"Damon get away from there!" Stefan yelled, pushing his brother away from the portal the heretics had been swallowed by which led to Hell. "Run Damon, Elena has to see you when she wakes up!"

"My own sons betraying me!" Lilly screamed before running at me. Stake in hand.

I had no time to move as she stood in front of me, eyes angry. "You, my dear are not good enough to date my son."

"P-please don't," I stuttered, stepping back. My back connected with a tree as I tried to escape my fate.

"No!" Stefan rushed in front of me.

The stake flew forward in Lilly's hand.

And it didn't hit me.

It struck Stefan.

Into his chest.

"Damn you!" Damon screamed, wrestling with his mother and throwing her into the portal.

"Stefan?" I croaked. His body was becoming weak in my arms as we sunk to the floor.

The smell of burning now drifted through the woods. The portal was closed.

"Caroline," Stefan took my hand, his grip weak. "Live your life to the fullest."

"No, Stefan," I cried as his face began to go grey. "Don't."

"I love you Caroline," he whispered, his hand brushing my face.

"Stefan, don't leave me, please," I begged, pulling him closer, kissing him.

"Say goodbye to Elena for me," he nodded at Damon. "I love you brother."

"Why did you have to be the hero?" I watched as his eyes closed.

"Caroline," he smiled before his breath stopped.

Silence.

Stefan... His green eyes were gone. His touch now cold. He was dead. Stefan was gone.

"No! I didn't tell him I loved him!" I yelled, tears choking my voice. "I didn't reassure him. I should have died. Damon, I should have died. Stefan's dead..."

Damon knelt beside me, wrapping his arms around me as I clung to Stefan's body.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this," I whispered.

"I know," Damon squeezed my arm. "I know." He was crying too.

I sat up in bed, guilt overriding my senses. I couldn't sleep after that. Sweat clung to my skin and shivers ran through me. I couldn't call it a nightmare because it wasn't, it had been real. Too real. I let the tears fall as I slipped on my clothes, ditching my PJs. I quietly padded out of the room careful not to wake up Elena.

The college grounds were cold with mist swirling around as I broke into the college corridor. I needed the silence and the familiarity, I wanted to cry alone. I was sick of people telling me it was okay when it wasn't.

"A little early for class love." Klaus' voice drifted from behind me.

I turned to face him, still crying. My cheeks were wet and my sight slightly blurred.

"Caroline..." Klaus' blue eyes watched my tears before his hand reached up and brushed each one away. His touch caused electricity to rush across my skin. "Even in sadness you're beautiful."

"Stop," I muttered.

"Telling the truth?" Klaus stepped back. "You're a bad influence on me love."

"Stop talking," I snapped.

"You're in denial love," Klaus sighed. "We all are. Everyone says it's okay when it's not, quite ridiculous if you ask me."

"I know." I hit the locker, a small indent of my hand on the dull grey metal. "Every time I close my eyes I see him dead in my arms. I just want a way to forget... Compel me."

"I will not compel you, Caroline," Klaus snapped, slipping his hands into his pockets. "That would be disrespectful to Stefan."

"Ugh." My back hit the locker as I slid down it, looking up at Klaus.

He stood straighter, adjusting his shirt. "Accept my offer, distract yourself. We can travel all over the world. Just ask, love."

"Stop acting like I can just forget him!" I shouted at him. "I can't, I never will..."

"Hope was killed," Klaus whispered from his place against the locker across from me. "One of my enemies ripped her-" Klaus scowled, pressing a hand to his mouth. "My daughter..."

We'd both lost someone. We'd both chosen college as a distraction. But he wasn't taking it out on me. One of the many differences between us. The Original Hybrid who had caused so much confusion in my life.

"I'm sorry." I walked across the short distance to hug Klaus. 

His strong arms surrounded me almost like a safety blanket. "I wasn't trying to make you forget him, love." His rich cologne somehow made some of the pain ebb away.

"Damon was trying to find a way to get him back." I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. "I'll see him again." My jaw moved awkwardly against his shoulder as I spoke.

"You need to accept that Stefan won't be waiting on the doorstep for you love, he's gone," Klaus held my arms, his voice sincere as he held me in front of him. "Like Hope, he was taken from us too soon."

"I miss him." The tears fell quicker down my cheeks as I stood shaking. "I want Stefan back."

"I want Hope back but even I cannot undo the past." Klaus pulled me back into his arms. "There should be no good in goodbye," he whispered. "There is no good in losing someone."

"No," I mumbled.

"Caroline love?" Klaus stepped back slightly, hands leaving my arms. His beautiful blue eyes were watching my face. "I know I promised to never come back, but Stefan called me the day before you killed The Heretics."

"What did he say?" I asked, shoes squeaking as I stepped away from Klaus. I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself. Over the past six months it was a way of keeping myself together in situations like this.

"He told me to look after you if anything happened to him." Klaus looked to the floor. "I'm just committing to a dead man's wish, that's why I'm here."

"Stefan..." I whispered.

"See love, I'm not all that bad," Klaus chuckled.

I looked up at him, a small smile on my face.

"I can ease the pain, love." Klaus put a hand to my cheek. "Make it better."

"How?" I asked, curious.

"Like this." He leant forward lips igniting mine. And I didn't pull away. Instead I pulled him closer letting his smell and touch wash over me. I let it drown me. He turned us around, pushing me against the lockers as his hands roamed to my hips pulling me closer to him. His lips were fierce and soft all at the same time. Unlike Stefan's...

"Stefan." I pulled away from Klaus. "I can't do this."

Klaus' jaw clenched before he nodded, stepping back. "Distractions do not last forever. You cannot run away from reality, from the truth for long, my love."

I nodded, hurrying away from him. What on earth was I doing?

***

"Where have you been?" Elena sat on her bed, playing with her quilt.

"I went for a walk and bumped into Klaus." I slipped off my shoes, going to sit next to her. "And we... We talked and we kissed."

"Oh..." Elena took my hand. "Why do you say it like it's a bad thing?"

"Well he's Klaus. It's Klaus the big bad hybrid psycho who tried to kill everyone. And Stefan died six months ago and I don't want to..." I trailed off having no idea what to say.

"Caroline, Stefan would want you to move on and not spend all of eternity waiting for him," Elena smiled. "Damon's human now and so am I and you need someone to be there for you when we're gone. And as much as you'll hate me for saying it: you'll be the safest with him."

"But what happens if he leaves me or gets killed I can't-"

"We're talking about Caroline, he won't leave you, he's obsessed with you," Elena laughed. "And as for him dying, he's the Original hybrid. He can't die."

I nodded my head. "You should sleep, you're human so you'll be tired in the morning."

"Yes ma'am," Elena laughed lying back down as I headed for my own bed. "And Caroline?"

"Yes?" I asked, rolling over to face her.

"Will you be my bridesmaid at my wedding?" Elena smiled before closing her eyes.

"Yes!" I shrieked.

"Shhh... I'm trying to sleep," Elena mumbled, putting a finger to her lips.

"Sorry," I smiled, closing my eyes too. I'd hated Damon when they first got together but over the sixty years without Elena we'd gotten close and I realised something. Like Klaus, Damon was sometimes ruthless because they cared. My problem was I cared too much. My mom's smile flashed before my eyes then. She'd cared too before she died an ordinary human death. It was her death anniversary tomorrow...