Actions

Work Header

Holding Out for a Hero

Summary:

Klaus would totally be able to focus on his plans for world domination… if only his soulmate would stop singing that thrice-damned song. But then there's silence, and Klaus grows worried. Soulmate AU where songs that one’s soulmate sings gets stuck in one’s head.

CW/TW: descriptions of Caroline being abused by Damon but nothing graphic/explicit.

Notes:

Gift fic for Helpfulfairy92 for the KC Frosted Exchange 2021, and she requested a soulmate AU where songs that one’s soulmate sings gets stuck in one’s head. As you’ll see shortly, I took that idea and ran with it. (Also, I am SUPER SORRY in advance if this was a tad more angst than anticipated. I tried to drive it towards HEA territory to make up for it.)

This is canon divergent prior to Klaus breaking his curse, and the Mikaelson siblings are present. I tried to stay light on the angst so I really hope I hit all the right notes! Klaus is a Caroline #1 stan and plays our white knight in this one.

CW/TW: descriptions of Caroline being abused by Damon but nothing graphic/explicit.

Work Text:

“A little murder, blood, and mayhem…”

Klaus woke up for the third night in a row, the cheerful tune of Winter Wonderland a stark contrast to the lyrics substituted by the singer. None other than his soulmate.

His soulmate.

Klaus would totally be able to focus on his plans for world domination… if only his soulmate would stop singing that thrice-damned song. Especially at 2:00 AM.

Not for the first time, he cursed the witches and their incessant need to meddle.

Klaus had known he had a soulmate 15 years ago. The nature of the soulmate link was that the further away they were from one another, the more distantly the lyrics echoed. He could track his soulmate’s growth based on the clarity of the lyrics she (the voice was always feminine) came up with, so his best guess was she was currently about 17 years old. On the occasion that he traveled near or to the east coast of the United States, the volume increased… particularly as he traveled closer to Virginia.

Unfortunately, at this moment, he was so close to his soulmate that it was impossible to ignore her. His soulmate had to be in this godforsaken town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Now the only question was, did he want to find her or not?

And like all the other previous times, he held himself back.

It was never because he didn’t doubt that he could.

It was because he knew she was human, and what human would ever love a monster such as himself?


Klaus knew things about her, figured them out based on snippets of songs he caught wind of over the years. His soulmate was rather… vocal.

Her name was Caroline, and her birthday was October 10. She was quite a social butterfly, based on the number of birthday parties she attended – Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler – so on and so forth. Klaus didn’t bother to keep track of his soulmate’s social circle, but he did hear certain names more than others. (It brought him a small measure of delight that she wasn’t alone in the world.)

She was rather fond of the singer Taylor Swift, along with a myriad of songs from soundtracks (Disney seemed to be a popular choice), and Christmas appeared to be her favorite holiday.

His soulmate also had a most interesting habit of putting her study materials into musical format – he assumed this was to help her remember said material better, and he inferred that when she was repeating these lyrics to herself that she was either reviewing for or taking an exam.

Other times, when he heard her repeating song lyrics, he made mental notes to himself. He inferred that she was either learning to sing a song or to play an instrument of some sort.

But one day, she stopped.

Klaus noticed it immediately.

His soulmate rarely went a day without humming or singing a song, whether he felt it by the barest thread of whisper in his mind or a loud roar as she sang at the top of her lungs. He’d learned to come to expect it, and it didn’t bother him.

But this sudden silence… replaced by essentially white noise, was deafening.

It was troubling on multiple levels, and it spoke of trouble. The supernatural kind of trouble that he always hoped would not plague his soulmate.

So Klaus turned to the witches. There was a powerful coven that stayed in the employ of his family for several generations, about as loyal as one could pay for. The witch he consulted with listened to him with a grave expression on her face, her eyebrows furrowing as he described the sudden silence.

The witch was silent for a couple more moments afterwards, her eyes closed as she focused. When she opened them, she said, “This is troubling indeed, Lord Mikaelson. Your soulmate is in trouble. If she was dead, you would know it in your soul. However, if there is interference with the bond, then it is either the work of witches, which is highly unlikely considering the source of the soulmate bond, as well as the fact that no others are aware that you have a soulmate in the first place. The only other possible reason would be compulsion.”

Unfortunately for Klaus, he had also come to the same conclusion. That compulsion was interfering with the soulmate bond meant that his very mortal soulmate was in the hands of a wretched vampire, and the fact that it wasn’t temporary didn’t bode well for her. (To be fair, it also wouldn’t bode well for said vampire, when Klaus got his hands on them.)

So Klaus gritted his teeth, bit back his fury, and ordered the witch, “I don’t care how you do it – guide me to her.”

As the witches prepared their spells, he sent a quick message to his siblings – We’re going hunting.


Caroline often wondered about her soulmate. He was… rather silent. She never heard him singing in her mind except in foreign languages, always different each time, and brief enough that she had trouble recollecting the words.

Caroline couldn’t put a name or any other sort of information to her soulmate except this: he had a wonderful voice, calm and soothing and accented. Sophisticated. Everything she imagined in her dreams.

But dreams were a long ways away, because she didn’t know anything about his thoughts and beliefs. She didn’t know how he felt about vampires, and witches, and werewolves, or about the supernatural. Because they were real.

And if the devil took form, his name was Damon Salvatore.

Damon and his younger brother Stefan, were both vampires. Apparently, Damon was jealous that Stefan and Elena were a thing, so he took out his anger on Caroline. Pretty, stupid, desperate Caroline who had been charmed by the handsome man up until he showed his true colors.

The past couple weeks had been a dizzying blur of terror. Blank spots in her memory that she couldn’t quite focus, no matter how hard she tried. The bruises and bite marks and cuts all over her body that she couldn’t explain, that she covered up with concealer and shaky fingers.

The way her body automatically moved to obey anything Damon said and how she literally couldn’t tell anyone what he was doing to her, for some reason that she couldn’t explain. He just ordered her to keep her mouth shut, and that was that. The way Damon took amusement in her pain, the way his eyes flashed darkly as black veins crawled over his face, the crushing grip of his hands and the sharp bite of his fangs.

That night, as she laid in bed next to him, shaking and trembling after he used her body yet again, Caroline prayed. She didn’t believe in gods, but she prayed to every deity she could think of that her soulmate was as far away from this clusterfuck of a mess as possible.

I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to make it out of this.


Klaus was halfway to Mystic Falls before the witches confirmed his soulmate’s location.

Elijah had just arrived at their mansion and was preparing it for their family’s arrival.

Upon his arrival, Klaus sped through the town to determine the most optimal spot to discover his Caroline, and he happened upon the Mystic Grill. He sat himself in a dark corner with a newspaper and ordered drinks and appetizers, compelling the waitress to forget about him unless it was to refill his drinks, and settled down to read.

As he waited, Rebekah updated him. The only Caroline in the town who matched the appropriate age was Caroline Forbes, the only daughter of Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. And as for recent supernatural activity, the Salvatore brothers, a relatively young pair of vampires, had come to town a couple weeks ago.

Klaus slowly sipped at his bourbon, glued to his phone as he was hopelessly fascinated by each new piece of information that his sister dug up on his soulmate. Straight-A student. Cheerleader co-captain. Only child. Miss Mystic Falls. Klaus absorbed everything, committing it all to memory, and found himself hungry for more.

It wasn’t long before the doors to the eatery opened and crowds of teenagers wandered in after the end of the school day.

And then, it wasn’t long until he saw her.

His soulmate.

When Klaus finally had his first glimpse of his soulmate, she took his breath away. She was beautiful, strong (so strong, his little love), and full of light. Rebekah had purposely withheld her photo, and for once Klaus was thankful. His gaze took in her form, automatically committing his first impressions of his soulmate to memory. A mere photo would have been a poor imitation of her genuine beauty. Her ocean blue eyes and sunshine hair, the tiniest hint of baby fat still on her cheeks that hinted at her innocence and brought forth his protective instincts, and the cute but confident outfit she was wearing indicated that she should get along with Rebekah.

Electricity raced down his spine – the soulmate bond confirming that she was his and that he was hers – and before he knew it, he was half rising out of his seat. He caught himself just in time and forced himself to sit back down to observe the scene unfolding before him.

Yes, his soulmate – his Caroline – was beautifully captivating.

But his practiced eye caught details that the average human did not – the smears of concealer over various spots on her neck and chest, expertly blended although the color was the slightest shade off. Barely noticeable unless someone was looking. But Klaus was looking.

And he caught other details too: the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. How she wore a scarf and long sleeves although it wasn’t necessitated by the weather. And most telling was the smell of fear  – worse, the faint smell of blood – that followed her as she walked.

She was with a group of other teenagers that Klaus assumed were her friends. He inconspicuously took photos of their faces and sent them to Elijah to investigate.

His brother responded almost immediately – he was probably working with Rebekah – and he learned names: Elena Gilbert, the newest doppelganger. Bonnie Bennett, the youngest Bennett witch. The Salvatore brothers. Matt Donovan, a human. As Klaus read the names, he grimaced. It was already bad enough that Caroline had the misfortune of growing up in Mystic Falls, but even worse, she had been surrounded by the supernatural her entire life and it appeared that no one had bothered to inform her.

Klaus surreptitiously watched as the elder Salvatore slid into the booth and wrapped his arm around Caroline’s waist, and she flinched. It was subtle, but quite visible to Klaus. (Klaus gripped the edge of the table so hard that it splintered.) The vampire was a dead man walking.

Klaus swiftly drained the remaining contents of his tumbler and ordered another bourbon, watching as Caroline and her friends ordered food and chattered away.

“Caroline, what’s wrong?” Bonnie finally asked, noticing that she hadn’t touched her food.

“N-Nothing! Just, too excited about cheer practice later,” Caroline responded with a wide fake smile, reaching out for a French fry as she nibbled on it. She didn’t finish her fry.

French fries were one of her favorite foods.

It wasn’t long until she got up and excused herself to the ladies room.

Klaus waited a couple moments before subtly following her. A quick glance at her friends’ table showed that none of them were paying attention, none of them were the least bit concerned as they continued their happy conversations without a care.

His heightened senses picked up the sounds of crying and vomiting, and he silently made his way to the ladies’ room, compelling anyone he encountered to forget his presence and to leave.

“Oh sweetheart,” he whispered, pushing down his rising rage in favor of concern for his soulmate. After a moment of thought, he knocked on the door and called out, “Hello, is Caroline in here? This is Nik, the General Manager. Your friends asked me to check on you.”

A couple moments later, Caroline responded, “Yeah I’m here. Um, thanks for checking. Could you let them know I’ll be right out?”

A thrill shot down Klaus’ spine at his first verbal interaction with his soulmate, and he impatiently pushed it down. He had to play his cards right, lest he risk scaring her off.

He finally responded, “Of course, sweetheart. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Klaus heard the confusion in her voice as she responded, “Um, no, thanks. I’m… I’m okay.”

He waited patiently, and a couple minutes later, he heard her turn on the sink faucet to wash her hands and rinse her mouth. Caroline finally stepped out of the bathroom stall, wiping her mouth with the end of her scarf. She frowned when she saw him leaning against the bathroom wall and said, “…can I help you?”

Klaus contemplated his response, and finally settled for, “You’re thoughtful for asking, but in this case, I believe that I can help you.”

Caroline frowned again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Have you had blank spots in your memory lately? Flashes and visions that you don’t fully understand?” He kept his voice calm, light, trying to not spook her.

“W-What-?”

Before she could deny it, he added, “I can help you remember, but I need you to trust me.” (He could be charming, right? Women were usually drawn to him.)

Caroline bit her lip, her expression worried. “How do I know I can trust you?”

The distrust in her eyes unsettled him to the point that he found himself blurting out, “The only reason I’m here is because of you, love. Ever since I stopped hearing you, I’ve been worried about you. I’m sorry it took me so long to find you.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped, forming an “o” in understanding. After a moment, she hesitantly nodded, her voice a whisper as she said, “Please.”

Klaus leaned forward, locking gazes with her as he commanded her, “You will no longer be compelled by anyone, vampire or Original vampire, including myself, without your express and willing consent. And you will remember everything from the time you were compelled.”

After his soulmate repeated his words, he blinked to break their connection. He could see the moment her memories flooded back, for Caroline staggered back, her expression horrified as her back hit the wall and she slid down sobbing. Klaus grabbed her before she fell, gently settling her down as he held her, leaning her against his shoulder as he settled an arm around her waist.

To have his soulmate in his arms in this moment was both his sweetest victory and greatest sorrow, and as he held her, he vowed, “There you are, sweetheart. You’re back to yourself now. No one will ever do that to you again.”


Caroline didn’t dare to believe that the insanely handsome British man in front of her was… well, hers. But he freed her from Damon’s compulsion, made it so that she could never be hurt in that way again. She was scared of the comfort she found in this stranger’s arms, but the hum of the soulmate bond was so loud it was impossible to deny who this man was to her.

“Who are you?” She finally whispered.

“I believe I introduced myself as Nik.”

His voice was just like she had imagined, in her mind and in her dreams.

“But who are you? Why are you helping me?” A flicker of fear overcame her and she whispered, “Are you going to kill me?”

He laughed quietly, his voice low as he responded, “Do you really think that lowly of me?”

“I don’t want to,” she confessed. “But things haven’t… they’ve been a nightmare these past couple of weeks.”

Nik ‘hmmm’-ed thoughtfully for a moment before he responded, “I think you already know the answer to your questions, Caroline.”

“Are you… are you my soulmate?”

“Yes. I’ve been looking for you. I was worried when I stopped hearing you in my mind.”

A sob tore through her throat at his confession.

This entire time, she’d been stuck in her nightmare, wondering if anyone knew, if anyone cared.

And this entire time, he had known. He cared. And he came for her.

“I can take you away from all this, if you want.” He said quietly. “I’m… I’m not a gentle man, Caroline. My family and I – we’re vampires. The oldest vampires. I don’t often extend mercy. I’m furious at your friends for their mistreatment of you, to be quite honest. But I want to protect you and show you the world… if you’ll have me.”

“You saved me,” Caroline responded quietly. She turned to him, brushing her fingers over the stubble on his jawline. “You found me and you freed me. My friends didn’t even notice, or they didn’t care. And my mom works all the time. No one in my life cared enough to make sure I was okay except you.”


His soulmate was quiet for another moment, but he could feel the contentment humming through their soulmate bond.

Finally, she responded, “Yes please.”

This would be his sweetest victory and greatest sorrow.

As he whisked her away, his mind was already plotting. He had a curse to break, and all the primary components were in this godforsaken town. The doppelganger, a Bennett witch, and the moonstone. A werewolf would be harder to find, but not impossible. And as for the vampire… he already knew who he would use.

But for now, he could settle, and delegate most of the curse-related tasks to his siblings. Elijah could procure a werewolf, Kol and Freya could take care of the witch and doppelganger, and Rebekah would love to handle the elder Salvatore. (His sister had a thing for showing abusive assholes their place.)

His primary responsibility was to tend to his soulmate, and he planned on wrapping her up in every protection he could buy, trade, blackmail, and threaten, until she was ready to take his blood offering and join him by his side.

“Oh the things I’ll teach you, love,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Where would you like to start? Rome, Paris, Tokyo?”

He caught his first glimpse of a genuine smile from her, eyes lighting up with surprise and delight as she confessed, “Paris?”

He couldn’t help his grin in response as he said, “As you wish.”


FIN.