Heart's Desire (Completed)

Chapter 3: Compassion

Caroline wakes up from a nightmare, covered in sweat. She quickly reaches for her bathroom coat and runs out of her room to children's rooms at the second floor.

She opens the door to Hope's bedroom without knocking.

The bed's empty. The little girl is not there.

She covers her mouth and yells: "Alaric!"

Her screaming wakes the girl sharing the dorm with Hope. "What's going on?" She mutters sleepily.

Caroline approaches her in a hurry. "Honey, when's the last time you saw Hope?"

"The new girl?" she jawns, lazily sitting up. Just before falling asleep." She look to her bed and notices she's absent. "Why, where did she go?"

"I don't know," she bites her fingernails. "Go back to sleep, okay?"

"What's going on?" Alaric appears behind her back, stressed out, "is everyone okay?"

"No," she starts crying. "I had a dream that Dahlia found Hope and I went to check up on her and she's..." she sees Hope in the hallway halfway through her sentence. "Oh, thank God!" She rushes to her and kneels down to hug her.

"Wow, is this the usual morning routine here?"

Caroline laughs both from relief and panic. "Where have you been? Are you okay?"

"Um, I just went to visit the ladies' room. Have I missed something?"

Caroline shakes her head. I panicked so badly. This is so unlike me. "No, no, nothing happened. I just... had a bad dream, that's all." She hugs her again. "I'm glad you're fine."

"Mm you smell so nice, miss Caroline, even in the morning. Just like a princess."

"You're the one that's a princess, little munchkin."

She giggles shyly. "Yes, but just because I'm little, doesn't mean I can't defend myself."

Caroline stands up, smug look on her face. "Don't you play tough in front of me, little lady. We're all here to protect you."

"I know," she crosses her hands. "Who said I was the one that's afraid?"

Alaric chuckles.

She gives him a gentle hit on his arm. "You two... alright, back to your room," she checks her watch. "Get ready. The first class is almost here."

* * *

Caroline sits with Alaric on the patio, drinking tea.

"I wish more schools like this existed," he states. "There'd definitely be less misunderstood supernatural beings doing crazy evil stuff out of unhappiness."

Caroline chuckles. "I almost choked with this damn tea. Since when are you this emotional?"

He gives her a wry smile. "Haven't I always been?"

"Well," she starts, but her cellphone rings and she sees Klaus is calling.

Alaric meets her eyes. "No problem, answer it."

Caroline makes an apologetic look. "I just wouldn't want him to worry... it's her first day." She answers. "Hello, Klaus," and walks down the courtyard, away from Alaric, so that he can't hear their conversation.

"Hello, love. Am I mistaken or do I hear excitement in your voice?"

She starts playing with her hair nonchalantly. "Why haven't you called Hayley, Klaus? We've already spoken to her."

"You've spoken to her or your boyfriend has?"

"Alaric spoke to her. And I don't have a boyfriend."

"Well, isn't that just lovely?"

"To be honest, no."

"There, there, love. You still look as stunning as always. I'm sure you have plenty of suitors."

"Well, I can't complain," she says, even though nobody of any love interest is in her life at the moment.

"Me on the other side... I'm leading a lonely wolf life. Pun intended. No family, no partner in crime..."

Even though his voice is amused, she knows he's talking from his heart. "I know you must miss all of them so badly. Your siblings, Hayley, Hope... it must be awful not to be able to see them."

"I wasn't referring only to them, love."

Tingles go up and down her spine. She imagines them wrestling and kissing in bed, tearing each other's clothes apart...

She clears her throat. "I already told you you can call anytime you wish. I wasn't only referring to giving you news about your daughter."

Klaus is silent at first. "Thank you," he then says dead serious. "It actually means a lot more than you think." Caroline is one of few people he cares about and is actually allowed to see and talk to. Then he gets an idea. "Listen... I was thinking, I can't come to Mystic Falls due to my restrictions, but... there's nothing stopping you from paying a visit to me."

She contains her smile. "Klaus, be serious. Hope is not the only reason why you can't come here. Or have you forgotten your promise?"

He takes a deep breath. "I could never forget that promise. Just like I could never forget everything else that happened that day," his voice becomes low, seductive. It works every time.

"Well... we're clear then," she utters.

"Have you forgotten, Caroline?"

She inhales sharply, but doesn't answer. It'd be too dangerous to go down that road. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Klaus."

"I'll take that as a no," he whispers confidently just before she hangs up.

Of course I haven't forgotten. How could I?