What Now?

Chapter 4

"Bourbon, of course!" Klaus said.

"That's what I was thinking too," Caroline said with a big smile.

Caroline walked into the kitchen with Klaus hot on her heels. She reached into a cabinet and grabbed a full bottle of liquor and then sat the bottle on the counter. She then went into another cabinet to grab a couple whiskey glasses for her and Klaus. By the time she turned back around with the glasses, Klaus had already opened the bottle and was drinking straight from it.

"Guess we won't be needing these," she said with a laugh.

Klaus walked around the kitchen island towards Caroline without breaking eye contact with her. He stopped right in front of her. He handed her the bottle and watched her intensely. Caroline took the bottle and held it up to her lips. She took a big swig, careful not to break eye contact with him. When she pulled the bottle away from her lips a little drip remained in the corner of her mouth. Klaus raised his hand and wiped the drop away with his thumb. The moment was so intense and all they were doing was staring at each other.

Caroline finally looked away and cleared her throat. "So, where do we want to drink this at?"

"I'll follow you, wherever you want to go, Love." Klaus smiled, taking the bottle back.

"Well let's go to the living room. I need to get these shoes off," she said.

As soon as the two walked into the living room Caroline sat in the floor leaning her back against the couch and took her shoes off with a sigh of relief. Klaus walked over and sat next to her on the floor. He took another swig and passed the bottle back to Caroline. He figured she needed it more than him right now with how uncomfortable her shoes looked to him.

"So, what was it like where you were at? Where exactly were you?" Caroline asked.

"I just know it was the afterlife. Maybe my own personal hell? It was dark and cold, and I was alone. It was so quiet all the time. I hated it." Klaus said.

"That sounds horrible. What did you do with all your time there?" Caroline asked empathetically handing the bottle back to him.

"Well, at first I attempted to live day to day like normal. It was still my house after all. Then there was never day light. It was one long, miserable, never ending night. I started painting at one point and I never stopped. The strange part is that when I would try to take the canvas I had already painted off; it would become blank again. I guess I painted for 2 years in actual time, but I couldn't tell, and I lost track of time." He said and then took a large drink of bourbon.

"That's terrifying. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Caroline said placing her hand on his leg to show him she was there.

"Well, I suppose that's enough about that. Let's talk about something that doesn't make me want to rip my own heart out," he said taking another sip.

Caroline reached over and took the bottle from Klaus while it was still pressed to his lips. "I'll drink to that," Caroline said before raising the bottle like she was making a toast and took a big drink.

Klaus laughed causing Caroline to laugh with him.

"How do you feel about being back?" Caroline asked with her brows raised.

"I get to see my daughter grow up. I get to be around when she goes to college, gets married, has children... in that order," he said grinning at Caroline.

"Be careful. You sound like a caring father," she said smiling back at him with a wink.

"How do you feel about me being back?" he asked her with a serious face.

"I feel like this time around will be different for you. It's a miracle you're even here, if I can even call it that. Heh. I guess I kind of... missed you," she said keeping the smile on her face.

"Are you going to make me chase you around for a few more centuries, as you put it last time we spoke?" He asked jokingly.

"You know where to find me when you're ready," she said and then looked down at the ground. "I have a feeling you won't be ready for a while though," she added.

"You're not going to make me work for it? My my! Color me surprised," Klaus said sarcastically. 

"I think we have danced around whatever we have between us for long enough. I just..." Caroline looked into Klaus' eyes and released a deep sigh.

"What is it, Caroline?" Klaus asked looking deep into her eyes.

She searched his eyes and decided she could trust him with the thing she's been holding inside since she's lost every single man she's ever loved. "I just am tired of hurting and then getting hurt repeatedly. I've focused all my time and energy on my girls, but I never get a happy ending as far as my love life is concerned. Usually, that's okay with me because I can spend all my time on the twins, but I do still get lonely sometimes." She said before finishing off the bottle of bourbon. 

"When the time is right Caroline, I'll do right by you. Not only for you, but also for Stefan. You deserve a happy ending. I'll be here to help you find it, and make for certain that you do," Klaus said taking her hand.

"Thanks," she said softly. "Our bottle is empty, so we should probably call it a night." she said with a slightly drunk smile.

"You're right. Goodnight, love." Klaus said.

"Goodnight, Klaus." she said to him.

Caroline leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

As Caroline got up, Klaus grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. He pulled her into a kiss. It was soft and gentle at first, but it quickly escalated. His hands began roaming her body. This wasn't the same body he had once before in the forest. It looked the same, but it felt stronger and more experienced. He could tell she had been through more things and he loved that about her. He knew after being in the afterlife for 2 years he was beyond ready for that dry spell to be over. Caroline slid her hands under the hem of his shirt and pulled it off above his head. They continued to kiss passionately as their hands re-explored each other's bodies.

Finally, Caroline pulled away. Both were breathing hard with dark desire vampire eyes. Caroline shook hers off. Klaus lifted his hand to cup Caroline's cheek. He ran his thumb over her lower lip and the dark desire returned to her eyes. 

"What now?" she asked him in a flirty way.