A/N - Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in updating, this chapter took a lot of work. It was far longer than this but I decided to split it in editing so I could get something up for you all faster. Thanks so much for the continued support. Let me know what you guys think and feel free to pm or review with any thoughts or ideas you'd like to see in the story. Sometimes I write so much it becomes a blur and I worry I'm just typing up boring nonsense :(
Anyway, enjoy guys, next part should be up in the next few days.
Caroline felt the sunlight on her face as she woke up. Her limbs were aching in the best way possible. Klaus was sound asleep behind her, his arm holding her firmly against him.
As memories of the night before came back, she waited for the inevitable self-loathing and feeling of disgust to come. But it never did. She felt so comfortable and so safe just lying here in his arms that she couldn't summon the will to be unhappy about what she had done.
It hadn't been planned. In fact she hadn't even thought about it. Finally giving in fully to her feelings for Klaus had been somehow freeing. They had spent most of the night exploring each others bodies, slowly getting to know each other. By the time he had finally tucked her into his arms and allowed her to fall alseep, she had been beyond satisfied. Now, feeling his breath on her neck as he slept peacefully and his arm tight around her as though she might disappear if he didn't keep her close, she couldn't remember a time when she had felt so content.
It was a scary thought, but she didn't have the energy to argue with herself.
Klaus stirred awake as she turned in his arms to face him. He looked so young and vulnerable like this that she wished she had a camera close by so she'd never forget that he could look this innocent.
She watched as he came around, automatically tightening his hold on her.
For a few long moments they just looked at each other. Neither seemed sure what to say to the other. Caroline knew that he was wondering if she regretted her actions. It occurred to her that maybe he did. His attraction to her had mainly been based on the fact that she hadn't given in to him after all. He liked the chase; not surprising given that he was part-wolf and all-predator; now that she had finally accepted him maybe his interest was already waning.
The old insecurities that had plagued her for most of her life were always there, simmering below the surface. Her forced indifference to him had protected her so far, but now that she had opened herself to Klaus she felt naked in a way that had nothing to do with her lack of clothing.
Klaus seemed to pick up on her feelings. He brought his hand up to tenderly touch her face, "You were glorious sweetheart. You are glorious."
She couldn't help the smile appearing on her face. For a man who had lived most of his life behaving like a monster, he always knew the right thing to say to Caroline.
Now that he had reassured her, his own insecurities were written on his face. His hand didn't move from her cheek, but his eyes refused to meet hers. Frowning, she mirrored his actions. "I-" she wanted to say that she didn't regret what they had done. That despite everything that had happened between them, he made her feel safe and cared for. That last night had been the most amazing of her life, even with all of the terrible things going on. But she was still afraid. Right now she felt content with him and was drawing strength from this moment. They could worry about feelings later. So she simply said, "You weren't so bad yourself."
There was a hint of disappointment in the smile he gave her but it quickly disappeared. "Perhaps I can convince you to cancel any plans you have and spend today in bed with me?"
Caroline knew what he was doing. And a big part of her wanted to give in and let him. But then she thought about her mom and Elena and Damon. They were lucky Silas hadn't went after them yet. It was only a matter of time before he used one or even all of them to draw her out. She couldn't risk them being hurt because of her.
Klaus sensed the change in her face and pulled away with a sigh. Caring about Caroline Forbes was more trouble than it was worth. But as he turned to look at her and saw the sadness and regret on her face he knew he didn't really mean that. If she needed to do this then he had to let her. And if she went and got herself killed he would just have to get himself to the other side so he could kill her again for her foolishness.
In the time it took to think this, she had risen and began to pull her clothes on. He sat up as she sat on the edge of the bed to pull her shoes on. The tension in the set of her shoulders was plain. He cursed himself for his selfishness. He was so preoccupied with worrying about her getting hurt and his own feelings, he hadn't stopped to consider how truly frightened she must be.
"I'm sorry love." Caroline reached up to place her hand on the one he had just placed on her shoulder. Their fingers automatically linked.
"That's two apologies in two days. You feeling okay?" His chuckle made her smile. He was being so open and relaxed that she was dangerously close to changing her mind and crawling back into bed with him. But despite her fascination with this side of Klaus, she knew it was time to go.
He gave her hand a squeeze, "I wish you would let me come with you." He told her, worry seeping into his tone.
"I know, but Elijah was right, seeing you will only make him mad." She ignored what sounded suspiciously like a curse coming from behind her, "besides, I'll be fine, your brother will be there, he'll keep me safe."
She missed the look of pure anger that flashed on his face, but not the note of distain in his reply. "Yes, I'm sure Elijah will. You two being fast friends already and all.."
Caroline didn't miss a beat, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she bit out as she whipped her head around to look at him.
"Nothing love, just glad you're happy that your new mate will be going along with you to meet your true love." He couldn't help it. The way his brother and Caroline had taken to each other immediately was annoying the hell out of him. Coupled with the fact that in this situation he appeared to be completely powerless, Klaus was getting increasingly frustrated. Memories of his brothers actions involving the only other woman he had ever had any care for were coming to him. Gone was the relaxed man from just moments before.
"Are you kidding me right now?" She pushed away from the bed, angrily pulling her hair out of her eyes to glare at him. "You're pissed 'cause I actually have some backup in this suicide plan?" What the hell was his problem? Elijah had agreed to help her, a girl he barely knew, and he was doing it because he cared about his brother. So why was Klaus making it sound like... like... something else.. And she wasn't even gonna think about the "true love" comment. If she did she might end up growing her own white oak tree just so she could stick a branch up his arrogant ass. "Elijah is just trying to help me Klaus. For you."
"Yes, my big brother, the honorable Elijah. All good manners and impeccable taste and only forgets about said honor when it comes to going after women who don't belong to him." He knew he was being ridiculous; they had bigger things to worry about and Caroline wasn't Tatia in any case; she was the purest person he had ever known, but something inside of him was itching to fight, to take control of what little he could in this moment. Plus, well, Caroline looked downright stunning when she was furious with him. Which she now was. Before he could blink she was on him, hitting any part she could reach.
"Let's get something clear right now, I do not belong to anyone," she whacked the side of his head as hard as she could while he tried through what she suspected was very tightly controlled laughter to grab her arms, "and two-" "You never said one love." "KLAUS." Fully aware he was at risk of another lamp-attack, he decided to preempt it. Caroline didn't have a chance to say anymore as his mouth crushed against hers.
Heart pounding in her chest, she immediately pushed her tongue into his mouth, fighting for control. As her hands slid into his curls and gripped them tight, he almost gave in. But then a possessive need to show her who she belonged to rose up and Klaus lost control. Dragging her against him, he roughly ripped her pants off and shoved her against the bed. One quick look at her face to make sure she was okay with his rough treatment told him how excited she was. Reaching up, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a hard kiss before aligning his hips and slamming up into her with no warning.
Caroline let out a long soft moan as he filled her. A small pain mixed with the intense pleasure to give her a whole new level of feeling. She never knew it was possible for sex to feel this good. As Klaus grabbed hold of her hips and pounded into her all she could do was bite her lip and try not to scream out. "Look. At. Me." He all but growled at her. As their eyes met, his glowed yellow. He pulled nearly all the way out of her, eyes locked on hers, then slammed back in harder than before. Her walls encased him so hot and tight he wasn't going to last very long. So he started to move faster, pushing deeper and deeper inside her, drawing out her orgasm until her core gripped him even tighter and she exploded. It was all he needed as he gave one last desperate thrust burying himself to the hilt and spilled his seed deeply inside her.
As they came down, panting and sweating she remembered she was mad at him.
Downstairs, at Klaus' kitchen table, an amused looking Elijah raised an eyebrow at a pale-faced Stefan. "Again, really? I'm going outside to throw up then check in on my brother."
Elijah smirked at the empty space that had just been vacated, "I think I will give it a moment before I check on mine." he muttered.
Caroline stepped out of Klaus' bathroom feeling a lot better. Now freshly showered and changed, she felt more ready to face the day ahead. Klaus, she noticed, hadn't moved from his bed. He was quietly watching her as she finished getting ready and she was about to tell him to move his ass when the bedroom door knocked.
"What is it?" Klaus called out, smirking as realization dawned on Caroline's face. She had been so caught up in him that she had completely failed to remember that there were two other people in the house. Two other people who had supernatural hearing abilities. A dose of mortification hit her. She glared at the clearly amused hybrid. Glad you find me so hilarious you ass.
Stefan's voice rang out before she could say anything. "It's Damon. Silas went after him, he's hurt."
Caroline had the door open in half a second. "What? Is he okay?" Panic had replaced embarrassment quickly.
"He'll live, but guys," here he faltered slightly and Caroline saw the strain in his eyes, "He said Silas impersonated me. Then he attacked him and showed his real face."
"Why bother pretending at all if he was going to attack him anyway?" Klaus, sounding unconcerned, piped up from behind Caroline. He had clearly gotten dressed while they were talking and now looked a little too pleased at the news for her liking.
Here, Stefan looked uncomfortable. He scratched his ear and looked to the floor. "Spit it out Stefan, what happened?"
"He told Silas what he did to you. In detail." He was refusing to meet her eyes. Her heart sank in her chest, guilt already eating at her. She had no clue what to say to that. Damon was her friend. She meant what she said before about having forgiven him and Silas was going to pay for what he had done. He was worse than Klaus, just thinking he could act on her behalf like some kind of keeper.
"Hmm, well... if you do see him today love, ask him for an address I can send a thank you basket to won't you?" Caroline whirled around to glare at him and he grinned back at her, quite unrepentant.
Stefan sighed loudly, "Kind of missing the point here guys. Silas can look like any one of us." The implication of his statement fully hit the two people in front of him at the same moment. He would have laughed, if it had been anywhere close to funny.
Half an hour later, Caroline was ready to go try draw Silas out. Klaus and Elijah were out front arguing about something, probably the same argument they had been having since the night before. Elijah thought it was a good plan, Klaus thought it was a terrible plan. Caroline doubted either one would change their mind any time soon so she left them to it.
"Are you sure you wanna do this Care? You know you don't have to..." She sighed, turning to smile tiredly at her best friend.
"He's already hurt Damon, Stefan. I have to do this, before someone else gets hurt or ends up dead." He sighed, pulling her to him for a hug. "I want to come with you."
"I know," she told him quietly, "so does Klaus. But I want you to be safe. I'll be okay, whatever Silas is upto, I don't think hurting me is on his agenda. Not yet anyway."
He nodded, still reluctant. "Anything that keeps you out of Klaus' bedroom for a while..." he smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
Another dose of mortification hit her, "Oh God..." She buried her face in his shoulder, refusing to look at him and deciding to never do so again. Ever.
Stefan laughed, pulling back as the door opened and the Originals re-entered the house. Caroline was red faced and not quite meeting anybody's eyes. Elijah watched her with a smile on his face. "Shall we, Miss Forbes?" He held an arm out and she moved to him. "Let's go." Her voice sounded stronger than she felt. Klaus reached out and grabbed her arm as they were about to walk out the door. Elijah swiftly moved aside and let her go to him.
There was an intensity in his eyes that she had never seen before. Klaus looked genuinely afraid and it was scaring her. "Be careful." He told her softly, eyes roaming her face, trying to memorize every detail. Caroline nodded, giving him a small smile. "I will." There was nothing else to say. It was time to go. He let her go and she turned to leave. Suddenly. the feeling that this was a real goodbye choked her. A hollow, broken feeling filled her stomach and she turned back to him, not caring who was there to watch. Before he could say anything, she raised her hands to his face and pressed her lips against his in a slow, sweet eyes squeezed tightly shut and when he opened them again, she was gone.
Elijah hesitated in the doorway, looking back at his clearly distressed brother. "I will look after her, Niklaus."
"See to it that you do." Elijah nodded and turned to leave. "And brother," he paused without turning back, "if any harm comes to her, you had better run far, and run fast."
Klaus turned, ignoring Stefan and walked straight back to his bedroom. Moving to the bed, he lay down and pressed his face into the pillow that only an hour previously Caroline had lay on, safe and in his arms. Her scent was still strong on it and he breathed it in, fighting the urge to go after her and drag her back. He felt exhausted in a way he'd never be able to describe. If he lost her now, he didn't know what he would do. When the scene around him changed, he was so caught up in thoughts of her that at first he didn't even notice what was happening.
He was back in the courtyard where he had first laid eyes on her. Abigayill. She was haunting his every thought. Ever since the night he saw her dancing in the rain he hadn't been able to get her out of his head. It was driving him insane. Ever since then he had been returning here every chance he got, hoping to catch even a glimpse of her face.
This would be his last chance for a long time. Tomorrow's dawn would see him off to fight in her father's new war; a dispute over land that could have been solved a long time ago had her father not been so headstrong and stubborn. He wondered if she were similar.
His eyes roamed the people around him but there was no sign of her, again. Disappointment stung him. After waiting for a long while, he realised he would not be seeing his mysterious beauty this side of the war. With a heavy heart, he turned to leave. He barely made it three steps when he felt the dagger stick into his back, hard, but not yet enough to break skin. Hand reaching for his sword at his belt, he cursed himself when he realised he had failed to attach his weapon in his haste to get here.
"Why are you following me?" Came a soft voice, right next to his ear. His breath caught. It was her. He turned slowly to face her and was immediatley struck by just how beautiful she was. Up close even more so.
"What makes you think I am following you my lady?" She laughed at him, the sound sending a jolt right through to his groin. "You come here almost every day, you look around, speak to no one and then you leave. I know you have been asking my servants about me, they keep no secrets from their mistress. So tell me sir," she held the dagger up, pressing it against his throat, laughter dancing in her eyes, "why are you following me?"
He smirked at her, this was the woman for him. She was perfection. "Because my lady, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
His smirk faltered slightly as she stared at him for a second then burst out laughing. The dagger fell away as she laughed at him. "Tell me sir, do those words work on all the girls you follow, or just the particularly unintelligent ones?"
There was a light in her eyes, she was thoroughly enjoying teasing him, which made it difficult to be angry. "I have never told another girl those words my lady. I have been seeking you out because I am off to war tomorrow and I wanted to look upon your face one last time before I leave. In truth, I have thought about you since the moment I saw you. " His sincerity must have been clear in his eyes, because she stopped laughing at this. "I know," she told him softly, "my father's ward is leaving as well." A sadness flashed in her eyes. He wanted to reach out to her but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. "May I see you again my lady? If I return? Nothing would give me more hope of returning home than the thought of seeing you again."
She smiled sadly at him. "If you live I am sure you will find me again when you return. I must go now." She told him. Surprisingly, she moved closer, putting her dagger away into the folds of her dress. She reached up, an unreadable look on her face. He opened his mouth and she pressed a finger against his lips to shush him. "I hope you return home safely, Alexander." In a heartbeat, her lips had replaced her finger in the sweetest kiss he had ever been given. And then she was gone. He turned back towards home, astonished. When he returned, and he would return, for her, he would ask her how it was that she knew his name.
Klaus opened his eyes, back in his room. To his dismay he found that his eyes were damp. "Come back to me Caroline, just as I came back to you."
Silas watched the car depart the mongrels mansion with a gleam in his eye. His poor dear Caroline was actually going along with the foolish plan. Qetsiyah was, as usual, overplaying her hand. But he would play along, for now. He would allow his girl to feel she was in charge, that was, after all, what he had always done. But sooner, rather than later, they would all realize that he was not a fool. He would end every one of them until he and his love were the only beings left in the world. Caroline was about to remember everything and then she would never return to the monster who claimed to love her.
With a smile on his face, he sped away.
A/N- I think I should clear up something from the last authors note... I see the Elijah/Caroline relationship as one that would be very friendly very quickly. I think he would genuinely like her as a person and enjoy the way she sticks up for herself and leaves Klaus speechless. And with her being a female, which lets face it, does any girl NOT have a crush on Elijah? But I'm not setting them up as a romantic thing... more like a mildly flirtatious friendship. I'm sure most of you get what I mean. I can picture Klaus and Caroline married for 60 years and still having the "this wouldn't have happened if I'd married your brother" kinda bickering. I'm very behind on sleep and probably not making much sense sorry lol. This story isn't gonna be about a Klaus/Caroline/Elijah triangle but the characters in my head certainly have a lot of chemistry and that will probably come across. But I am a Klaroliner through and through so worry not girls :) I shall never screw you like the shows have done!