I have started writing a follow up story after the end of this one but it hasn't worked out the way that I wanted to so it probably won't ever get published – don't you just hate when things start off great but then comes to a crashing halt? Oh well, moving on to one of my other prompts I've started.

Yes, I have an obsession with the promise of "However long it takes" so you will find that in pretty much every single one of my stories, that's a part of it. Sorry for any Déjà vu feelings you may get if you've read my other Klaroline stories.

Keep writing! Enjoy my loves – Always and Forever

***Disclaimer: all characters and backstories belong to the wonderful creators and writers of TVD/TO - Julie Plec, you're a true inspiration!***

~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~

We lay next to each other on the bed and I can almost feel his nerves radiating off his skin – he's afraid that I'm going to regret this. Silently rolling my eyes, I lift his arm and snuggle into his chest as he drapes it over my shoulder. That was enough affirmation for him for he places a kiss on top my head and his arm tightens around my body protectively. I look outside his window to find the soft glow of the sunrise hitting the light weight curtains. The city was silent and peaceful.

After about an hour of just enjoying each other's presence, we hear the soft coos of Hope stirring. "I should go get her before she starts crying," whispers Klaus, reluctant to move.

"Okay," I sigh as I detangle myself from his body and climb out of the bed. Clutching the sheet to my body, I head to the bathroom as I collect my clothes from the floor. "I'm going to shower while you do that then." I look back at him and he has a large smile on his face, watching me closely. I drop the blanket and watch his jaw drop at my boldness.

I was half expecting him to join me after collecting Hope but I figured he had his hands full. After I had made myself presentable, I walk out to his room to find him gone. Listening, I hear him down in the kitchen arguing with someone. Unsure if I should join him or wait until this person leaves, I take a chance at the fact that they already know I'm here and walk down the stairs. I find the source of the fighting and man he was arguing with.

"This is completely unacceptable!" Said the man, he was clean cut and had a swagger about him that came off as powerful.

"I don't care what you think is unacceptable." Klaus' voice was dangerously low and calm. His eyes lock with mine as I walk in the room but his manner does not change towards the other vampire. "You can leave now, Marcellus."

Marcellus turned to look at where Klaus' attention had shifted to and appears generally confused about my being there. However, he refreshes his features and turns back to Klaus, saying, "Look, this is bad for you too. Whoever this Gemini witch that is coming here, he has Davina worried."

This caught my attention. "Did you just say 'Gemini witch'?"

"Yeah. Why?" Said Marcellus, turning around to see me, crossing his arms at me.

I look at Klaus, nervously. "That's Kai." His eyes grew in realization. "Why would he be coming here?"

"He must have followed you here for some reason," Klaus said, frowning.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" Asked the stranger.

"Caroline Forbes," I offered with my Miss Mystic Falls smile while extending my hand.

He looked at it unsure but shook it, "Marcel Gerard." Letting me go, he continued, "So you know who this witch is?"

"He's a siphon witch with the Gemini coven. He just merged his magic with his brother Luke and so now he's got a whole lot of power as the new leader of the coven. I just don't know why he would have bothered following me. It's Bonnie he's obsessed with."

Klaus sat down on the table and inclined that both Marcel and I follow suit. "Well if he's coming to New Orleans, we should probably create a plan of defense." I hear a cry come from the other room and all three of us look over to that door. My mind suddenly swam with the face of Hope Mikaelson and when Klaus stood to check on her, I knew what I had to do.

Remaining seated, I collected my thoughts about what I was going to say when the silence was interrupted by Marcel asking, "You're from Mystic Falls, aren't you?"

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Lucky guess," he says, simply, folding his hands on the table.

Once Klaus comes back, he sits back down next to me and looks at me seriously, "I'm going to protect you, Caroline. He won't get anywhere near you."

"Actually, I'm going back to Mystic Falls, Klaus," I say strongly.

"What?" He stood so fast that his chair crashed to the ground.

I look up at him strongly, not afraid of him. "I'm going back to Mystic Falls. You're going to compel me to forget that I was here and make everyone I've met here to forget seeing me."

"Absolutely not!"

His voice was loud but I stood, defiant and poised for a verbal altercation. "You don't control me. Either you can help me or not but either way, I will not lead Kai here to Hope. I refuse to be put her in danger."

It appeared that I had hit a point that Klaus had not thought of but that had died from his eyes shortly after realizing it and he continued his yelling. "Both of you are safer here with me. You're not leaving. I refuse it!"

"What are you going to do, Klaus? You can't dagger me and stuff me into a box like you do with your siblings!"

Marcel gasped and I had completely forgotten he was there until my comments had shocked him enough to verbalize his presence. Klaus' features indicated he was furious but he said nothing. Marcel's eyes bounced back and forth from myself to the hybrid, probably expecting him to kill me – and if I had been anyone else, I know that would be the case. However, this is not the first time that I've talked back to him and I was not afraid of his wrath.

Eventually, our staring contest was finished when I softened my features and quietly said, "This is for Hope. She's the daughter of the Original Hybrid. Not only are you the only one in existence but so is she. Plus, she's a Mikaelson witch. If he gets his hands on her and siphons her magic, he could kill her; not to mention he would then be unstoppable." I shake my head, "I'm not going to be responsible for leading him here to her. I'll go back to Mystic Falls and however he is tracking me, hopefully he'll follow."

"I don't want you to leave defenseless," he said finally.

"I think you underestimate us. We've killed two Originals, something everyone told us was impossible," I sit back down, clasping my hands together. "Together, we'll defeat Kai too."

"Wait, you've killed two?" asked Marcel suddenly. "Damn!"

"Not me personally but yes, Finn and Kol," I answer. Klaus ignored Marcel's comments but Marcel seemed impressed and whistled.

Klaus spent time thinking. "I'm not going to get you change your mind, am I?" I shook my head at him and he signed, "Alright, Caroline. We'll do this your way but I have my own terms."

"Of course, you do," I jibed, rolling my eyes at him.

"Well, I'm going to go..." Marcel says.

Flashing in front of him, Klaus rests his hand on his prodigy's shoulder and says, "When you leave, you will forget about meeting Caroline and what was discussed here. You will think you came to look for me but I was not home."

Marcel leaves quickly and I ask, "How do you know he's not on vervain?"

"He's not. Trust me, love." He turned to me and coldly said, "Shall we go?"

I stand to walk up to him and run my fingers over his chest gently, "Not quite yet, Mr. Mikaelson. I'm not going to remember this for a while, might as well make it mind blowing when I do get my memories back."

He shivered before commenting, "Get your memories back?"

"You made Stefan remember you when it was an opportune moment for you – do the same to me. Compel me to forget everything that happened here until the next time I see you." I run my hands dangerously low before coming back up to tease with the hair on the back of his neck.

"What if you don't come back?" His voice was full of doubt as he closed his eyes and enjoyed my closeness. Reaching up, he places his hand over mine as if he was telling me silently to not go.

I place my lips on the other side of his neck, kissing him. "I came for you this time, why would the next time be any different?" I kiss up his chin and pull my face away. "You promised me that I would show up at your door and you would show me the world; that a small-town life wouldn't be enough for me. I'll come for you, there's not a doubt in my mind."

He opens his eyes and looks at me sadly with those bright blue eyes. "I hope you feel that way in the future."

Unable to reassure him any further, I tell him something that I had not yet realized until this very moment. "I'm terrified, Klaus." When he asks me why, I answer simply, "Because I'm falling in love with you and I have to leave."

His eyes glow yellow and quickly places a hand behind my head, pulling me into a searing kiss.

We left the Mikaelson Compound and I waited outside while Klaus dropped off Hope and convinced Hayley to compel herself and Jackson to forget that I was ever there. On the way back to my vehicle, we stopped by the bar and Klaus compelled Cami too. Finding my car right where I left it, I toss my bag into the trunk, closing it to find Klaus holding the passenger door open for me. I look at him confused and he said, "If I compel you here, you'll know that I had something to do with it. We'll drive to Florida and that's where I will do it."

"That's actually pretty smart," I say. "I probably would be knocking on your door asking why you compelled me."

I climbed in the car and find a smile on his face. "No doubt you would put two and two together," he says, before closing the door.

Klaus and I head towards Florida and for about an hour, he is silent so my mind wonders. There was a sudden thought that made me break the barrier of silence. "Klaus, can you promise me something?"

"Anything Love," he said with no hesitation.

"Promise that you're going to give Camille a chance."

"What?" His head whips to the side to look at me.

"Camille. Let her in."

"Why?" The stubbornness was peeking through his voice when he looks back to the road.

"Because I don't want you waiting for me and to be alone."

He huffs, "We've talked about this, Caroline."

"Yes, we have. But things have changed within the few days I've been with you. I want you to be happy and at the very least, she's human. I won't have competition for that long." I see the corners of his mouth curl so I know that I can continue. "And if you do fall for her and want to make her a vampire, then I know that it was my fault for letting you go."

"I won't make her a vampire."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. If there's even a minuscule amount of a chance to be with you, I'll take it."

"You sound so certain," I stare at my hands that are laying in my lap.

His right arm extends over the center console and wraps a hand over mine. "I've been certain since I almost lost you in the doppelganger's living room." Sighing, he adds, "But if it will make you happy for me to try to see where things would go with Cami, I will."

"It would. Thank you."

We get to the boarder of Alabama and Florida when we pull off to the side of the road and I'm already regretting how quick of a ride it was. Slowly getting out of the car, he walks around and pulls me in close, his chin resting on in the crook of my neck and my head on his heart.

"This isn't forever," my voice wavering.

"I know. 'However long it takes'."

"'However long it takes'," I repeat back pulling away from him. "I'm ready."

He looks into my eyes, a soft hand on my cheek, and his pupils dilate. "You are going to forget being in New Orleans for the last few days. When you return to Mystic Falls, you are going to tell your friends that you had a road trip across the country and was able to mourn your beloved mother until you felt you could return with a lighter heart. Although you will forget everything, there will be a little part in the back of your mind that you can always come to me if you need or run into trouble. You will forget that I fell in love with you all over again while you were with me and you will forget all of this until you see me again." At that I have tears running down my face and he kisses me softly as my eyelids drop.

When I open my eyes, I find myself standing alone on the side of a road, confused. I then remember my trip around the country and felt light hearted. Smiling, I think of my mom and hop back in my car as I head home.