Hello, this story is part of a three shot I wrote a year ago. It was under my One Shot Series . While reading it again, I noticed that it needed a lot of work and that I wanted to apply some of the things that I've learned in the past year. I've evolved as a writer and I felt this story could benefit from that. I've been working on my beta Anastasiadreams (who is amazing and I thank from the bottom of my heart) on editing this story. I've also decided to add it as its own standalone story.

I do not own the Vampire Diaries, The Originals, or anything related to it. This is just me putting my twist into how this storyline should have gone.

I hope you enjoy.


With Thanks Given

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String lights framed the walls, the dim light creating an intimate feel. The table in the middle of the courtyard was set with the finest German china money can buy. The décor combined tradition with opulence. European old world meets traditional New Orleans charm. What else would you expect in a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by millionaire monsters?

Everything was in place, the decadent Cajun dishes, fruit, desserts, and finally the infamous turkey. The finest champagne and white wine chilled nearby. Klaus grinned. He, as always, was ready to go on stage to play his assigned role. He would give the audience what it wanted.

He was the devil.

Klaus' siblings entered the courtyard and he opened his arms in welcome. Elijah raised an eyebrow. He wore an elegant suit, tailored to fit him perfectly. Rebekah next to him looked stunning in her body fitted green dress. A smile adorned her face; her eyes alight with prospect and anticipation.

"Welcome brother, sister, you look beautiful." As they approached, he walked to meet them and embraced each.

Beyond them, he saw the approaching woman. His pleasant grin turned into a full fledge mocking smirk.

"Come on in, Rosemary, I've saved you a special place," he chortled.

Elijah's lips tightened into a line as he chastised. "Niklaus, must your jokes always be in poor taste?

"Oh come on brother, I'm just having a little fun. It's a family celebration. If we can't tease each other, we might as well be dead," he teased, holding out his hand. With a skeptical look in her eyes, Hayley took it and let him guide her to her appointed seat. She exchanged a surprised glance with Elijah and Rebekah as Klaus guided her to the head of the table.

Klaus pulled her chair and helped her sit. He scoffed as she sat cross legged on the chair. Rebekah let out a tight breath at the etiquette faux pas. Klaus looked at Elijah through the corner of his eye to gauge his reaction. It never came. Elijah just moved to take the seat next to Hayley.

"If you don't mind brother, I'd like to take this seat next to the most important person in this family," Klaus said, an obvious mock at Elijah's words from the past, "Just for tonight. After dinner, you can go back to playing Joseph of Nazareth."

Rebekah frowned at them. Elijah scowled and Hayley looked away.

He sensed the arrival of his guest but didn't bother to raise his head. It was his way of dethatching any importance to the person. However, he knew things were not as he expected when he sensed the reaction of those around him before he looked up. Rebekah half smiled before it dissolved as quickly as it came. Her whole body went rigid and her jaw clenched. Behind Klaus, Hayley gasped at the same time he picked up a scent that cause his head to snap towards the entrance.

Marcel walked in dressed in an impeccable black suit, European cut and obviously tailored to suit his muscular frame and slender hips. With his signature smile, he looked like he was plucked right out of a men's fashion magazine. However, all the attention in the room was on the woman whose hand he held.

She was a familiar face, though very different from the way the Mikaelsons remembered her. Her hair shorter, now in a long straight bob that came to her shoulders while bangs framed her forehead. Her makeup was a combination of nude foundation, peach accents on her cheeks and heavy kohl on the eyes. It was the perfect contrast to her smoky eye shadow effect. Her glossy pink lips formed into a confident little smile. Her body encased in a long sleeve lace body fitted mini black dress that fell mid-thigh. The perfect ending to the dress, and the beginning of the showcase that were her long legs. On her feet she wore impossibly high stiletto platforms.

She dressed to slay.

"Forgive me, Niklaus, for taking the liberty of inviting someone without informing you first, but since you all know my new friend, I figured you wouldn't mind," Marcel said jovially.

The woman next to him smiled warmly as she acknowledged them all. "Rebekah, Elijah." Then her eyes turned to the other woman "Hayley! How pleasant to see you. You look radiant. I guess it's true what they say about pregnant women."

At the end of the sentence, her eyes to slowly traveled to him. "Klaus," she said looking directly at him, not apparently fazed by the burning look he was currently bestowing upon her.

"Caroline," he acknowledged in a raspy whisper. Pleased at the way her body went slightly straight when he said her name. He would have chuckled if he wasn't so enraged. Instead, Klaus gestured for them all to sit.

She took a couple of seconds before she spoke and offered him a polished smile. "Thank you for having me…well… us," she said turning to look at her date. Marcel's eyes roamed over her face slowly, almost sensually before he nodded and stepped back to hold out her chair for her.

Caroline smiled and thanked him before she sat directly across from Elijah. Marcel sat next to her, directly across from Klaus. The other women in the room watched them and Klaus could almost hear the different emotions in them. Hayley seemed worried; probably that Caroline would reveal the truth about her child. Caroline was awareness was evident in the look she gave Hayley. There was a taunting quality to her gaze. Further proof was the cold way in which she addressed Klaus, her eyes mocked him when they rested on him.

Rebekah on the other hand seethed. Klaus knew his sister well. Rage burnt deep within her. Her evening now completely ruined, she shot venomous looks at Marcel and Caroline. She didn't even seem to care that the reason for their presence together was exactly that, to make them all uncomfortable. Klaus was almost positive Marcel had no clue who Caroline really was to him which meant this was pure interest on his part for the leggy blonde. That made things even more dangerous for his former protégé. Klaus worried Marcel would not survive this.

Caroline turned to Marcel and attempted to wipe an invisible mark from his full lips. Her thumb pad glided from the middle to the corner of his lips causing them to pucker in reaction. She lowered her gaze almost coyly.

Rebekah held her breath and Klaus admired her restraint, how she squelch the urge of jumping over the table. Caroline looked over at him. He exercised the same control but his hand was fisted over near his cutlery.

"So Caroline, how's everyone in Mystic Falls?" Elijah inquired seemingly oblivious of the backstories behind the palpable tension.

Caroline lips curved with warmth. "Well a lot has changed. Elena and Damon are happy…well as well as you can be when you are living with your boyfriend's brother who happens to be your ex-boyfriend and whom you both betrayed. Poor Stefan was locked in a safe by Silas and thrown to the bottom of the quarry while his brother and the love of his eternal life played house." She looked to Rebekah, as she said the last part. Then continued, with a devastating smile, "As I'm sure you heard, Tyler's here now." She surveyed the table.

Everyone tensed except Klaus, who chose that moment to speak for the first time.

"Is that what brings you here. Caroline? Your boyfriend?" he asked, taking a sip from his wine while his eyes regarded her coldly.

She exhaled into an exaggerated sigh. "No. Tyler and I are no longer together."

Marcel grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "I'm sorry. Breakups are tough," His eyes matched the softness in his tone.

She offered him a smile. "Thank you. Though I am sure there are people here more than happy to hear that. Right, Hayley? Or maybe you no longer care now that you're going to be a mommy?" she asked blinking in a way that would seem innocent except for the sharp light in her eyes.

Hayley opened her mouth but Klaus interjected.

"My condolences on the demise of the relationship…" he began, but Caroline stopped him.

"Yes, I'm sure you're really broken about it." Her smile carried the sting in her voice.

"Well, there certainly is no love lost between the young Brutus and I, but that doesn't mean I wasn't objective in my thoughts that he tends to aspire a little too high above his pay grade." He eyed her intensely.

"Elitism, Klaus?" she inquired raising an eyebrow while reaching for her wine glass.

"Not at all, I think self-awareness would be more accurate." He let it hang in the air a minute enjoying the way her spine stiffened. He chuckled inwardly before adding, "If not, our impetuous young hybrid, what brings you here?"

There at last….The gauntlet lay at the table.

Up until now, Caroline's body faced Elijah. Klaus caught her watching the way he and Hayley looked at each other. Now, she turned to him slowly, painfully so. When her gaze landed on him, her lashes lowered and leaned her body a bit towards him.

The smile of anticipation he could not prevent, flourished. It wouldn't stay there for long.

"Someone once told me about this city and how I should experience the culture and the music, so I figured I would come see for myself." She lay a hand over her heart, wetting her lips in the process.

Klaus couldn't prevent his heart from jumping in his chest.

Everyone around them watched the exchange with curiosity, though they might as well not even exist.

"But then I found out he is otherwise occupied with too many endeavors, such as taking care of pregnant friends, tasty little bartenders, and …world domination?" She paused, looking up and then back at him. "But I'm not sad. I found Marcel here, and he's been more than an adequate tour guide." She never took her eyes off Klaus, but absently brushing Marcel's arm.

Marcel chuckled deeply. Then took her hand and kissed it. "Who better to show you the kingdom, than its king?"

And just like that the air went out of the room and all eyes turned Klaus. Though no one moved, all tensed. Klaus' gaze remained on Caroline. Her grin remained in place though there was something different in her eyes. Klaus was the only one to see it as he was the only one looking at her.

Then, she twisted the knife a little more.

"Well, from what I've seen, your city is as good as advertised. The last two days have been…fun." She shrugged in that delicate, feminine way Klaus knew so well.

Marcel laughed deeply. "Well, that would be an understatement." He looked around and conspicuously added, "Our Caroline here does love champagne."

She laughed. "I do." Her eyes widened. "You all should join us after dinner!"

Marcel clapped his hands eagerly.

~0~


She walked into her new home after the long night and threw her purse on the sofa. She loved the place. The retro traditional charm of the town home. She made her way to her bedroom and discarded the high platforms. She exhaled deeply as the shoes came off her feet. Stretching, she smiled a little remembering the events of the night.

She couldn't erase Rebekah's hateful eyes from her mind. The Original was positively frothing at the mouth at the attention Marcel gave Caroline. She wondered how the other woman remained in control and never once attacked her. Though, Caroline knew she would confront Marcel tonight like she knew Marcel seemed to think he had the situation in check. The arrogance of men never strayed away from stupidity.

And speaking of men, there was Klaus. Her smile widened, thinking of all the emotions she saw in his face today. It couldn't have gone better. She poured a drink from the decanter with a smile then turned around and walked towards the chair across from her bed. She held out the tumbler.

He took it.

"Were you expecting me, love?" he asked softly taking the drink from her hand. He waited in the dark for her.

She walked to the bed and lounged on her side leaning on her elbow facing him. "No, but just because I didn't invite you, doesn't mean I should be rude. I'm in the real south now. Hospitality is not an option."

"How gracious," Klaus replied, smugness coloring his voice. Calculated, the words that followed after told her how much in danger she was. "While I sip, you should start enumerating the reasons of why I shouldn't kill you."

Tension poked at her side, just because she expected this, didn't make it any less dangerous or him less threatening. This was a game she started and it wasn't the time to hold back.

"Kill me? Why? Because you're afraid I'm going to tell Marcel that Hayley's bundle of joy is also yours? Congratulations by the way." Pleasure coursed through her at the twitching muscle in his cheek.

He didn't answer her right away, just took another sip of his Bourbon, savoring it in his tongue. His eyes burnt her when he spoke again.

"This is really good Bourbon," he remarked as if they were exchanging pleasantries.

He was more menacing than ever. A thought that made her blood rush before she dismissed it. She waved her hand around the room before she pulled the trigger. "As you can see, Marcel spares no cost when trying to impress me."

He was on her before the tumbler hit the floor. "I've had enough of your little game, sweetheart," he said with his hands around her throat. "The only thing that's keeping you alive right now is me contemplating if I should satisfy my sexual curiosity by fucking you before I kill you." He squeezed her neck tighter.

Fear flooded her senses before she remembered who she now was. She laughed. It was a loud cackle. His face darkened in anger until she spread her legs under him and his whole body shifted between her legs putting his aroused member directly in her core area. His breath hitched on contact.

"I'm not Elijah, Klaus. I was there," she said before lowering her voice and adding "We both know I'm not just Tyler's girl."

The light in his eyes softened and he unwound his hands from around her neck. "So that's what this is all about? A meaningless comment to Elijah about what wasn't of his concern? Scorn and jealousy is what has brought you to this point?"

"Jealousy?" She purred and brought her hands to either side of his face. She never touched his face like that before. The light of hope that shone in his eyes and the way he leaned into her touch made her stomach sink. But she had come too far to stop now.

"I think if anyone was jealous tonight…" She lifted her head up so their mouths were a thread away from each other "It was you. I saw the way you looked when I touched Marcel." He tensed above her.

"Did you want to kill us both when I kissed him just outside my door?" She smirked against his lips before her tongue darted out and she ran it flat against his mouth.

His hands found their way to her neck again though his body pressed closer to her.

"Don't play this game with me, sweetheart. Don't overestimate your worth," he said as he squeezed tighter.

Holding tight to her composure, she stomped on the urge to flinch at his words. He knew where to hit but she already expected that. "Oh I don't. I know exactly who I am to you," she said flinging him off her until he landed on his back on the floor by the other side of the bed.

Confusion written on his face, he gaped at her. She walked to him and put her foot on his neck, holding him in place.

"I'm full of surprises tonight. Tell me Klaus, how much do you know Augustine vampires?" She pressed her heel harder against his throat.

~0~


"Augustine?" he repeated and then it made sense. "That's how you're stronger."

He was well acquainted with the Augustine Vampire Project. It started in the 50s by a classified faction of the CIA. The United States intelligence agency, desperate to develop an indestructible weapon for combat, launched this top secret research program to put into action the covert use of biological and chemical agents to enhance the ability and power of beings the majority of the population had no idea existed, vampires. Thus the Augustine Society, as the classified faction was known, made its priority to capture vampires and perform biological and chemical experiments on them.

They used Vervaine in small dosages and mixed it with vampire blood and human growth hormones to create a new type of blood that provided extra nourishment, strength, and helped develop a tolerance for the substance that would normally weaken a vampire. This new type of blood was named Invicta.

Soon after its development, the Augustine Society began implementing by injecting it on the captured vampires. After killing a couple of hundred vampires in the process, they were finally able to fine tune the Invicta formula and it began to make the subjects stronger than the average vampire; the longer the Invicta treatments went, the stronger they became. However, there were side effects they did not anticipate. The main side effect was that Augustine Vampires didn't crave human blood but vampire blood. It was an added bonus for the army as the new vampire race would protect the American soldiers because they didn't need to feed on them. They would feed on other vampires. They had stumbled into a goldmine.

What they didn't count on was the new vampires becoming so strong they attempted to take over the CIA and the government. So they turned to the Original family, who were extremely eager to help them. Klaus thoroughly enjoyed fighting and putting down the juiced vamps. It was the most fun he had fighting in almost a thousand years. Though the project was destroyed, there were still rumors that two of the scientists ran away with the blood and all the paperwork. The other rumor was that a new string of Invicta had been in development that would prove to be even stronger, faster acting. He never heard of it again.

Until tonight.

~0~


He turned to look at her after finishing the story. She looked so much like the old Caroline but he knew she couldn't be. Strength emanated from her. How did he not see this earlier? He got so caught up in how beautiful she looked and how angry and jealous he was of Marcel, he failed to notice it.

Now this posed a problem.

"I need to know if you are working for Marcel," He finally voiced.

"Not exactly," she said walking to the window, looking out into the street. She checked at her phone and looked away. Walking to the chair he vacated, she sat down and crossed her legs. "God, I'm hungry," she murmured, running her hands through her stylish bob.

Tension gnawing, he frowned. Part of the side effects of her new powers was the accelerated need for nourishment. An Augustine vampire could only go a few hours after feeding before hunger struck again.

"It's ok. I've arranged for food," she announced, probably noticing the way he looked at her. She looked away but seemed self-conscious of him walking towards her.

It tugged at him. No matter how angry Klaus was, there was something about her. He couldn't see her in distress.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, kneeling in front of her.

"Last night," she said and leaned forward.

He knew it was the hunger that made her vulnerable but still, this was Caroline. His hand touched the side of her face tenderly.

"You're not supposed to go without feeding for that long. Didn't they explain that to you?" he asked, fighting the amount of concern he felt. How much did she know about her new nature?

"Yes, Dr. Maxield, the mad scientist, told me all about it before he pumped bag after bag of blood the he had into my system. I can control myself." She rolled her eyes; stopping her hands from fidgeting, she placed them at her sides. "I'm as strong as you now, you know?" Caroline taunted.

The statement sent slashes of desire through his body. Klaus swallowed to control himself. "You need to eat."

"Food will be here soon." She waived a dismissive hand.

He stood up, reached for her hand and grabbed it. She looked at him in confusion but he pulled her up and closer. Invoking the same words he said that night in her bedroom, in what seemed like another life span, "Have at it."

~0~


She didn't ask why; she knew.

She didn't bother to question it; there was no point.

Somehow she knew this night would end this way. Maybe that's why she didn't eat before. She knew she would taste his blood, have it in her. But now she didn't think, just took what he had to offer.

The minute her fangs closed around his carotid, she whimpered in the back of her throat and he felt his body shake a bit. His hands steadied her by closing tightly around her ass. With the pressure of her lips on his skin, Klaus plastered her tightly against him.

She continued to feed as his hands continued exploring her back. He had reached the edge of her skirt when the doorbell rang; she retracted her fangs and moved back.

"I'll be right there," she whispered without turning from him.

She looked at him through her beast eyes. Her eyes blood red and her throat so full of emotion.

"I've only seen this twice and both times," he said and she knew he spoke of her fangs; it made her blood speed through her veins when he ran his thumb over her lips.

"You are beautiful this way, with blood dripping down the side of your mouth," he continued.

Her tongue darted out to lick the corners. She needed to move things along before they got out of hand.

"Thank you," she exhaled, "Come with me, I think it's time you got your answers."

Though tone was soft, there was something Klaus couldn't pinpoint in her attitude.

Conviction, maybe? But conviction about what?

As they reached the living room, he stood by the fireplace and she went to open the door. He tensed when Marcel walked in followed by a couple of other vampires.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized. He smiled at Klaus as if it was no big deal seeing him, almost like expected it.

Klaus' heart already grieved for Marcel, knowing he would kill him tonight.

"It is fine, Marcel."

She smiled at the other vampire politely. It was different than her flirtatious smiles during dinner or at the bar after. He kissed her hand with reverence.

"How did everything go?" She inquired.

"Very well. The witches are willing to talk. They do not want to toy with the power of a resurrected Bennett witch," Marcel said.

She smiled brightly. Her gaze landed back on Klaus. "Leverage on every enemy."

He remained impassive through the exchange, painting the impression of boredom. Inside, Klaus surprise and confusion swirled in rapid exchange.

She addressed him then, "You asked if I worked for Marcel. I said not exactly but what I really meant to say is he works for me."

Stunned into silence, Klaus waited for her to continue.

"I'm the new queen of this city, Klaus," Caroline proclaimed. "I believe this is where, we begin to negotiate."


Thank you for reading