Caroline lie on her bed staring at the ceiling. Whitmore was a quiet place when your classmates were getting killed left and right. Funny that there wasn't some big news story in the national media about how High School and College students in this area of Virginia were constantly disappearing or murdered. Way too many animal attacks to be believable in her opinion. But the world was an odd place sometimes. Especially the world that she and the rest of the gang lived in.

The spell that had been placed on her, making her skin like vervain to any vampire who touched her, had been taken away by one of the other loony heretics. Finally the spell was broken and she and Stefan could be together. They'd practically attacked one another and fallen into bed. It was what she had wanted since the day she laid eyes on him before he and Elena has started dating. He'd told her back then that it would never happen. How wrong was he?

But something really odd happened when their romantic relationship was developing. Caroline was torn. She did want Stefan. He was the epitome of the good guy you want to be with. He would be considerate and loyal. He was always trying to do what was right for everyone and he truly cared about all of his friends. Yep, Stefan Salvatore was one of a kind and a man that you could spend a thousand years looking for and never find. And Caroline had found him. Sure, she had to watch him be with one of her friends for a few years and then watch him be tortured by that friend falling for his brother but it all worked out in the end... right?

Again, she was torn. The realization shocked her beyond belief. Part of her really enjoyed the feel of him touching her. It's what she thought she always wanted. But then another part, a very big part, felt awkward. Just as they were in the middle of sex, Caroline had a single sentence run through her head: "Maybe we should have stayed friends."

It all felt too weird. Like a line that she had crossed over and would never be able to take back. Caroline wanted to believe that she was just having cold feet and that it would go away but the feeling was just so permanent to her. That threshold has been broken with the younger Salvatore and it could never be undone. What was she going to do? She thought of trying to power through it and fall back in love with him like she thought she was in the first place. She had accomplished a lot with just a little motivation and hard work. Surely she could make this work. Surely.

Caroline inhaled and unneeded breath and continued staring at the ceiling. And that's when another person appeared in her mind's eye. Someone that really shouldn't have been there at all. Someone she should never be thinking about but more often than not, she was. He would appear to her in her dreams and fantasies. She tried to pretend like it wasn't true or that something around her had simply reminded her of him and it was like one of those commercial jingles you can't get out of your head because it's so annoying.

Klaus was annoying and that's why she couldn't stop thinking about him. That must be it. He even popped into her brain while she was rolling around in bed with Stefan. Things that the Original would say and do if he had been the one who was there touching her. Point of fact, Klaus was just better in bed that Stefan was. Definitely better than Tyler. But why wouldn't he be? He did have a thousand years of experience. Much more than either of the other two.

There are those moments when you just feel like being honest. With yourself. With others. And you are bursting to get it out. This was one of those moments. Caroline couldn't get any of this out of her head. So, still staring at the ceiling, she reached for her phone and held it in the air in front of her face. Searching through the contacts, she found his name and hit call. It only rang twice before:

"Hello, Caroline." There was that sexy British voice of his that she couldn't get enough of.

"Hi."

"To what do I owe the honour of this phone call?" He sounded like he had a smile on his face. This didn't surprise her. He was often happy when she called. And she'd done it here and there. Not often but often enough that she'd be embarrassed if her friends knew.

"Do you ever think of me?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. Klaus had clearly not been expecting her to ask such a question. Hell, she wasn't even expecting to ask it. And why had she? She knew he thought of her. He probably thought of her all the time. But there was this nagging piece in the back of her mind that told her she needed to know for sure. She needed to hear those reassuring words to reaffirm his feelings for her. For some reason, having his everlasting devotion is important to her.

"I do, Love. You know I do... Do you ever think of me?"

Now was the time. To be honest, to get everything off her chest. That day in the woods had proved incredibly cathartic. He'd asked for her confession and she had confessed so many secrets to him that day. Not all of them but enough that a huge wait had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Just now. A lot in fact." There. It was out.

"And what is it you think when I'm at the forefront of your mind?"

"Mostly things I can't make sense of. Some good, some bad and some that don't go either way. Just confusing."

She could hear Klaus take a breath. "I know I don't need to say this again but should you ever get tired of merely thinking of me, the invitation to join me in New Orleans is always open. Any time you want to turn up at my door, you'll be welcomed with open arms. Or if you want a plane ticket... Whenever and however you want, Caroline."

Caroline took a breath as well. "I know."

And then she hung up the phone.