hand."

"Yes."

Caroline hummed as she fell into deep thought. She stood up and began to pace. "You know, if Marcel has a way to track the witches, it will probably be a powerful item made by a witch or a powerful witch herself."

Klaus smiled at Caroline as he followed her train of thought. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I highly doubt it's a vampire or a werewolf. And Bonnie and Kai have repeatedly said they can sense powerful magic from objects and other witches. And the NOLA witches aren't telling you anything, probably because Marcel stole the object from them and they want it back, without the chance for you to use it against them."

"But they still want to use me to get it back for them. They want the witch or the tool for something. And they're desperate."

"How long do you think it's been since Marcel began executing the witches?"

"No one will say."

"I don't think it's been that long. Too many executions. Had it been longer, the witches would probably be more cautious and the number of executions would decrease. I'm almost certain more witches would be trying to leave the city. Even if they'd lose their magic when they could no longer connect to their ancestors in the city, if they haven't been practicing for years for fear of Marcel, it would make no difference to stay or leave. It's probably been less than a year. And look into the city's records for the dead witches. See how far back it goes when there was a sudden spike in deaths from the coven families. Any information you can get on your own will give you an edge over the witches and Marcel."

Klaus smiled and pulled the blonde onto his lap. "You are so beautiful." He kissed her. "With a beautiful mind." He kissed her again. "The only one worthy of being my queen. My Alpha Female." He placed his forehead against hers. He was in bliss but he knew it couldn't last. He sighed. "I can't stay, Caroline. I must return to New Orleans."

She nodded in understanding. "Stay with me tonight."

He kissed her again. "As you wish, love." He deepened the kiss as he began to undress her once more. They spent the entirety of the afternoon in bliss between intervals of talking and making love.

After Midnight, on June 16, a meteor shower fell over Mystic Falls. The celestial event passed as a powerful blast of magic exploded all over the town. Only the Spirits on the Other Side and the magically sensitive felt the power of the Nexus Vorti caused by the conception of the two powerful children. The same Nexus Vorti sparked Kol Mikaelson's dormant magic to life as Vera Phallon awoke with a loud gasp.

Place: Mystic Falls, Virginia

Date: June 16, 2011

1. Caroline helped Tyler and Hayley break the Hybrids' sirebonds but she wasn't privy to their plans to kill /

2. Caroline has had formal combat training from experienced vampires who don't have the same moral compass as Stefan. When Hayley tried to break her neck in the bathroom, she was skilled enough to sense it, to not be caught off guard as she had been with Jules. The influence KVEM has on Caroline is clear. She'll use violence to defend herself. She won't kill if she doesn't have to but leaving Hayley almost drained was to teach the wolf a lesson not to mess with her.

Badass Caroline, Yeah, whoo!

Next Chapter: Putting Myself First