The One You Once Were

The full and honest truth

I blinked. It was still dark in the room and I could hear Klaus' breathing next to me. His arm was around my waist and his head rested on my shoulder. We must have fallen asleep after our very intense, ahem, "thing" yesterday. And damn, I would have never imagined how good it had felt. It was something else. Gently, I took his arm off me, gave him a soft kiss on the lips and stood up. I put on some short pants and one of his shirts, which I found lying around in his room. Quietly, I walked out the door, closed it behind me and speeded down into the kitchen. My plan was to make us breakfast but I wasn't the only one in the room. Rebekah and Hayley were sitting at the table and raised their heads as I walked in.
"Well, hello.", the werewolf started grinning.
"Had a good night?", Rebekah raised her eyebrows knowingly.
"Yes...", I said, blushing. "I was going to make breakfast actually."
"No need.", Hayley gave back. "We'll take care of it. You just go back to bed. Don't want Klaus waking up alone, do you?"
Rebekah nodded smiling.
"But..."
"Just go!"
Defeated, I turned around and went back to Klaus who was actually still asleep. Chuckling, I snuck under the blanket and hugged him carefully. I heard him snarling and he slowly tried turning around.
"Hey sleepyhead.", I whispered and pawed at him. His eyes flew open in a hurry and he looked around the room in a stressed manner. "Klaus, it's okay, it's just me."
His look rested on me and he settled down as quickly as he'd awoken.
"Caroline.", he smiled. "Good morning."
I chuckled at his state and gave him a soft kiss.
"Morning.", I grinned when moving back, leaving him in a clear state of longing for more. "Did you sleep well?"
His eyes didn't let me go, his face looked so pleased and there was a genuine smile on his face. "Never better."
"Klaus, about last night", I started. His face changed into a bit of panick.
"Do you think it was a mistake?", he asked and I was caught off guard. What made him think that? A soft reassuring smile appeared on my face.
"I do not think that. What I wanted to say was that we should really talk about what I've been hiding from you since we, well, had better things to do yesterday.", I said and his body relaxed again.
"After breakfast?", he suggested and I nodded. I felt him examine my body, a smug expression on his face.
"What are you looking at?", I raised my eyebrows.
He reached out his hands, pulled me closer and gave me a kiss. Then he whispered: "Is that my shirt that you're wearing?"
Chuckling, I ruffled through his hair. "And what if it is?"
The very familiar smirk spread across his face and his hand went up and down my back. "Just taking my things without asking, are you?", he grinned.
"Yes. What are going to do about it?", I put my hands on his neck, smiling invitingly.
He moved closer, wanting to minimize the space between us when Rebekah burst through the door, Hayley right behind her.
"Hey you two lovebirds!", my friend shouted and we looked up. "Time for breakfast. We did our best so you better appreciate it!"
Klaus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You made breakfast? How come?"
Hayley shrugged her shoulders. "Because we're that nice?"
I laughed out loud. "No matter why, thank you two. You're the best."
The girls gave each other a devilish grin and left the room. I stood up and picked up a shirt and trouser from the ground to throw at Klaus.
"Put this on, honey.", I demanded. "As much as this look intrigues me, you should not eat breakfast half naked."
He slid on the shirt, the smile never leaving his face.

"So, what exactly are we now?", Klaus asked while eating the delicious meal, Becka and Hayley had prepared. They'd really outdone themselves. There was eggs, bacon, bread, jam and so much more. This was what one would call a deluxe breakfast.
"I don't know.", I answered Klaus. "I guess, it's complicated."
"Will it make more sense when you tell me your secret?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "It would certainly explain a lot.", I admitted.
"Then spit it out. I know breakfast's not over yet but better sooner than later, right?", he said, biting off a piece of bread.
"Okay then.", I took a deep breath. "You remember all the scenes you saw when I was lying next to you?"
He nodded. "The dreams, yeah, I remember those. They felt so real."
"That's because they were.", I said and he let his hand sink down to the table, not eating to be able to listen more closely. "As I told you yesterday, Silas is at fault for that. To explain it more closely: A little while back, I got a call from Bonnie. She said Stefan had found something to defeat Silas and she needed help with a spell."
"But didn't you say, the witch was dead?", Klaus wondered.
"She is.", I sighed. "The girl who called me and whom I performed the spell with did look like her but was someone else."
"What did the spell do?"
"It sent me back centuries, to a time without vampires. To your town."
Klaus didn't say anything, he just listened, curious of what I'd say next.
"I panicked and stole a dress, then wandered about until I bumped into your sister who took me to you mother. She allowed me to stay with you and I didn't really see a choice so I said yes. Then, we were sent to get you and your siblings for dinner."
"And you introduced yourself to us. We were still human?", Klaus said, getting what I was aiming at.
"You lived with us and even talked to me about Tatia.", he remembered.
"Exactly. And I guess, you started to have feelings for me, at least it seemed like that in my sight.", I said.
"I did. I remember that from my dreams.", he smiled.
"The plan was for your town witch to send me home with a spell. I'd even talked to my friends in my time and found out about Bonnie and Tyler.", every scene appeared in my head as I recalled what had happened. Something so real filled my mind, a sense of finally knowing what I had been missing this whole time.
"I calmed you down when you found out. We were close, even were together in that cave. You got a craving for blood there and I didn't know what was up with you.", he continued. "We had a moment and you just left."
"Then, your brother died. And you were turned right in front of me.", my voice almost broke and he squeezed my hand lovingly.
"You got to know Henrik? What a delight."
"Yes, it was. He was such a sweet boy.", I smiled.
"My dreams didn't continue from then on. What happened afterwards?", he wanted to know to get away from the topic of his dead brother.
"I went into hiding. We met up one night and you found out, I was a vampire. You wanted me to stay with you forever, going on about endless possibilities because you had fallen for me. I refused, wanting to return to my time.", I went on, my voice starting to sound sore as we were approaching the end of the story. "We had a very bad fight and you said, you would not care about me anymore."
"There's no way, I actually meant that!", Klaus defended himself. I smiled.
"I know. You came by just before we were about to perform the spell and told me. And..."
"And what?"
"We kissed."
He started grinning. "We did?"
"Yes. A goodbye kiss. But a long, passionate one.", I chuckled, recalling the memory. What had followed after had not been as enjoyable.
"Were you sent home afterwards?", Klaus questioned.
"No. We did start the spell but then I heard you screaming and couldn't just sit thight. I ran to you, your mother was about to perform the ritual to prevent your wolfside from showing.", I took a deep breath.
"What did you do? Watch it happen?", his muscles tensed.
"I killed Esther."
Klaus' jaw dropped. "You did what?"
"I killed your mother."
"For me?"
"Yes." My eyes met his, searching for a response.
"I cannot believe you would do that for me. Kill for me.", he sounded startled.
"Well, believe it 'cause it's true.", I sighed. "I panicked back then and didn't know what else to do. I then freed you and we ran. Didn't get far though because your father followed us."
My mouth became dry. I wasn't ready to speak about the end.
"Did he hurt you?", Klaus growled.
"He didn't get the chance. Ayana stopped him and sent me back."
"That's it? That's how you returned?"
"There's a bit more.", I said, wanting to tell him how he had died and it had haunted me ever since. I couldn't even bear the thought.
"What else?"
"I... You...", I didn't know how to put it in words. Funny how my view had changed since I'd first met him. Now, I was really convinced, the world would not be a better place without Klaus. He wasn't all bad. I saw the good in him. Yes, I saw the good in Klaus.
"What is it Caroline? You can tell me.", Klaus assured me. I knew I could. No matter what, I could tell him anything. He would never let me down or judge me.
"Before I disappeared...", I started and looked the hybrid into his eyes. They were so deep, so beautiful and strong. The words wouldn't leave my mouth.
"Yes?", Klaus said, wanting to hear me say something.
"Before I disappeared", I began again. "I told you, I loved you."
It was no lie. I had said that. Moreover, I had sincerely meant it.
"Say that again.", Klaus whispered.
"I love you.", I smiled.
The widest smile I had ever seen appeared upon his face.
"I love you too."

Hey guys!
They finally admitted it now, what a delight! I hope you liked it because I have a few more things in store for you regarding this story! But you'll have to wait another week...
Also, I wanted to thank you all for the kind words last week. My health has improved again and my performances went extraordinarily well! I wish I could be back on stage, I already miss the feeling.
Enough from me, I'll see you all next week, until then, byeee