Timeless

Chapter 19

Caroline woke up again. She was in the dungeons in chains. Her head felt achy and groggy. How had she gotten there? Her eyes focused on someone slumped on the wall across from her. It was Tyler, chained up and passed out on the cold floor. Panic rose up in her chest and she tried to get up and reach him, but she was restrained by her own chains. She tugged at her manacles until her muscles burned and the skin of her wrists was rubbed raw, but it was no use.

She looked up, it was still daylight, the sacrifice hadn't happened yet. Was Elena safe? Certainly Stefan would still be trying to figure out a way to save her. She smirked to herself, here she was chained up and she was worried about whether or not Elena was ok.

Suddenly she heard a clanging sound coming from the doorway. Her head snapped in the direction of the noise. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited to see who would appear around the corner. A dark figure stood in the doorway. She couldn't make out their face. They didn't smell human and she heard no heartbeat, so it couldn't have been one of the witches.

"Damon? Stefan?" She hoped. Had someone come to rescue her?

"My apologies love."

It was Klaus. She shrank back, pressing herself against the wall. He sauntered forward and stood over her. She looked up at him.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Klaus slowly lowered himself so that he was face to face with her. She tried her best to control her breathing, to not show any fear. If she was going to die, she was not going to let him kill her knowing how afraid she really was.

"No, I'm not going to kill you," he said. She relaxed a bit, but remained wary of him all the same. If he wasn't going to kill her then why did he have her and Tyler chained up? A bit of light streamed across his face. His expression was dark and sad, almost sad enough to tug at her heartstrings. But this man was a killer; she knew he didn't feel sadness or regret.

"I'm sorry for the kidnapping and the chains. Just keeping up appearances," he told her, "I suppose this will be one of the last times I see you."

His fingers reached up toward his neck and toyed with one of the many necklaces at his throat.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked, confused.

"It's ironic that this all happens now," he chuckled, "I've waited six hundred years for two things and when I finally gain one, I'll be losing the other."

Klaus's eyes were filling with tears, one escaping and rolling down his cheek. Caroline's mouth hung open, gaping slightly at the show of emotion coming from Klaus. It was all so surreal; the evil villain, kneeling in front of her, crying and she didn't even understand why.

"Please let Elena go. Let her live. Don't do this." She begged. Maybe he did have a heart after all. Maybe she could convince him.

"I can't," he said, "I can't do that. Fate has been so cruel. I'll be honest, I couldn't stay away. I checked in on you over the years, watched you grow up and become the woman that you are. I never noticed the doppelganger standing right next to you, all this time. I would do almost anything for you but I can't do what you ask." He sniffed and dragged a hand across his cheeks, wiping away the silent tears. "But it won't matter soon. You won't be around to hate me for it."

He leaned forward, closer to her, she tried to back away again, but there was no room left to move. "I tried to recreate the spell that sent you back. To change things. I know it's not 'allowed' but I didn't care. I didn't care if I ripped apart the whole of the universe just to keep you safe and alive. But no witch could ever make the spell work for me. Each time I failed it was like losing you all over again. I've spent 600 years hunting doppelgangers and mourning you. It's enough to drive any man insane, vampire or otherwise, with regret. At least I have this one chance. I wish I could have saved you. I wish you didn't have to forget this," his hands came up and gently cradled the sides of her face.