Lavender Haze

Chapter 2

Caroline's POV

"Thanks." I say, stepping out of the taxi in front of Kol and Davina's house and walking towards it as the car drives away. I don't bother knocking and instead try the door but find it locked so I grab my set of keys Davina gave me out of my bag and unlock it myself.

Walking into the house, something feels off, but not in a bad way. I'm instantly intoxicated by a new energy that I recognise, I just don't know where from.

"Kol? D?" I leave my suitcase in the foyer and walk into the kitchen, dumping my purse on the bench and I'm about to reach in and grab my phone to call one of them when I freeze.

I'm not alone.

"Hello?" I call. "Is someone there?" I'm trying to stay calm, it's probably nothing. But no... There's definitely someone else here.

"Davina?" I pause. "Kol!" I say more sternly this time, trying to convince myself that the asshole is just pulling a prank on me and turning back to find my phone.

"Hello Love." His voice is softer than usual.

I slowly turn my head to the other side of the kitchen and sure enough, there he is, Klaus Mikaelson. My heart stops beating for a moment and before I know it I'm brandishing a large knife from the chopping block and backing up into one of the cupboards.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Caroline, but that is no match for me."

"Who are you?" I demand.

He gives me a half-condescending, half-pouty look. "Really?" I don't move and he sighs. "Klaus Mikaelson."

I shake my head and try to back up further but I'm already pressed firmly against the countertop. "You're lying."

"I assure you, I'm not."

"What are you?" I demand again.

"The original hybrid."

"No." I start advancing toward him, holding the knife in front of me like it could actually protect me. "You look like Klaus Mikaelson, you sound like Klaus Mikaelson, you smell like Klaus Mikaelson..." I press the knife to his throat. "But Klaus Mikaelson is dead."

"Before two days ago, yes, I was. But I'm here now, Love and I really was hoping for a warmer greeting." He grabs my wrist and snatches the knife away, placing it on the bench far enough away that I can't reach.

"Let me go." I say immediately, trying not to panic. It's not going to happen to me again. It's never going to happen again. To my surprise though, he instantly drops my wrist.

"Caroline." I hear Kol's voice behind me and swing my head around. "It's him." He pauses. "Nik's back from the dead." I search his eyes and find nothing but the truth. He's not lying.

I quickly turn back to the man in front of me, suddenly not so uneasy by the limited distance between us.

"Klaus...?" I ask in a whisper. He just nods but the sincerity is clear in his face and before I can even think to contain myself I've flung my arms around his neck in a tight hug and my eyes are screwed shut. I feel him hesitate for a moment in surprise before his arms are around me as well and his face is buried in my blonde hair.

I take note of everything. The way his hair feels slightly longer and curlier. The way his scent is exactly the same. The way I've never felt more protected than whenever I'm in his arms, like when I was young and he saved me from Ric at the high school.

"Yeah, so... still here." I hear Kol announce and roll my eyes before loosening my grip and letting Klaus go.

My head swings back and forth between the two brothers for a few moments, trying to make sense of what the hell is going on.

"Wha-" I stop and compose myself, stepping backward so we're more of a triangle than a line. "How is this happening?"

"That's sort of what you're here to help us figure out, but it is him, I swear."

--

Just over an hour later and I'm wandering close behind Davina at her favourite crystal shop in town, the owner's a witch but not an exceptionally gifted one so Davina knows she can always get what she needs without Leon knowing what she's up to. The sun went down a while ago and it's getting late but Davina, being Leon's best customer, managed to get him to stay open later.

"What else are we looking for?" I ask. They all explained the plan to me and then the two of us went out to grab whatever they didn't just happen to have already, which isn't exactly a long list.

"Um... Alcros herb and petien powder." She replies, scanning the shelves. "You know you didn't actually have to come..."

"I thought you might want some company." I lie.

"You wanted to get out of the house." She knows me too well. "The house where Klaus just so happens to be."

"I thought you might want some company." I repeat.

"Mhm, whatever." She shrugs, continuing to browse the shelves. "Just don't fuck on my couch," she pauses. "Or my bench."

"Davina Claire-Mikaelson!" I snap.

"What? Are you gonna try and tell me that wasn't your first thought when you saw him?"

"It wasn't." I deny.

"Okay... whatever you say."

"It may have been my second, but it wasn't my first. My first was 'holy shit, how the fuck are you alive? I've-" I stop, realising what I was about to say.

"'Been in love with you for twenty years'?"

She got me.

"Shut up. Let's just buy the stuff and go home."

"Home to where Klaus is or home to where the beds are? Because again, no couch o-"

"No couch or bench, yes I know!"