Two Lost Souls

Have It All

Tossing and turning is not something Caroline Forbes is familiar with. While she's an over-thinker, she's also an over-achiever, which means that she tends not to go to bed until she feels she's accomplished all she could accomplish during her day and she's all but ready to collapse, so whatever issues are on her mind when her head hits the pillow, they quickly disappear with the bliss of oblivion. Every once in a while, they do haunt her dreams, but they usually don't prevent her from falling asleep. In fact, she can only remember one instance when she couldn't sleep at all in spite of how tired she was. Back in New Orleans, the day before Klaus was set to start slaughtering people again at the end of their truce. And even then, a conversation with him was all it took before she finally managed to get some rest.

But today, what is troubling her does not want to leave her alone. She's not surprised, but she hates it.

It certainly doesn't help that her vampire senses enable her to hear what's going on in the other bedroom and she knows that Klaus isn't faring any better than her in the sleep department.

At least he didn't storm out of the cabin.

Unable to take it anymore, she throws back her covers and flashes out of her room. She stops in front of his door and focuses her hearing only to be met with silence. It seems he went completely still as soon as he heard her move, he's probably barely even breathing.

Since she knows that she has his attention, she whispers through the door, "Can I come in?"

Instead of getting an answer, she hears him get up and walk to the door. He opens it and steps aside to let her in, closing it behind her. She turns around to face him and finds him watching her carefully, clearly wondering what she's doing in his room after the way they left things a couple of hours ago. Biting down on her lip almost to the point of pain to refocus after being reminded once again that he sleeps half naked, she manages not to let herself get distracted.

"I need you to let me get this out, okay?" she asks. At his nod, she sighs. "I've never... I've never really had anyone feel that way about me." When he looks like he's about to protest despite his silent agreement to let her speak, she shakes her head. "It's true. There are people who love me, I know that. But you... you basically told me that you'd rather die than live without me. And that's not something I'm used to."

"You're going to have to learn to live with that," he says softly, echoing what she told him about the fact that there are some people she would protect with her life.

She's a bit surprised that he didn't try to take it back, that he just seems to accept that this is the way things are and that she should too. It's not that she doubts his feelings for her or how deep they run, but she never thought he would voice them like this. She knows he never did either. That's why he left so abruptly. He had never intended to say this out loud and the fact that she didn't know how to respond made him more vulnerable than he was comfortable with. But apparently, he's come to terms with it. Probably because he now understands why she came to find him and he knows what is coming.

Nodding solemnly, she says, "I know. I will." Since there's obviously more she needs to say, he motions for her to go on. "I'm sorry I didn't react the way you expected me to. Or at all, really. You took me by surprise. What I should have said was 'I promise'. So here it is." She takes a deep breath. She knows now why her safety is something he's not willing to compromise on. She knows what her death would do to him, his confession and the way he fled afterwards made it clear how much the simple thought affects him, and she knows she has to make this concession. "I promise. I promise you I will not risk my own life to protect anyone. Not even you."

"Not even Stefan?" he asks quietly.

She gives a half smile at the question.

"No, not even him."