Shortly after their little talk, Klaus had picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the sofa. She tried to not lean into him. It was too much of a tease. He set her down, and then walked over towards the kitchen. And that was where he remained as she felt her death drawing closer. He was leaning up against the door frame with his arms crossed, not looking at her.

She was so hungry. Her gums ached for blood. Her entire body felt like it was wasting away. No amount of torture came close to the pain of this. Yes, she had been bitten before, but it was only a few hours later when Klaus saved her. She had been in pain almost 24 hours now, and she knew that the end was near.

She didn't want to spend her last moments with him, being this pathetic. She didn't want his last moments to be him not even looking at her. She had so many good memories of him. When he danced with her at the ball. When he had shown her his art. When he had saved her life from Alaric. When he had made her laugh...

She tried to hold onto each of those moments. Each time she saw him smile. Each glance of his eyes. She had tried to pretend they weren't there. She had denied them to Tyler. She even hoped at times that Klaus didn't know she saw them. But she knew, and she saw, the way she changed him. The way that he acted around her. He was a different man around her, but in this moment, that man was no where to be found.

All that was left was the cold blooded killer. The man that had drowned Tyler's mom. The man that had slaughtered 12 hybrids. The man that had daggered his siblings. And even still, looking at him across the room, she could see in him the man that he could be. The man that she sometimes thought he wanted to be.

Caroline tried to take another deep breath. Those were getting few and far between. It was impossible, though. She could feel her entire body collapsing. She didn't have much longer, and all she wanted was for him to just look at her one last time. She wanted a glimpse of the man that only she was privy to.

If Tyler could see her now, he would be furious. He had brought her here, intending on her sweet talking Klaus into giving her his blood. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't do it. Her last minutes alive would not be filled with lies.

There was a man, in Klaus, that had some good left. He had had so much evil in his life, beginning all with his father, that had led him to this point of biting her. The person that was honest with him. The person whose honesty he appreciated. She had to wonder what effect her death would have on him. Would he simply act as though she had never existed? Or would this haunt him? Would he be proud of proving he was the Alpha Male and Tyler had no control? Or would he regret this for the rest of eternity.

"If you don't feed me your blood, I'll die." This isn't a dagger in my chest, and you can just put me in a coffin till you are no longer angry. This is final.

Klaus didn't even glance towards her as he spoke. "Then you'll die. And Tyler will have learned his lesson the hard way." And never again will you use the fact that I fancy you against me. Never again will Tyler have the thing that I want. Never again will you keep me from achieving my end goal. And never again will I see your light, your beauty, and your strength. Never again will I see all the things that draw me to you.

It had taken all of Klaus' willpower to let her go when he set her on the couch. He pushed himself, one painstaking step at a time, to walk away from her and lean against the wall. His eyes went straight forward, and he just stayed there, waiting for it to come. Waiting for lies to come out of her mouth that Tyler had placed there.

But they didn't come. He shouldn't have been surprised. Never before had she lied to him. She had always told him exactly what was on her mind. Had she fed him empty promises or begged for his mercy, he would have laughed and let her die. Instead, she was quiet, save for the breathing. And each breath she took, he feared it would be her last.

The breathing was getting harder, and he wanted to go to her. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and see her smile one last time. He wanted to tell her that he cared for her, and that he wishes that they had more time. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, and ask if there was ever a chance they could start fresh. But it was a stupid dream.

He made himself feel numb, and then she had spoken. It was a slap to his face, that she finally spoke just as he was trying to feel devoid of the situation. And instead of feeling empty of all emotions, he was feeling just... empty. Lonely. Scared.

"How could you do this to him? To his mom? To me?" He was your first hybrid. She was innocent save for having a mother's love. And I was learning to trust you.

Klaus still couldn't bear to look at her. He couldn't see the life draining out of her. "I'm a thousand years old. Call it boredom." I wish I could tell you the truth. I wish I could tell you it's because I fear the way I feel about you. The effect you have on me.

It hurt for Caroline to draw in breath just to speak. But, she was hearing his voice. He had finally spoken to her. There was no way she would spend her last moments not talking to him. "I don't believe you." Tell me what you are hiding, Klaus.

She just wouldn't give up, would she. How she still had the strength to talk to the man that was her killer was beyond him, but she needed her to stop talking. If she kept talking, with her lovely voice, he would have to look at her, and he couldn't do that. No. He had to go back to feeling nothing. If he didn't, then he would feel everything.

"Fine. Then maybe it's because I'm pure evil, and I can't help myself." I'm sure that's what you think of me anyways.

"No." I know the truth now.

Her response had come so quickly that it had taken all the breath she possessed, and it took her a moment to form words again. "It's because, you're hurt." It's because my words hurt you.

He finally looked over at her, and if she had had any breath in her lungs, the look on his face would have taken it away. He looked broken. He looked destroyed. He looked... empty. She wanted to give him a hug. He needed a hug. And she had no energy left in her to get up, to hug him, to be the strong one and tell him it would be ok. How long had he been the strong one? He had been the one always taking care of his family. They had all run about, having their fun. When was the last time that he was able to let loose, and not in a murderous way?

"Which means that there's a part of you that's human." It means that your humanity is still there, and that the man I sometimes see peeking out from behind your walls truly does exist.

Klaus stared at her, and he saw no fear in her eyes. She looked like his angel still. A dying angel. An angel that he had killed. He couldn't stay away from her any longer. His entire being was drawn to her fading light, and he sat down on the coffee table. He couldn't touch her. If he touched her, he would either destroy her or save her, and he was scared of both.

How could she say that there was any part of him that was human? She, more than anyone else, could always see what he was hiding. She could always see through to what he really felt. But how could she possibly consider that human? That he was... hurt. Being hurt always turned into rage for him. What was so special about now.. that she could see his humanity? Did he even really have any humanity left in him?

"How could you possibly think that?" Do you see the real me? The human me? The Nik that grew up in Mystic Falls over a thousand years ago?

Caroline stared back at him as she spoke. Her body wanted to shake in fear, that her words would be rejected. She was embarrassed of finally admitting this after so long. But, he needed to hear it. After her, she doubted anyone else would ever get a glimpse into what was behind his wall.

"Because I've seen it." I've seen that man. I've seen the man you used to be. The man you truly could be. A good man.

She looked at him, full of strength, and had to dart her eyes away at the brokenness in them. He, on the other hand, couldn't look away from her. She saw the humanity in him?

"Because, I've caught myself wishing that I could forget all the horrible things that you've done." More than anything in this world, I wish that I could forget what has happened. I wish I could go back a thousand years. I wish that all of these memories would just fade away.

They stared at each other, and she thought she had to be hallucinating. It looked as though... there might be tears in his eyes. She had to force herself to breathe. She couldn't have caused this kind of reaction in him.

But Klaus was tearing up. His eyes were filling with tears as he realized how close he had come to possibly winning her. Perhaps if he had met her first. If the doppleganger hadn't been here. If she had been born even a decade before. Perhaps then, things would have been different. He wouldn't have wronged her so badly.

"But you can't." I won't Compel them from you. I don't want to hide the truth from you.

His voice was shaking slightly, but he pulled it together to finish up his thoughts. It was spoken as a statement, and not a question. "Can you." I would do anything to make you forget.

She couldn't respond to that question. The fact of the matter was, she could not forget. She wouldn't let herself. She had to remember who he was. But, that didn't change anything of their future. He looked at her and appreciated her for her light. He had never tried to change her. It would be wrong of her to try and do the same.

"I know that you're in love with me." Do you even know what Love is? The way that you look at me, the way that you treat me, the way that you laugh and smile with me... You are in love with me. And I think... I could have...

She wasn't hallucinating. Those were tears in his eyes. None had fallen, and those beautiful hybrid eyes that accompanied his perfect lips and his adorable nose were shining brightly at her.

"And anybody capable of love, is capable of being saved." You have been damned for a thousand years, and I would spend the next thousand saving you, if you gave me the chance. Take a chance, Klaus.

Klaus was having a hard time keeping it together. She saw him. She saw the real him. And the walls he had held onto for a thousand years were crumbling around him. His body was almost shaking, and he couldn't look at her. She saw too much. She saw everything. And it was killing him.

"You're hallucinating." I... Caroline... I don't even know what to say.

It was exhausting keeping her eyes open, and she felt death finally coming over her. It was oddly beautiful. She had seen his beautiful eyes one last time. She had told him the truth. There was no ulterior motive. She wasn't trying to distract him, and he wasn't trying to just seduce her. They were being real for once. And now she was going to die. It was like the emotion of the entire room was killing her.

"I guess I'll never know." But I think our future would have been beautiful.

She let her eyes completely slip close, and took one last deep breath, then just let go.

Klaus wasn't looking at her, but he heard her take another breath and it was like she was gasping. He finally looked up at her, expecting to see those beautiful eyes open and staring at him, but all he saw was her eyes closed and her body starting to shake.

"Caroline?" Don't do this to me, sweetheart.

Her body was truly giving out. This was the end. The woman that saw him as a man and not a monster was on the verge of death. His entire salvation could be resting in this woman, and he was letting her die on a couch beside him. He wasn't even holding her, or giving her comfort.

"Caroline." Come now, love. Our time can't be over. Don't leave me.

He stared at her, his eyes huge, and he had to suck back the tears. She was no longer moving, and wasn't breathing. He looked away from her, knowing it was possibly too late. He had done it. He had let his one weakness go. He had won over Tyler. He had everything now he had ever wanted.

No. She was what he wanted. She was right. She saw the real him. Was he in love with her? Klaus had thought he was in love once, but what he had felt for Tatia was nothing compared to this. No, it might not be love, but he couldn't lose her.

If she left him for Tyler after this, he wasn't going to give up. No matter what. She had been on the verge of death, and a werewolf bite brought out the truth. She had never lied before, and she wouldn't lie now. She saw the real him, and there was a chance. He would wait for the next thousand years if he had to.

But it might be too late. No, it couldn't be too late. He had to have her. He had to save her.

Klaus moved towards the sofa and lifted her up ever so gently. The glance he took down at the bite burned an image he would never be able to erase from his memory, and he made a vow to never hurt her again. Not this beautiful goddess he now had in his arms.

He bit into his wrist and ignored the taste, then pushed it into her mouth. She was unresponsive, and he rubbed his wrist over her lips, praying that it wasn't too late. She was already graying slightly, and her head had fallen back onto his shoulder. He bent down to look at her, hoping, wishing, praying for any sort of reaction.

As she started to shift, he let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in. She bit down then and took a deep breath in, and he held her tight against him. He would give all the blood in his body to her if need be. He just held her close, and brushed the hair that had fallen forward back from her face.

Caroline brought her hands up to his arm and gripped it tightly. Their fingers were so close and she wanted to hold herself tighter against him while enjoying his delicious blood. He had saved her. He had actually saved her. She had been set to die, prepared that this would be her final moment on this earth. She didn't know if she was going to heaven or hell, or if they even existed. She was just ready to finally be at peace.

But this, in his arms, was better than heaven. It couldn't be another hallucination. Her body still hurt so badly, but the pain was going away as she drank. He tasted so good, and she let out a moan as she continued to drink. And even through her bloodfueled haze, she couldn't help the thought that one day, she would finally tell him all the things she wished she had the courage to say.

Klaus held her against his chest and brushed back some of the hair from her face. He continued to run his fingers over it while she held onto him and drank, and he made a promise right then and there silently to himself and her. Even though there were things he could not say, he would never again hurt her. This was a woman that would one day be his.

His love. His sweetheart. His salvation.

A/N : And that's it. If you guys want to follow me for more stories, check out my tumblr under this username. I have a few Klaroline pieces in mind at present, one being a Spartacus-esque One Shot, one being an Ancient Rome story of a statesman and a slave, and the last being a Greek God of War / Lesser Goddess.

I also want to go back to "I Want To Know". A number of people asked for it to have a second part that would let them finish the deed, and what with all the talk of Klaroline sex in March (check my tumblr for the facts/proof), I'm wanting to write this out.

Anywho, love to all of you who have supported me. And expect to see me again!

Christine/Melanoradrood