Timeless

Chapter 16

Klaus awoke in the middle of the night. It took him a few moments to realize that he was in Caroline's bed and not his own. They had spent the rest of the day together, drinking one another in, and at some point had finally fallen asleep. It was amazing, after spending an entire day with her, Klaus still couldn't get his fill. He could feel himself hardening again for her. He stretched out and reached over, to pull her to him, but she wasn't on the other side of the bed. He glanced over. She was gone.

He could hear something coming from the adjoining room, Rebekah's old sitting room. He got out of bed to investigate, wrapping the sheet around his waist as he walked to the doorway.

Klaus nudged the door open and saw Caroline sitting in a large red chair, white sheet wrapped around her naked body, a piece of food half way to her mouth. She stopped a peered over at him guiltily, her mouth hanging open from the bite she was about to take. Klaus chuckled. Her reactions to everything were so unlike any other woman he had ever met. Maybe it was the fact that she was from a different time, or maybe it was just her. Either way, he found it endearing. She lowered the food back down to the plate on the table in front of her and folded her hands in her lap.

"I was wondering where you disappeared to."

"Sorry, I was starving," she said, "I didn't eat today. I forgot humans need food for nutrition, not just for fun."

Klaus came and knelt down in front of her. He watched her crystal eyes follow his movements in the darkness. He reached over to her plate and picked up an apple slice, slowly bringing it to her mouth. Caroline tentatively took a bite. He could hear her heart pounding inside her chest. He smirked knowing that he was the one making her heart race like that.

Caroline chewed the bite slowly and swallowed. Klaus popped the rest of the apple slice into his mouth.

"I can't sleep," she said breaking the silence. "I keep thinking about Elena and her being dead. Even though I know she's not. She's not!"

"This Elena is someone important to you?"

Caroline nodded. "She's my best friend. We've known each other forever. I mean we haven't always had the strongest friendship but we've always been there for each other."

Klaus nodded thoughtfully. "You'll figure out a way to fix everything. I'll help you."

"You will?"

Klaus tried to ignore the feeling of hurt that spawned from her incredulity.

"Of course. You need to be vampire again Caroline. I can't have you running around here fragile and human. It's too dangerous."

"What if I don't change back though?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Then I'll turn you again myself."

Caroline shivered at the intensity of his words. There was no doubt in her mind that Klaus was completely serious. It was interesting and unnerving all at the same time.

"Would you not want me around? If I were human?"

Klaus reached up and cupped her cheek. "It's about your safety. Between the wolves, vampires, and other things there's no fathomable way you would survive as a human."

Caroline wasn't pacified though. "Oh come on Klaus, I know you. I know how much you hate humans. They mean nothing to you."

Klaus dropped his and hand stood up exasperated. He paced away from her slightly. It was true, humans meant very little to him. But it wasn't like Caroline was a human permanently. He meant it. He would change her. To keep her safe. It would be the only way she could stay in his life.