Chapter 1: Trouble

Caroline's POV

Caroline sighed as she stood at her locker getting changed into her uniform. Everyone has their good days and their bad days and today was not going to be a good one she had a feeling. The last eight months had taken their toll. On the outside she looked fine. She put on her happy face and everyone thought she was ok. Caroline was a survivor, and a fighter. She wouldn't be defeated. Not completely. On the inside she was tired. Tired of feeling the way she did. Tired of feeling hopeless, worthless, and so…alone. Yes, she has plenty of friends who are like family, but lately, she sometimes felt like she was completely and utterly alone. Even in a crowded room. She felt like it was impossible for anyone to actually understand how she felt. Caroline looked at herself as she tied her hair in her pony-tail and buttoned the buttons on the front of her shirt. Forbes written across the right side of her chest. If she let herself look deep enough in the mirror she can see all of her past hurt reflected in her eyes. If she tilted her head to the left a little, she could see some of the visible proof of her pain running along the right side of her jaw. The scar had faded a lot now. Barely visible unless you really looked, but it was there. A constant reminder of Damon and his temper.

"Caroline! Hurry up! We're gonna be late for parade!" Caroline's good friend Elena said as she walked by her. Already in uniform.

"I know, I know! I'm stalling!" Caroline said, slamming her locker closed, and with it trying to push the memories back down.

Elena turned around and looked at Caroline. Concern written all over her face.

"Care, I know it sucks getting a new partner. Especially one that none of us have ever met, but maybe it'll be ok. Besides, we can't really blame Stefan for making detective and leaving you partner less for long now can we?" Finished Elena with an encouraging smile.

Caroline smiled back. "No I guess not. I'm just feeling nervous about this new partner. Not to mention Damon tried to call me from jail last night. I don't know why. I didn't take the call," finished Caroline looking down at the ground.

"I keep telling you to get your number changed Care. Then he wouldn't be able to call you. I'm your best friend Care, I know you're still struggling. Having that number pop up and remind you of all that stuff isn't helping you," Elena finished putting her arm around Caroline's shoulders.

"I know," said Caroline, "I'll do it tomorrow on my day off. Let's go before we're late."

...

Elena and Caroline walked in to parade and took a seat at a table with their friends Matt and Tyler. Stefan and Bonnie were standing in the back with the other detectives. Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie had all grown up together in a small town in Virginia called Mystic Falls. They all decided to move to Chicago and go into the police academy together after high school. There they also met Matt, Tyler, and Stefan. They all ended up at the same precinct and have been like family ever since. That was five years ago. None of them had much family to begin with so they found it in each other. Looking around at her friends, Caroline can't help but think how lucky they all are to have found a family with each other. Elena only has one brother, Jeremy. They've been super close ever since their parents were killed in a car accident when they were in high school. So close in fact that Jeremy followed in Elena's footsteps and joined the force as well. He's their newest rookie at the department and is actually showing a lot of promise. Bonnie never knew her father and her mom ran out on her when Bonnie was a kid. Her Gramms raised her after that. The girls all go visit her often as she was like a grandmother to all three of them growing up. Matt has a sister, Vickie. However she's in and out of rehab all the time. When she's not in rehab she's usually hitch hiking across the country. Matt only hears from her a couple times a year when she wants money. Tyler doesn't have any siblings and his parents are too busy traveling to have much of a relationship with their son. Stefan just has his brother. Damon. He's currently serving twenty years in the state penitentiary for attempted murder. Needless to say, they are no longer close. Lastly, there's Caroline. Caroline has no family at all, except for the one she's made with her friends. Her father left when she was a kid to be with another man. He never looked back. After that Caroline's mother Liz wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't even look at her most of the time. Liz often took her anger out on Caroline. Calling her worthless, amongst other things. Telling her she was the reason her father left. The hurt from all those words have stuck with Caroline the rest of her life. Every time she doubts herself about anything. Every time she's in a relationship. She remembers every hurtful thing her mother ever said to her and feels like she's right. Maybe that's why Caroline has never been able to have a loving connection with any men in her life. Sure she had loved a few, but they had never loved her back. They'd always treated her like she didn't really mean anything. Like she wasn't worthy of them. Damon of course was the worst. He didn't just treat her like she didn't matter. He showed her how much she didn't matter. With his fists and anything else he could get his hands on. Why she had let him, she will never know. Maybe because she loved him, and she so desperately wanted to be loved back.

Caroline is snapped back to reality when Sergeant Alaric Salztman takes the podium and clears his throat.

"Ok people. I know you're all itching to get out there and I don't really have much to say today. However, I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our team. Niklaus Mikaelson. Who comes over to us from New York."

All heads turned back towards where the sergeant was gesturing in the back of the room near the door. Caroline's heart did a flip-flop as her eyes fell on the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He was average height and average build but nothing else about this man was average. His hair was golden blonde and slightly curly on top in a sexy messy way. He had beautiful blue eyes, that would be easy to just get lost in. Amazing plump lips. His strong jaw had just the right amount of golden stubble.

Oh jeez. Caroline thought to herself, peeling her eyes away.

Why does he have to be attractive? I've sworn off men! They bring nothing but pain and trouble.

"Officer Mikaelson will be Officer Forbes' new partner." Sergeant said gesturing to Caroline.

Her new partner's eyes then fell on Caroline and he gave a devilish little smirk before saying, "Hello everyone. Please call me Klaus." That was it, that was all he said.

Of course he would have a sexy British accent too! Caroline thought to herself.

Everyone is called from the ogling when the Sarg clears his throat once again and says, "All right everybody. Let's get out there. Serve and protect."

Everybody starts clearing out. Caroline slowly gets up from her seat. Dreading having to actually meet her new partner.

Snap out of it Caroline! He's just a guy. Pretend he's Stefan.

Caroline turned expecting him to be there waiting for her, so they could actually meet. Not so much. She saw his retreating form heading towards the exit and the squad cars.

"Well" Elena said. "So much for introductions. I guess you guys will be meeting on the road."

Caroline was irritated. How dare he be so rude. She'd been treated like crap by enough people in her life. Klaus was going to see she wasn't going to put up with it from anyone anymore. "I'll see you later Elena. You and Tyler be careful out there today."

Elena, ever aware of Caroline's moods just gave a chuckle, "We will. You too. Try not to kill your new partner."

Klaus' POV

Klaus inhaled deeply as he walked outside to stand beside the squad car. He was actually a little nervous about starting this new chapter in his life, and about meeting his new partner officially. After everything that happened in New York he'd taken a few months off to clear his head and figure out if he even still wanted to be a cop. Klaus rubbed his left shoulder. The healing scar from his bullet wound still ached from time to time, especially when the weather was cold. October in Chicago didn't exactly help with that. While he leaned on the car and waited for his new partner to make her appearance, his thoughts continued to drift. To his old partner, Tatia. He couldn't even think about her without getting angry all over again. She'd betrayed him and the entire precinct. Got him nearly killed trying to save her ass, and then managed to get herself killed anyway. He felt like a fool. He'd trusted her. She was his partner and she'd made a fool of him. Not to mention he'd let himself care for her. She was the only person he had even come close to letting in since he was a child and his father began beating him. He learned then that people can't be trusted. Not even the ones that you think you should be able to trust the most. Tatia had only solidified that belief for him.

The sound of someone's shoes on the pavement brought him out of his thoughts. Standing in front of him was a man that Klaus briefly remembered as one of the detectives.

The man gave him a friendly smile and stuck out his right hand, "Hey I'm Stefan Salvatore. I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Caroline's old partner."

Klaus gave him a wry smile and ignored the hand, "Hey mate. Klaus. Decided to join the suits huh?"

Stefan gave a little chuckle and dropped his hand, "Yea, it was always the goal. Caroline's a great partner though. You're lucky. I'd trust her with my life. She's saved my ass on more than one occasion. She's a typical woman though and has her quirks so if you ever need any advice just let me know. We rode together for the past five years and we were at the academy together. I know her better than just about anyone."

Klaus gave a little snort, "Well thanks mate, I'll keep that in mind."

Stefan gave him an accessing look. The look of an older brother deciding if the guy standing in front of him was going to be good enough for his sister. All at once Stefan seemed to snap out of it, "Ok well, I'll see you around. Remember what I said, and just be nice. She hasn't had a lot of that lately."

With that Stefan turned around and headed back inside, stopping to give a pretty brunette a hug on the way in.

What the hell was that about? Was he trying to scare me or something?

Klaus just chuckled to himself and stood up from leaning on the car. Klaus took a second to wonder if he would ever be able to trust Caroline like her old partner Stefan seemed to.

Doubtful, he thought to himself. He had absolutely no intention of letting anyone that close ever again.

Glancing up Klaus noticed that walking out behind the brunette was the blonde of the hour. Caroline. She walked toward him with the same look on her face that Anne Boleyn must have had when they walked her to the gallows.

Well, Klaus thought, this should be a fun day.