The Times We Loved

The Old Mikaelson Hut

Caroline woke up with warm toes covered by a blanket on a bed of straw. Sleep in her eyes she rolled to her left to gaze at the small fire. Curious she looked around to find she was in a hut that looked like the Mikaelsons hut but was backwards and somewhat smaller.

She began to sit up when an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer. Caroline rolled onto her right side and was met with the sight of a sleeping Klaus. He looked so peaceful and vulnerable.

Why did she have this niggling feeling in the back of her mind whispering to her; this kind hearted man, with innocent angelic eyes, will change in time?

Caroline softly sighed as her blue eyes studied his face for a while. They were only a few millimeters apart which gave Caroline a feeling like this had happened before...

Her memory was fuzzy but she knew she didn't belong here. She wanted to know Klaus more, however she must have family and friends that miss her, or are worried about her somewhere...

Caroline pushed her thoughts away; her hand rubbed his shoulder then cupped his face, caressing it gently. She smiled as he stirred.

Klaus's eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the light. He was met with the smile of an angel and her hand on his cheek. He smiled meekly back then realised where his hand was. He looked down then back at Carolines bright face.

"Forgive me, Caroline," He whispered and began to move his hand away. Caroline took her hand and kept his on her waist. Caroline smiled as she watched the eyes of Klaus widen in surprise. "People will talk!"

"What people? Nobody is here..." Caroline whispered grinning.

"Then why are you whispering?" Klaus teased. They both laughed as they lay on the straw bed together.

"Where are we anyway?" Caroline asked finally sitting up. Klaus followed.

"This was mother and fathers first house." Klaus looked around and smiled. "It's small and could not fit three children and two adults so they moved to the current hut when I was very young."

"Do you come back here often?" Caroline asked turning so she was facing him.

"No." He paused. "I dont like this place at all but I didn't want to take you home yeaterday, so brought you here."

Caroline sensed something was wrong about how he wasn't looking all around the place of his early childhood.

"What makes you not want to visit here Klaus?" She innocently inquired. Klaus looked at Caroline surprised. It was like she could read his mind. He inhaled as if he was about to rip off a bandage.

"When all of us were younger, and father was in one of his bad moods, I would sneak Kol and Rebekah here sometimes, if he couldn't decide on which one of us to beat," Klaus had tears in his eyes. "I'd tell them to hide, then make sure Mikael found me first and not them."

Caroline smiled sadly at Klaus and moved closer so she could hug him. She inhaled his scent as she buried her face in the crook of his neck and held him tight. His arms wrapped around her back.

"Wait a minute, how did we get here?" Caroline pulled away from Klaus and gave him a puzzled look. "We were under that tree?"

"You fell asleep, so just before I too fell into dream land, I carried you here." Klaus shyly smiled and blushed. Caroline smiled and hugged him again. The two of them stayed like that for a few moments before they heard a noise like thunder.

"Was that your stomach?" Klaus inquired. Caroline giggled and blushed.

"It might have been..." They broke apart and cool air rushed between them making the two shudder.

"I think there is some bread somewhere here, let me just... take a look" Klaus stood up and rumaged around the little hut.

After much grumbling and groaning Klaus made a victorious cheer and his hand, along with the other half of his body, emerged from a cracked cupboard, holding in his hand a medium loaf of stale, but still edible, bread. It was just about enough to share.

Caroline was now standing and had been watching Klaus and giggling the whole time he was foraging. She was leaning against a broken wooden table with a pot on it. As Klaus made his way over to Caroline he also began to chuckle. As he walked he broke the bread in two and gave her the slightly bigger half.

"Thank you Niklaus." Caroline sang and sat down on a stool to eat at the table. Klaus sat at the table on the stool opposite to Caroline.

"I can't remember why we left this place" Klaus placed a piece of bread in his mouth and gazed around. He seemed to be more relaxed now rather when he was remembering Mikael's reign of terror on his childhood.

Suddenly there was a large bang from outside followed by a scream. Caroline and Klaus sprinted for the door. They opened it a crack and peaked through to look about.

A few trees were on the ground but hadn't been chopped down that day... their roots were above ground, exposed to the air.

Slowly and cautiously Caroline and Klaus opened the door fully and stepped out. They looked around and saw no movement so looked at one another very confused.

Another scream alerted the pair to a woman who was running out of a nearby hut followed by a tall and built, figure of a man. The man snatched the woman by her waist and picked her up while swinging her in circles.

The girls screams became mixed with both the man's and her own laughter. Klaus and Caroline hurried towards the strangers.

Caroline recognised the male as Elijah but could not see the girls face as Elijah had spotted his brother, and Caroline, coming their way and pushed her behind him.

"Brother, what are you doing here?" Elijah almost stuttered however kept composed. Was he hiding something?

"Caroline and I were having breakfast, would you and the lady care to join us?"

"I don't thinks so," the female said slinking out of Elijah's shadows, like a cat playing with string, as she trailed an arm along his right shoulder down to his bicep.

Klaus stepped back slightly to Carolines surprise and blinked at him. Caroline turned to Elijah and the woman; she had long dark brown hair that had many wild flowers tucked in it all over. She had dark brown coloured eyes and a devilish grin pointed at Caroline.

Caroline studied the girl and stepped forward not noticing the tears in her own eyes. She held her hand out to the girls face but didn't touch it before squeezing her shoulder gently. Caroline's world went black.

The last thing she heard was Klaus calling her name.
______ ______ ______ ______
Present day

"Caroline!" Klaus yelled as he woke up from his drunken slumber. He was awkwardly sat on a soft arm chair with many art supplies on the floor around him as well as bottles of miscellaneous alcoholic drinks strewn on the floor.

Looking about he realised he was surrounded by 3 painting of Caroline he had done the night before, all painted from memory.
One of her sat in the grill waiting for her friends looking out the window.

The second painting was of her laughing in an crowed of people at one of the Mikaelson balls. She wore a blue dress and her lush golden hair up.

The final one was of her under a tree waving at him. Klaus must have been very drunk painting that picture because he could not remember painting it or where his inspiration came for it.

He stood and looked closer at the painting. It was Caroline but she was in clothes peasants would wear over 1000 years ago. Clothes like he and his family would have worn before they became immortal.

There was and sharp pain in Klaus's head, like a thin needle was being pushed through his brain from one side to the other. He screamed in pain then fell to the floor. He was unconscious once again.