Mystic Falls, 2013

CF*CF*CF

Caroline sat in her car parked in Mikaelson family's driveway. She wasn't sure why she came. There was something in what Felicity said, how she said it, it added to the things Caroline was thinking. And here she was about to do something her friends would call stupid.

Before she could change her mind she climbed out of her car and went to ornate wooden front door to the Original's mansion. Her hand rose to knock, slightly hesitating, but Caroline said to herself to not over think it.

She waited with the bated breath for a minute before she heard footsteps coming closer and doors were yanked open, revealing surprised Klaus.

"What a surprise, sweetheart."

Caroline took him in. Barefoot, in the pair of jeans and light grey Henley, charcoal smudges on the shirt and fingers. His raspberry lips pulled in bemused but glad smile as his eyes looked her over questioningly.

"Did one of your friends managed to get in the fight with a wolf in the last twelve hours?"

Klaus' tone was good natured, but Caroline felt her stomach drop at his assumptions. He really thought that she would be here only if she needed something from him.

"I, - I-" Caroline tried to explain why she was at his doorstep, but no word came forward as she herself wasn't quite sure of her motives.

So she did something reckless, something she didn't need to think about. She jumped at Klaus and captured his lips in a searing kiss. He froze in shock for a second, before answering with matching intensity.

"Are you sure, love?" He whispered in her ear, placing butterfly kisses down the column of her neck, making her pulse sky rocket.

"Yeah. I want this." Caroline said in breathy voice, her hands roaming his well defined back muscles under his shirt. "I need this."

With those words out of her mouth, Klaus picked Caroline up, placing his hands on her ass. Her legs locked around his waist, her fingers raking blonde curls. Exchanging another heated look Klaus carried his lover upstairs to his bedroom.

CF*CF*CF

Caroline sighted in contentment as she come back from the high Klaus' body, hands and lips took her. She laid on top of him, her head on his chest just above his heart, listening to slowing thumping.

Opening her heavy lidded eyes she looked up at Klaus' face. He looked peaceful too, easy smile playing on his lips. This time there was no smugness or malice - just warmth.

When their eyes met Caroline saw emotions running through them. She didn't know when she become so prolific in reading Klaus, but right now - clear as day - she could see storm of emotions brewing. He looked at her with awe like he couldn't quite believe that Caroline was here in his arms, shadow of sadness as if he was already preparing for the moment she would push away from him and run, try to bury her uncovered feeling again. Also there was concerned curiosity asking her without words why she showed up at his door after just yesterday making him promise to let her go.

It was good. It was better than good, it was amazing. But something didn't let her rest fully; there was something she needed to get off her chest.

"Oh, shit." Caroline muttered to herself, running her hand over her face, pushing few messy curls out of the way. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Under her, Klaus' body stiffened and his fingers stopped playing with her hair - he clearly heard her. Damn supernatural vampire hearing.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, your secret is safe with me. I don't usually kiss and tell. And our deal is still on. After I leave this cursed town you won't see me again until you're ready." Klaus said his voice was filled with cold smugness, clearly misunderstanding her reaction. At least he didn't push her of.

Caroline sat up slowly not breaking their eye contact, deliberately running her hand down his side until she reached his hip, flexing her fingers, enticing involuntary reaction from the hybrid. She didn't feel shy when the sheet feel away leaving her chest exposed to his gaze.

"Seriously?! I didn't mean it like that." Caroline said heatedly. "I don't regret what just happened, it just…" She bit her lip softly and could swear she heard Klaus grunt in response to that. "There was something I wanted to tell you."

Klaus cocked his eyebrow encouraging her to continue, still watching her warily.

"I couldn't sleep last night. Too many thoughts in my head. Things didn't make sense. So this morning I really needed coffee but there was none at home and I had to go to the coffee shop to get some."

"You're rambling, love."

"Sorry." Caroline smiled sheepishly. "I went to the coffee shop and I run into your sister - Felicity. By the way she is much nicer that Rebekah." Caroline screw her eyes shut mentally scolding herself to get to the point. "We had a chat and then it just clicked."

"What did she tell you?" Hybrid growled his eyes flashing gold.

"It's not about what she told me. Not entirely. Maybe it was fresh coffee clearing my head in addition to her words, but I knew that I can't hold you to your promise."

"I don't understand."

"You asked me if I would consider offering you the same thing I offered Tyler - choosing me over his vendetta."

"And I did. I chose you over finally seeing my enemy's demise."

"Yes, you did. But it wasn't the first time, was it? You left my friends unscathed after Kol's death, you let Tyler run away and didn't go after him, you even gave him permission to come back to Mystic Falls, which he didn't use. You did all of it without me demanding it, too much" Caroline said passionately.

Klaus looked uncomfortable, as if him showing his emotions would be used against him. "You give me too much credit, love."

Caroline shook her head, her curls flying around her face. "I just don't think it would be fair for me to hold you to it. And I'm not sure if I want to." She added in the small voice her eyes cast down at her lap.

Hearing that, Klaus sat up too. With one finger under her chin he raised her head that they were looking at each other again. In her eyes was only sincerity. With the same hand still under her chin, he beckoned her closer, so that he could place the softest kiss on her lips.

"Just tell me what do you want, and I'll give it to you." Klaus said. "But first there's something I need to tell you."

FS*FS*FS

After heavy, revelations filled conversation with Damon, Felicity hurried inside. She was not hiding; she just needed some space to think everything over. But it seemed that today her wish for peace and quiet was not meant to come true.

As soon as she stepped inside she was accosted by the youngest Bennett.

"You need to release Elena."

"Need to? Why?" Felicity asked, her voice barely hiding the irritation she felt at interruption.

"For one she didn't do anything to you." Bonnie said righteously.

Felicity couldn't believe the words coming from Bonnie's mouth. Did she really think that? How short these kids memories.

"She killed my brother! She killed thousands other people, or to you - other vampires. Some of them were my friends."

"She di-" Bonnie tried to deny it, but Felicity stopped her.

"Don't. She might not be the one who pierced him with white oak, but her hands aren't less bloody than her brother's."

"We needed to find a cure fast. And Klaus was turning people." Supernatural anchor to other side tried to explain.

"Oh really? You needed to find a cure? For what? Your poor little Elena didn't take it." Felicity mocked. Usually wasn't like that but right now her nerves were hanging by the tread. "She used it to punish the woman who killed her brother."

"Katherine..." Bonnie tried to say something again, but Felicity was on the roll.

"Katherine, what? She's the bad guy? It depends on the point of view. All she wanted was safety. We'll see how you'll fare after five hundred years. How much of that righteousness will there be left? You are an immortal now. Of course without any perks of vampire - like strength, speed, hearing, sight or healing. Just a lot of drawbacks of being the anchor." Bonnie stood there looking like someone just hit her over the head. Felicity just shook her head at the recklessness of these children. Did they ever think about consequences of their actions? "You won't ever die. And you can't undo this. I was one time deal. You really should thank your best friend. Lifetimes of pain, just because she couldn't live with your chaise."

"I agreed." Former witch said, but it sounded weak.

"But would you still accept it now, knowing all what would come with it? Will you regret it in hundred years? Resent the one who made you into an anchor?" With those parting words Felicity pushed through Bonnie, a zap of energy running through her.

She checked her watch. It was only eleven and she was already exhausted. And there was still a lot she had to do. First thing on her list was purging Katherine from remains of the cure.

Back in attic room Nadia had already prepared ingredients and was sitting in the chair at Katherine's bedside.

"You okay, mama?" She asked when Felicity walked through the door. But Original just shook her head and motioned with her hand to let it go.

Felicity picked up a mortle with indigo blue paste inside. She sat down on the other side of the bed. With gentle hand she pushed away Katherine's shirt to give her access to her upper chest. Felicity dipped her index finger in the substance and with it drew intricate design of lines and symbols right over doppelganger's heart.

As she finished it Felicity picked up the same dagger from yesterday and coated its edges with blue paste too.

Nadia handed her two copper bowls and vampire-witch hybrid. She placed a cut on Katherine's palm and placed it in the bowl to collect purple liquid dripping from the wound.

"It will take few hours for poison leave her system." Felicity said when there nothing else for her to do. Well at least one thing went as it suppose to.

She wiped her hands and dagger in hand towel, gathered other stuff that was used and put all of it in the bag. During this she heard Bonnie ranting. Felicity loathed the idea of going downstairs and getting in another confrontation with Elena's friends.

Looking around she found the perfect escape plan.

"I need to think." She told Nadia opening the window and jumping through it, landing gracefully on the grass below.

Without a lot of thought her feet brought her away from Boarding house. She didn't noticed how she turned up by the water falls. It was the place she would come to think and latter brought her children to play. It was her happy, peaceful place.

Felicity's hand found a delicate gold chain she always wore around her neck. She tugged at it until was over her clothes and her hand closed around the ring with pink amethyst hanging at the end of the chain.

Here, in this place she let her feeling go free. Anguish, heartbreak, anger mixed inside her trying to take over, to get out. And nothing was stopping them.

It all came out as thunderous scream and a wave of energy washing over surrounding area.

Suddenly Felicity felt light, as if the weight was lifted from her shoulders and she could finally fill her lungs with air. Strangely that feeling made her legs tremble like they could no longer hold her. Without much grace in her movements she plopped on the ground taking deep breaths to calm down. When her heart and breathing were steady enough she rearranged her legs in lotus pose and let familiar noises of waterfall and birds in the trees lull her in meditative state as there was a lot she needed to think about.

RM*RM*RM

"Thanks for meeting me." Stefan said sliding in the boot at the Grill where Rebekah was sitting.

"It sounded like you needed to talk." Rebekah said pushing one of the glasses with whiskey towards Salvatore.

He gulped it down in one go. "Thanks I needed that."

"So what's going on?" Blonde vampire asked eyeing her ex-boyfriend.

"I did something. And now Damon will never forgive me once he finds out?"

"You're back with Elena?" Sarcastic retort left her mouth before Rebekah could think. She thought that he would become defensive, but he just let out humorless chuckle.

"A week ago I would have said that it was the worst thing I could do to my brother, but yesterday I met your sister. I don't think I ever saw that kind of connection between Damon and someone else. And it was my fault that ended."

Rebekah was torn at his confession. Feelings she pushed down tried to raise their head as she saw suffering in Stefan's eyes. She wanted to comfort him. And it conflicted with her family loyalties as his actions hurt her older sister.

But Rebekah related to him as she wasn't a stranger in disappointment and betrayal between siblings. Just few months ago her most horrible and shameful choice came to light. She will never forget expression in Nik's and Elijah's eyes when they found out, but she was still here and not in the coffin with a silver dagger in her heart. It was a testament of the love and connection family shared.

So she told this to Stefan.

"He might be angry and hurt but he deserves the truth. They both do." Her hand found his and squeezed it gently.

"There's nothing more that I can do than face the truth." He said somberly.