I know, I know, it took me a month to get this up but to be fair I had a major writers block that had me tearing my hair off, so there was that! But thankfully I have managed to pull it together and wrote this :)

Thanks for lilycolloway for being a wonderful beta and for fanfantasticworld for the gorgeous cover, gosh, did you guys see it, I think I'm in love (*-*)

The blue eyed blonde sighed tiredly in her sleep as the chirps of the birds outside filled her ears, the sounds efficiently rousing her from the little rest she managed to get.

Moving towards the window she rubbed her eyes, the sunlight foreign and uncomfortable from the darkness her eyes found solace in. Yawning, she unlatched the glass's lock, smiling as she took a look at all the green in front of her.

With the unending amounts of rain that poured down the ground was soaked but thankfully the weather seemed to get better as the hours passed by, the clouds getting lighter and less dark. She could easily say that this has been one of the worst storms she had seen.

Caroline leaned against the wall as she thought of how much time it would take her to get home, with the roads so unfit for travelling she would have to wait for another day to ensure a safe journey.

Her mind eased at the thought of her home again but she frowned as she felt her heart clenching slightly.

Elijah knocked on the entrance to his brother's study room, pausing before he took a step inside after his brother's soft "come in", after yesterday's argument he was a bit unsure on how to proceed, his brother's volatile temper was something he would rather not deal with.

While this was not the first time a disagreement had risen between and he knew that it would not be the last until his brother dormant side was free, such arguments usually took a few days to be resolved.

Entering the room, he was a bit bewildered at the sight of his brother sitting in front of the fireplace, looking deep in thought.

"I trust your meeting with Trevor went well." He said, alerting his brother to his presence, which turned to look at him.

"Not really." Klaus stated "he was rather useless, if I am being honest."

"When are you not when it suits you." he mirthfully said.

A small throaty laugh bubbled out of the soon to be hybrid. "Don't sound so disappointed, brother, it is not a good look on you." He gestured for him to take a seat and Elijah did so watching his brother's expressions shifting from thoughtful to irked in a span of mere seconds.

"If I may ask, what has you deep in thought?" He hesitantly inquired, his curiosity peaking in spite of himself.

Klaus sighed, "Nothing."

Furrowing his brows in confusion at his brother's cryptic answer, Elijah decided not to give the matter much though; whatever it is that had brother's mind engaged could not possibly be something of importance, lest Niklaus would have reacted.

"I assume you went to meet the duke today."

"Yes, you are not mistaken, although the duke's court was rather uninteresting and dull, but I managed to deliver our warnings quite well."

Klaus simply smirked at the neatly hidden tone of blood in Elijah's tone. "Well, I am pleased that you enjoyed yourself."

Elijah uncharacteristically rolled his eyes, his brother's joke not the bit humorous in his opinion.

"Are there any news on the werewolf pack we've discovered?" the blond asked, his mind immediately going to his unbroken curse.

"Do you not think you are getting increasingly obsessed with your task as you put it?" He deadpanned. "With all due respect but you need to relax otherwise I am afraid there is a chance of you combusting."

"Dear heavens, are you jesting?"

"Yes, I do like to do it from time to time, brother." The older brother said before he stood up.

"Elijah." Klaus called out. "I want you to keep an eye on Katerina from now."

That request had his forehead ceasing in confusion. "Trevor." Klaus whispered in explanation, amusement etched on his face.

Klaus's short answer had his mind reeling to understand, his eyes widening in disbelief when he did so, mouth stifled to stop himself from chuckling at the absurdity of such thought

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, he looked like he wanted to lay mark on her." Sharing him in his amusement, Klaus replied, "I would have killed him had I not known what fools men are when in love with a doppelganger."

"I shall keep a close eye on her, you need not to worry."

"Katerina" Caroline knocked on the door only for the silence to be her only reply. She frowned at that. Attaching her ear to the wooden surface, she heard the soft snores coming from inside the room, the faint drowsy murmurs of the brunette accompanying them. She smiled, no matter the hard labor she did with her around the hut and how early they had to wake up to start their day, Katerina had never been a morning person, preferring to start her day amongst the afternoon sun instead. A trait she once had but had to grow out of it.

"Not a morning person, is she?" said someone from behind her, making her curse silently and give the longest eye roll in history.

Turning to face her interrupter with what could not be mistaken as anything but a fake smile, "No, she is not." She replied, before marching in the other direction.

Her minimal relief at the temporary solitude vanished as Klaus appeared beside her.

"Yes?"

He shrugged, "just wondering what are you doing up so early."

She mumbled under her breath, "Can you not wonder by yourself?"

"I heard that." He retorted an irritating smirk on his face as he took her figure.

"Well, allow me to compliment you on your joyous mood, good sir, it is most irritating."

"Why, thank you." He returned her gesture.

Caroline sighed walking a step ahead and wanting to withdraw away from the conversation and him before his merry voice stopped her, "You know love, if you keep on walking away from me and closing doors at my face; I will begin to think I have offended you."

"You haven't. I... just need some time by myself." She said, partially true.

She turned around before facing him once again, "I am wondering though, how much time it would take before the roads are safe for travelling once again?"

He lifted his eyebrows, a gesture that read more as a mocking than it was jesting, "Can't wait until you leave here, can you?"

Her eyes hardened and whatever commodity she may have vanished at yet another taunt of his. "As a matter of fact no, I can't."

Klaus tilted his head to the side, posture shaped like a predator studying its prey, and instinctively her body tensed, not for fleeing if necessary but for fighting if attacked. Marveled, he whispered, "There she is."

He took a step towards her making her muscles clench even further, "You, love, make the most interesting of mysteries."

A feminine snarl formed on her face, blood boiling under her skin, "I told you before, I am not some source of entertainment for you."

"You most certainly are not, you made that undeniably clear." He agreed, stepping closer to her with every word and damn her hot stubbornness but she refused to cower away like she was remotely scared, "However your attitude is another story."

She narrowed her eyes, unwilling and uninterested to ask for him to elaborate. He did so anyway, "You know, most people would quake at my presence." She scoffed and rolled her eyes at his arrogance but he seemed not care. "You, however, defied me at every turn and had done everything you can to irritate me out of my mind."

She broke whatever chain of words he was about to summon, looking at him as if he lost his mind. "I defied you?" she asked, incredulous. "Do you even realize how self-absorbed you sound?"

"Humor me".

"That you would think that I would deliberately annoy you is beyond ridiculous."

She stepped forward, her body a mirroring image of the one during their conversation in the library, however this time it was like he was prepared for her assault, his face morphing in a perfectly mixture of an offense and defense all at once.

"Contrary to what you might think, you don't have a pleasant personality and I don't like you."

"Dangerous words, love." He whispered.

"About the part where I don't like you or the one where you don't have a pleasant personality?" She retorted, lips twitching to contain the proud smirk she felt.

"Careful, one more nasty word and my unpleasantness might increase." He said a feral glint in his eyes as he allowed his words to settle with the intended meaning.

"Oh, I dare you."

Both locked their eyes in a silent battle, each determining their opponent, refusing for a moment to even give an illusion of backing down.

Suddenly, Caroline blinked, ending the staring match before she allowed a grating saccharin smile to grace her face.

"As much I would love to continue exchanging pleasantries with you lord Klaus, I'd rather set out doing something useful." She said, "So bye now".

Without a pause she marched forward, a victorious smile blooming on her face as smugness filled her, leaving behind her a yet again defeated lord, and by the hands of a village girl nonetheless.

Brown curls floated through the air as the doppelganger stood in one of the balconies facing the direction of the nearby villages, with lips tilted upwards in contentment as she savored the missed feeling of the sun on her skin.

Momentarily, she wondered if she could ask for a stroll in the gardens, the colors of the flowers from a distance blindly beautiful.

"There you are I've been looking for you." Spoke what could only be Caroline's voice. She turned her head to the side to face her friend.

"I was asleep." She told her.

"Yes, I could hear your snores through the mountains." Caroline said, stepping beside the brunette.

Katerina pursed her lips in a pout, "That was unnecessarily mean."

The blonde grinned, "I am sorry I hurt your feelings."

Rolling her eyes, she pointed towards the flower field below, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Caroline nodded. "Though nothing could surpass our blacksmith's backyard." She added as an afterthought, nose wrinkled at the visual image of said place.

A tinkling laugh fell out of her throat, "Caroline!"

The blonde merely shrugged, "You know what I speak the truth."

Katerina smiled, shaking her, and for a few moments all that could be heard between the friends was comfortable silence, it was broken however by Katerina, noticing Caroline biting her lips nervously.

"Is everything alright?"

Caroline flinched at the sound; eyes blinking as she softly shook her head.

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts a little."

"Is everything alright?" Katerina repeated.

"Yes, it's just," Caroline sighed, "I am leaving tomorrow".

What did you guys think of the latest addition to my story. Did you enjoy the klaroline banter? Was there a specific line that had you laughing/interested or just simply enjoyable? Did you think there was some development that had occured between the last KC interaction and this one?

Also what do you think will be Katherine's reaction to Caroline's departure?

Your reviews are tremendously appreciated and if there's anything you'd like to add, feel free to do so, constructive criticism is welcome :)

Have a good day and until next time