CHAPTER THIRTY - FOUR
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JOLTING AWAKE WITH A GASP, Cassandra opens her eyes as she takes in her surroundings. She was no longer in the woods with flames in front of her, it looked like she was now in a house, laying on someone's couch. A groan leaves her lips as a sickening pain shoots through her head for a moment. Closing her eyes for a few more seconds, she tries to compose herself before allowing her eyelids to open again. Glancing around the room, she notices Klaus and his siblings standing around her. They all looked worried until they saw that the girl was awake. "What happened?" She grumbles as she rubs her eyes, the last thing she remembered was talking to Esther and then suddenly she blacked out. Cassandra didn't know what it was but she knew that the originals could probably explain what happened to her.

"She's awake." Rebekah gasps as she moves close to the girl, bending down to be eye level with her. Sending a soft smile, the blonde moves Cassandra's hair out of her face so she could fully see the people in front of her.

"Did we win?" Cassandra asks in a tired tone, her eyes flickering through the siblings. There was no definite answer to that question since although they did stop themselves from getting killed, Esther and Finn did get away.

"For now, love."  Klaus answers her as he sends a soft smile her way, glad she was okay and conscious.

"Did someone knock me out?" She asks as she feels that was the only logical explanation although there was no one else around them when it happened.

"No, uh.. Your mother possessed your body." Elijah tells her cautiously, not knowing of a better way to tell her since it wasnt exactly a conversation starter. Cassandra thought she was still dreaming for a moment as those words process through her mind.

"What?" Cassandra asks as her eyes grow wide, thinking she didn't hear the man right as it was an insane thing to say to her. She knew her mother was a witch but how was she able to come in contact with her body if the girl had nothing on her since Esther took her bracelet.

"Somehow, I'm not sure how. But she was part of the reason why Esther didn't succeed." Kol explains to her, not knowing if it was just the circumstances of the spell or if it was something entirely different. Cassandra furrows her eyebrows, not understanding why her mother would protect a daughter she never even met.

"I thought my mother hated me?" She asks confused, Esther having told her that her mother was helping made the girl think that her mother truly thought she was a horrible person.

"She told us to tell you that she will always love you. She's proud of you, Cass." Rebekah tells her with a smile on her face. She was glad that this could possibly give the girl some closure. Her mother did make it known that she thought her daughter was an incredible girl who had a horrible thing happen to her.

"Where's Caroline?" Cassandra asks as she glances around the room, hoping she would see the perky blonde but to no luck she was no where to be found. She wanted to thank Caroline for even giving the slightest heads up, not that it helped much.

"Ugh, why do you want to know where that bitch is?" Rebekah grumbles unhappily as the girl had been part of the plan to get rid of them. Cassandra only furrows her eyebrows, sitting up, much to their dismay.

"She told me Esther's plan. She even betrayed Stefan and Damon by telling me that they were going to dagger you guys." Cassandra explains to them which causes them to look at each other in shock. "Caroline doesn't want you dead because she knows that you guys make me happy." She adds, frowning at her hands. To say the originals were shocked was saying something because they didn't think Caroline liked them, let alone wanted to save them.

"And you need that happiness in your life." A voice says from the doorway causing them all to snap their heads towards the sound only to see Caroline standing there with a small smile on her face. "I would've been here sooner but I was with Bonnie. Damon turned Abby." She states with a sigh, her face turning into one of grief as she felt terrible for her friend. Cassandras heart drops that this. Was that how they stopped Esther? By killing Bonnie's mother?

"I'm sorry. She doesn't deserve to be messed up in all of this." Cassandra tells her sincerely, wanting to visit Bonnie herself but fearing that would make the girl more angry and feel the pain because Cassandra was a reason even though she didn't physically kill her.

"This isn't any of your guys fault. If Elena didn't give Esther her blood none of this would be happening." Caroline admits, scowling at the mention of her 'friend'. The only reason she was staying in the friend group now was for Bonnie and to find out what they were planning next. "And now Bonnie and her mom are paying the price." She mumbles, sighing as she shakes her head wanting Elena to pay for everything that she caused to happen. So, Klaus takes a couple pints of her blood, get over it.

"And let me guess, Elena wanted to see Bonnie and couldn't get it wrapped around her thick skull that all of this happened because of her?" Cassandra questions in a blunt voice, rolling her eyes. Damon turned Abby to save Elena's life, there was no more to it. Bonnie had every right to not want to talk to her.

"We're cool?" She asks slowly, still feeling like they were going to kill her. Caroline never wanted to go along with the plan because she didn't truly believe the originals deserved to die.

"You tried to save our lives, Care. Of course." Cassandra says as she grabs the girls hand, giving it a tight squeeze. Caroline eyes light up, smiling at her as she was grateful the girl didn't hate her.

"Well, I tried to save their lives. I didn't know you were also gonna die." Caroline states innocently as she glances around the room. Cassandra only laughs, shaking her head before bringing the girl in for a much needed hug. The two girls embrace each other tightly, not knowing of the close unbreakable bond that was formed between them.

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CASSANDRA WAS RUNNING WATER OVER HER FACE, wanting to feel more awake but it didn't seem to be working. Her mother taking over her body must of taken a toll on her. She lets out a sigh, leaning against the sink closing her eyes for a moment. Cassandra wished she got to have a moment with her mother but I guess this was the closest she was ever going to get. She was just glad her mother loved her, that she wasn't ashamed. Not that Cassandra wasn't ashamed of herself for the things she did.

Someone clearing their throat catches her attention causing her to lift her head. She turns her head to see Elijah standing at the door, an unreadable expression on his face. She lets out a small breath, giving him a small smile as she stands up straight. Turning her body towards him, she takes a step closer. "Hey, Elijah." She says as she holds her arms close to her body. Elijah licks his bottom lip, glancing at the ground before walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Cassandra looks at him confused, wondering what he was doing.

"I'm glad you're okay." He finally says after a moment of silence. Cassandra sighs, glad that it was just him coming to talk to her. She nods her head, smiling at him as she was happy he was asking her even though it was the most overused question ever.

"Yeah, i-" She starts to say but he only cuts her off not letting her get through half of her sentence. Elijah shakes his head, not wanting to drag this out because then he wouldn't be able to leave.

"I'm leaving town." Elijah says suddenly which makes Cassandra falter, stumbling back as she stares at him shocked. She didn't think she heard him right but by the expression on his face, he was saying the truth. "I came to Mystic Falls to find and kill Klaus, that didn't happen but.. that's all I came to do." He tells her, putting his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to leave this way, he wanted to stay with her but with his mother on the loose trying to kill them he couldn't risk having all of them together, that would only make it easier to kill one of them.

"Oh." Was all Cassandra could muster out, not knowing exactly what to say to him. She was hurt that he was just throwing this at her and acting like she wasn't supposed to react, like she wasn't going to have an opinion on the matter.

"Whatever happens during the time I'm gone... I know it's only my fault for leaving so suddenly." Elijah explains to her, not wanting her to feel guilty for anything that takes place, even if she does end up getting back together with his brother. Elijah wanted to be with her, he wanted to tell her to come with him but those words weren't leaving his mouth. "I'm sorry but I can't stay here anymore." He adds, his gaze moving down to the ground because he couldn't face looking at her as she was staring back with pure pain and hurt in her eyes. "Just know that I love you and that will never stop. And whatever decision you make, you'll never lose me." He assures her truthfully, offering a soft smile which she doesn't return as she was too busy staring at him in shock. She was trying to process all of his words but she couldn't believe this was actually happening right now. He was leaving her. Elijah sighs, deciding it was best to not say anymore since this was only supposed to be a short goodbye. He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. Cassandra snaps out of her thoughts at this, feeling his lips against her skin. She tilts her head to the side slightly, allowing their lips to capture each other. Their lips mold together slowly, Elijah's hand moving to her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb. Cassandra moves her hand up to his shoulder, the other gripping his hair lightly. Elijah pulls away slightly but she only connects their lips again, this time more passionate. She didn't want him to leave but she was afraid he would go anyways if she told him that and it would hurt even more.

Cassandra didn't even notice she was crying until she could taste the saltiness of her tears as their lips touched. After a few more seconds they pull away slowly, their foreheads pressing against each other. She slowly opens her eyes, meeting his, her gaze soft and understanding even though she still wasn't completely sure why he was leaving. Elijah gazes at her, stroking her cheek as he offers a small smile. He finally moves away from her before nodding his head. Turning his back, he opens the door, hesitating for a second. Elijah could feel her stare on him but he forced himself to walk out, leaving the girl all alone, tears running down her cheeks and she watched the man disappear.

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CASSANDRA WALKS DOWN THE STAIRS AFTER HER ENCOUNTER WITH ELIJAH, feeling down that the man had just decided to leave like that. She didn't want to think about him anymore, not when he could just leave so easily without a second thought. Her eyes land on Klaus who was sitting on a chair in the living room, his gaze focused on the drawing in his hand. He seemed very concentrated on it, his eyes squinted as he brushes the pencil over the page. A ghost of a smile forms on her lips as she walks over to him, leaning on the back of the chair and peaking her head over. "Hey." She says softly, gaining his attention. Klaus stops drawing, turning his body to look at the girl with a small smile on his face.

"How are you feeling, love?" He asks, letting his hands fall on his lap as his eyes gaze up into hers.

"Tired but I'm okay." Cassandra admits as she sits on the arm of the chair. Her eyes land on the paper in his hands, noticing it was a drawing of her last night at the ball. "You were drawing me?" She asks, a smile taking over her features as she leans towards him to get a better look. Klaus nods, clearing his throat as he situates himself in the chair as she had gotten fairly close to him.

"Well, you looked quite spectacular last night." He compliments as his eyes move back to his drawing for a second, putting a couple final touches on it. Cassandra takes it from his hands, her gaze stuck on it as she admired the artwork. Klaus watches her, his hand placed carefully on her thigh in order to keep her steady on the chair.

"I'm sorry." Cassandra says, making Klaus furrow his eyebrows, his ears perking up. He didn't know what she was apologizing for though. "About the things I said." She adds, wanting to get rid of the bad blood between them. There was no use fighting over small things, maybe she just needed to get over it and give him another chance.

"You have no need to apologize. Everything you said was true. I don't think before I say thinks and I know I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry for that." Klaus tells her making the girl falter as she stares into his eyes, trying not to let the tears form in her eyes. "But I am I love with you Cassandra and I am an idiot for letting my jealously interfere with that." He finishes, a frown forming as he goes to place his hand on top of hers. She doesn't stop him, allowing him It as she knew he needed comfort right now.

"I still don't forgive you fully... But it's a step in the right direction." Cassandra assures him, wanting him to know that she wasn't truly mad at him anymore. Truthfully, she didn't think she ever was, she just didn't want to be in a vicinity with him. "Elijah left." She says after a moment of silence making the man tense as he nods his head, obviously already knowing of his brothers departure.

"I know." Klaus mumbles, placing his sketch book down as he clears his throat. He had been listening to their conversation but had tuned it out once it was clear that they were really having a moment. He hated that his brother got all these sweet ones with Cassandra and he got nothing. But he guessed it was his own fault.

"You were listening." Cassandra says slowly, seeing the look in his eyes. He had heard the kiss that occurred between them. "I didn't choose to fall for him, Nik. It just happened." She says, her voice cracking as she didn't want to make him angry or sad. Cassandra didn't like seeing him like this but she couldn't help that she felt things for Elijah too. She tried not to make Klaus feel betrayed but she did get together with his brother at one point.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, love." He tells her softly, knowing there was no use of getting jealous or shouting at her. If she chose his brother than there was nothing he could do. But he had a feeling that Elijah's absence would make her pull away and not want to be around him anymore. "I thought you'd have gone by now." Klaus suddenly says making Cassandra furrow her eyebrows. She glances towards the hallway only to see Rebekah standing there staring at them. "Elijahs leaving, Kol's fled." He mentions as he stands up to pour himself a glass of alcohol. Cassandra falters at the mention of another person leaving that night.

"Kol left too?" Cassandra asks, shocked a true news. Klaus nods his head, noticing the anger fill her eyes. "That asshole." She mumbles, glaring at nothing in particular. Kol really had the audacity to just up and leave without saying goodbye to her. He was not getting a warm welcome when he came back.

"Esther and Finn are gone too." He adds but Cassandra didn't care about that, maybe they would never come back. She just wanted them to leave them alone but she knew they would eventually come to finish what they started.

"I hated you when I learned you killed our mother but I realized after a thousand years as a family you're the only one who never left me." Rebekah tells him with a sigh as she walks into the room. Klaus chuckles, glancing over at the blonde who had her arms crossed against her chest.

"Aren't we a pair?" He asks sarcastically, bringing the glass to his lips to let the liquid pour down his throat.

"I wouldn't have left you. But I was running from him so.." Cassandra points out but sees the looks that the siblings were giving her. She shrinks back, pressing her lips together. "Ruining the moment, sorry." She mutters, raising her hands in defence.

"I cant believe your dumbass lost her." She snorts, pointing over to Cassandra who freezes not wanting to be the centre of the conversation.

"Rebekah." Klaus warns her, not wanting her to say something she will regret because he wasnt being lenient tonight after what happened with Cassandra.

"She's perfect. She's everything. I mean Cassandra literally turned your world. She actually made you love, Nik. And you were so happy. Probably getting mindblowing sex too because look at her." Klaus and Cassandra both raise their eyebrows at her but don't dare to question her on the last part of her sentence. "And you let her slip away. So, why don't you two get back together? You clearly still love each other." She finishes as she flickers her eyes back and forth between the two. It was clear that her brother wanted that but it was Cassandra who was hesitant on the subject.

"It's not that simple anymore, Rebekah." Cassandra sighs, not wanting the girl to get her hopes up because she wanted to figure out everything on her own without everyone pressuring her.

"Because of Elijah?" Rebekah asks as she raises an eyebrow at the girl who falters at her question. "Well, he's not here anymore. He left. Nik stayed and he wasn't going to leave without you. Isn't that worth something?" She questions with a groan, wanting them to finally get over themselves and get back together because everyone was waiting for it to happen.

"Rebekah, stop interfering with our love lives. Go find your own." Klaus tells her annoyed even though he was glad that his sister was on his side.

"Rude." She sneers at him, glaring daggers at her brother but sighs nonetheless as the two were completely hopeless. "There's something you both need to see?" Rebekah starts, deciding to move onto more important subjects that she had come over to tell them about. She pulls up the video she recorded of Elena in the caves, showing it to Klaus and Cassandra.

"Come to brag about your skills as a torturer?" Klaus asks as he sighs, rolling his eyes as he takes a sip of his drink. Cassandra glances at him, taking his glass to gulp the liquid down before giving it back. He only stares at her, glaring playfully before pouring more into the glass.

"She's very enthusiastic about her talent." She adds with a smirk, laughing as she sees the amused look Klaus have her. He nudges her shoulder, making Cassandra look at him longingly, a soft smile taking over.

"Look at the images on the wall behind Elena." Rebekah mentions, needing them to stop joking around and actually pay attention to the important thing she was trying to show them.

"I can't see anything other than her whiny, little self." Cassandra mumbles trying to see what Rebekah was trying to point out. All she could see was Elena and her dumbass self shaking in front of Rebekah because she's weak and can't protect herself from one second without the Salvatore's.

"It's where the natives drew the history of our family. Look on the far wall." She grumbles, mostly looking at her brother who she knew would understand what she was saying. After all, it was where had been back when they were humans although the pictures weren't there then.

"What is it?" Cassandra asks, still very confused on what she was going on about. Maybe it was something she wasn't aware use because she didn't think people really knew the true story behind the originals.

"A native worshipping at the great white oak tree." Rebekah states as she stares at her brother who tenses for a moment but relaxes because he remembered exactly what they did to it.

"And? We burned that tree to the ground." Klaus points out as he looks to Cassandra who was only trying to make sense of the whole conversation. She stares at him, confusion in her eyes but he only shakes his head, there was no use bringing her into detail if there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Look at the markings that preceded it. That's a native calender." She adds, watching her brother's turn to one of anger and fear. If this was real, they had a lot more problems on their hands then their mother and Finn.

"This can't be right." Klaus mutters, not believing what his sister was showing him.

"A white oak tree, three hundred years after we fled back to the old world. There must have been a sapling, a new tree to replace to old. That tree could kill us. It's not over Nik." Rebekah explains to him making them man slam his glass down on the table causing it to shatter. Cassandra gasps, her eyes widening as she watches the man storm out of the room. Deciding it was best to go calm him down, she follows after him.

"Hey." She yells, seeing the man tilt his head back a little but it doesn't stop him. "Stop." Cassandra states but he only keeps walking, ignoring his voice as he was trying to figure out what to do. "Nik, can you please hold on a second." She calls after him, speeding over to him and grabbing onto his arm in order to stop him. Klaus looks down at her, fear in his eyes, an amount that she's never seen before. "It's gonna be okay." She tries to tell him but he only shakes his head, pulling away from him as he continues pacing.

"If we can't find that tree, Cass--" Klaus cuts himself off, bringing his hands up to grip his hair. If there were stakes out there, then Cassandra was also in danger because she was linked to him and his siblings. If one of them died, they all did.

"We will. Don't worry." Cassandra tells him but when that didnt help she puts both her hands on his face, bringing his face closer to hers. "Hey, nothing's gonna happen to you." She assures him as she stares into his eyes. Klaus stops moving, all his focus on Cassandra who was giving him a soft smile trying to silently tell him that it was going to be okay.

"That's not what I'm worried about." He says softly, his eyes gazing into hers and it was clear what he was thinking about. Cassandra frowns for a moment, bringing her hands back down beside her body.

"You could die and your worried about me?" She asks amused but she knew this wasn't a joking situation. Klaus sighs, shaking his head as he grabs a hold of her hands.

"You are linked to me." He states, not wanting her to get hurt because of him. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened to her. She already got daggered because of the stupid link.

"Then you'll have more motivation to get the tree before anyone else." Cassandra points out as she squeezes his hands once more before pulling away from him. Klaus looks at her confused as she steps away from him.

"Where are you going?" He asks as she had started to move away from him, grabbing her bag from the couch. Cassandra only looks at him, thinking it was obvious that she was going to leave since she was done here.

"My apartment." She says with a raise of an eyebrow, laughing lightly. Where else would she go now that the Salvatores made it perfectly clear that they didn't like her friends.

"Why don't you just stay here, love?" Klaus asks curiously as he finishes his drink before setting his glass down. He walks over to her stopping when he was mere inches from her. "It would make Rebekah feel better." He adds smugly making Cassandra squint her eyes, snorting as she knew that was a lie.

"Oh, yeah. Rebekah will feel so much better." She mumbles, shaking her head as a loud laugh leaves her lips. Cassandra couldn't help but smile at the man in front of her who only shrugs his shoulders innocently.

"Theres spare rooms everywhere." Klaus mentions as he gestures to the house in which Cassandra bites her lip, considering staying over because she didn't feel like making a trip to her apartment. "Unless you want to share? Incase you get cold." He suggests, a flirtatious glint in his eyes. She giggles, knowing damn well he was just making up any excuse to get her to stay.

"Vampires don't get cold." Cassandra states as she shakes her head once more, smiling at him. Klaus takes a step closer to her but she only turns around, flipping her hair in his face. "Goodnight, Nik." She tells him with a smirk on her lips, swaying her hips as she walked away from him.

"Night, love." Klaus calls out after her making her smile as she runs up the stairs in order to get to a spare room. Rebekah probably did need a friend right now and she wasn't going to abandon her. Cassandra glances over her shoulder to look at Klaus once more before disappearing from his sight.

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CASSANDRA TURNS FROM THE MIRROR TO FACE CAROLINE WHO IMMEDIATELY SMIRKS AT HER APPEARANCE. A gasp leaves her lips as she puts her phone down in order to admire the girl who for the past hour had been trying on dresses. Cassandra didn't mind though as she had been meaning to update her closet anyways. "You look hot." Caroline compliments her as she looks the girl over, smirking at her. Cassandra could feel the top of her body suffocating but decided to play nice for her.

"Why exactly are we shopping?" Cassandra asks her as she smooths out the dress, looking at the girl curiously.

"No reason." She answers with a shake of her head, her eyes roaming over the girls features. "Ooh, try it with these." Caroline gasps as she finds a pair of boots for her to put on with the dream. Cassandra takes them from the girl, bending down to put on the shoes. "So you slept with Stefan?" She asks with a raise of an eyebrow, an amused expression on her face. Caroline and Bonnie had heard it from Elena who was whining about how the Salvatores only payed attention to her. She was also dissing Cassandra, saying that she was a whore for sleeping with both Salvatore's. That she gave herself to any man who wanted her because she was a cheap slut who fucks anything that's moving. Caroline wanted to slap her for that, especially because it was the Salvatores who had wanted to sleep with Cassandra In the first place. Little miss Elena just didn't want to admit that they wanted Cassandra. Elena also was saying Stefan only slept with Cassandra because he missed her and didn't want to think of her, once again making herself the victim. Stefan sleeping with Cassandra had nothing to do with anything but pure pleasure. She heard it from Stefan himself who had praised how good the girl was in bed to Caroline. Caroline was slightly surprised he went into so much detail with her but she was so not complaining when she 'accidentally' hit answer to Elena's call. The stupid dopplebitch got to hear all about what her ex boyfriend did with Cassandra and how good the girl made him feel. He practically said it was the best sex he's had.

"We were both drunk and wanted sex." Cassandra answers her with a shrug, a smug look on her face as she knew someone had to have told the girl. She just wondered if it was Stefan gloating or Elena making every situation about her and acting like the victim.

"I would pay to have seen the look on Elena's face." Caroline admits, pouting a little bit. She wished she had gone with Elena to the Salvatore's because then she would've gotten to see it front row and God would she have been so thrilled that Elena was getting exactly what she deserved.

"It was priceless." Cassandra states with a smirk playing on her lips as she remembers the brunettes pissed off expression because Stefan had sex with her. What probably added to the jealously was the fact that Damon didn't take his eyes off of her when she was putting her bra on. Caroline shakes her head, her eyes widening lightly.

"You're literally living the life though. All the guys want you." She points out with a dramatic sigh, smiling at the girl. Cassandra didn't seem too happy with her words though as she knew that was way off the truth.

"They want to have sex with me, very few actually fell for me." Cassandra mumbles with a scoff, rolling her eyes as she didn't want Caroline to make it seem like every guy was in love with her. She wasn't even sure any of them were. Most of the time, they took one look at her body and their mind was made up. They wanted sex and that was it. Cassandra didn't help that fact though as she had often given them what they wanted, sometimes it being dreadful for her if they didn't know what they were doing.

"But Klaus is in love with you." Caroline points out with a frown as she leans against the wall, staring at the girl. Cassandra furrows her eyebrows, wondering why she suddenly brought up the topic of her ex love. Nodding her head slowly, she glances at the girl suspiciously.

"Yes... This is old news." The girl answers in a cautious tone. Caroline flickers her eyes down to her hands, pulling against her index finger which is something she did when she was hiding something. That is what made Cassandra finally address the girls behaviour. "What are we really doing, Caroline?" She asks sternly, clenching her jaw as she didn't want Caroline to have any secret meaning behind this. For all she knew, the Scooby Doo gang was waiting for them outside ready to stake her.

"Shopping." She answers, her voice trying to keep steady as she offers a small smile but Cassandra didn't buy it one bit.

"How are you girls finding everything?" A voice asks making Cassandra squint more at Caroline before ultimately turning around only to see a redhead woman with a name tag on her shirt.

"Oh, perfect. But there is something I need." Cassandra says in a polite tone making the woman smile at her nodding her head. She walks up to the sales woman, putting her hands on either of her shoulders. "Don't scream, I need a little snack."  She compels the girl with a smirk playing on her lips before sinking her fangs into the girls neck. Caroline was wary on the situation, not wanting her to kill anyone but also not wanting her to get any blood on her dress even though it was red. After a couple seconds, Cassandra reluctantly pulls away, her vampire face still apparent. She couldn't seem to get control of her fangs until she took her gaze away from the bleeding girl. Cassandra holds the redhead out to Caroline, offering a bite.

"No, thanks." Caroline says as she shakes her head, preferring to stick to blood bags rather than humans. Cassandra doesn't push it, instead turning to the sales woman knowing if she didn't tell the girl to leave soon, she would end up taking another bite and not being able to pull away.

"Go cover this up, forget everything." Cassandra compels the girl who nods quickly, rushing off and leaving the two girls alone again. Caroline gets up from her seat, clapping her hands together as she gestures towards the outfit she had on.

"So, you're getting that and we have to go." Caroline says quickly, picking up the rest of the girls clothes and putting it in a bag. Cassandra raises her eyebrows curiously, wondering why she was in such a rush.

"Where?" She asks as she grabs her phone from the chair, fixing the dress straps so nothing was exposed. Caroline grabs her hands, a bright smile on her face.

"It's a surprise." She tells the girl as she looks around the room, making sure they weren't leaving anything behind because they didn't have the time to come back if they forgot something.

"Seriously, Caroline." She whines but the blonde only pulls her along, not wanting to be late to the event she had planned. Cassandra rolls her eyes but goes along anyways as she knew it would only make it worse if she refused.

Cassandra didn't exactly know where they were headed so when they stopped by one of the piers, the Italian restaurant on the docks, to say she was confused would be a massive understatement. Why would Caroline of all people want to take her to a romantic site. She sighs, following the blonde who seemed to be on a mission as she stands outside the restaurant. Cassandra gives the girl a stern expression, wanting to know what was going on after the girl finally stops. Her question is answered though when she notices a familiar face standing behind Caroline facing away from them.

"Nik?" Cassandra asks confused, her eyebrows furrowing as she wondered what he was doing at the exact spot they were. It seemed he was confused as well as he was staring back at her, the same look in his eyes. Caroline only holds back a smile, flickering her eyes between the two. "What are you doing here?" She asks, tilting her head a little as she moves towards the man. Klaus clears his throat, licking his bottom lip as he gestures to the blonde girl that was just happily staring at them.

"Caroline asked me to come." He states, curiously eyeing the girl who suddenly breaks out smiling. Cassandra squints her eyes before turning her head, glaring sternly at Caroline who wasn't affected at all.

"Did she now?" She questions in a accusing tone, raising an eyebrow at the girl who only sighs, noticing that Cassandra wasn't exactly too pleased with her plan. But she didn't care. Klaus deserved a fair shot without Elijah trying to ruin it all by acting like the saint. And Caroline wanted to give that to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm just team Klassandra all the way and he deserves to have one night to prove how much he's changed." Caroline explains to the raven haired vampire who only eyes her hesitantly, not knowing if she should go along with the girls planned date.  "Please, one night." She adds, a small whine in her voice as she clasps her hands together. Klaus was already down for the idea but he knew it would need a little bit more convincing to get Cassandra to say yes. Cassandra stares at Caroline for a little while longer, flickering her eyes between the pair before giving up, rolling her eyes.

"Alright. Yeah." Cassandra suddenly gives in, a sigh leaving her lips as she crosses her arms against her chest. She would be lying if she said that she hadn't wanted to go on a date with Klaus since they first saw each other again.

"I give you full permission to go all the way." Caroline says with a smirk on her lips, giving them both suggestive eyes. Cassandra gasps, slapping the girls arm as she gives a scolding look. If she was going to sleep with Klaus it wasn't because Caroline gave her permission.

"Caroline." She whines, feeling slightly embarrassed that she said that in front of Klaus who was smirking at them, amused by the situation. Caroline giggles, holding up her hands in defence as she figured it was best if she left so they could get their night started.

"Sorry! I'm leaving." Caroline assures them before giving one last wink to Klaus and turning around to walk off. Cassandra rolls her eyes slightly but she couldn't help but smile at the fact the girl had gone out of her way for them. She didn't even notice Klaus had his eyes on her until he was clearing his throat to gain her attention.

"Shall we?" He asks as he raises an eyebrow at her, holding out his hand politely. Cassandra stares at it for a moment, her body freezing. She looks over her shoulder to where Caroline was retreating, and almost found herself rushing towards the girl trying to get the farthest she could away from Klaus. But that didn't happen. Cassandra knew that Klaus genuinely wanted to change, she never denied that. It was that he was still acting the same exact way as before even after these countless statements. But maybe this time was different. Maybe if she took his hand, he would actually begin to. Cassandra always thought she made a good influence on him. His family even saw how she pulled the good out of him, made him a better person. So, maybe she could take his hand. After all, Elijah was gone now. She takes a deep breath, giving the man a smile before joining their hands together. Klaus internally sighs in relief, he thought she was going to leave but instead she took a hold of his hand. They stay like that for a moment before making their way towards the restaurant, a smile on both of their lips as they feel each others presence close.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

THE RESERVATION THAT CAROLINE SET FOR THEM TO HAVE A MOONLIGHT DINNER WASN'T UNTIL 7:30 SO THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A WALK BEFORE HAND. Cassandra had her arms pulled to her lower abdomen, her eyes glued to the ground as she wasn't exactly sure how to start the conversation between them. Sure, she had been friendly with him in the grill and afterwards but it was still an awkward tension after all of their fights. Klaus was walking peacefully beside her, their arms brushing against each other every so often.

She genuinely didn't know what to do with everything. Elijah left the town, even though he said goodbye it still hurt that he decided to go somewhere else. Sure, he might be trying to find where his mother is but either way, Cassandra thought he would at least stay for her or ask her to go with him. After all, she had stayed in Mystic falls for him. Klaus had stayed though, not daring to move unless Cassandra was following along. Cassandra knew it could possibly be because of the new white oak fiasco that he decided to stay but she hoped it was more than that. She hoped that she was a factor in his decision.

Cassandra lets out a small sigh, hesitating for a second before bringing her eyes up from the ground and turning her head to the side so she was looking at Klaus as they walked together. Klaus didn't seem to notice at first as he had his eyes set in front of him, his fingers hovering over the fabric of her dress that was glued to her back. He wanted to put his arm around her but didn't know if she wanted that. "I should've known Caroline was up to something." Cassandra decided to break the silence, putting on a small smile as Klaus finally moves his eyes to meet hers. A soft expression was on his face, amusement clear in his eyes as he thought about Caroline's intentions.

"She's very interested in us, that's for sure." Klaus says with a slight chuckle, clearing his throat as he focuses his attention on the girl next to him. Cassandra smiles, thinking of the blonde who was most likely spying on them with binoculars a couple hundred feet away.

"It's Caroline. She gets invested." Cassandra states with a laugh, shaking her head. Klaus stares at her for a moment, the silence once again taking over as his eyes flicker down her body once before resettling on her face.

"You look beautiful tonight." He tells her, seeing the blush form on her cheeks as she glances downwards for a second. Cassandra builds up the courage to turn her gaze back to the man who was so intently staring at her, his eyes roaming her every few minutes.

"I was going for sexy." She teases, letting a smirk take over her features as she got her confidence back. Sometimes, she felt like it was only them two, like there was no one else around for miles when they looked at each other. Klaus laughs, nodding his head as he allows his gaze to look over her features again, his tongue running over his bottom lip.

Cassandra was wearing a red dress that was tight at the top half but flowy on the bottom, reaching her mid thigh. The top had a deep neckline, building into her curves as the look was completed with the necklace that Klaus had given her centuries ago. Black thigh high boots cover her legs, a good three inches being given to her in height although she still didn't match Klaus. Her hair was lightly curled and there was a smooth set of freshly layed makeup on her face, captivating the moonlight on her skin. To him, she looked stunning. It was like no other woman could ever compare to her. He didn't want any other woman. He wanted Cassandra. His Cassandra. Klaus wanted the relationship he had with her five hundred years ago to resurface.

"You are." He finally replies as he matches her smirk, a slight glint of lust in his eyes. Cassandra notices this, her breath hitching in her throat as she could feel him move closer with every step that they took. She almost gets lost in the trance but luckily pulls herself out of it before it was too late.

"So, what have you been up to?" Clearing her throat, she moves away from him slightly. Klaus stares at her for a moment, seemingly coming back from his own daze before shrugging his shoulders.

"Nothing spectacular, sent Rebekah on a quest to find the white oak tree." He tells her as he puts his hands in his pockets. Cassandra nods, fiddling with her fingers as they hadn't really had time like this together, really since before she left him.

"Do you think it really exists?" She asks cautiously, not wanting to make him angry for being curious about the whole situation. His mother did just try and kill them all. Klaus sighs, shrugging his shoulders as he wasn't sure himself if there were any more white oak stakes out in the world.

"It's better to be safe than sorry." He responds as he presses his lips together, his eyes watching the scenery in front of them. Cassandra nods slowly, biting her tongue as her eyes flicker up to his face, scanning it briefly.

"Do you think that's how Mikael had that weapon?" Cassandra questions, there was no way Mikael had the only white oak stake to exist. That would be a hail Mary if he did but when did life ever go in there favor.

"It definitely exists." Klaus says with a small sigh, his jaw clenching as he didn't want their to be something in the world that could kill him. Cassandra notices the look in his eyes so she decided to change the topic. Spinning around, she stops in front of Klaus making him stare at her curiously.

"Let's forget about that tonight." She tells him as she places her hands firm on his chest. Klaus nods, telling her to proceed as his eyes flicker over her. "Let's forget about everything." Cassandra adds with a sigh, meeting his eyes, his full of shock as he didn't think she'd ever say that. Klaus thought for a second that she was just playing him but the look on her face was sincere.

"Really?" He asks cautiously, a faint smile forming on his lips as he takes a step closer to her. Surprisingly she doesn't back away, instead lifting her hand to move the lose strand of hair that was over his forehead.

"Mhmm. We are starting fresh." Cassandra says, her fingers moving into his hair, fluffing it out a bit before she moves her hand back down, brushing over his skin. Klaus just admires her as she does this, his tongue licking over his bottom lip. "But if you screw up again, you do not get another chance." She scolds him, pointing a finger at Klaus who chuckles, nodding his head as he leans in closer, his lips moving to her ear. Cassandra feels a shiver go up her spine as she felt his breath on her skin.

"I doubt you can actually live without me, love." Klaus teases her, smirking at the girl who only squints her eyes. A laugh escapes her lips though as she pushes him softly, the man stumbling away from her slightly.

"Are you saying I have no restraint from you?" Cassandra asks as she raises an eyebrow at him. This was what she missed, genuinely smiling with him and just enjoying his presence. They didn't get to that much nowadays.

"I wouldn't put it like that." He says slowly, chuckling as he drawls out his words. Cassandra gasps, slapping him as she gives him a playful glare.

"You are so self absorbed." Cassandra snorts, shaking her head at the man as they walk next to each other. Klaus only smiles down at her, their fingers brushing against each other. A stitch forms in her throat as she glances down at their hands before her eyes flicker back up to his. Klaus gazes at her, offering a warm smile, one which she returns. Cassandra feels their fingers touching and decides to intertwine their hands. The man tries not to get to happy as he tightens the hold, his face gleaming as they walk under the moonlight, it glistening on their skin. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

another update for you guys! and wow 11k views on this book! it's really gotten insane over the past week because of y'all and I'm so grateful. i hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. comment your thoughts on this chapter!

y'all... I'm set on who Cassandra is going to end up with! and I have all my other ships prepared too aghhh. idk if i wanna tell u them thooo 🤔 but this book ends at season 3! but don't worry there is a second one. only four more chapters