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When Caroline next awoke, she surged upright in bed, already turning to the side to check on Klaus's pulse and breath. Her hands met cool, empty sheets and she cried out. Her eyes dazed and wild, she struggled to take in the new surroundings, a plush bed, sitting in a light and airy chamber. A plush empty bed... except herself. Panic shot through her, and she pushed the covers back and stood, feeling the thick, soft carpet under the soles of her feet, it was disorientating. She looked harder at the room, she was certain she had never seen it before. She suddenly felt faint, and sat back down on the edge of the bed. Her whole body felt limp, and wrung out. She noticed a window, and pulling herself out of her daze, she limped toward it, holding on to the wall as she went.
The street below was a mix of grey pavement, white marble houses and wrought iron fencing. There were trees lining the pavement of each side of the street, and a couple of carriage moved sedately along the way. London. She was back in London, in an unknown house, with no idea where her husband was. Wincing that the light she pulled the curtains shut and swayed against them, trying to calm her pounding heart. Elijah, and Kol and Bonnie.. they had come for them. She had thought them fever dreams of a dying woman. She remembered nothing of the carriage ride back to London, or even how they had gotten from the cabin onto a more stable road.
Klaus. His name a whisper of worry behind every heartbeat. Where was he? Was he recovering? Had he eaten? Was someone taking care of him? The questions bombarded her and she groaned covering her face with her hands. What if he had not been able to be saved? What if she hadn't had a chance to say goodbye? The thoughts drove her to a warm looking dressing gown, lying by the bed. She carefully put it on, the heavy fabric settling on her diminished frame like a weight, and slipped her feet into slippers. She started toward the door, and then stopped in shock, as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. A stranger stared back. One with eyes too big for a gaunt face, cheek bones a mantle over deep hollows. Her neck poked up from her dressing gown like a stick, and she wondered how it could support her skull, the shape of which had become uncomfortably obvious.
She turned away from the mirror and left the room, coming into a wide and gracious hallway, decorated in light tones, full of plants and art. She thought how it reminded her of Westmere, and she realised how much she missed that secluded place, how much it had come to feel like home. She stayed close to the hall, walking along, she found herself at the end of a corridor, and started in the direction of more doors. The house was quiet, a heavy, expectant sort of quiet, only interrupted by the calm ticking of an enormous clock half way along the hall. She came to another door, and gently, turned the handle, peaking in. It was a lady's dressing room, complete with a bathtub. She brought her head out, and closed the door, and kept on going. Suddenly, she heard voices downstairs, they seemed to come from directly below her, and she froze, straining to hear.
"He sustained a serious injury. It is a miracle they survived as long as they did. Over ten days, it is an impressive feat. That young woman must have worked herself to the bone to see them through it."
"Will they recover?"
"Lady Mikaelson should make a full recovery, she is suffering from lack of food, and prolonged strain. She needs rest, for her mind and her body. However, she is very frail at present, if she were to catch an illness... I could not guarantee her health."
"And Lord Niklaus?" the voices moved away, and Caroline recognised Elijah's soft timbre. She moved to the railing at the top of the stairs in an effort to hear.
"His recovery is less certain. He has been fighting infection, that much is clear, though it has not made itself manifest in the body, which is good. He is very weak, the conditions and lack of food hardly aiding his body in the fight. He seems to be hanging on through sheer will, and there is a lot to be said for that-" the doctor hesitated, and Caroline dug her finger's into the bannister, listening intently.
"Well, I thank you doctor. We shall have our staff and our resident physician heed your instructions."
"Ah, the highly opinionated Miss Bennet." the doctor said with distaste which Elijah seemed to ignore, leading the man out the door, and Caroline shrank back, scared to be seen. Nothing would stop her from reaching her destination now. She turned back to the hall way, gripping the wall, started forward again. Checking rooms as she went, she finally came to the one furthest away, and leant against the doorway for a moment, gathering her strength. Her hand went to the door handle, and she pressed down, her heart beating in her ears suddenly, nerves making her fingers shake.
The room was dark, with the curtains drawn tightly closed. The room was warm, and she took a minute to let her eyes adjust, eventually distinguishing the bed in the centre of the room. Tiptoeing over to it, she hesitated as she got near, seeing his dark outline. She heard a ragged breath. He was lying so still. Hovering over him, she lapsed into her routine. She held her fingers just under his nose, feeling the breath on her fingers, like a gift. Next, stepping closer, she put her hand on his chest, just above his heart. It's beat was strong, certain and pulsed under her hand, making her smile. He was alive, and well, and quite asleep. She stood up, and started back toward the door. He shouldn't be disturbed, she reasoned, as she left the room, and made back toward her own. She was just being considerate, she told herself, climbing into bed again, feelings wearier than ever. It had nothing to do with how nervous she was to confront all the things they had talked of, in the dark, howling nights, when it felt as though the whole world had become an ocean of rain, and they were the very last people afloat. It had nothing to do with her wretched thinness and frailty, her loss of womanly attributes. It had nothing to do with her fear of looking in his eyes, and confronting how much this man had really come to mean to her.
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"Caroline?" she heard a soft voice beside her, and felt a hand on her hair. She forced her eyes a little open, the sunlight stinging. Finally, the white light faded away and she saw Elena, sitting on the edge of her seat, a book falling from her hands. Her warm smile so full of happiness, that Caroline felt as though a sunbeam was shining directly on her.
"Elena -" she said, and started coughing, her throat dry. Suddenly, a glass was pressed to her mouth and she turned her head to see Katherine standing over her, her face a mixture relief and joyful tears. She lifted her head and drank the cool water, it slid down her throat like a balm. She sighed as she settled back. Her eyes adjusting to the light, she looked around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was decorated in a pale yellow, duck egg blue and ivory motif, and it was calming.
"Where is this?"
"Your home... well, yours and Klaus's... in London, it's his townhouse." Elena explained.
"And it's extremely pleasing, as mother would say" Katherine said, imitating her mother's voice, making the other girls smile.
"How is Klaus?" Caroline suddenly asked, sitting upright.
"Caroline! Do not be alarmed, he is well. The doctor has been here everyday. He is well taken care of"
"How long has passed? I find it difficult to keep track of days just now."
"Elijah found you more than two days ago" Katherine said, looking out the window, studying the street outside.
"Is he recovering?" she asked anxiously, after a pause, and saw Katherine and Elena exchange a look.
"He would recover faster if he followed the doctor's advice." Bonnie's voice came from the door as she entered the room, sweeping to Caroline's side, and embracing her.
"Bonnie... how did you know?" Caroline asked, leaning back and studying her friend's face.
"I never really know... not absolutely, but, I saw pain in your leaves, and I could only do what I could think of to help" she muttered. Caroline gripped her hand.
"You saved us" she said, squeezing her hand. "How did you know where to find us?"
"I didn't. It was Elijah who realised that you should have reached London. Even allowing for a delay in leaving, he realised it had been too long. Knowing the storm would make the country roads dangerous, we began to search for you. I am only sorry it took so long" Caroline shook her head in amazement. Leaning back against the pillows she mused on how close they had come, to never being found, of dying together on that narrow bed, in that lonely cabin.
"What now?" she asked with a laugh, as tears started falling again, she felt overcome.
"Now, you have to regain your strength. You should avoid a mirror in the meantime." Katherine said with characteristic bluntness and Caroline laughed through her tears. Elena threw a pillow at her sister.
"I have missed you all so much... my family. I thought I was so close to losing everything I care about"she said with a smile, and Elena took in the faraway look in her eyes.
"And Klaus?" she prompted, and was amazed to see her friend dip her head, and her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"I love him." she said simply, her words stunning everyone in the room into silence.
"Huh, mother was right, there really is someone for everyone... maybe I will end up loved after all" Katherine said and laughed as several more pillows sailed in her direction.
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Klaus pushed his eyes open a touch, seeing a high ornate ceiling above him, and a cool dry room. He tried to move, and felt pain lance his side. He felt better however, cooler, less muddled. The delirium had lifted and he could think straight again. His dreams and memories were muddled. Caroline in the water, he raced to save her, and she floated away. Was it a memory or a dream? He could not distinguish. They slipped through his fingers like sand as he tightened his fist around them, trying to grasp them. Caroline in breeches, with soot on her face. Caroline closing her eyes over a bite of potato, making it last as long as his meal of three did. Her body pressed against his, counting his heartbeats. Her tearstained eyes demanding that he not leave her. He felt as though he had battled hell in those days, closing his eyes to a constant war not to slip away, not to leave her alone. Her words his only tether. She needed him. She wanted him alive. There was a sound to his right and he turned is head, too quickly, feeling dizziness descend on him for a moment.
"Ah, Lord Mikaelson, you are awake. I was just informing your brother of your progress. You are very lucky indeed."
"Caroline?" he croaked, his throat as dry as desert.
"Now, your wife is fine, she too is recovering."
"See her -" he rasped out, trying to make himself understood.
"You will see her soon enough. For now you need to rest. I am just going to give you something to help" the doctor said, in an authoritative voice. Klaus shook his head, trying to resist. He wanted to see Caroline, he didn't want to sleep anymore, he had to see with his own eyes that she was unharmed. But the doctor was not to be put off, and soon Klaus felt the heavy tug of drug induced sleep over take him. He fell back into his dreams.
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Katherine hummed as she arranged flowers in the drawing room. The morning was bright, her best friend was alive and safe, better still, happy and her family was together. The day was full of promise, and only one regret remained, and he had just entered the room. Greeting his sister, Elijah cast his eyes in her direction and then surprised her by coming over to speak with her. They had barely exchanged words in weeks, and Katherine had practically given up hope of his forgiveness. It seemed Elijah was a man, whose good opinion, once lost, was lost forever.
"Miss Pierce" he said, friendly enough.
"Lord Mikaelson, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"What pleasure may that be?"
"Why, your deigning to speak to me, of course" she said a little tersely, her inner voice shouting at her to bite her tongue and be civil.
"I see your manners have not improved any" he remarked lightly, looking over her flowers.
"If I displease you so, then why initiate conversation?" she snapped, her guard up.
"Because, I find myself... missing your company as of late." he said honestly, and she turned her surprised eyes to his. She frowned a little, looking away. She felt vulnerable around Elijah and she was afraid of being rejected by him again, pushed away violently, afraid of disappointing him again. He had certain expectations of a woman, and she would never meet them.
"Are you not leaving for Europe shortly?" she asked, making sure to stay away from his probing eyes.
"I am. Tomorrow in fact, now that my brother and Caroline are recovering and out of harm's way."
"I see. Well, I wish you a pleasant trip." she said, forcing her voice to sound carefree. He studied her, his head to the side a little, his face inscrutable.
"I thought... I had hoped – that perhaps, I might write to you, if you wished. Indeed, if we could be friends again, for the sake of our families." he said softly, and she glanced at him, from the corner of her eye. Her heart constricted painfully at his words. For the sake of their families, to ease social interaction. Ever the polite and dutiful brother-in-law.
"I suppose I shall be awfully busy with the season. My mother is determined to end up with two married daughters by it's end." she said with a bitter laugh. Elijah's face closed at her words, and he nodded.
"Of course. If you will excuse me, I must prepare for my departure." he said, bowing stiffly, left the room. Katherine watched him go, and bit her tongue hard to stop tears forming.
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Klaus was sweating, the effort of moving making his muscles tremble. He was thin, his muscles practically wasted, and it was driving him mad. He needed to be back on his feet, needed to go and find Caroline. She had not been to see him, and his heart shrank to consider what that might mean, though, in the deep of the night, sometimes he woke from his endless dreams of her, and could smell her in the room, her sweet scent around him. Had those revealing words been in the heat of desperation, a desperation born out of jeopardy. Did she really mean it when she had told him she loved him, that she needed him? He needed to know, needed to find out. But his damn body was not responding fast enough, and he cursed each day he felt weak after walking about his room.
Kol was keeping him updated on Caroline's progress, that she was growing stronger each day, and soon the doctor would be willing to let her leave her bedchamber. Klaus was glad to hear that Miss Bennet was taking special care of her, as by now he trusted the gifted girl far more than his own physician. Would she come and visit him? He felt the doubt and uncertainty flow through him, and longed to stride down the hall, fling open her door and taker her in his arms. Show her he had lived up to her demands. Instead, he waited.
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"You have a visitor" Bonnie said, hovering in the doorway. Caroline sat up straighter, feeling her heartbeat pick up, she pulled her dressing robe over her more tightly, and smiled nervously, admitting the figure.
"There is my favourite sister!" Kol's happy voice came as he came into the room, beaming at her.
"Kol!" she exclaimed happily, holding her hands out to him, he came to her side, taking both her fragile hands in his.
"Caroline, I must say, you are already looking better" he said optimistically.
"Really, you needn't flatter me, I am well aware of how unpleasant I am to look at!" she teased, and fell quiet when Kol's gaze turned serious, and he tipped his head to the side.
"I know of one who would give anything to look at you in any case, and he certainly would not find you unpleasant." he murmured softly. Caroline looked away, her voice softening.
"How is he?" she asked.
"Why do you not tell me? You visit him each night do you not?" Caroline looked at him in surprise.
"How-"
"I have my ways..."
"Does he know?" she asked simply, her heart pounding as she waited for his answer. Kol regarded her a little, then shook his head, seeing the relief on her face.
"No... but I think it may be time to tell him... he is waiting for you Caroline. He is here because of you... do not make him question it."
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Rebekah was in the kitchen, directing the cook and helping Bonnie decipher the doctor's instructions, and supplement as Bonnie saw fit, for meals for Caroline and her brother. She found Miss Bennet pleasant company, she did not demand anything from her, did not take, only observed and participated when she wanted to. Rebekah was seldom treated as an equal, and she found it refreshing.
"I will return tomorrow and we shall check on the state of things then." Rebekah informed the cook, turning to take her leave of Bonnie. Bonnie was sitting in the window, her customary place. She had moved into Klaus's townhouse to take care of them, and seemed very comfortable there. As Rebekah bid goodbye, Bonnie glanced up, and smiled at her.
"Here" she said, passing a violet she was playing with to Rebekah.
"Thank you" Rebekah said, passing the silky flower through her fingers.
"What is it for?"
"For good luck, for finding love..." Bonnie said, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, with my father's dinner tonight, I suppose I shall need it dearly" Rebekah muttered, surprised as Bonnie stood beside her a moment, and tucked it behind her ear, smoothing the hair back as she did.
"There, now it shall bring you luck" she said with a smile, and sank back down, already her attention lost on her medicines.
Rebekah left the warm room and started back to the drawing room where she had left her possessions and Katherine a while ago. As she neared, a ring on the doorbell stopped her in the hall. She saw a doorman rushing to answer and then the door was opening. Elena came through it, already smiling at Rebekah warmly, stripping her gloves off.
"Elena, welcome. Caroline is sleeping, but should wake soon." Rebekah said, suddenly distracted by the figure of Stefan appearing behind Elena.
"Lady Mikaelson" he greeted her, bowing and Rebekah smiled at his impeccable manners.
"I am sorry if we are intruding in a difficult time." Stefan was saying.
"Of course not, it does you credit, to worry after a friend." she was saying when once again she noticed the doorway was not yet empty. Her heart leapt to her mouth as she saw Damon's broad shoulders, dressed soberly in dark colours, emphasising the piercing paleness of his eyes and dark hair. He bowed to her, and then approached. She had not seen him in weeks, not since the wedding, when they had hardly had any time to talk. Arriving before her, he gently picked her hand up and pressed his lips to the back.
"Lady Mikaelson, it has been too long" he murmured, raising his eyes to hers. She was aware of Katherine calling Elena and Stefan into the drawing room, leaving them alone in the hall.
She opened her mouth to speak, but found mind her mind empty of words. She had been enduring an endless parade of men her father had approved off for her, and she had agreed to consider them, after all. But now, standing before Damon Salvatore, she realised how she had missed him, and how she dreamed of their wild adventure to Gretna Green.
"Mr Salvatore" she finally said, pulling her hand away from him, as he held it a little too long.
"We are very formal today, are we not!" he teased, taking her arm in his and starting toward the drawing room.
"Considering we are now family, we shall have to become more... familiar" he said, casting a sideways glance at her which made her cheeks heat up.
"I suppose we are family, a slight bond only however" she mused thinking of their link.
"Would you prefer a more direct one?" he asked suddenly, turning to face her outside the drawing room, and she could hear the others voices' inside chatting happily.
"Well, a girl can only dream" she said disparagingly, seeing Damon's eyes crinkle with amusement, and something else. He had not called on her, or written to her in weeks, it was fairly obvious he did not think of her as anything more than an acquaintance, but she enjoyed the candid and frank relationship they had developed, and especially enjoyed teasing him over his reputation.
He studied her silently, his eyes frankly moving over her face, and he looked about to speak, but with held it, seeming to change his mind.
"How does your reconciliation with your father go?"
"He shall forgive me when I make the amends he is waiting for" she said, with a slightly bitter smile. He continued to look at her for a moment. Then slowly reached out toward her face. She froze, suddenly trembling in his arms. His hand brushed her cheek, and she almost closed her eyes and leaned against it, but before she knew it, his hand was before her face, holding the violet.
"You, my lady, have no need of adornment. You put this poor flower to shame, and it is to be pitied. It shall not survive long, now, it will only diminish, it's life force spent."
"One may sympathise" Rebekah said, caught in his words. She realised how close his hand was, and suddenly felt foolish.
"I- I must return home. I have an engagement tonight." she said, turning away from him and brushing past to enter the drawing room, and say her goodbyes to the company there. Damon stood still in the hall, staring at the flower for a few moment, it's delicate beauty so fragile in his hands, lost in though, before turning and following her.
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That night, Caroline bathed for the first time in too long, after practically begging Bonnie to allow her. They had thought her too weak before, but now she was allowed and it was the most exquisite thing she had ever felt. The hot water enveloped her body, warming her through, chasing away the memories of the icy river and having to huddle against Klaus's burning, feverish body for warmth. Though, she mused as she lay her head back against the head rest of the copper tub, there were worst places to find warmth. She used a lavender scented soap and scrubbed at her skin until it was pink and tingling, it felt wonderful. After a while, she rose and returned to her room.
The place was quiet, as everyone left for their own homes in the evening, save the servants. They were quite alone. It had been days, and she had seen him every night, checking on him, sometimes more than once, but always when he was asleep. But, he was awake now, and coherent, and she could not stay away any longer. She missed him, madly, if truth be told. A bond had been forged in those days of terror and hunger, and it was not easily pushed aside. She had looked to him, in the dark, and he had inspired her to keep trying, to refuse to give up. They had kept each other alive, and that bond, so basic, would not now be broken. She did not know what to say to him, how to act with him, after everything they had shared. They had brushed death together, faced down the spectre side by side, with only each other to turn to. To say it changed their relationship seemed too weak a statement. She had been so close to him, no secrets, no physical boundaries, for a while she had known his body better than her own. Now, where they stood, was yet to be determined.
Her room was warm and bright, the curtains drawn on the windows and the bed, the fire banked and yet it was missing something vital. Something she could no longer deny. She sat at the mirror and combed out her hair. It fell in waves and tumbled across her shoulders and down her back. She looked at her reflection, and felt a strange feeling of calmness. Standing, she slipped off her towelling robe, and reached for a sheer, lace edged nightgown, wrapping an equally thin silk dressing gown around her shoulders. Tying the sash, she looked in the mirror, trying to cover as much exposed skin, stretched over protruding bones as possible. The last time she had seen him, she had been in his clothes, covered in mud and blood, she longed to be beautiful for him again. She was nervous, so very nervous, and she stalled. She absently tidied her brushes in front of the mirror.
"Surely the prospect of seeing me, is not so bad..." his warm voice sent heat rushing through her, into her ears and her heart contracted painfully. She turned to the bed, seeing the curtain had now been drawn back, and he was watching her.
He was sitting, propped up against the pillows, a loose white shirt, unlaced around his chest, his arms at his sides, one side, bulky with bandages. She allowed her eyes to float up to his face.
They looked at each other, as though from a great distance, travelling ever closer, their connected gazes pulling them together. He was thin, and still pale, but his smile consumed his face, his stubbled jaw as strong as ever, his blue eyes as longing as she'd ever seen them.
He was reclining back, resting his side, and as their eyes met, he pulled himself slightly forward. She was still exquisite, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was painfully thin, her cheekbones slashes across her pale skin, her eyes glowing huge in her gaunt face. She clasped her trembling hands over her stomach, and he saw a tear drip down her cheek. Her chest started to heave and before he knew it, more and more tears were falling, her face twisting in sadness, marked with relief, and other qualities he could not discern. Yet, her eyes never left his. They burned and bored into him, and he was pinned down by that look. Suddenly she was moving, and he barely had time to brace himself before she threw herself into his arms. He lifted his arms and pulled her fast against him. She trembled and shook in his embrace, and he felt a lump in his throat that was hard to overcome. She cried in his arms, and felt her last vestiges of reluctance fade. There was no pretending to be had with this man, not anymore. He knew her too well, and she was not strong enough to hide her emotions anymore. She felt his hands on her hair, stroking it gently, as she abandoned herself in his arms. The horror of their experience and the absolute reality of what might have happened pressed down on her. Now he was sitting here, alive, holding her.
It felt like coming home.
She did not know how long passed, in that embrace, lost in their shared celebration of life. Pulling away finally, she looked up into his face, so close to hers.
"Caroline." he murmured, his lips quirking into a smile, one that turned into a look of amazement as she reached for his cheek with her hand. She ran her palm over his stubbled cheek, tracing the hollows of his face.
"Are you well?" he asked, a little breathlessly, she nodded, her eyes intent on her hands movements.
"I- I am so sorry I couldn't take care of you" he muttered, his own hands falling to her shoulders, feeling her thinness through her gown.
"You did. You are the reason I am still here." she argued softly, and he turned his confused eyes to hers.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because, you promised not to leave me, I could hardly fail to make the same promise... could I?" she asked so innocently, he could not stop himself from pulling her close to him again, and capturing her lips in his. She went rigid in his arms for a moment, before melting into his embrace, and to his utter amazement, winding her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.
Their kiss was not soft. It was not gentle. It was hot, and hard, and proof of life. They kissed until they were breathless, her hands pulling him closer, his hands in her hair, capturing her jaw and taking her deeper and deeper. Until he could feel her heart pounding against his chest, her breath harsh and her body on fire. He felt these things because his own body was mirroring it.
Feeling lightheaded, Caroline broke away, leaning her head against his chest, breathing deeply, her head swimming. She felt his fingers on her back, clutching her thin gown, his chest falling rapidly. Slowly she sat up and he moved his eyes over her, drinking her in.
"Caroline" he said, raising his eyes to her face, taking in the hollows of her cheeks, and slenderness of her neck, feeling a stab of pain at the thought of her starving. She put her finger against his lips, stilling him.
"No, let us not talk of it. The people who fought and lied to each other, who hurt each other at every turn, they never left that cabin, they died one of those dark nights, and the rain bore them away. We are different. We are -" she struggled for the words
"a young wedded couple -" he offered.
"- in love" she finished.
"In love?" he asked, unable to stop the smile forming on his lips, as she nodded, her eyes dancing.
"In love." she confirmed, and sighed as he dropped his head to her neck and started to gently kiss the virgin skin there.
"Tell me..." he whispered, his stubble rasping against her, sensitively, and her hands fluttered to his shoulders and then made him groan as she shifted away from him.
"Where are you going?" he complained, as she wiggled over to the other side of the bed.
"Do you really think I can have forgotten the position of your wound? It is safer for me to be over here to sleep..."
"I was not planning on letting you sleep for a while" he growled and she laughed, her cheeks colouring by his hooded look.
"Do you think I played nursemaid for so long, to watch you hurt yourself before you are truly healed? I think not... there is time for... everything else" she said in a tone broking no nonsense.
He groaned, but submitted to her demands to lie back, and watched as she arranged the bedclothes over him, and blew out the candle. In the dark, he could feel her moving, and hear her soft breath. He stretched a hand out on the cool cover, and with surprise, found hers, already there, open, waiting for his. He threaded his fingers through hers, and squeezed, feeling complete, for perhaps the first time.