Take me back to the night we met (a Klamille stoty)

Meeting by the grave

Cami ended up dying in Klaus's arms, surrounded by his family. He was the one who held her hand as she took her last breath. She chose to believe in love; she chose to believe in the light in him. In the end, she died as one of them, a Mikaelson.

"I hope he will make you happy, Cami. Vincent sighs. "See you on the other side, my sweet lady!"

A little further away, Klaus watched the scene that took place in front of Camille's grave, trying to respect the privacy of the moment.

When he knew for sure that Vincent had finished talking to her, he approached, making his presence known.

"Well, if it isn't the dodgy king witch of New Orleans, this must be a happy day for you, mate," Klaus said with a grimace.

Vincent turned and looked at him coldly. "Klaus, the madman himself, acknowledged him and asked bitterly, "Are you finally going to carry out your duty, or are you going to find some loophole to scapegoat like you did a few years ago?"

Klaus gave a wry laugh. He had no time for this useless bickering with the wizard, so he changed the topic. "So, what have you decided to do?" he inquired with his usual playful wit. "Will you join the family, or will you skip town like a coward?"

The surprise on Vincent's face was priceless.

"Oh, mate, please do not be so surprised; I am certainly familiar with what transpires within my own family." The hybrid remarked cockily.

Vincent let out a small laugh. "I didn't expect anything less," he acknowledged. "Seeing you here today probably means something," Vincent implied instead of answering. "I would hope that there is no way you and she, Vincent pointed to Cami's grave, "will meet each other in the afterlife."

Hearing Vincent's words, Klaus's expression hardened, and his face became a mask.

The man continued, indifferent. "She was kind and hopeful; she lived a short but special life. Her grace touched everyone who knew her, even you. Maybe you are more than anyone, even if that seems unreal," Vincent continued.

Klaus was about to unleash his tongue. He was the only one who truly knew who Camille was and how she lived, and he would not remain in the spot and allow the arsehole in front of him to torment him.

As if Vincent read Klaus' mind, he softened his voice and looked the hybrid in the eyes as he spoke again, revealing a surprising depth of understanding.

"She was my dear friend, you know. I would like to believe that she is at peace. She is happy, enjoying the life she was deprived of. He looked into Klaus's watery eyes. "But something tells me that she didn't leave by your side that awful day."

Klaus felt frozen as if he had been transported back in time to the moment when he last saw her. She was wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and low boots, and her smile was brighter than the sun. Her eyes were full of love as she smiled at him from behind Vincent's shoulder.

You know, man, no matter how much I hustled to connect with her in the afterlife, it was straight-up impossible.

I could feel her vibe right here with us, especially when you and your family were going through some rough times. That's how I know; she's holding it down for you.

And with that, Vincent left a heartbroken Klaus standing in front of Cami's grave.

Klaus couldn't shake off Vincent's words.

He stayed frozen in the same spot, looking where he last saw her.

Today might have had a different ending if Camille hadn't shown up to stop him, again, from making a fatal mistake.

The Hollow demanded he sacrifice his daughter, and Camille once again reached out to guide him through the nightmare. Camille was the one who led him out of his darkness.

When he needed it, she provided him with a feeling of belonging. However, she was no longer alive, and he found himself trapped as Marcel's prisoner in a damp basement. He was hungry and helpless, with Papa Tunde's blade piercing his chest, causing him to go insane with its cursed magic. Despite all this, the thought of Camille kept him grounded. She was by his side, speaking to him in a comforting manner, giving him hope and strength. Amid his never-ending torment, she was his guiding light, offering moments of clarity.

Klaus ponders, questioning if the wizard's words were true. Was she truly present? Did she choose to stay and watch over him? It wasn't what he desired for her. "All I ever wanted was for you to find peace. To be in a world where there will be no more pain, no more heartbreak," he murmurs, resting his head against the chilly gravestone.

He had believed for a long time that she was just a figment of his imagination. A tangible representation of his longing to be by her side. His desire to feel a connection, to be truly understood, and to find acceptance had also become a twisted way of punishing himself.

After all, he and he alone held responsibility for her death. It was a burden he could never escape.

He involved her in his world, and his own selfish need to keep her close made her a target for his enemies. And it was his carelessness that killed her both times.

He left her unprotected, and Lucien was able to kidnap her. He was slow to notice her absence, and Aurora found a way to harm her. His failure to prioritize her safety ultimately led to her demise.

According to her statement, he was the smartest, the strongest, and the scariest. She had been absent for several days, and he ought to have made the connection and inferred that vervain was no longer present in her body, thus creating an opportunity for compulsion.

He should have asked Freya, Vincent, or Davina to run a magical checkup on her.

She had trusted him to protect her, and he failed to do so, as he failed to listen to what was happening next to him; she was bleeding to death at his side, and he was sleeping.

And in the end, when Lucien was out for blood and revenge, she just risked her life with Hayley to save him. He was the coward who didn't ask her to stay with them in the compound.

Hayley advised him not to believe in Camis' words but to believe in her actions: "Oh, please Klaus, did you see what she went through to save your ass? Cami may tell you that staying away is best, and maybe it is. But it doesn't stop how she feels."

He should have listened to her; he should have gone after her that night to ask her, even forcing her to come with him to the abattoir. But he would spend eternity haunted by his decision.

The bastard son was forever cursed, unworthy of the gift that life brought his way after a thousand years of loneliness and despair. He would never escape the torment of his guilt.

"I'm sorry, Camille. I truly am," he said, tears streaming down his face. "I wish I was the man you deserved. The one who was meant to keep you safe and happy, the one you could have shared a real life with. You had me pegged from the beginning; you saw through me, my love, and into the depths of my soul. I only pray that we'll reunite earlier than hoped for."