I don't own anything vampire diaries or the originals, I do however lay claim to my own character creations

Summary

With the help of her best friend Caroline has been hiding from Klaus for years, but a death within the group forces her out into the open to face the wrath of the hybrid, can he forgive her for the secrets she's kept or will he exact his own punishment before turning her away forever.

A/N ok so for the purpose of this story, the last time Caroline and Klaus saw each other was at graduation. I'm disregarding the VD and TO story lines that occurred after that unless there an element of usefulness. This story does being with a character death, however it's integral for the story, I harbour no ill feelings for the character I promise. lol

Far Away for far too long

Bonnie was dying and she knew it, her breath rasped in and out as she tried to find the strength to open her eyes, she turned her head slightly, feeling the softness of the pillow beneath her. She smiled and focused on the girl at her bedside desperately clinging to her hand and crying.

"Ssshh sweetie it's ok!"

The girl sniffed and buried her head onto Bonnie's hand and sobbed, "Mom" bonnie lifted her free hand and stroked the girls jet black hair.

A movement in the doorway caught her eye, he was there arms folded leaning in the doorway looking at her grimly.

"Klaus!" she rasped,

The girl lifted her head from Bonnie's bedside and turned to look "What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough!" she turned away from him "let my mother die in peace"

Bonnie watched as he stepped away from the doorway and entered the bedroom.

He sighed "Lizzie why don't you go and find hope, there's a good girl!"

Lizzie gritted her teeth "No!", "I'm not leaving her"

He sighed again with exasperation,

"There's something your mother and I need to discuss, so now please go and do as I've asked"

He pointed towards the door, with this best scowl.

Bonnie gripped her daughter's hand "Do as he says! He's right! There is something we should discuss"

Lizzie kissed her mother's forehead "ok mom, for you"

She turned to Klaus, "Don't you hurt her or I'll..."

Klaus smiled at her smugly, he knew that it was threat she never be able to finish. Lizzie loved his daughter to much, and hurting Klaus would hurt hope.

He sat himself down gently at Bonnie's bedside and looked at the dying witch. Almost eighteen years ago just before hope had been born, the threat from his enemy's had been at its greatest. With the New Orleans witches holding no love for him he knew that he would need to find a powerful witch of his own, one he could trust with Hopes life. So he had gone looking for Bonnie Bennett, naturally when he had first made her the offer to go to New Orleans with him she had refused but the sound of the tiny heartbeat within her had given him all the leverage he had needed. So under protest she had agreed to come and set about casting the necessary spells to protect hope and as by product had also insured the safety of her child. It soon became apparent that Klaus had no desire to allow the powerful witch to leave so she and Klaus had reached a begrudged stalemate for the sake of their children, but as Klaus looked at her now they both knew the real reason he was here, the question he had been asking for nearly eighteen years knowing only bonnie knew the answer, it was her last bargaining chip, the question that had ensured her safety long after Klaus had enlisted other witches onto his cause and truthfully no longer needed bonnie, he could have let her go years ago but the battle of wits between them had become about something else... about someone else.

He took hold of her hand in his and leaned forward, she wanted to pull it away but she could feel herself getting weaker "Where is she bonnie? Where is Caroline?"

Bonnie smiled at him knowingly, if only he knew that all though years ago when he came for her, he had only missed Caroline's departure for Bonnies home by minutes at best. That Caroline had begged bonnie for a cloaking spell so she could disappear, so that Klaus could never find her. Caroline had sobbed her confession of sleeping with Klaus and how the child she now carried was a secret that must be kept from him; she had sworn her friend to an oath of secrecy. It was a promise to her that bonnie fully intended to take to her grave. She never really understood Caroline's reasons from running, but it had been her choice and she would honour her friend.

She summoned her strength and lifted her head off the pillow a little "Go to hell,"

He let go of her hand angrily and begun to pace.

After he had taken bonnie, her friends had all turned up sooner or later trying to get her back, everyone but Caroline that is. At first he'd been hurt, but it was when he tried to use the fact to berate bonnie that he got the real shock, when bonnie had laughed at him and told him that Caroline hadn't come for her because she had run from mystic falls, from Klaus himself and never intended to return or be found. Klaus had been enraged but it was only when he had been holding Bonnies life in his hands that she had confessed that only she knew how to find Caroline and if she died he would never know.

He sat back down at her bedside and leaned down

"Your dying bonnie, tell me! Or perhaps you'd like me to turn you so I can compel the information out of you, after all you are of no use to me as a witch anymore"

Bonnie's eyes widened "No, No, No" she her breath rasped in and out desperately "wait"

He paused in mid action of biting his wrist and looked at her expectantly, a tear escaped her eye, "Let me die, I can't tell you where she is I made an oath to her a long time ago"

Klaus growled and bit his wrist

"Wait! But I can tell you this, last night I dreamt of her, when I die so will my spell protecting her, she will need your help."

She grabbed his hand, "promise me you'll tell her" she whispered

"Tell her what bonnie?"

"That you love her! I lived here nearly 18 years Klaus I know she's in your heart, that's why you want to find her because not knowing if she's happy, sad, lonely,… in love! That pain in you feel when you think of her, that's what I've had to endure all these years knowing I'm alive while Jeremy is dead, I'm ready to die Klaus, I'm ready to see him again" She smiled at him weakly as his breath caught at her words, she placed her hand over his, "she loves you too, remember that when you see her again. You just have to let yourself believe it" Bonnie closed her eyes and Klaus felt her hand go slack in his grasp,

"Mom!"

He heard the frantic cry from the doorway as Lizzie returned closely followed by hope.

Lizzie fell at her mother's bedside and sobbed, he felt Hope wrap her arm around him as she too sobbed. He circled his arms around his daughter and kissed her head. Letting her go he pushed towards Lizzie, "See to it that she's ok, I will go and make the necessary arrangements"

A couple of days later

Caroline pushed open the door to her apartment, carefully juggling the grocery bags in her arms she kicked the door closed behind her with her foot. She headed down the hall way to the kitchen, "Nicky, honi are you home?"

She reached the kitchen and put the bags on the table, she turned back and headed to her son's bedroom door, she knocked lightly and pushed open the door. The room was empty; she frowned and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Dialling his number she turned and headed back to the Kitchen "Nicholas Forbes you'd better have damn good excuse for not being home" she hung up, a mildly worried frown crossed her face as she glanced at the time. Telling herself not to worry she grabbed herself a blood bag from the fridge and glanced at her phone checking for messages. It was unlike Nik to be late, or at least not to have told her. She headed back out into the hall way and paused at a picture of her son hanging on the wall. He was definitely his father's son there was no denying that, he had the same wide smile that lit up his eyes, years ago she had run from mystic falls, from her family, from her friends, with the aide of bonnie she had hidden herself from all the people she loved for the sake of her son. Her smile faulted as it always did when she let her mind wander and for a moment she let herself think of Klaus, she knew one day she have to face him, knowing that he would never forgive her.

The sound of the key in the door caught her attention, a voice spoke as she turned towards the opening door, "Mom, you home? Sorry I'm late, I've bought a friend home hope that's ok? Come in..."

Caroline's face dropped and she gasped from breath as she dived for the door but it was too late, he'd said the magic words. She felt herself struggling for breath as a familiar hand held her by the neck and against the wall.

"Hello Caroline, it's been awhile! I was beginning to think I would never find you!" His hand pressed against her jugular and squeezed. She scratched at the hand and gasped.

TBC

A/N oooooo how mean do I feel cutting the first chapter of there! Sorry lovelies seemed like the perfect place to cut.