Elijah stood by the trees opposite the Salvatore boarding house. After his talk with Klaus he almost didn't want to believe it, but his brother was right, he didn't really believe that Katherine found him out of pure love. He was naïve and it made him feel like a fool.

He'd gone to Katherine's hotel room to confront her but as he got there she'd gotten into her car and there wasn't stopping the vampire from following her. His still persona hadn't shifted for hours as he waited for the one figure to emerge from the Salvatore doors. He was indeed a patient man after all.

It had been 4 hours since Katherine had entered the house, and Elijah couldn't bring it upon himself to listen in on what she was doing in there. He kept his eyes on the door and his emotions at bay, as if he'd flipped the switch, he was afraid what would happen if he allowed himself to think of how he was feeling.

He was statue still until the wooden door finally opened and his eyes narrowed as he looked on. A breath hitched in his chest when Katherine placed a kiss on the corner of Stefan's lips and just like that every feeling he was afraid of was pushing past his barriers.

By the time Stefan closed the door and said his goodbyes Elijah was waiting by Katherine's car, his face emotionless and persona still.

"Elijah?" Katherine gasped.

He was silent for a moment, making the air around them tensed.

"I have argued against my brother whenever he called Rebekah a fool for having such a big heart. For I know that I am the same. Perhaps it was foolish to love someone who has deceived as many men as you – but I did. I loved you for 500 years." Elijah scoffed and released a frustrated breath. "No one has ever made me feel like such a fool."

"Elijah-"

"Is it true?" Elijah interrupted, his eyes almost begging her to say otherwise. "Is what Klaus says true, that you told Stefan of the cure and almost killed Kol tonight?"

Elijah didn't mean for all his emotion to slip through his words. He watched Katherine carefully, almost searching for the girl he knew those 500 years ago.

"Don't let Klaus get to you. He hates me. I told you Elijah that he doesn't support our relationship and would do anything for you to turn against me and convince you that I can't be trusted.

"I asked you a question." Elijah was still, his voice even again. "Is. It. True?"

Katherine let out a breath of defeat, her eyes somber as she stared at Elijah. "Yes, it's true. But it had nothing to do with you Elijah. You gave me a second chance when no one else will. I love you."

The man pulled away when Katherine brought her hand to his face.

"You don't believe me."

"I want to," Elijah whispered desperately. "It's my disease. I just want to believe you for I am in love with the girl you once were. And the idea that she is still in there." The man took a step back from Katherine. "But you're not that girl anymore Katherine. I tried to deny it but… I have no place in your heart anymore. It will always be Stefan for you, won't it?"

"That doesn't mean I didn't love you."

"Perhaps you did," he whispered. "I want to believe you loved me, but how can I when at every turn you give me a reason to doubt you? I don't know you." Elijah chuckled. "I don't know that I ever will."

At his last word Klaus and Kol came from behind him, standing by his side with a look of the Grim Reaper on their features. Elijah looked over Katherine's face once more before he dropped his head and turned on his heel.

"Elijah, wait!"

"Goodbye Katherine," Elijah called over his shoulder and left Katherine alone with his brothers, not taking a second look back.

xxx

Klaus walked through the dense woods, wiping his red hands on a handkerchief he had in his pocket. He stared distantly at the leaves under his feet, of all the chaotic events that had happened the past couple of days only one clouded his mind and only one act was the cause for the deep guilt in his stomach.

"Caroline," Klaus greeted when Caroline opened her front door.

The man dropped his head when the girl slammed the door in his face without a word. With a somber sigh the man leant his forehead against the door.

"Are you not the least bit curious as to why I'm here?" he murmured to the door.

"I literally slammed the door in your face, so no." Klaus heard the muffled voice from the other side of the door. He listened closely to Caroline's movements to see if the girl had walked away but instead, much to his surprise, the girl sat on the ground with a soft sigh.

Klaus copied her actions, leaning back against the door, listening to her breaths.

"I'm sorry Caroline," Klaus whispered as he closed his eyes and thought of how he'd ruined Caroline's Prom and the look of happiest she had before Rebekah had stepped between them.

"For what?"

"Everything." Klaus let out a deep sigh. "For everything I've done to you, for everything I put you through. For ruining your Prom… I know how much that meant to you."

"I don't care about my Prom. Why did you do it?" He heard her whisper. "Did you really kill Matt?"

"What do you think?" He hated that he couldn't see Caroline's face, he wanted to study her expression to his question, curious as to what she thinks.

"I don't know anymore." Caroline sniffled back tears that had fallen. "I don't believe that you did it. I know there is a part of you that is still human."

Klaus furrowed his brows. "How could you possibly think that?"

"Because I've seen it." With that Klaus snapped his head to look at the door. "Because… I've caught myself wishing that I could forget all the horrible things that you've done."

The hybrid closed his eyes at her words. "But you can't, can you?"

After a moment Klaus continued, "Thank you Caroline, despite everything you've heard you still think the best of me. It just makes it harder to know that I've disappointed you, so I will do you one last thing to hopefully make up for all my wrong doings."

"Klaus what're you saying?"

"As soon as we're done here, I'm going to walk away and I'm never coming back. You'll never again have to look me in the eye and cover our connection with hostility or revulsion. And you'll never have to loathe the darkest parts of yourself that care for me, in spite of all I've done. I will be gone and you will be free. I just want you to be honest with me."

"About what?"

"How you feel about me."

There was a silence around them, a silence that seemed to speak louder than words. But Caroline's heart beat faster at the lingering tension in the air, her breath hitched in her chest when she pulled the door open, a smile on her lips as he called out Klaus' name. But that soon dropped when she was not met with the familiar blue eyes and instead found the empty porch.

xxx

Kol kept his steps slow as he walked up to Bonnie's house. He was caught in his thoughts while he waited for Bonnie to answer the door. He'd willingly come along when Klaus told him about Katherine, not out of vengeance for himself but for his brothers. He was willing to give Katherine a chance, for Elijah's sake, but now that the chance was gone he wanted nothing more than for the vampire to pay for hurting his family.

And she did.

His hands were still stained a light shade of red but it was nothing in comparison to Klaus'. He felt like justice had been served but from the way his brothers were when he left them they didn't, Elijah hadn't been able to look at any of them, the look of utter hurt displayed on his features.

"Kol..?" Bonnie's voice finally broke through his thoughts. She'd been calling out his name since she'd opened the door almost 5 minutes ago. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

He brought his eyes to meet Bonnie's green orbs. "You love me right? I need to know if you really love me."

"Hey hey." Bonnie placed a gentle hand on Kol's cheek, her brows creased when the boy slightly grimaced under her touch. "What's wrong Kol?"

"Bonnie please," the boy begged.

"I love you, I do." Kol watched over Bonnie's features, as though trying to see any ounce of a lie in her words. "Kol you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"My brother had loved Katherine for over 500 years and he almost sacrificed everything for her – but she lied. She didn't love him at all." Bonnie tried desperately to understand where Kol was going with his words. "I always thought of all the people to deserve love, it was Elijah… not me. Why – how – you can't love me."

Bonnie brought her hand to Kol's chin and raised his head until she looked deep into his eyes.

"I love you Kol," Bonnie said confidently, stepping closer to the boy. "I love you."

The boy searched through her eyes, the looked of conviction was so evident not only in her eyes but in her voice that Kol couldn't help but say the next words that slipped through his lips.

"Marry me."

"What?"

"That's what humans do right? Marry the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with? You're that person for me Bonnie. If I'm the one who found true love out all my brothers then there's no bloody way I am letting that go. I'm not letting you go. I want to marry you." Bonnie had a mouth gaped and her eyes wide. "Bonnie?"

She didn't say anything, the shock expressed on her face.

xxx

Klaus was sat on the edge of step outside the Mikaelson mansion staring distantly at his red hands. He'd tried to wash it off for the past thirty minutes but the deep crimson only faded slightly and eventually he'd given up. It set as a reminder of his actions from the last few days, almost taunting him as every hurt expression he'd received flash through his mind.

"How are you brother?" Klaus asked when he heard Elijah's steps stop at the front door. He didn't bother to look up, last he saw of Elijah he had the look of betrayal and despair on his face.

"Hurt," the man replied.

"You deserved better anyhow."

Elijah was silent for a moment. "Niklaus I've gotten word… Klaus what happened to Matt? Please – please tell me it isn't true."

The hybrid closed his eyes with a sigh of defeat and the silence flooded the room.

"Why?!" Elijah was flooded with so much emotion from the past couple of hours that he couldn't help but slip from his usually still persona. "Are you so desperate to make everyone around you fear you so?"

"Oh spare me the speech Elijah!" Klaus interjected. "I'm in no mood-"

"No! Why do you have this want to prove to everyone that you are the monster they truly believe you are? You are not only proving it to them Niklaus, you're proving it to me. I don't even know who are you anymore…"

By then Klaus had stood to a protective stance, his brows with a deep crease as Elijah continued to yell at him.

"You're just like father," Elijah hissed.

Klaus softened ever so slightly, hurt weaved through his blue eyes before he brought a hand up to punch Elijah across the face. The older Mikaelson stumbled back from the force but Elijah wasn't backing off.

"Matt has done nothing to you Niklaus – except love our sister. Of all the people now to deserve happiest it is our little sister. Why is it so hard for you to just let Rebekah be happy?"

"Because she's going to die Elijah!" Klaus yelled abruptly, his eyes glistened in the light and his features suddenly softened. "If Rebekah takes the cure, she's going to live for another 60 years… and then our baby sister is going to be gone, forever. Have you ever thought about that?"

The brothers shared a long look before Klaus let out a frustrated sigh and continued, he hadn't meant for his voice to come out in a desperate whisper, "I am sorry I am not the brother you wanted me to be, but I am trying."

"I am trying everything in my power to make everyone in this family happy. I freed you from your coffins, I swallowed my pride and let Katherine free… I even tried to be okay with Rebekah dating Matt – you know what she means to me Elijah," Klaus said in a broken voice and a single tear fell from his eyes.

"If I meant so much to you, you wouldn't have killed the one thing in my life that was worth living for." Rebekah's voice broke the silence between the brothers as she walked up the driveway toward the house.

"Rebekah…" Elijah warned and walked toward his sister to step between his younger siblings.

"You think a man is a reason to live for? That just proves that you don't deserve this cure!" Klaus yelled, the anger had begun to spread throughout his body.

"I loved him, he was everything you are not! I wanted to start a family with him, I wanted to start truly living with him, but you took him away from me – and for what!? Your own selfish reason because you didn't want to end up alone."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Klaus took a step closer, his gaze hard on his sister. "Maybe I took him away because over a thousand years ago I swore to you that I would protect you from anything. Perhaps I did it for selfish reasons Rebekah or maybe I did it for you."

"You killed him for me?" Rebekah spat.

"Why do you always assume the worst of me?"

Rebekah and Elijah shared a confused look. Klaus's features suddenly softened as he stared at them gently, his eyes still glistened with tears.

"I love my family – you, Elijah, Kol and Finn. I love all of you. I know I can be difficult, but I did not make myself this way. It was Mikael who ruined me. But I am trying… I am trying to change the path I am destined to walk down. I don't want to be father…"

In that moment Elijah saw the boy his brother once was, and guilt immediately washed over him as his words to Klaus loomed over him.

"What is it you want Rebekah?"

"Same things that I've wanted since I was a child. I want a home. I want a family. I want someone to love me, and I want to live."

Klaus closed his eyes as a tear fell from his eye. "Very well. Sister, you are free."

They gave him a questioning look before he pointed behind them with a nod. They turned and found their brother, Finn with Sage a smile on their faces. It took a moment for Rebekah he see a blonde emerge from Sage's car a familiar crooked smile on his lips.

"Matt!" Rebekah gasped before running to him.

"You didn't kill him?" Elijah turned back to Klaus, his mouth gaped.

"Kill him? Klaus what did you tell everyone?" Finn asked, obviously very confused with what he missed over the past couple of days. He laughed when Klaus just shrugged at him. "Niklaus had us escort Matt through this horrid little town in search for a hunter. We found one by the way, he said he'll take us to the cure."

"What?" Rebekah asked causing everyone to turn. "Nik you…"

"He found you a hunter, Bekah." Finn smiled at his little sister.

"Careful Klaus, you're big heart is showing," Sage teased but only earned herself a glare from the hybrid.

"Why did you say you killed him?"

"You said that?" Matt asked, seemed Finn wasn't the only one who was confused. The boy gave Klaus a questioning look. "I thought you said you'd tell her."

"Well, from certain events I'd forgotten all about you until she started yelling at me. I couldn't really get a word in before everyone assumed the worst."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up," Klaus said with a shrug. "I did send Finn and Matt to get the hunter, and with these two there wasn't very high hopes they'd return with such precious cargo."

"Hey!" the men argued.

"What about me?" Sage piped in.

"That's why I sent you too, sweetheart. You're more likely to be able to get me the hunter and coming back in one piece. I wasn't trusting Finn, he's been in a box for a 900 years after all."

"Oh shut up."

Everyone laughed at the slight pout on Finn's lips until Rebekah lunged at Klaus. She tightly wrapped her arms around the older man and whispered a thank you so only they could hear.

Klaus returned the hug, thankfully Rebekah was a vampire and didn't snap under his tight embrace. "I do want you to have everything you want Rebekah. Be happy little sister."

"I'm sorry for judging you too quickly Nik."

Rebekah placed a kiss on Klaus' cheek before running back to Matt and dragging him back down the driveway, already scolding him for going on a dangerous quest for the hunter.

"What made you change your mind?" Elijah asked as they watched the couple walk away.

"I felt myself slowly becoming the one person I did not want to be. The one thing our father could not do was swallow his pride," Klaus replied. "And a thousand years ago I promised Rebekah I would not become him."

xxx

From the drama that Mystic Falls had bestowed on the Mikaelson family, Elijah had decided to move to New Orleans. He hadn't been dealing with his break up – if one can call it that – with Katherine well. His brothers would've teased how ridiculous he looked when he came out of the bathroom with a shaved head but they all valued their lives. But he had a fresh start in his new home and was much happier without the lingering memory with Katerina Petrova.

Finn decided to follow his older brother, but instead moved out to live with Sage, only a few minutes away from the manor Elijah resided in. They visited so often it was as though they lived there too. It came to the point where the front door remained unlocked just waiting for their arrival.

Rebekah and Matt had gone in search for the cure, but came back empty handed.

"You're relieved." Rebekah had said to Klaus when she informed her family.

"I'm not going to deny it but I am saddened that you didn't get what you wanted."

"But I did Nik. I have lived more in the past couple of months than I ever have in the thousand years of my life. You gave me freedom and Matt gave me a purpose. Thank you, big brother."

He smiled at the memory of the little peck Rebekah placed on his cheek. She had been very affectionate ever since Matt came "back from the dead", which Kol liked to say. He'd never seen Rebekah so happy and a part of him was proud that he played a small part in it.

Kol had followed Bonnie to college, he bought them an apartment near the campus, where they lived as a newly engaged couple. He announced their engagement to his family at a family dinner after finally buying Bonnie a ring the size of a small boulder. Sage of course swooned over the news while the men questioned how he managed to land a lady so out of his league. Kol pouted and Bonnie simply laughed.

xxx

The soft music from downstairs filtered to Klaus' bedroom and brought a peaceful sound around him. He sat on his bed with his nose in another sketchbook, his hand vigorously drawing the thoughts that clouded his mind. He'd sneakily crept upstairs to be one with his thoughts, the past couple of weeks had become a blur and a rollercoaster of emotions.

Klaus had followed Elijah and Finn to New Orleans after his talk with Caroline, he kept his promise to walk away and never come back however that was soon broken when he had to return for Kol and Bonnie's engagement party. He hadn't seen or heard from Caroline since then, he couldn't imagine how she'd feel upon hearing of his return.

"Why do I always find you here when there's a party going on downstairs?"

Klaus shot his head up at the familiar voice, a small smile on his lips when he found the blonde vampire. She stood by the door returning Klaus' gentle smile, her yellow sundress stopped at her knees and hugged her figure perfectly, the color gave a glow around her.

"Hello Caroline," Klaus greeted as he stood from his bed.

"Hey," she replied before taking a slow step in his room. "You're back."

Klaus' gaze shifted to the floor. "I will be gone by morning. I couldn't miss my brother's engagement party," the hybrid explained.

"I understand." He watched Caroline walk through his room, she kept her eyes on the sketches that he left behind with a graceful hand lingering over them. There was a silence between them, the only sound from the rustling paper under Caroline's fingertips. "I saw Matt downstairs. You didn't kill him."

"No." Klaus looked at Caroline through his lashes.

"I knew you didn't." With that Caroline turned and caught Klaus' eyes, a wide smile on her lips.

"You were the only one," Klaus whispered and took a step toward Caroline. "You were the only one who didn't assume the worst of me. Why?"

"Because I see the good in you Klaus." In return Caroline took a confident step forward until their noses were almost touching. "I know you're in love with me."

Klaus' heart quickened and he was sure Caroline could hear. "And anybody capable of love is capable of being saved."

"You really had that much faith in me?" He watched Caroline's features, as though searching deeply for the answer before she even spoke.

"Yes," she replied. "There's a good in you Klaus, and it's not as deep as everyone thinks it is. You're not your father-"

Klaus wrapped an arm around the girl's waist to pull her closer and kissed her before she could continue. He couldn't wait any longer. The taste of her lips was intoxicating; the feeling filled his entire being forcing the man to deepen the kiss. He pulled the girl closer until their bodies were molded together and a moan escaped their lips.

"You are an exquisite creature Caroline Forbes." Klaus leant his forehead against Caroline's, his hot breath lingered on her lips. "I know you're in College now, and I know you're a girl with a plan. But I meant when I said I'd show you the world, even in a century from now because I believe you are worth waiting for. However long it takes."

There was another silence between them again, and for a second Klaus thought she might kiss him again. To be honest, he wanted nothing more than to lean in for another kiss, he was already addicted to the warmth of her mouth and taste of her lips.

"Why me?" Caroline whispered after a moment.

"Because you, love, you shine," Klaus answered without having to think. "I am drawn to you now as the day I met you. I knew it then, even more now, I am in love with you Caroline."

Caroline looked Klaus in his blue eyes, her hot breath quickened against Klaus' lips. Her eyes flickered between his blue orbs and his pink lips.

"Caroline, you don't have to say-"

"Just," Caroline interrupted, placing a finger on his lips. "Shh..." With that she kissed Klaus hard and passionate, she wrapped her arms around his neck and guided her fingers through his blonde waves.

He felt Caroline smile against his kiss when he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. He couldn't deny the smile that surfaced his lips at the touch of Caroline's form against his. He'd been waiting for this day for far too long and it left him elated.

"Ooooh, this explains the missing brother and best friend."

A voice interrupted the steaming air around the couple, forcing the two to part ways. They turned to the voice with gaped mouths, Klaus' hair in a mess and Caroline's flushed face was evident enough of an explanation.

Kol stood by the door with a smug grin and Bonnie in his side, she mirrored Klaus and Caroline's shocked and somewhat traumatized expression.

"Oh my god!" Bonnie shrieked. "We are so sorry-"

"I'm not."

"Shut up Kol!" Bonnie hissed before smacking the boy against the chest. "We'll leave…"

"No! It's okay, we were just finished." Caroline stammered, quickly moving away from Klaus and toward her best friend.

"We were?" Klaus furrowed his brows and a slight pout surfaced his lips.

Caroline glared at Klaus before dragging him out of the room to join everyone else downstairs. From the look on Kol's face, everyone else will soon be hearing about this.

"Caroline, you in love with my brother yet?"

"Shut up Kol!" Everyone yelled in unison.

"You know he's a serial killer." With that Kol received a good and hard slap on the back of the head from his older brother.

"I suppose true love is willing to overlook one's flaws."

Despite her teasing tone Klaus had a little smile tucked away in the corner of his lips.

"So brother…" Kol wrapped an arm around Klaus' shoulders as they followed the girls on the stairs. "Does this give me making out privileges at your engagement party?"

Klaus gave his brother a deadly glare, but even he couldn't deny the small smirk that lingered on his lips at his brother's words.

THE END.

And here it is everyone, the final chapter to this scribble. Now who doubted Klaus? Tsk tsk, shame on you people Klaus is a sensitive soul, haha. I'm glad people actually thought he killed Matt though, more fun :) I hope everyone enjoyed this one. And final thank you for everyone to reviewed, followed and favourited this fanfiction :) xx