Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries - the original books were written by L J Smith and the TV show was developed by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson. This story is the product of their characters and world and my imagination.

This story is set in an AU 4x5 where Tyler cheated on Caroline with Hayley.

"Don't you think you've had enough, Care?"

Caroline scowled at Elena's worried face and defiantly took another drink. She wondered if it would be very rude to just get up and go back inside her house, where she could drink and wallow without the well-meaning but slightly judgy concerns of her friends.

Of course, it would be rude, but she was still tempted.

Bonnie had already been by, and so had Matt. Neither of them had persuaded her to give up her day drinking and Elena wasn't likely to have any more luck than they had.

"I haven't had nearly enough," Caroline said, "because, for one, my alcohol tolerance has gotten a lot better since I became a vampire. And two, I've just discovered that my boyfriend has been screwing some wolf bitch called Hayley while he was off breaking his sire bond, and he thinks I should be ok with that!"

Like hell was she going to just accept it. She couldn't believe Tyler – it was as if he forgot she was a vampire, that she could smell the stench of sex on the two of them.

It would have been bad enough if it was just while he was away, but it was clear that the affair had continued when Hayley had shown up in Mystic Falls.

Tyler had agreed he'd made a mistake, had begged her forgiveness. She somehow knew, though, that he wouldn't have admitted to anything if she hadn't practically caught him in the act and called him out on it.

And having Hayley hovering in the background, pouting and constantly saying she didn't 'do' teen drama (as if this whole situation, supernatural issues aside, hasn't played out on countless teen TV shows before) hadn't made the situation any better.

Caroline had been dangerously close to ripping the brunette's head off, and so she'd stormed off before her self-control failed (as soon as she had let Tyler know in no uncertain terms that they were completely done).

One brief side-trip to the Salvatore Boarding House (both brothers thankfully absent) and she'd retired to the porch of her house with a couple of Damon's best bottles and the intention to drink herself into oblivion.

Not the most mature way of dealing with her problems, but she didn't particularly care right now.

Her plans had been interrupted first by Bonnie and then Matt. Now she was stuck with Elena and all Caroline wanted to do was drink in peace.

"You don't need to stay, Elena," she said, "I'm sure you've got plans with Stefan, or maybe Damon – I can't quite keep up with which one's your current favourite."

She sounded bitchy, but she didn't much care. Perhaps she'd regret her words in the morning but she didn't think so – nothing she'd said was particularly untrue and she really did have no idea which Salvatore brother Elena currently preferred.

"I'll come back and see you tomorrow, Care," Elena said, and she still sounded so sweetly concerned, not at all irritated with Caroline's snarky comments.

But Caroline had a feeling she wouldn't see Elena the next day. Oh, her friend be sorry about it, but inevitably there would be some Salvatore crisis that Caroline wouldn't be told about for a month (unless they wanted her to distract Klaus) and any plan to come and visit the Forbes house would fall by the wayside.

That was the way things usually seemed to go, after all.

Caroline drank. And then she drank some more.

She took a break to eat a few snacks – she didn't particularly want to sober up too much right now, but she knew that being fall-over drunk was a bad idea in a town where supernatural emergencies seemed to be a constant occurrence.

After raiding her kitchen for some chocolate she then settled back into the swing seat on the porch with another drink and crossed her fingers for no more interruptions.

Clearly, though, it just wasn't her day.

"Shall I kill him for you?"

Caroline started at the sound, and she nearly dropped the bottle she was holding as she spun around to see Klaus leaning against the wall, eyes glittering darkly.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?" she asked softly, too tired and not at all in the mood to play his games.

"I heard the news, sweetheart, and came to offer my assistance should you desire a little bloody retribution."

"Leave Tyler alone," she warned him sharply.

She hated her now ex-boyfriend for what he had done, but she wasn't nearly angry enough to give Klaus any kind of encouragement for the torture he was surely imagining inflicting on Tyler.

"Tyler Lockwood is mine," Klaus countered, "I gave him a gift, and it comes at a cost. Perhaps he has broken his sire bond – yes, love, I know all about that – but I'm a thousand years old and I am not fool enough to rely entirely on such a thing. Whether he knows it or not, Tyler will have no escape from me, and nor will any of my other hybrids."

"You can't own people," Caroline protested, eyes wide at the thought of Klaus' continued control over Tyler.

It had been foolish of her to think that the sire bond was all that tied the hybrids to Klaus. Her friends might sometimes act as if they were equal to the Originals but Caroline knew they could not hope to match them – Klaus and his siblings had a thousand years of experience and it was second nature for them to have back up plans (and probably half a dozen other contingencies after that).

He laughed, "oh, Caroline, you have such a modern outlook on life, yet even now there are slaves across the world, proof that ownership of human beings is still very much in evidence. And aren't my hybrids luckier – I have given them freedom from the pain of their change, so is it wrong to ask for a little in return?"

"Absolute loyalty is not a small thing, Klaus."

"Of course not," he agreed, "I for one would treat your loyalty with all the reverence and respect it deserves, love, when you deign to offer it to me. Your friends may hold such a thing cheaply, but I assure you that I do not."

"So sure," she muttered, "shouldn't it be if, not when?"

"Oh it will take time," Klaus said, flashing closer and dropping down into the spot next to her on the swing-seat, "years, decades, maybe even a century or two, but time is something I'm in no short supply of."

"You're such an overconfident ass," she grumbled as he idly twisted a few of her curls around his fingers.

His close proximity made her nervous. She wasn't drunk anymore, but she could still feel the effects of all the alcohol she'd consumed and she had a horrible feeling that it was lowering her inhibitions just enough that she would struggle to hide the fact that part of her (an unfortunately large part) was extremely attracted to Klaus and his stupidly handsome face.

Those dimples of his should come with a warning.

"You can't deny there's something between us, Caroline. You might use hostility to cover it up, but that won't make it go away, no matter how hard you wish for it."

She rolled her eyes, "ugh, I literally just broke up with my boyfriend this morning, Klaus. I am so not ready to deal with you and your flirting."

"I'm not sorry you've broken up with Tyler," Klaus said, "I told you before that a small town boy and small town life wouldn't be enough for you … but I do regret that he hurt you – I'd never have let that happen, love, if I'd known."

And Caroline actually believed him. Klaus didn't ever give her false platitudes, not like so many others. She had no doubt that he would have made her aware of Tyler's betrayal if he had known of it for sure. Of course he had probably suspected for a while, but she could admit to herself that she wouldn't have listened to him if he'd spoken without proof, that she would have thought he was only trying to sabotage her relationship.

Still, it was probably best that Klaus never had the chance to 'force' Tyler to come clean – he would likely have used a very bloody method of persuasion.

"Well if I'm too good for him, then when am I the one getting cheated on?" Caroline asked, a little bitterly.

The alcohol was clearly making her too talkative and honest. She regretted her words as soon as she'd said them – it didn't do to show that kind of weakness to Klaus, because he'd only use it to get under her skin even more than he already had.

Instead, though, Klaus tangled their hands together and Caroline found that it was actually rather comforting. It was nice to have someone who didn't shy away from her when she got a bit self-pitying and insecure.

"Tyler Lockwood is lucky that you still wish him to live," Klaus murmured, "I've a curious desire to flay the skin from his body and I'm rather put out that I must resist."

She should be disgusted by such a comment. And maybe a part of her was, but mostly she was just a bit in awe that someone would threaten Tyler with such things just because he had hurt her.

It was a worrying thing when Klaus sometimes set a better (if more violent) standard of friendship than Elena or Bonnie or Stefan did.

"And what about Hayley?" Klaus continued, his thumb rubbing her skin almost absentmindedly, "If I must leave Mr Lockwood intact then shall I bring you her heart to feast on?"

"Eww," Caroline grimaced, "I think I'll stick to blood and leave the organs alone … And, no, I'm not your excuse."

"Not even a little tempted, sweetheart?" he asked, with exactly the sort of smooth, persuasive tone she imagined had countless humans and vampires alike under his thrall.

"If you want to kill Hayley for your own reasons then go right ahead," she told him, "I can't pretend that I would mourn her. But don't do it on my account – if I want her dead then I'll damn well kill her myself."

"Well I'm sure one of us will have the pleasure soon enough," he mused, "she's certainly hiding something - she reeks of deceit, and there's only a barely noticeable dash of guilt and regret mixed in."

Caroline shrugged, "I don't really know anything about her, apart from the fact that she clearly has no scruples about sleeping with guys who are already in relationships, and that she seems completely unaware of the fact that she's a high school movie cliché."

"You needn't worry, Caroline," Klaus told her, "you are certainly far superior to her."

"You're just full of compliments today, aren't you?" she noted, trying to hide her pleasure at his words.

Was it wrong that his simple comment made her feel warm inside? Her friends would probably say it was, but sometimes it was just nice to be appreciated.

"It's a pity that you do not seem to understand your worth, Caroline. Your friends have been remiss in that area, I believe."

"Don't insult my friends," she warned him, "the last year hasn't exactly been easy for anyone."

"If you say so," Klaus shrugged, seemingly deciding not to pursue the argument.

That was a pleasant change. He was usually so pushy after all.

"I hear you're planning to stay close to home for college, love," he said after a few minutes of relaxing silence, "any reason why you would restrict yourself like that – I've no doubt that with your grades and impressive list of extracurricular activities you could get a place at a top university in a big city."

"You better not have been going through my room like some stalker," Caroline growled as she remembered he had an invitation into her house.

"I have many sources of information," Klaus said, not actually confirming or denying that he had been snooping around her house, "one of whom tells me that you still keep a certain drawing of mine."

Caroline blushed, "I like horses, that's all," she muttered in defiance, "and we were talking about your boundary issues, not the contents of my bedroom."

"I believe we were actually discussing your college plans, sweetheart."

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him, because she was an adult damnit, and also because he'd probably just laugh.

"I want to stay close to my mom," she admitted after a few moments, "I worry about her, being the sheriff of this crazy town."

"I do not believe your mother would want you to limit yourself for her sake, love, and rest assured that I am more than happy to leave a few hybrids in town to keep an eye on her, if that would allay your worries."

Caroline's eyes widened. His hybrids were a finite group now that Elena was a vampire, at least until the next doppelganger showed up (and that, she believed, could take centuries). The fact that Klaus was willing to leave some in Mystic Falls, just so that she could feel secure enough to go to a college more than a few hours away, was … amazing.

"I … thank you, Klaus," she almost whispered the words, but she knew he heard them.

He grinned, "I took the liberty of ordering a few brochures for colleges for you – Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Boston –"

"Klaus!" she interrupted, "what the hell?"

"… Princeton, Cornell, Berkeley," he continued with a laugh, "or perhaps New Orleans would be more to your taste, with all its food, art, music and culture. It's a favourite place of mine and I'm of a mind to visit soon, to deal with a little insurrection that's brewing – people forget, sometimes, what they should be afraid of, and to whom they owe fealty."

"Well I'm not even going to ask about New Orleans, and no," she said when it looked like he was actually going to start talking, "I really don't want to know, because I do not need those nightmares. But seriously – college brochures?"

"You've been so busy lately, love, and I wouldn't want you to think you didn't have options."

"It's a bit late to start applying to somewhere like Stanford now."

"Deadlines are no obstacle – you are a vampire, Caroline, and you should remember that compulsion opens many doors, as do … donations."

"No!" she said forcefully, "no bribery."

"Your morality can be such an inflexible, tedious thing, sweetheart. You aren't human anymore, and the supernatural rules are very different."

"No bribery," she repeated.

"As you wish," was all he said.

She didn't quite trust the innocent look on his face. She had a horrible feeling that any application she made would somehow end up accepted no matter how late she applied.

But this was the best she was probably going to get. Klaus was the high-handed sort and she should probably just be glad he hadn't applied on her behalf already.

"So, are you planning on leaving any time soon?" she asked him, just before the silence between them became awkward.

To be honest she found didn't really mind his company at the moment. At least he hadn't told her she should stop drinking, or suggested that she might forgive Tyler his transgressions.

"Do you wish me to go, love?"

The yes was on the tip of her tongue. It was what she should have said. It wasn't the done thing, after all, to play nice with the monster who'd tried to kill your friends.

She couldn't quite bring herself to say it, though. Klaus was a lot of things, most of them firmly in the terrible category, but at least he was on her side, and he accepted her as she was, good and bad alike.

"I guess you can stay," she said, trying to be casual but failing miserably if Klaus' smile was anything to go by, "if you promise not to make any threats against my friends. Now pass me a drink, I'm going to need more alcohol if we're going to be nice to each other."

He passed her a bottle and took one for himself, chinking them together and giving her a roguish wink.

"Cheers, love. I'm sure we'll have a delightful time."

That was what she was afraid of.

It was going well.

Klaus had kept to his promise and had refrained from any mention of terrorising her friends by the simple process of not discussing them at all.

(although he had repeated his offer to bring her Hayley's heart. Three times).

Instead, he had spoken about his travels across the world and which cities he thought she would enjoy.

She found herself rather entranced by his words. He had a way of describing places that made them so real in her mind, and when he talked about New Orleans or Rome or Paris or countless other places she could hear in his voice how much he loved them, could see in the enthusiasm in his eyes.

Klaus usually had a dozen reasons for any action and countless motives behind his words, but in this she could only detect a genuine, real love for the places he had visited, and a true desire to show her the world.

It was things like this that were the reason Caroline usually tried to keep her distance from him. Because when she saw glimpses of the character behind the murderous, terrifying monster she was intrigued.

Far too intrigued for her own good.

"You look thirsty, love," Klaus' voice cut into her musings.

She was. She hadn't realised before he mentioned it, but now her throat ached. The whole situation with Tyler had made her unusually careless and completely driven thoughts of grabbing some bloodbags out of her mind. She didn't want to think about how tenuous her control might be if a human got too close.

She was just glad that her mom had a night shift.

"I'll manage," she said tightly.

"But why suffer, sweetheart?" Klaus asked, "when I'm right here."

She should have expected it. Should have known that Klaus would obviously take advantage of an opportunity like this.

He tapped his neck, "you're welcome to a bite."

She flushed slightly and he laughed, "a little too intimate for you? Well, these things will come in time, I suppose – now, how about this?"

He bit into his wrist and offered it to her.

She could feel her vampire features emerge despite her attempts to resist, and Klaus gave her a lazy, satisfied smile, "have at it, Caroline."

His blood was just as delicious as it had been the night he'd saved her from the effects of Tyler's bite. And it was potent – every other drop of blood that had passed her lips was nothing compared to Klaus'.

She moaned, damnit, and even though she couldn't see his face she just knew Klaus was smirking.

One of his hands came to rest on her back, tugging her closer towards him, while the other carded through her hair.

She wanted to tell him that despite his blood being the best thing she'd ever tasted, that did not mean she wanted his hands all over her.

Unfortunately, that would be a lie. His hands felt really good.

It had been a mistake not to send him away immediately following his arrival (or at least try to, though she knew Klaus went only when he wished to).

She certainly shouldn't have agreed to him staying so he could enthral her with his travel stories.

And it was clearly another mistake to drink his blood – it was so obviously affecting her brain because she was starting to forget that he was not just a really hot guy genuinely interested in her, he was in fact an Original, a monster's nightmare.

Caroline unlatched her fangs from Klaus' arm with some reluctance. And though she managed to force her vampire face away, she couldn't quite push her monster down – Klaus' blood, not to mention all the alcohol she'd consumed, had shaken her control.

"Ah, Caroline, always trying to hide parts of yourself away," Klaus said, as his hand left her hair and his thumb swiped across her cheeks where the dark veins on her face had been only moments before, "you've got impressive control, but you seem to have trouble embracing all that you've become."

"Didn't you say you liked that I was full of light?" asked Caroline, as she contemplated moving from her position half-sprawled across Klaus' lap and then decided she was too comfortable to move (she'd likely regret it later, as Klaus wouldn't let her forget what she had done, but for now she didn't care).

"The two aren't incompatible," he said, his hand back in her hair, twining curls around his fingers, "a monster isn't made up entirely of darkness, Caroline. Your light is your fierce loyalty and ability to see the good in people, your love of life and your strong heart."

"You can't say things like that," Caroline said as she sat up and looked at him, frustrated and confused.

"Why ever not, love?" he asked, amusement written across his face.

"Because when you do," she told him softly, "it makes me want to forget all the horrible things you've done."

He froze for a few seconds, "… but you can't, can you?" he questioned, voice serious now and perhaps a little defensive.

She shook her head, "the problem," she told him quietly, though she knew he could hear her clearly, "is that I think I can."

A heartbeat of stillness between them.

"Do you mean that, Caroline?" he asked, "You must think hard, love, and be absolutely honest."

The lighter mood of the hours spent discussing travel had gone, replaced by something else.

There was a tension in the air, a charged atmosphere. And somehow she knew that her answer to Klaus' question could change the entire course of her future.

"I'm eighteen, Klaus" she told him carefully, "I've barely been anywhere in this state, let alone the world. And you … you don't do casual. I'm not ready for that, and maybe I won't be for years."

She took a breath and continued, "I can't forget the horrible things you've done, not exactly. But we've all done terrible things – Elena seems to love Damon, after all, and I'd probably throw a party if he went and died in a fire. So … I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know you're the villain to my friends, but you're more to me. And one day I think I'd like to explore that, if you haven't found another baby vampire to woo in the meantime."

"Oh you're one of a kind Caroline," he gave her a soft, if not exactly gentle, smile, "and I'm not fickle, love, not with the things that matter."

She huffed out a little laugh, "this is insane," she said, "I should have regulated my drinking – I'd forgotten that it has a tendency to make me a bit too honest."

"I think I like honest Caroline," Klaus cupped her cheeks, the warmth of his hands searing her skin, and then, before she even realised what he was planning, he slanted his lips across hers.

She'd thought about kissing Klaus a thousand times, though she'd never admit it, especially to him. But never in her wildest dreams (and she'd had some pretty incredible ones in the last few months) had she imagined it would be so wonderful.

He did have a thousand years of experience after all.

It was hungry and all-consuming, as one would expect with Klaus, and it made her a little lightheaded and giddy.

She'd kissed plenty of people before, but it had never been as intense as this.

That should probably worry her, but somehow it didn't.

It was over too soon, though, far too soon.

"Sorry, love," Klaus gave her a heated look, "but I've only got so much self-control and I'm not sure you're ready to explore your exhibitionist side yet."

She flushed a little but refused to be embarrassed. There was nothing wrong with making out with a guy on her front porch and she refused to feel awkward about it.

Even if it was Klaus.

"What now?" she asked, breathless and a little unsure.

"You apply for college," he said simply, "I'll bring the brochures over to you tomorrow."

He caught the uncertain look on her face and smirked, "don't worry, sweetheart, I won't push … much. A few years, even a number of decades, isn't anything to an immortal – I can wait."

He could. And what was more important was that she really believed he would. Klaus wasn't a teenage boy with a short attention span, and while his tendency towards obsessions was a little worrying, she did appreciate that while he could be unpredictable in other areas, this was not one of them.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," he nodded in agreement.

He brushed his lips over her cheek in a way that was much sweeter than their earlier kiss, and yet just as intimate.

Then there was a brief displacement of air and he was gone.

Caroline dropped down into her seat, trying to process what had just happened.

It was fairly ridiculous how many things had changed in just a day, and she was sure she'd probably wake up in the morning with a crisis of conscience about this whole … whatever it was, with Klaus.

But she didn't regret it, even if she should.

She only felt anticipation about things to come.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.