Hello again to my fellow Klaroliners! I trust you all have been well lately :). Here is my Christmas drabble that I promised ya'll back after Thanksgiving.

Drabble, I mean one-shot. I don't know how to write anything less than 5,000 words. OBVIOUSLY.

My prompt was based on the picture that Candice Accola uploaded of her and Marguerite in the two-headed sweater on instagram, which brought me to: "Klaus receiving the Forbes family Christmas Card"

Big news about this drabble: It's actually the PREQUEL to all of my NOLA based KC stories. So for those who like those drabbles, I hope you will enjoy seeing how these two crazy kids try to work this thing out. Things to keep in mind, Hayley doesn't exist and neither does the magical baby no one cares about. At the end of S4, Klaus went to NOLA with his family and is ruling the city like the badass motha he was on TVD.

This is dedicated to each and every one of my Klarochatters. To Erika, Lindsay, Gail, Brynne, Victoria, Giulia, and Monika, I love each and every one of you guys and I hope you enjoy my Klarochatmas gift! You keep me sane and make me feel loved :) Klarobesties fo lyfe!

Thanks soooo much to Caryn for being a precious peach and beta-ing a total stranger's story. You are fab :)

Enough of me chatting away, please enjoy!

Contrary to the song, it was the most horrible time of the year.

Christmas.

Klaus fought off an inward shiver of disgust as he walked down the staircase of his New Orleans mansion. To his disdain, the place was covered in lights, green holly, and the color red.

Red everywhere.

And not his favorite shade of red, which was that of actual blood.

Rebekah had managed to compel a few workers to put up some holiday decorations and a Christmas tree before she left on her most recent trip to Mystic Falls. He would never understand her fascination with toying with Stefan Salvatore. However, it did get her out of the house so Klaus could burn each and every twinkly light and ornament within a 50 mile radius.

It wasn't that Klaus always hated the actual holiday itself. On the contrary, he and Elijah were the ones who started the whole Santa Claus mystery after being inspired by Kol getting hungry around some strange bloke who called himself Kris Kringle. Klaus loved the appeal Christmas brought, depressed and lonely drunk people who were easily persuaded into being a snack. It was just recently within the past few hundred years when the holiday began to lose its sparkle.

He was a loner.

Sure he had his siblings, but they were only staying because they feared he'd hunt them down for a coffin nap otherwise. His quasi-friendship with Marcel was limited to day drinking and discussing the affairs of New Orleans. He hardly considered his current group of minions family, and Car-

No.

He's not going to go there today.

Klaus pursed his lips staring at the god-awful Christmas tree in his living room, desperately trying to focus on the devious things he was going to do to it and not on the blonde who had a nasty habit of consuming his thoughts.

It had been about two years since their unforgettable tryst in the woods and he hadn't heard a peep out of her. No calls, messages, or even a mention from Stefan when he visited.

Nothing.

Needless to say, that doesn't mean he lost track of her. Having compelled vampires working for him was a great perk. All those that he had keeping tabs on her just kept telling him the same thing.

"She's still in Mystic Falls. She's fine. Happy."

Happy.

How could she be happy when he felt utterly pathetic and miserable every time he thought about her? Which, now that he thought about, was an embarrassingly often amount. Whenever he thought he'd chased her out of his thoughts, he'd see a flash of blonde hair and he was right back where he started.

Back in the woods, pressing her up against the tree trunk. Feeling her warm lips pressed hungrily against his, her soft curls bunched into his hands. The softness of the inside of her thigh, the taste of her skin. Listening to her softly moan in his ear, over and over again.

Stop it.

Klaus shook his head and refocused back on the tree, circling it. There were some particular ornaments that he wanted to take off and burn personally. Starting with the ones Rebekah had bought for him, including the cheeky wolf ornaments.

Directing one of his servants to go get a tall tin burn barrel, Klaus started pulling off the glass ornaments. Carelessly tossing them on the ground, relishing in the sound of broken glass. Once the ornaments were off, he shoved the bare tree into the barrel and lit a match and tossed it inside. Feeling a small smirk tug at his lips at the destruction, he pulled out his cell phone and snapped a picture of the burning tree to send to Rebekah later to rile her up.

Smirking at all the destruction, he barely acknowledged one of his vampires shoving a bundle of mail in his hands. He waved the man off and looked down at the pile in his hands. He flipped idly through the stack of white envelopes, tossing anything that looked like a bill in the barrel with the tree.

Bill. Bill. Bill. Red envelope. Bill. Bill. Wait what?

Klaus stared down at the back of the elusive red envelope with a furrowed brow, noting the wolf-shaped white sticker on the back. It was rare if he got anything other than a bill in the mail, not like he paid them anyways. He turned the envelope over curiously and his breath suddenly caught in his throat.

The red envelope was neatly addressed to "Klaus Mikaelson" with his mansion's address underneath it. There was a little round ornament-shaped return label with an address. An address he knew by heart, just like he knew that handwriting anywhere.

Swallowing harshly, he gingerly opened the envelope and pulled out a stiff piece of paper. He let out a shaky chuckle at what he saw.

It was a picture of Caroline and her mother smiling goofily at the camera wearing a huge red and blue two-headed Christmas sweater striking silly poses. The typed writing underneath the picture said "Merry Christmas from our Family to Yours! The Forbes"

Grinning idiotically at sparkling blonde vampire's picture, he flipped the card around to the back and let out a rare laugh at the message

Santa Klaus,

Merry Christmas! I know you think this is lame since you probably invented Christmas cards, but whatever. Have a good holiday!

Caroline

PS I know you love the nickname ;)

Smiling to himself, Klaus flipped back over to the picture. Looking around to make sure he was alone, Klaus lifted his hand to the card and traced his fingers over Caroline's features. His dreams really never did her much justice. He knew how beautiful she was, but seeing her right in front of him in a recent picture was like rediscovering her all over again. The shine of her blonde hair that was silk to the touch, the sparkle of joy in her glowing blue eyes that darkened in the throes of passion, her long, delectable legs that-

"Niklaus?"

Klaus' head snapped up and he dropped his hand from tracing the card. He looked over to see Elijah standing a few feet in front of him looking at him bemusedly. Klaus licked his lips and straightened his posture, turning a blank stare to Elijah.

"Do you need something brother?" he asked, hastily tucking the picture in his back pocket.

Elijah quirked up an eyebrow at his actions before turning around to the mini bar and pouring two drinks.

"What were you looking at?" he countered, passing Klaus a tumbler of scotch.

Klaus downed the drink in one gulp, praying that Elijah wasn't fixated listening to the rapid beat of his heart.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Elijah continued staring at him. Klaus rolled his eyes and felt his face form into a cool mask.

"Must I tell you every single document I get about New Orleans, brother?"

"No," Elijah shrugged. "But since when do documents like that smell like perfume?"

So that's what that delicious smell was.

Klaus blinked in response before walking past Elijah to refill his drink.

"Where's Katerina?" he dodged, drinking from his tumbler.

Elijah narrowed his eyes at him in response.

"Since when do you care about Katerina and I's relationship?"

"I don't," Klaus smirked in response. "I just put up with her because you would be even more insufferable if I killed her."

Elijah rolled his eyes finished his drink and then adjusted his tie before turning around to leave. Klaus reveled inwardly over his victory.

"The tree?"

Klaus turned around and saw Elijah staring at the forgotten burned monstrosity.

"It got in my way," Klaus bit out.

Elijah just simply nodded, picking up a glass ornament off the floor and tossing it into the barrel.

"Oh, by the way Niklaus," Elijah stopped and turned around. "Do tell Ms. Forbes happy holidays for us."

Klaus felt the smug look fall off his face. Elijah smirked in victory before leaving the room.

He put his tumbler down and reached down to pick up another ornament off the floor. Using a lighter from his front pocket, he lit the burlap wolf ornament and watched it burn in victory. It was a great distraction from the card burning a hole in his back pocket. He wasn't thinking about that at all.

Nope. Not at all.

Except, wasn't it common courtesy to send something in return?

Reaching in his back pocket to pull the picture out again, Klaus reread the message on the back, I know you think this is lame since you probably invented Christmas cards, but whatever.

There was no way in hell he was going to send her a photograph. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of taking pictures, or what Rebekah called "a selfie."

Gripping the card in his hand, Klaus made his way over to his study. It had been ages since he had last sketched or painted anything due to lack of inspiration. After leaving Mystic Falls and Caroline behind, drawing the same images of her over and over again became more painful than inspiring. The more he drew of her, the more he missed her. Klaus had yet to find something as inspiring as she was to him. Walking over to his desk, he pulled out the bottom drawer. To any normal person it was just a regular drawer, however, Klaus reached down and pulled out the false bottom.

Looking down at the drawer, Klaus felt a rare wave of emotion hit him. He hadn't looked in there in over a year. It was filled with mementos of the past 1,000 years. A necklace Henrik made him, a flask from the 20's, a Beatles autograph from the 60's, an old sketch of his Aztec drawings, an invitation to the Mystic Falls High School Graduation Ceremony.

Picking up the invitation, Klaus flipped to the back of it to see a small sketch of Caroline that he had drawn. She had looked so adorable with her gown and mortarboard hat that he couldn't resist sketching a picture of her when he got back on the plane. Going to put the Christmas card and invitation back in the drawer, Klaus saw a little flash of white in the corner of his eye.

It was a button that he had tossed in the drawer from Caroline's blouse. Smirking at the memory, Klaus had picked up the button off the ground after Caroline had headed off to the Salvatore's after their moments in the woods. He remembers strutting into his study like he was king of the world and tossing it in the drawer.

Picking up the button, Klaus turned it over and over in his hand. He could still smell her scent faintly on the button, thankfully due to his wolf senses. Shaking his head, he placed the button, card, and invitation back in the drawer, putting the false bottom back on.

Klaus sat at his desk for a few minutes, his mind going a mile a minute. What did this mean? Not a word out of her in two years, and she's sending Christmas cards like they were old friends? Did she want to be friends?

"Stop being so pathetic," Klaus muttered to himself. "You are not Elijah."

Now he felt even more pathetic for talking to himself.

Before he knew it, he had his phone out and he was scrolling until he found Caroline's name and hit call. Cursing himself for his impulsive nature, he prayed for her to pick up or to ignore the call.

He wasn't sure what he wanted.

The phone stopped ringing, her voice sounded on the other end and Klaus' heart skipped a beat.

It was her voicemail message but still.

"This is Caroline and either I'm studying for my finals or I'm screening your calls because I don't want or feel like talking to you. Leave me a message and maybe I'll get back to you!"

It was so Caroline.

Not noticing the smile tugging at his lips, Klaus waited for the beep.

"Caroline, it's me," he began.

She would know.

"I received your spectacular Christmas card. I assume you're expecting some sort of present?" he started with, hoping he didn't sound as lame on the phone as he did in his head.

"I hope things are well with you. School or whatever you are doing now."

Pathetic, he knows.

"I just, it's been a long time. Maybe one day we will meet up again. You know where to find me. Have a great holiday."

Hanging up, Klaus let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He leaned his head back against the leather of the chair, resisting the urge to analyze everything he said on the voicemail. He chuckled to himself with that thought. Even after not seeing Caroline for two years, he was already acting like her.

It would be rude not to send her something back. Just so that she knows he's okay. Nodding self-assuredly to himself, Klaus reached for his sketch book and a pencil.

He had a Christmas card to draw.

Then he would go back and burn up all the holly on the staircase.

Bloody Christmas decorations.

"Honey, are you sure you're fine with this?" Liz Forbes asked, hanging up an ornament on the tree.

Caroline rolled her eyes good-naturedly before following behind her to move the ornament to another branch. It clashed with the one next to it and she could not have an ornament coordination problem.

"Yes, Mom. I told you, it's not like you haven't had to work on Christmas before," she reassured her, backing up to get a better look at the tree.

"I know, but I just feel so bad. I know how much you love Christmas," Liz remarked.

Caroline lifted a corner of her mouth in a weak smile.

Loved was more like it.

She doesn't know what's wrong with her this year. She's usually bubbling with Christmas cheer and activities at this time of the year. It's just that lately she's just felt so down. Something just felt off.

Maybe it was because Elena dropped out this past fall semester of college to go off with Damon to travel.

"I'm a vampire Caroline, Mystic Falls will always be here. It's just time for me to get away," Elena had said, folding clothes to put in her suitcase.

"I just don't get it," Caroline explained, sitting up on the bed next to the suitcase. "You of all people wanted to live a normal human life. What changed?"

"Life did," Elena sighed, sitting next to her and grabbed her hand.

"We both have lost so much," Elena began.

Caroline averted her eyes from Elena's and over to the empty bed that Bonnie was going to occupy before her death at graduation.

"It's time for us to start living. To be happy again," Elena continued, laying her head on Caroline's shoulder. "A fresh start is the only way."

Caroline leaned her head on Elena's as she contemplated her words. She wasn't wrong. So much had happened within the past few years, so much loss. They sat in silence for a moment until Elena lightly squeezed her hand before getting back up to continue packing. She didn't know what bothered her more, the fact that Elena was actually leaving or the fact that Caroline always thought she'd be the one that left first. Preferably leaving to go find a certain Original Hybrid who continued to stubbornly appear in her thoughts.

"You are more than welcome to go with us," Elena assured her, folding a t-shirt.

Caroline scoffed.

"And play third wheel? No thanks."

"I'm serious Caroline, I need my best girl," Elena smiled sadly. "I don't know what I'd do with you."

"Don't worry about me," Caroline stood up, wrapping an arm around the brunette. "I have my mom and you have Damon and Jeremy. We will be fine."

"Just fine."

"Caroline!"

Caroline snapped out of her thoughts and looked over to her mother who was staring at her.

"What? Sorry, I was just rethinking that last ornament move," she lied easily, reaching down to pick up another decoration.

Her mother smiled amusedly at her.

"I was just telling you that you got a letter in the mail," Liz explained, walking over to coffee table to pick up an envelope.

"People actually send those still?" Caroline asked, reaching her hand out.

Liz gave her a look and handed her the envelope.

"Say's the girl who snail-mailed our Christmas cards."

Caroline just smiled and shrugged. Liz squeezed her arm affectionately before leaving the room to get ready for another shift at the station.

Caroline peered curiously down at the beige envelope, her breath halting when she saw the return address.

New Orleans.

There was only one person that she knew of, well okay three people, that currently resided in that city. Two being the siblings of the one man she had been trying to avoid thinking about for the past two years.

Klaus.

Also known as the most frustrating person in the planet.

(And number one Sex God but she's definitely not thinking about that right now).

She knew that she shot herself in the foot earlier that month when she sent him that Christmas card. She didn't know what possessed her to send him that, half hoping that the card would come back to her as a return to sender.

Her thought process had her hoping that if it returned, the thought the temptation of going to New Orleans would subside. No current address, no Klaus. But it didn't, and he called last week.

That damn voicemail.

It was absolutely sinful the way his voice sounded on the phone. Confident, alluring, and absolute irresistible. How the hell could his voice still make her weak in the knees after two years of nothing?

His words kept echoing in her head from last week's message.

"It's been a while."

Two years later and she's still as unsure about him as she was when she left him in the woods.

Turning her attention back to the envelope, Caroline carefully turned it over to open it from the back. Scoffing at the picture he drew at the seal, a wolf face with fangs, she walked to the desk in the living room corner to get a letter opener.

Gingerly opening the envelope to not disturb the seal, she pulled out a piece of paper.

It was a picture of Caroline.

Not just any picture, a sketched picture of her from that fateful day in the woods.

Caroline blinked rapidly at the drawing as she recalled the memories.

After what seemed like her millionth orgasm from him, she had rolled off him to get dressed. It had gotten dark about an hour before and she knew that people would start to look for her. Both Klaus and her got dressed in silence, very carefully trying to avoid seeing each other's stolen glances.

Wordlessly, he helped her shrug her jacket back on. Her shirt and bra had been completely unsalvageable. Reaching down to zip her boots, she grabbed the necklace she ripped off him and pocketed it stealthily. She had turned to kiss him one last time, closing her eyes to prevent looking into his and started to walk away.

Right before leaving the clearing, she turned and looked at him one last time. Memorizing his face, his jaw line, his eyes. Klaus looked right back at her, eyes unreadable and as intense as ever. She smiled sadly at him before turning away and vamp sped away to the Salvatore's house.

That's was the scene Caroline was holding in her hands. Her looking over her shoulder, hair shining in the moonlight, a small smile on her lips. Written in the very bottom in that adorably unkempt handwriting of his was "Merry Christmas."

Tracing the picture with her hands, Caroline was hit with a slew of emotions.

God, she missed him. She was just so happy spending that day in his arms.

Standing there with her new drawing (and thank god she finally had a new one to replace the one she shredded), Caroline's mind raced with Elena's words echoing in the background.

"It's time for us to start living. To be happy again."

What was really keeping her in Mystic Falls? What was keeping her from him?

She rarely spoke to Tyler anymore, same with Matt. Stefan and Rebekah were constantly playing this strange cat and mouse game between them. Elena and Damon were off in Vermont of all places. Bonnie was dead. All Caroline had left was her mother.

Her mom.

She knew the time she had left with her mother was limited. But wasn't that true for all children? Her father taught her that parents weren't supposed to outlive their children. But could she willingly leave Mystic Falls behind knowing her time with her mother was constantly running out?

"Caroline?" Liz stepped in front of her, waving her hand in front of her eyes.

Caroline shook her head, focusing on her mom and not the picture in her hand.

"What did you get?" Liz asked, reaching for the drawing in her hand.

Caroline jerked her hand away, a instinctive reaction. Liz raised an eyebrow at her curiously.

"Is everything all right, honey?"

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't it be? Just a stupid card from the bank," Caroline babbled, hastily stuffing the drawing back into the envelope.

"I didn't know the bank you used was located in New Orleans," Liz smirked at her.

Caroline gaped at her, a loss for words.

"I saw the return label," Liz explained.

Caroline let out a shaky chuckle before flopping back on the couch. Liz sat down next to her, taking the drawing out of the envelope and peering at it. Letting out a low whistle, she put it back on Caroline's lap.

"He really is good isn't he?" Liz remarked. Caroline nodded her head numbly, biting her lip.

"Sweetheart-" Liz began. Caroline flinched at the familiar pet name that was synonymous with a certain hybrid.

"I know that you think I don't approve," Liz continued, Caroline giving her a look.

Was her mom really about to encourage her to go after Klaus?

"And I don't."

Well that solves that question.

"But I know you're unhappy here," Liz said, reaching for Caroline's hand.

"I'm not unhappy!" Caroline protested.

Now it was Liz's turn to give her daughter a look.

"I'm not," Caroline whispered, looking back down at the picture.

"I know you better than anybody, Caroline," Liz stated. "Life isn't the same anymore. It's changing and so are you. I know you've felt lonely."

"How could you tell?" Caroline chuckled darkly, burying her head in her hands.

"Well for starters you didn't notice when I used colored lights on the porch outside and not the usual white ones."

"You did what?!" Caroline jumped up to go check. Liz laughed and tugged on Caroline's arm to sit her back down.

"Don't change the subject," Liz chastised jokingly.

Caroline rolled her eyes and leaned back against the couch.

"I'm not going to tell you to leave Mystic Falls, honey," Liz started hesitantly. "But you're unhappy here. You don't have to stay here because of me."

"But-"

"You're my baby, Caroline. You were always going to leave me eventually," Liz smiled sadly. "Even when you were human."

Caroline blinked rapidly to offset the tears she felt forming in her eyes.

"I don't want to leave you, Mommy," Caroline whispered, feeling a lump form in her throat.

"Oh honey, you don't have to," Liz assured her, taking her daughter into her arms. "But I know that you are worth more than a life in Mystic Falls."

Caroline sniffled into her mother's shoulder, her mind swimming with these revelations. She never thought that her mother would be the one to tell her to go out in the world. Liz Forbes was a small-town woman who had never stepped a foot outside Mystic Falls. It always seemed highly unlikely to Caroline that her mother would push her to become a world traveler, to leave her behind.

"You need to start living your life," Liz whispered into her hair. "Even if it's with an sketchy Original Hybrid."

Caroline laughed into her mother's shoulder then bit back a sob.

"Just," Liz pulled back and held on to Caroline's shoulders. "Be careful. Wherever you go, whenever you do. I just want you to be happy."

Caroline nodded, biting her lip as she blinked away the rest of her tears. Liz smiled sadly as she got up to leave.

"I'll be back tomorrow," she stated as she walked toward the door. "Just think about what I said."

"I will," Caroline promised, her gaze going back down to the drawing she still clutched in her hands.

"There's only a few days left until Christmas, Caroline," Liz said, her hand on the front door. Caroline furrowed her brow at her in confusion.

"I don't want you to be alone," Liz finished, opening the door and leaving like she didn't just drop a bomb on her.

Caroline collapsed against the couch, her mind and her heart in an eternal battle with one another. Well she wasn't expecting that from her mother.

Caroline wasn't happy. It was pathetic, but true. Her life didn't work out the way she had planned or pictured it. Well, except she didn't exactly plan on being a vampire either and she ended up being better off because of it.

Looking at the drawing once more, Caroline went back to tracing the images. Was this what she wanted?

Did she want him?

Better question, would he still want her?

Internally chastising herself for even entertaining the thought of going to New Orleans, Caroline set the picture down to focus back on decorating the living room. Going to adjust some more ornaments, Caroline busied herself with thoughts of Christmas.

Watching A Christmas Story in her pjs, drinking hot chocolate, opening presents that she sent herself-

I want to go to New Orleans.

"Stop it," Caroline muttered to herself.

Calling Elena to wish her a Merry Christmas, snap-chatting Christmas goodies to each other-

I want to see Klaus.

"UGH!" Caroline threw up her hands. Clearly she wasn't going to get much done after all. Once again throwing herself face down on the couch, she stuffed her face into a pillow wondering if she could just suffocate herself again so she wouldn't have to worry about making decisions.

But-

Could she really do it?

Could she just up and go to New Orleans? Was that even where she wanted to go? Was she even ready for that?

Her and Klaus had such a complicated relationship. There was no time stamp on their relationship like there had been with Matt or even Tyler.

But with him, it was everything or it was nothing.

Was she ready for everything?

Was he ready for everything?

There was only one way to find out.

Slowly but surely, Christmas Day had arrived and Klaus was in a foul mood.

It started with Rebekah returning the night before with Stefan and pitching an absolute fit over his improvements with the decorations. And by improvement, he meant destruction. Dinner was disastrous with Rebekah still being pissed about the decorations and Elijah and Stefan had to duck to avoid the literal knives he and Rebekah pitched at one another. Then Marcel called about a nightwalker who had gotten in trouble and tried to feed off some witches. Two witchy migraines later and a mercy killing later, Klaus just wanted to go to bed.

Then Stefan and Rebekah proceeded to keep him up all night with their bedroom activities.

On top of all that, he hadn't heard anything from Caroline.

It was stupid he knew, expecting to get a message or call about the picture he sent her. More pathetic really. The vampires he had watching her confirmed she had received it but had no other news to give him.

He didn't care really.

Nope.

He was Klaus Mikaelson, he didn't care about anything.

Except, maybe his ego cared a tiny bit.

Drinking his usual tumbler of scotch, Klaus stared out the window drowning out Stefan and Rebekah exchanging gifts. He didn't buy anything nor did he care about getting anything.

Except maybe-

Stop it.

Draining the rest of his drink, Klaus contemplated his next activity. Which bar would have the most drunk people? He figured if he drank from the people with the most alcohol in their blood system, he'd get drunk faster.

"Nik, if you care to stop draining the mini bar, we are going out for dinner in a few minutes," Rebekah piped up, breaking his thought train.

He rolled his eyes and poured himself another drink in response.

"We can feed off the servers," Rebekah tempted him in a sing-songy tone.

He raised an eyebrow in interest. Now that was tempting.

"Here, we'll go get ready and we'll leave in a few," Rebekah said, pulling Stefan along with her out the room.

"Hours," he heard Stefan whisper to Rebekah causing her to giggle.

Klaus scrunched his face in disgust. He was definitely getting out of the house.

Grabbing his jacket, he strode to the door and thrust it open. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Caroline?"

Blinking his eyes in shock, he looked at the blonde vampire on the porch. She was standing there looking beautiful in a light pink pea coat, her blonde curls covered in a matching wool hat. Her faced looked the same as it did two years, if not more radiant. Her curls were longer than he remembered, shinier and softer. His fingers itched as he longed to run his fingers through them. Her eyes were as blue as ever, sparkling with something he couldn't quite decipher. Continuing to stare in shock, he failed to notice the two suitcases she had at her feet.

Is he dreaming?

She smiled shyly at him, blushing at the way his eyes raked over her body. She held back a chuckle at the way his mouth had fell open. She forgot how effortlessly attractive he was. Those full raspberry colored lips, stormy blue-green eyes, the way his curls looked stylishly mussed. And that stubble.

Damn that stubble.

"Caroline?" he repeated dumbly, hoping his voice didn't showcase his shock. (It did).

She smiled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Are you going to invited me in or what?"

Still unable to produce actual words, he stepped back and wordlessly let her walk past him. He closed his eyes as her unique scent washed over him due to her nearness. Her breath caught as she took in the beauty of his mansion. It was much more beautiful and lavish than his home in Mystic Falls. The warm cream walls, burgundy red drapes, and the grand staircase reminded her of those she's seen in Disney movies.

She stopped in the entry hall hesitantly, turning back to look at him. His eyes were burning a hole in her face and she watched his drift down to the two suitcases she had dragged in behind her.

"What are you doing here, love?" he asked, eyes widening at her luggage.

Oh man had she missed hearing that pet name.

(Not that she'd ever tell him).

She whipped her hat off, hastily trying to smooth her hair down. He instinctively reached and tucked a curl behind her ear. She blushed and he removed his hand faster than he put it there.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking down at the floor.

"It's fine," she said, her voice shy and sweet.

God, he missed hearing that.

"I know I'm like 98 years early and everything," she started with a sly smirk. Klaus felt the corner of his mouth turn up.

"But, I was bored," she continued, smiling teasingly at him. He stepped closer towards her, not quite believing what he was seeing or hearing.

"And?" he prompted her, taking the poor hat from her hands that she kept wringing.

"And it's Christmas," she continued.

"Did you bring me a present, sweetheart?" he asked looking pointedly at her suitcases.

She rolled her eyes, starting to unbutton her coat. He watched intently, wondering where she was going with this.

"Does myself count?"

"Well who could say no to you as a present?" he teased, pulling on the sides of her coat to bring her body closer to his.

"You wish," she teased, reveling at just how easy this was.

She bit her lip as he pulled her body firmly up to his, feeling lightheaded and warm at how utterly fantastic it felt. The close proximity of his face to hers was intoxicating and she nearly forgot what she was even talking about to begin with.

"I didn't want to be alone anymore," she continued. His head snapped up to meet her gaze.

"What do you mean?" he asked, almost afraid for the answer.

"I want you. I really, really, really want you. I have for a long time and I'm tired of hiding it," she confessed, her voice nearly a whisper.

"I don't feel alone when I'm with you," she continued, her hand bravely coming to play with the curls at the back of his head.

"I want this," Caroline said, caressing her hand down his face and rubbing it up against his stubble. "I want to be with you. Every day and every night."

Klaus stood there, his stormy blue eyes widened in surprise as his grip on her coat loosened. He could feel her heart pounding furiously against his motionless body as he continued to stand there in disbelief.

"I know it won't be easy, but I'm ready," she finished, nodding resolutely as if she's convinced herself. "I'm ready for you to show me the world. I'm ready to be with you."

Klaus hadn't been able to properly breathe or feel his heartbeat since she began her confession. Surely he was dead?

"That's if you still do," Caroline looked down at the ground, dodging his gaze.

"Caroline-"

God, did his voice sound as broken to her as it did to him?

He hesitated and licked his lips, her eyes following the motion.

"Caroline, there will never be a time in the next 1,000 years where I won't want you."

It was cheesy. It was stupid.

It was the truth.

"Are you sure?" Klaus asked, edging his head closer to hers. She nodded, locking her eyes on his.

"I can't promise that I'm going to change overnight," he warned. "I don't really know what it's like."

"What's like?"

"A relationship," he admitted hesitantly. She blinked her eyes in surprise.

"You're 1,000 years old and have never been in a real relationship?" she asked, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Don't make a big deal about it," he muttered, his face slightly tinged pink in embarrassment.

"I'm your first," she smiled, absolutely giddy at the thought.

"And my last," he spoke, instantly changing the playful atmosphere back to serious. She looped her arms back around his neck, catching his gaze.

"Bring it on," she shrugged.

He quirked a side of his mouth up at that and leaned closer as her eyes closed in anticipation. He bypassed her mouth and went to whisper in her ear.

"Then New Orleans awaits, my Queen."

Shivering involuntarily at the feel of his hot breath on her neck, she impatiently pulled back his head with her hand and pulled his lips down to hers.

It was fire. Magic. It was everything that she had dreamed of.

Their lips moving perfectly against one another, Klaus ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, tangling her tongue with his. Gasping into her mouth, his hand moved from her waist to the back of her head and fisted in her curls. She grasped at his shoulders to bring his body closer to hers.

How could she ever doubt this? Kissing him was like drinking the best blood after days without any. It made her head spin, her body lighter, it made her happy.

She broke the kiss when air became a necessity. He hid his grin against her forehead and placed a kiss there. She panted, drawing her head back to make eye contact.

"Okay, now I'm positive that this is where I belong," she giggled softly to him.

He gave her a dazzling smile that knocked the breath right out of her. His eyes sparkling and his dimples showed as she caressed his cheek with her hand.

"I am too," he said. "Not that you didn't already know that."

She giggled once more and bit her lip, looking up at him coyly underneath her lashes.

"So, uh, where's your room?" she asked innocently, running her hand around his waist and dipping it underneath his shirt.

His eyes darkened and he smirked before latching his lips onto his neck.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered against her collarbone before placing a tender kiss on it.

She moaned softly at the sensation as she began to lose herself in him, her heart constricting at his words.

Merry Christmas indeed.

She was home.

So what did you think?

I know it was a little more angsty than my usual stuff, but it ended happy! I hope that you guys enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it :) This little NOLA-verse OS series that I have is so much fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy reading it! I hope you enjoyed seeing these kiddies get together.

As always, reviews are appreciated :) Or drop me a line or follow me at she-walked-away on tumblr

Happy Holidays! :)

Until next time!

Kaitlyn