Caroline regretted ever joining the Force.

She had all the right background and motivators to be there. She had played football until it became uncool for girls to do, at which point she had joined the cheer squad and eventually become captain. She learnt French and after high school she had learnt Japanese as well. She was the head of a number of committees in high school, proving her organizational skills. She was Miss Houston Texas, thank you very much, proving her hard work and determination as well as her poise under pressure. She had the motivational heartbreak of her parents divorce pushing her along, where she would do anything for the approval of her absent daddy and her tough mom. Her mother was the Chief of Police in their little town, for gods sakes.

So yes, Caroline Forbes had the potential and the push for joining the police. But never, ever in her life had she wanted to be subjected to the work she was required to do now. Caroline sat day in, day out, at a desk, filing and working as a secretary, because her misogynistic co-workers had delegated her to that task. Men. Honestly. And they couldn't just hire someone who wanted to file and answer phones?

Caroline sighed wistfully as she read the latest case report that she was meant to be classifying and putting away. She should be the one out there taking risks. She should be the one saving those captured teenagers from their deranged history teacher. Not these lowlife macho men who were really washed up quarterbacks.

"Miss Forbes?"

Caroline straightened up quickly and turned to see Mr Brooks watching her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are we done filing today?"

Caroline breathed in slowly through her nose before exhaling. 'We' didn't do anything, I did everything. She thought to herself, but she smiled.

"All done." She chirped.

"Good. Davies is out sick, so we need someone to replace him on the night patrol."

Caroline's smile started to change from fake to real. This could be her chance, she could be leaving the desk!

"Can you check the roster to see who's available? I'm fairly certain Mackenzie could cover." Mr Brooks continued.

Caroline froze before nodding. "Of course, Mr Brooks. I'll check right away."

The moment the man turned away, Caroline let herself visibly deflate, an exasperated huff of a growl escaping her mouth. Who was she fooling? She'd never get a chance. She opened up the necessary files on her computer, and sure enough, Mackenzie was available.

But maybe that could change…

The idea sprung to her mind as if the devil had placed it in there. Caroline bit her lip. It might be wrong…but Mackenzie didn't focus on the job anyway, he was too focused on clocking off early so he could get to the bar…surely it wouldn't hurt to get out this one time…

Her fingers itched, then twitched, then began flying furiously across her keyboard.

When Mr Brooks returned, Caroline had printed out the roster of availabilities.

"Well, Mackenzie's on a case, Foster is out of town and that baby Cooper is nowhere near qualified yet." Mr Brooks hummed. "I suppose we could test out the kid tonight, seeing as the patrol is going to be with Barnes…"

Caroline almost nodded, but she stopped herself. "Actually, Mr Brooks, seeing as I've finished with the files today, I could always go. I know how the patrols go, and Cooper did just come fresh out of school a month ago."

Mr Brooks glanced up at her and she almost thought he would say no. But then he sighed and nodded. "Very well Miss Forbes."

Caroline tried not to trip over her own feet in her haste to get her things and go to the cop car. Barnes, a stern man, got in on the drivers side and they set off.

Night patrols were a very straightforward affair, especially in the district that Caroline worked in. The car would travel around while listening to the police scanner, and if there was a citizen that needed assistance, or any circumstance that appeared suspicious, they would check it out. Most nights the police might have to combat public drunkenness or lost visitors on their way to or from the bar. Some nights they didn't even need to leave the car at all.

This was not one of those nights.

Caroline didn't remember much in the accident. All she remembered was a weird ringing noise that clearly affected Barnes more than it did her, since it made him lose control of the car. She remembered the bright lights of the truck in the opposite lane as it crashed into them. She remembered her training skills kicking in as she got into a well adjusted brace position that minimized the damage.

She didn't remember being pulled from the wreckage. She didn't remember Barnes not showing life signs once they recovered his body. And she didn't remember a mysterious dark haired woman who had seen the crash happen from afar, just as she had noticed Caroline's hard work from afar for months now.

Caroline was taken to the hospital, and treated for a concussion as well as cuts to her body from the broken glass. The accident was labeled as simply a terrible accident and nothing more. But in recovery, Caroline started to remember more. Started to remember where the ringing had come from, and the truck being a heavy duty plated one, the type used to carry precious cargo from one place to the next. And if she concentrated very hard, she could recall figures as they tried to get into the side of the truck.

A nurse broke her concentration as she came to change the bag connected to her IV drip. Caroline was exhausted, but she wasn't blind, and she did notice that her nurse was not wearing the right shoes, unless completely cute black stilettos were the new thing among hospital staff.

"What's going on?" She asked the brunette.

The woman actually had the nerve to smirk. "Oh, believe me, you'll see. Its game on right now."

The new drugs had started to seep into her system before Caroline had even begun to question the words, and her eyelids drooped. The last thing she was aware of was the click of those high heels as, unbeknownst to her, the nurse wheeled her bed out of the ward.

Caroline remembered her recruitment to Tatia's Agency and band of Angels easily. She seriously regretted her time wasted on the Force while filing, but she was unbelievably grateful for the job it had landed her.

Bonnie's story was quite different. She had always known about Tatia's business, seeing as her family were major supporters and had been connected with Tatia's family for what felt like centuries. After her mother had skipped out on the job offer, however, the position was given to her. At the time, Bonnie was recently graduated, but that made little difference. She was street smart, after being brought up by her father and her grandmother while her mother gallivanted off around the globe, and she was quick witted. She had been training to be a dancer, so her body performed to the best of its ability. Her grandmother also said she was descended from witches, which she thought was a bit of crazy voodoo, but she did admit that she could be psychic in her predictions and she had an uncanny ability to read people. Whatever the reasoning behind her abilities, she was thankful.

As for now, though, she wasn't too thankful for men. After coming out of a terrible relationship with Ben, and another with Luka, she had stupidly assumed that Elena could set her up with a guy that was sweet and wouldn't hurt her. She hadn't realized that it was an impossible task.

Bonnie knocked on the apartment door, pasting a fake smile onto her face as Jeremy opened the door.

"Bonnie! Hi," He exclaimed. She gently pushed him aside and walked into the apartment. Jeremy followed her as she walked to the table and began to extract the key she had given him from the keychain.

"I'm happy to see you aren't dead." She said levelly, and he frowned in confusion.

"Dead? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I saw your car parked outside, I knew you weren't carjacked on the highway, and since I know your cousin Elena and she wasn't called in to the hospital, you weren't there either. But other than that, I can't see a good reason for you to miss our date last night again. No call, no contact, no nothing. I was left there alone, stood up. Third time this month."

Jeremy opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it.

"I can't take anymore, Jeremy." Bonnie sighed, finally freeing her key just as her phone began to ring. "Hello? Absolutely, I'll be right in. Bye."

"I can explain." Jeremy said, walking over and setting his hands on her shoulders.

"Jer?" A brunette girl stood in the doorway to Jeremy's bedroom. Bonnie looked at Anna with a raised eyebrow before shrugging Jeremy's hands off her shoulders.

"I can explain, Bonnie." Jeremy repeated with wide eyes, but Bonnie was already gone out the door. There was only so much she could take, but the presence of his ex-girlfriend was her limit. She needed to stop falling for the sweet guys, she reasoned. The only man who was trustworthy was the one who made no scruples about being what he was – a jackass.

Caroline woke up in a tangle of sheets, make up smeared across her face, hair in knots, and completely disoriented. She blinked blearily at the sliver of light hitting her face from the partially closed blinds, and screwed her eyes shut before fluttering them open again.

As if on cue, her phone started ringing somewhere across the room. Caroline kicked her legs free and swung herself upright to answer it before realizing that she was naked. Crap. So it was that kind of night. Her phone continued to ring shrilly at her, and she snatched it up tightly in her fist to answer.

"Yeah? Hi. Hi. Okay, sure, I'm on my way."

Caroline hung up without a goodbye and started searching for her pants. During her mad scramble to get back into her clothes from the night before, she came across a familiar shirt with a 'Timberwolves' logo across the chest. Shit. She knew exactly where she was, and she needed to get out of there.

"Babe? You up?" A familiar voice called from the next room, and Caroline panicked, doing up her pants and pulling her shirt on while she stuffed her feet unceremoniously into her boots. She didn't have time to find her socks. She was just thankful that she had found her underwear.

A dark haired man appeared in the doorway with a self assured smile on his face. His chest was bare, and Caroline had to stop her eyes from being drawn to his impressive six-pack. No. That was what got her into this mess in the first place!

"I've got to go, Tyler."

"No you don't. C'mon, I'll get some eggs going for breakfast."

"No. This was a mistake." She said, more to herself than him.

"You're always running out on me." He sighed as she pushed past him towards the front door. "But I know that you'll be back. Its fate."

"Its my freaky hormones getting the better of me." Caroline muttered, not turning around. If she got another eyeful of his chest again, bad things would happen. And she had to go to work.

I did it – B

Good for you! – E

You did the right thing – C

I just feel a bit awkward…I mean, its Elena's cousin. – B

And he's being a dick. Don't worry about it, I barely speak to him as it is, needless to say I wont be talking to him now. – E

Elena closed their group message and peeked outside the door she currently leaned against. She bit her lip and shut the door again quickly. Yup. Her ex was still out there. And she was too much of a chicken to face him right now. She just couldn't. She had broken it off with Matt about a month ago and it was still weird anytime she ran into him. She was usually friendly after break ups, but he had been completely blanking her. She was sorry for stringing him along, but she couldn't help it with the work she did. Being an Angel was tricky when it came to real life. Keeping up a normal front was difficult, especially when you had to pretend to not know about an entire life that shouldn't exist. People didn't believe in spies and espionage just as much as they didn't believe in vampires and werewolves, but that didn't mean that it didn't exist. Okay, perhaps the supernatural was a far stretch, but spies? You bet.

Elena was pulled back from her musings as her phone began to ring. She assumed it was Caroline or Bonnie, but once she recognised the number on the screen, she knew it was another kind of importance.

"Hey, yup, of course, I'll be right there. See you."

She hung up and checked her appearance once more in the mirror.

"Confidence. Poise." She murmured to herself, flicking her dead straight hair over her shoulder. "He probably wont even notice, its okay." She smiled, spun around, and walked out of the toilets she had taken refuge in…

And walked smack bang into a broad chest.

"Oh, pardon me." A deep voice sounded, and Elena looked up into stunning hazel green eyes. She caught her breath and smiled. The man seemed to do so in kind until he glanced at the sign on the door.

"Is this the mens room?"

With wide eyes, Elena double checked the door behind her before grimacing.

"Yes…I was just…um…" She blinked, and the mesmerizing hold he had on her broke momentarily, giving her enough time to pull herself together and get her sass back. "It's a long story." What was that story again? Right, Matt. She glanced around the mystery guy with the nice eyes, checking to see if her ex was in sight. She seemed to be in the clear. Elena took a step to skirt around the guy, but his mistimed step around her sent them bumping back into each other. They both laughed lightly before he stepped back to let her past.

"Thank you." Elena beamed at him before walking past, glancing over her shoulder as she exited the coffee shop. His green eyes watched her go.

"Just once, I'd like to date a normal guy without a wife, or a drug addiction, or inflated ego, or bondage issues." Caroline exclaimed as she leaned back into the plush white leather couch.

"Or a guy who doesn't want to ditch you for his ex girlfriend." Bonnie rubbed her temples beside her.

"We brought morning reinforcements." Elena announced as she and Jenna walked through the front door to the office, carrying large Starbucks coffees.

"Whats today's drama?" Jenna asked, eyeing the two women collapsed against the back of the couch.

"Feelings." Caroline sighed.

"Feelings." Bonnie agreed.

"Not knowing feelings makes the wrong decisions." Elena nodded, passing around the coffee.

"That's not true." Jenna said with a smile as the three young women looked at her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "No, not knowing how you feel is a lie. You know how you feel. You're just too afraid to say it. And too afraid to expect the most from men, because men have let you down. Believe me, I know."

Jenna sat on the edge of the business desk. "But that doesn't mean you don't deserve the most from men. You should demand it. And if they can't give it, then you go find one who can."

"Thanks Jenna." Bonnie smiled.

"Nine am pep talks always brighten the day." Caroline grinned, and Jenna turned as the phone began to ring.

"Right on time." Elena commented as Jenna pressed the conference button to pick up the call.

"Good morning, Angels."

"Good morning, Tatia!" The girls chorused back to the smooth voice of their boss Tatia Petrova.

"I hope you had a nice break, ladies. This case is a big one."

The coffee table top slid back to reveal a touch pad screen. News footage of an elegant dark haired man began to play muted while Tatia talked.

"This is our mark."

"He's cute." Elena observed cheekily, earning a sharp elbow jab from Bonnie.

"That he is." Jenna agreed with a wink.

"He is a business partner of our new clients. His name is Elijah Mikaelson, a lawyer, lord, and billionaire. He is also missing."

"Any ransom?" Caroline asked.

"No word from the kidnappers. He's simply vanished."

"I'll say." A man's voice sounded, and the girls whirled around to see a dark haired man standing in the open doorway. Bonnie made a sound in the back of her throat that vaguely resembled a gulp – the man was quite attractive. His electric blue eyes surveyed the gorgeous women and latched onto Bonnie's hazel ones.

"Hello,"

"Angels, this is Damon Salvatore. He and his associates have hired us to find Elijah Mikaelson."

The associates in question walked into the room from behind Damon. Elena gasped quietly as the man from earlier that day strode in confidently. She looked away once he caught her eye, not wanting to let onto the fact that they had technically already met in a slightly embarrassing way.

Jenna smiled warmly at the men, a blush tingeing her cheeks as the last man sent her a wink.

"Stefan Salvatore and Alaric Saltzman."

Alaric smiled casually at them all. The Salvatore brothers both saw Elena and glanced at each other. Damon imperceptibly shook his head, and Stefan nodded.

"Pleasure to meet you." Caroline said, levelheaded as her teammates recovered from their slight swoons. Sure, the men were attractive, but they had a job to do.

"Pleasure is all ours, Blondie." Damon grinned, and she bristled, opening her mouth to retaliate, but Bonnie got there first.

"Her name is Caroline, Mr Salvatore." Bonnie said coolly.

"And I'm Elena." Elena added quickly to avoid awkwardness, smiling sideways at Stefan.

Damon and Bonnie were still locked in a staring match. Bonnie gestured to the couch opposite the Angels. "Please, take a seat." She smiled without warmth, and Damon blinked in surprise before doing as she requested.

"You're feisty, Judgy."

"Its my job. And you can call me Bonnie, thanks."

"Back onto the case…" Elena interjected while raising her eyebrows slyly at Bonnie. "When was the last time you saw or heard from your business partner?"

"Its more like pre-business partner…" Stefan began, before running a hand through his dark blonde hair and sitting on the couch beside his brother. "We were about to launch into our first business deal with him, but before we could announce it, he missed the last meeting."

"Have you attempted to contact him?" Caroline asked.

"We must have rung his phone about fifty times before we decided to check his residential address." Alaric said. "And that's where things got fishy."

"His apartment was trashed. Looked like something out of the Hangover." Damon deadpanned, a smirk forming on his lips as Bonnie subtly rolled her eyes. Her eyes widened slightly once she realized that he had caught her, and she cleared her throat.

"Is there any footage? Any surveillance cameras around his place?"

"Nothing. The footage from the foyer shows him arriving the afternoon before the meeting, but not leaving." Stefan told them.

"Reckon someone set up a fake tape loop?" Elena asked the girls.

"Of course. The oldest trick in the book, its so predictable." Caroline frowned. "Any background on Mr Mikaelson?"

"Jenna?" Tatia interjected, and Jenna handed the Angels their folders. "Elijah Mikaelson comes from a well established family in England. Their ancestry has a strong line back to the time of the Vikings. He was in line to receive a lordship."

"Was?" Bonnie questioned.

"His family…disowned him." Alaric said delicately.

"Well that might be something to investigate." Elena nodded.

Alaric shrugged. "Maybe. I'd say the black sheep to watch out for would be his half-brother."

"Klaus Mikaelson?" Caroline read out from the file. "Why is he the black sheep?"

"Cause his mommy was able to turn the tables and say that it wasn't her fault she had an affair and a bastard." Damon scoffed, before glancing at the ladies. "Excuse my French."

"He certainly has jealousy as a motive." Elena mused.

"So when should we scope him out as a target?" Caroline asked.

"There is a 60s dance fundraiser in the city Friday night. Every major company will be there to promote themselves and donate to the Red Cross." Stefan explained. "We'll be there, and so will he."

"And why will you both be there?" Elena asked coyly. "We know why you want to hire us, but not what you do."

"Well, my associates and I originated as a miller company, but we've…branched out since, if you'll pardon the pun." Stefan smiled lopsidedly just like he had earlier that day, and Elena's breath caught in her throat.

"And Nik Mikaelson owns a number of night clubs and restaurants." Alaric added.

"That'll come in handy." Caroline grinned at the other Angels.

"One step at a time, Caroline." Jenna said, before nodding to Alaric and the Salvatores. "Thank you for your time, gentlemen. We'll be in touch."

"I sincerely hope so." Damon smirked, standing and sending a wink in Bonnie's direction.

"Good morning, ladies." Stefan smiled politely, subtly pushing his brother out the door. Alaric followed after a nod to the women.

The moment the doors closed, the girls shared a look.

"Yummy," Elena exclaimed, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Client." She reminded them, scoffing at the disappointment evident in the three other women's eyes.

"She's right." Jenna agreed with a small sigh.

"Goodness, Angels." Tatia's voice piped up. "These men must have been quite charming."

"You have no idea, Tatia." Bonnie muttered.

"Shame you couldn't be here to see them." Caroline said. "Are you sure you don't want to come by and help us on the case?" She asked hopefully. They had never seen their mysterious boss, and didn't waste any opportunity they had to attempt to meet her on a case.

"You know I would love to, Angels, but perhaps another time." Tatia said. Somewhere on the other side of the world, a dark figure in the snow clung to the side of a towering mountain, finishing up a call on their hands-free mobile. "My hands are a little full today."

"Okay." Elena said with a slight tinge of disappointment coloring her voice. "Next time then."

Caroline bounded to her feet excitedly. "For now, lets plan our attack. I'm thinking business stake out?"

"Check around Mr Mikaelson's workplace, and see how his business associates interact?" Bonnie mused.

"Sounds perfect." Elena smiled.


Hi!

This was just a crazy idea that I had to write down...and I've continued to casually pour my heart and soul into it over the past month or so. My lovely beta, magically-muddled (who I thank for putting up with my crazy!) can confirm that I've been potentially spending way too much time with this idea.

ANYWAY.

Hope you enjoyed! Read and review if inclined, I'd love to know if anyone would like me to continue it?

xx