Not the Last Dance

Chapter 13-Klaus POV

I had been gone a month. I counted the days since I had seen her last. 31, to be exact. 31 days of sitting around, thinking about her, if she was alright, if she hated me, if she needed me. I knew I needed her.

I needed her to breathe, to sleep, to do everything. Rebekah was doing a very good job of informing me of how Caroline was doing. I think she took joy in seeing Caroline suffer, because I asked Rebekah to lose touch with me, shocking her.

She then began only sending me messages about Caroline, no snarky comments, just the straight facts about Caroline's bizzare schedule now. How she got up to run every morning at 5, only left school after midnight. She spent hours doing the same mundane tasks until she got everything perfect.

The fact that worried me is that Rebekah said she had never seen a sicker looking vampire before. It worried me. If Caroline was still sick, it wasn't because of the bite anymore because Rebekah had also informed me that she had healed Caroline. It was because of me.

I wished I could see her, to go back to the safe place that was known as us. Even though I knew she would never take me back, I wanted to see her. To know she was okay, to give myself closure.

So I did.

I called Rebekah and told her I was coming back for a short visit, and not to tell anyone or the consequences would be dire. She said she would keep quiet and we arranged for my flight back home.

The flight from Paris was boring. I would have given anything to be there with Caroline, but alone it was dreadful. I didn't sightsee, because, quite frankly, I could do that anytime I wanted.

When I got to Mystic Falls with Rebekah, all was quiet and dark. It was nearing midnight, and Rebekah informed me that Caroline had stayed late at school yet again, decorating for the dance that I had refused to go with Caroline too.

I had her drop me off behind the school and then go home. Then, I waited. I could hear her moving about, not energetically, I could tell by the way her blood was flowing that she was not happy. She was concentrating. That's all she ever does now. Concentrates, not feels, but concentrates.

I heard her click the lights off and the door opened a second later. I watched from the sidelines as she closed and locked the door and walked slowly to her car, arms hugged around herself against the wind. She opened the door to her car and got in.

I couldn't help but move closer to see her. I was now standing behind the car, confident that she wouldn't see me. But she did. She looked up in the rearview mirror and her eyes locked with mine. Instantly, I felt the warmth and love. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and then she blinked.

That's when I left. I ran to the side of the building to hide, so she wouldn't see me. I jumped to the top of a tree and watched her get out of her car and rush over to the spot where I was standing. She ran in her heels to the side of the school, looking frantically around.

I wanted to jump down and run to her, to embrace her and never let her go, ever. She sighed when she didn't see me, and walked defeated back to her car and drove away.

It broke my heart to see her this way. I wanted to help her, needed to help her. I decided on my way home that I would stay in Mytic Falls on the downlow, just in case something happened and she needed my help.

I wouldn't let anyone know but Rebekah. And I would make her swear not to tell anyone of this plan. When I got home, I went to find Rebekah, who was in the study.

"Done so soon?" She asked, not glancing up. I sat in a chair by the fireplace and looked around. Not much had changed in the 31 days I had been gone. Not much at all.

"I'm staying." I said, and her head snapped up.

"You can't be serious." She said. "Does this mean that you're staying until the dance next Friday?"

"Oh, yes, I am very much serious." I replied to her. I didn't answer her other question.

"Is this because she's sick? Because I healed her a long time ago." She snapped. "Which, by the way, you're welcome."

That stung. "It's not like I had a choice, Rebekah! If I would have stayed, I would have died. I did it for Caroline,"

"The only reason she got bit is because she heard you say you didn't care about her!" Rebekah shouted through the room. "And then you left her, unconcious on the forest floor while you fled to save your own life."

I sat there wordlessly for a moment. Everything she said was true. "Do you think that she'll ever forgive me?"

Rebekah, looked sad for a moment. "The sad part is, dear brother. that she doesn't blame you at all. She's already forgiven you." She said, walking out quietly.

I sat there for a moment thinking about what she said. If Caroline didn't blame me, who did she blame? I hoped that she didn't blame herself.

I never wanted to put her through any of this. I knew I was being selfish when I began courting her, I knew that she needed time and space.

And now, she got it, but I couldn't help but think that she needed me too.

Somehow, the Salvatore brothers knew I was back. Which meant Elena and Bonnie knew I was back also. Which meant that one of them would let it slip to Caroline that I was back. So I had to be very careful.

Unfortunately, they showed up at my house this morning. Stefan and Damon glared at me while Elena and Bonnie glared at me also.

"Save it." Damon said before I could say anything. He was walking around the room, Stefan was standing with his arms folded, and Elena and Bonnie were sitting on the couch, watching my every move.

"Nice to see you gentlemen too." I said, lounging back casually. "If you must know, I'm here peacefully. I have no intention of bothering you or your friends again." This made Damon and Stefan look at me.

"Even Caroline?" Stefan asked me, and I sat there for a moment.

"Yes."

"Here's the thing, Klausy." Damon said, stopping by the fireplace. "We need you to see her." This made me stop and stare at them to see if they're joking.

"Let me get this straight." I leaned forward. "You want me to see the girl I left for dead in the middle of the woods, while trying to kill her friends?"

Stefan hesitated. "Yes."

I stood up, unsure of what to say. "I'll go. But I think you better leave, and say nothing of this to anyone." I warned. "Anyone."