Just a drabble that came to me in the middle of the night. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to TVD; I just love its characters.

All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something
Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again
I'll breathe again

A full moon cast its light through the dense forest as Caroline sprinted at vampire speed, winding through the trees and ducking under branches.

She had gotten away. Somehow she was able to escape but the terror that followed was in the form of a pack of wolves, no they were hybrids, that were howling and clawing at the earth as they pursued her in the night.

Professor Shane turned out to be Silas and with the help of Hayley, he had stolen Klaus' army of hybrids, promising them true freedom, or rather a life without Klaus, if they pledged their loyalty to him instead.

Caroline pushed her legs harder to keep running. Anywhere. As long as it was away from the warlock. Or was he a witch? It didn't matter. He had studied her. He learned that she was the Original Hybrid's weakness and he stole her in the middle of the night as a means to lure Klaus in.

But she had gotten away. Somehow. And she was thankful to a god she wasn't sure existed that she was now running away from danger.

The air was cold, a type of chill that ran marrow deep and despite her vampirism, she couldn't ignore the icy shiver that taunted the nape of her neck as she continued to sprint through the jagged forestry. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead at the memory of Silas' hands on her. He was ice. There was no other way to describe someone whose touch felt like the promise of death and Caroline knew she met the origin of evil. Silas.

Still running, she reached up and wiped her forehead of her sweat and consequently tripped over a root, a log, a rock, she didn't know exactly what but the object sent her tumbling down a slope through twiggy branches and dead leaves until her arms caught the trunk of a tree in front of her.

She gasped as she clawed at the bark of the tree, sharply breathing in air that wasn't necessary but desperately needed in order for her to gain back her sanity. She needed a plan. She straightened herself against the tree and she breathed hard, stifling a sob as she sucked in her breath again, commanding her body to remain quiet for fear of being found.

Her hope of not being found was short lived as she felt another body slam into her from behind. She screamed but her desperate cry was muffled by a hand covering her mouth. The person spun her around and in an instant her fear dissolved and relief rushed into her soul.

Klaus held a finger to his mouth, signaling her to remain quiet. The moonlight cast its yellowy haze onto his beautiful features. His eyes flickered away from hers and began to survey their surroundings. Caroline watched him as he glanced around but he remained in front of her, his hands locked on each of her arms, holding her against the tree, keeping her close to him. God she was relieved to see him and she wondered if God had indeed answered her earlier prayer. She would never know because now that Mystery would always remain one; the curse of living forever is not ever knowing how it could end.

She flung her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, hugging him tightly to her as she pressed her face to the side of his neck, whimpering as she breathed him in.

He smelled like home and she knew now, as his arms held her tightly, that she was in love with him. She realized that he was the only person that could break her beyond repair and leave her fractured with the sound of his voice to haunt her heart for the rest of eternity. But he was also the only person, the only man, that could fix her if she did break. Only he could heal her in so many ways. His wisdom and steadiness anchored her and it soothed her, and she knew that he wasn't just someone to care for or respect, but someone to love. Deeply. Madly, because he understood her like no one else.

With him she learned that love isn't pretty; it's ferocious like unyielding waters and as passionate as it is as terrifying like a howl to the moon. Yes, she knew she was in love with him. God she was madly in love with him.

Klaus took her face in his hands and his eyes searched hers. He saw fear in them and his heart clenched in his chest that she was afraid. He never wanted her to fear anything and the way she trembled against him made him furious. She wasn't afraid of him though and that comforted him but still, he wanted to ease her pain, to keep his promise. A promise he made to himself to keep her safe. Her eyes flickered away for the briefest second and he knew the direction she looked at was where she had just came from. He moved to walk away, to confront the man, the warlock, for daring to use her against him but as soon as he stepped away her hands gripped at the lapels of his coat.

Caroline shook her head violently, her eyes wide, pleading for him to not go. Klaus sighed as he moved back to her, placing his hands once again on the sides of her face. He tilted his head, his blue eyes connecting with hers, silently explaining he had to leave. But again she protested as she fisted her hands tighter around the material of his coat. Her breath came out in short gasps as panic swept over her.

Klaus let a breath of disbelief as he watched thick tears run down her face. He looked into her beautiful eyes. Those eyes that became his very reason to go on existing. Her soft hair was wild around her face and he moved his hand and began smoothing the curled strands. Her body was finally beginning to warm as he kept his body pressed against hers; he was relieved because she was cold when he found her and it wasn't in her nature to feel so inhuman.

Her tears continued to flow down her cheeks as he held her. Klaus threw his head back in frustration, knowing what he had to do and hating that it came down to this. He looked at her again, permitting his eyes one last look. He took in her beauty, her light that made him want to be human again for her because, even though she was a vampire, she made him feel alive.

After centuries of learning every mystery of the earth, of mocking humans and their beliefs, she made him believe in angels. What else could her light be if not emanated from a halo, he thought.

He brushed away her tears with his thumbs, slowly shaking his head, silently telling her to not cry over him. He leaned in closer to her and let her scent envelop him; he had traveled the world and he never felt at home until he had found her. He pressed his forehead to hers and shut his eyes for a moment.

Her hands held his neck as to keep him close and her breathing finally steadied as she felt his breath on her face. He opened his eyes and then closed them again as he finally pressed his lips to hers ever so gently. He kissed her so softly and so sweetly she began to cry again because it was their first kiss and it felt like their last.

She never imagined their first kiss to be like this. They deserved more. For once, Time was not on their side and it was ironic because what else does a vampire have, she thought.

He reluctantly pulled away from her and caressed her face as he looked at her one last time again. And she knew. She knew what was coming but she couldn't react because all she wanted to do was tell him she loved him.

"Stay," she said, pleading as she held him tighter.

The sounds of pounding paws could be heard in the distance and he promised to keep her safe.

"Caroline," he prayed, "I love you." His pupils dilated and bore into her beautiful wanting eyes. "Now run home, sweetheart, and stay there until you're safe."

She blinked and it only took that microsecond for him to disappear into the night, into the unknown. She ran in the opposite direction of him, tears streaming down her face because it wasn't her will that kept her running, it was his love. She glanced up toward the night sky and she never knew she could hate the moon.

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