Author's Note: Hello Everyone! This story serves as a semi-sequel to my previous Klaroline oneshot, 'Souvenirs of You'. You don't have to read that first to get the gist, though it does serve to contextualize what's going on, how Caroline ended up in New Orleans and some details about the fight for the city. Long story short: this is a New Orleans shortly after a four year long war between Marcel and Klaus, with Marcel ending up dead.

This is a planned two-shot, so here's Part I, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries and characters are the property of the CW and Julie Plec. Otherwise, Stefan wouldn't be at the bottom of a lake.


For the record, Caroline knew exactly what she was getting herself into. She's not actually a Barbie Doll, and despite what the blonde hair and bubbly personality may lead people to think, she is well and fully aware of what her boyfriend is capable of.

(Is boyfriend even the word for him? It seems too juvenile, but 'partner' doesn't convey the depth of their relationship, 'lover' is too intimate for casual conversation and no major questions have been popped…)

Whatever she calls him, she knows that they do love each other, fiercely, deeply, and for him, this tends to translate into an almost violent protective streak. When they grace the streets of New Orleans with their presence, his hand instinctively finds hers, pulling her close even as they go sightseeing where the most harmful creature is usually just an overzealous human angling for a better view.

("Really love; I don't know why you insist on these ridiculous tours, I know these places much better –"

"Oh, relax Nik, I want to see all this stuff as a tourist before I go full native!")

But when the sun goes down over the French Quarter and the supernatural come out to play, then Klaus is in his element. His kingdom was hard won and he would be damned if he was about to let anybody question his place in it, much less the beautiful woman by his side. An arm wound around her waist, ears pricked for any unsavoury remarks on her appearance (complimentary or otherwise, he doesn't really differentiate), fangs ready to erupt at anyone stupid or drunk enough to try and threaten them; he was in constant awareness of anybody who might target Caroline to get to him.

Caroline was fully aware of all of this. He wasn't exactly subtle to begin with, even when 'business' called him away, she knew he had eyes on her, be it his own, his lackeys' or his family. And while she can understand why he was going overboard (well, no, she can't really understand it, but it's Klaus, he never does things by halves), she's a little confused as to why his siblings are constantly watching her. She supposes it could stem from some sort of familial affection, wanting to help 'protect' her on his behalf, but then she notices the look in Elijah's eyes when they're out in public sometimes, like he's assessing her. When they sit together in their favourite bar and she tries to mingle with the local vampires or witches (though she's never left alone in conversation with them for long), she sees Rebekah scrutinizing her behavior, and frankly, it's getting annoying.

Although she had only been in New Orleans for two months, she knows the situation is tense. This was a town filled with powerful creatures, all of whom were coming down from that post-war high and figuring out where their allegiances lay and she had her pride but she wasn't an idiot, she knew when to admit she was outgunned. The vampires of the Quarter were older, stronger, faster and generally more hedonistic. They were also looking for new leadership. Obviously, her power-hungry, control-freak boyfriend/lover/partner/hybrid-she-loves-dearly-ev en-when-he-drives-her-up-the-wall wanted their loyalty. So really, who could blame Miss Mystic Falls for painting on her best smile and trying to smooth the waters a little?

Apparently, Klaus could.

"What the fuck, Klaus?!" seethed Caroline, rubbing her reddened wrist, which he had kept a tight grip on as he had dragged her all the way from the crowded bar, to their bedroom in the stately French Quarter mansion. Klaus stood with his back to her, locking the huge mahogany doors to their room and she could see the tension dissipating from his shoulders, though he remained rigid. After leaning his head against the wood for a moment, he spun to face her, taking a deep breath.

"Love, what exactly were you doing with those cretins?"

"Cretins? Klaus, they were just some vampires and a couple of witches! The same kind of people you are working so hard to 'rule' over, so forgive me for socializing!" she yelled incredulously. To be fair, the whole 'alpha-male' aspect of him was mostly directed towards the poor saps who questioned his power, but the rare time it turned her way, it got her blood boiling.

(And not in the good way. Well, a little in the good way.)

"You should be more discreet, Caroline. You can't just make yourself known to every supernatural you come across in this town" he said in a placating tone, and she could see how hard he was trying to reign in his anger, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"And why the hell not?" she asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow defiantly. Everybody else could bow down to him; it'd be a cold day in hell before she did.

"For God's sake Caroline, don't you realize how dangerous this place can be?!"

"I'm not an idiot, Klaus, but didn't you win control of New Orleans? Even if they're not all loyal to you, they wouldn't just make a move against you in public!"

"You don't know that!" he spat out, and marched closer, stopping just in front of her and meeting her challenging stare. "The vampires I can handle well enough, but there are some witches who would be more than happy to rid New Orleans of me and everyone I love!"

Caroline took a step back and uncrossed her arms, recognizing the very real fear that had crept into his eyes. 'But why would he need to be afraid…"

"But I thought that – Stefan told me, right when he called to say Marcel was dead, he said that there were peace negotiations going on, and you've said nothing about this since I got here – Klaus, what the hell is actually going on?"

He had the decency to look a little sheepish at her question and Caroline knew immediately she's not going to like his answer. 'Please, don't tell me he made things worse.'

But he remained silent, and was trying very hard not to make eye contact.

"Klaus… you told the witches you didn't want to control them like Marcel did, right?"

More silence. Caroline let out a sigh and hung her head back.

"You wanted to control them like Marcel did, didn't you?"

"I wanted my safety ensured!" he snapped defensively. "Marcel's method of keeping them under his thumb was very effective, with all of their power, no enemy would dare to face me, dare to face us. You don't have to glare at me sweetheart, Elijah talked me out of it, but –"

"But not before some of them figured out what you were planning. Klaus, just how bad is it?" She can't help but let some of her own doubt and worry seep into her question. After all, he had pushed her away four years ago because of how dangerous the war with Marcel was going to get, and she had no way of knowing if his thick over-protective skull would try to do the same thing again.

'Let him try. I'm not going anywhere.' She was struck by how forceful she sounded, even in her own head. Staring at the man in front of her, she knew with absolute certainty that she was not leaving his side, screw whoever came after them. Four years ago, she was willing to go because she knew when to leave a fight that wasn't hers but now…now there was no walking away. She knew what it was like to be with him, to love him and she wasn't going to let go of that.

'They may be older, stronger and faster. But they're not ruining this.'

Whatever inner anxiety was playing out inside her head must have shown on her face because Klaus' features immediately softened and he came forward, winding his strong arms around her and pulling her body against his. Caroline was still ticked off at his earlier display of aggression but she understood where he was coming from. She hadn't witnessed it firsthand, but she had heard of the absolute carnage that littered the French Quarter in the struggle for power. Blood ran in the streets. Vampires disappeared from their homes, never to be seen again. If all of that was going to start up again, she didn't doubt Klaus would make damn well sure she wasn't exposed to any of it, even if he had to lock her in the mansion himself.

"You don't have to worry, love," he murmured softly in her ear, and in his secure hold, it was hard for Caroline to hold on to her anger or even worry about possible threats. "I'm going to keep you safe. I'm going to keep you protected."

"I just don't want to live in constant paranoia, Nik. I don't want to have to be afraid of everyone I talk to." Her face was buried in his chest, her own arms wrapped around his waist and she relished in the feeling of warmth, her resolve to stay by his side strengthening.

He tightened his grip around her and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "I meant what I said, sweetheart. Nothing will ever happen to you on my watch. I won't let them lay a finger on you." His words are reassuring enough, but now Caroline had a new worry nagging at her.

She didn't want to be some shut away doll, hidden from the world until the danger passed. It had only been two months, but all New Orleans knew of her was that she was some pretty young thing on Klaus' arm. He and his siblings (even Stefan!) had built up a fearsome reputation but she had nothing to stand on save her association to them, and the thought rankled her. She had been a Barbie doll for too long, wasn't it time she proved her worth? Not just to him, or his family…but to herself?

If the French Quarter was going to know peace, then there were more fights to be had. And if Caroline Forbes was going to prove her place, she couldn't be 'the blonde distraction', Miss Mystic Falls, neurotic control-freak on crack.

She was going to have to be a queen.


"UGH. I don't know what to do, Stefan!" Caroline slammed her head down against the bar top, her now empty glass clenched tightly in her hand. Thankfully, it was still fairly early in the day, so the place was empty save for her, Stefan, and a few day drinkers who had more problems than the young blonde having a personal crisis at ten in the morning.

(The bartender, Camille, was there too. Seriously, she had finished her degree a while ago, why was she still tending this bar? Caroline suspected it had something to do with an interest in Klaus. Suffice it to say, Camille was not her favourite person.)

Beside her, Stefan remained infuriatingly calm and just chuckled at her outburst. "Caroline, what exactly are you planning on doing anyway? Do you want to help more with the rogue vampire issue? Because I'm sure Klaus has given you the whole 'I'm going to protect you from the world' speech, but if you want to be involved I can talk to –"

"That's just it; I don't want people talking for me anymore! I don't just want to be the blonde beauty queen that follows you guys around, I want more, I want to be…"

"You want to be what?"

"I want to be queen" she mumbled into the countertop. "Don't laugh at me, Salvatore!" she cried indignantly, snapping her head up.

"Sorry, sorry Caroline!" said Stefan, trying very hard to contain his laughter. "It's just – I mean I knew Klaus took the whole modern supernatural monarch thing seriously, but I didn't think you bought into that too!"

"I didn't think I did either," she replied, nursing her empty glass, "but recently I've been thinking I need to step up. I mean I know people around her are probably confused about me –"

"Oh, they're definitely confused," interrupted a voice. Camille had stood up from where she had been putting away glasses behind the bar and Caroline bristled at her obvious eavesdropping.

"I mean, look – Klaus is kind of a mystery around here. He shows up about four years ago, immediately threatens Marcel and starts a war for power. He had no one to back him up except for his family and this one," she nodded her head towards Stefan, "and for some reason, witches started to align themselves with him. Then, Marcel retaliated by killing most of those witches and that just set him off. Fast forward through a four-year long bloodbath and Marcel is dead and suddenly he's king. And then, a young blonde vampire whom nobody knows just walks in–"

"Yeah, I get it Camille–"

"And suddenly, our new 'King' is ready to tear out the throat of anyone who looks at you funny. Most of them don't even know your name, and you don't really look like the type to hang around Klaus so –"

"Yes, thank you Camille–"

"Plus, I've been trying to understand Klaus for the longest time, and to be honest I never figured he'd ever get into a relationship, especially with somebody like –"

"Oh, shut up Camille!" Caroline had never been more glad to hear Rebekah's posh drawl and her own glare had the bartender clamming up and scurrying to the other end of the counter. She turned back to see the blonde Original dump her designer purse on the bar and hop on the stool next to Stefan, quickly pecking him on the lips before turning her attention to Caroline.

"Cheer up, Camille's been mooning after Nik for years but he never glanced at her twice. Despite your similarities, I'm quite certain you kept his thoughts occupied."

"Caroline's not worried about that, she's worried about becoming 'Queen' of New Orleans" said Stefan.

"Thanks for that Stef," said Caroline drily. "It's just…I'm not sure how to do it. I know Klaus wants me here but I'm afraid he'll just keep me sequestered away when things get rough and I want to prove that I can stand by his side."

"Nik doesn't expect that of you, you know. Much as I can't believe it, he does seem to care for you as more than some passing fancy; he won't actually think less of you if you don't want to do the whole 'monarchy' thing."

"Please Rebekah; I've seen how you and Elijah watch me when we're in public, you're seeing how I fit in, aren't you?"

Rebekah avoided the question, choosing instead to reach over and under the bar, pulling out the first bottle and glass she felt. As she poured a drink for herself, she found her answer. "Caroline, when I first met you, you were a cheerleader, planning dances and prank nights. You were a vampire, but still a teenage girl. When we found out just how serious Nik was about you…we didn't know how you'd adjust to all of this. But I stand by my brother on this, neither Elijah nor I are expecting you to be fully comfortable with all of this."

Caroline frowned, gripping her glass tightly. She knew Rebekah was trying to be reassuring, but she just proved that even more people didn't 'expect' anything of her. They didn't think she had it in her to move past Mystic Falls, but then again, didn't she have those same doubts?

"Look, Caroline, you're a modern woman. So if you want to be 'queen' then stand your ground and show the bloody peasants in this city that you mean to rule them!" Rebekah downed her drink and slammed her glass down on the bar. "What's stopping you?"

Caroline raised her head and faced Stefan and Rebekah, who both looked very interested to hear her answer. "It's complicated! I know I want to be his equal and stand by Klaus' side but I don't want to change who I am and I'm scared of the person I could be because I don't want to end up losing sight of what I–"

"Caroline, you're rambling" interrupted Stefan.

She took a breath and tried to collect her thoughts but her mind was just a confused mess.

Stefan looked sympathetic, at least. "Care, we said it before; no one is going to force you to change into anything you're not ready to be."

"But they expect me to be something, and I don't want to give them reason to think I'm weak. Plus… I don't want to let Nik down."

"You seriously think you'd be letting him down?" asked Rebekah.

"Well, no, but I think – I think I'd be letting myself down. I knew what I was walking into when I came here. I just didn't think about how hard adjusting would actually be."

"So, tell Nik. He'll take you to London or Paris and you'll be happy as lovebirds, far away from all of this."

"NO! After everything he went through with Marcel?! I couldn't ask him to just leave. I knew exactly what being with him meant and I know I want to face it. I can't run away from this."

Stefan appraised her, noting her determination. "Honestly, it sounds like you've made up your mind."

She nodded absentmindedly. She knew exactly what she wanted; now she just had to work up the courage to go after it. It almost reminded her of how she felt when she was still figuring out her feelings for Klaus, when she was scared of her darkest desires. If she wanted the same kind of respect the others had (and she did, so badly), wouldn't it mean ruling through fear and intimidation? Deep down, she knew she could do it, she could learn. But at what cost?

'Stay the same Caroline and forever be a walking target, or change and become the feared Queen of New Orleans?'

This was going to be difficult.


Another agonized scream tore through the mansion. It must have been the thousandth that long night, all from the same individual, a young vampire currently tied up and drugged with vervain in one of the basement's dark and dank rooms. This home in New Orleans was old, Caroline knew that, built when the city was first founded with the express purpose of housing the Original family in style, but she had rolled her eyes when Klaus had first shown her the small maze of rooms under the house, made with an eye for keeping their enemies captive.

'Of course he'd build torture chambers into every house he owns.'

At the time, the rooms hadn't really bothered Caroline, she'd merely glanced around the musty corridors before skipping back up the stairs to the main levels, which were beautifully decorated and drenched in sun. She loved this house, she loved the people in it, and it was so easy for her to laugh with Rebekah over chick flicks or let Klaus twirl her into his arms in the comfort of their bedroom as the sounds of the city filtered through the French windows, completely forgetting the locked doors underneath their feet.

But they were there, and though their purpose was never spoken off, it was only a matter of time before they were put to use. The space above was beautiful, but it hid darkness and Caroline wanted to groan at the too-perfect allegory for the hybrid she loved. But now that she stopped dwell on the matter, the thought of Klaus actually building himself torture chambers didn't actually bother her as much as it once might have. It was disturbing as hell, but she'd just gotten so used to what the Original family was capable of, she'd barely batted an eyelash. She'd been creeped out, but not as much as she maybe should've been, and that was what worried her.

'A little more time and I'll be like this house. Beautiful on the outside but hiding the potential for something terrible.'

Caroline didn't have too much time to ruminate on her inner morals in relation to interior design because one more scream was ripped from the throat of the poor soul undergoing Klaus' regimen. This time he sounded hoarse and tired, she doubted he'd be able to hold on from much longer. From her spot on the top of the stairs that led down into the basement, she could hear every threat, every retort that echoed off the stone walls. It reminded her of being a kid and listening to her parents fight when they thought she was asleep. It was a practice that had made her very good at sitting still and silent and following every detail of a fight just off what she could hear.

"You can end this for yourself right now, mate. Just tell me what I need to know."

Cold silence. Klaus was getting frustrated, she could tell.

"My patience is wearing thin, TELL ME WHO IS PLOTTING AGAINST ME!"

Caroline flinched at his roar. She had to give the prisoner some credit, he still kept his silence. If she was going to do anything, it would have to be soon before Klaus finally gave in and killed him. At the sound of another pained howl she zipped down the staircase and ducked into an adjacent cell to gather her courage. She could only hear silence and for a moment she wondered if Klaus had actually ended him but a couple of ragged breaths from the captive indicated he had managed to hold off.

"Perhaps I'll give you a short reprieve to think on your loyalties. Take a few minutes to remember which King you serve now."

Loud footsteps echoed throughout the basement, stopping for the briefest second outside the cell in which Caroline hid. She thought about going out, but she needed a moment to herself to talk herself through what she was about to do. Eventually, the footsteps ascended the stairs and Caroline took a deep breath to steel herself, almost doubling over at the overwhelming scent of blood nearby. Whatever she was about to go into, it was bad.

'I know what he's capable of. I know what he's capable of.'

Repeating this mantra, Caroline held her head high and marched out of the cell, stopping in front of the one holding the vampire prisoner. She held her breath as she slowly pushed the door open, expecting the worst on the other side.

The worst is exactly what she got.

In the center of the stone cell, an iron chair was riveted to the ground, a young man shackled down, vervain soaked chains covering his torso. Caroline grimaced at the unwanted memory of a similar form of capture in the old Lockwood Cellar, but she's sure that no matter what torture she underwent, she never looked this bad.

There was barely an inch of him that wasn't covered in blood, it seeped through his clothes and matted his hair. He was barely conscious, his head hung on his chest. Deep gashes crisscrossed his stomach and chest, and from what Caroline could make out, they were healing, but incredibly slowly. She hesitantly took a step into the room and shut the door wooden door behind her, careful not to make too much noise.

The prisoner raised his head slightly; Caroline fought a wince when she saw his face. Klaus had seriously done a number on him. His eyes were almost swollen shut, large purple bruises covering them, but he could just about raise his eyebrows in what she assumed was a gesture of surprise. He opened his mouth slightly but the only sound to come out was a faint noise from the back of his throat. She realized he was too weak to form words.

Casting an eye over the rest of the cell, she took in the array of metal instruments on a wooden table in the corner. A wide selection of knives was strewn across it, most stained with blood. There was also a small cooler, walking over to it; she found it filled with blood bags. A chill ran up her spine as she realized they were hardly a form of mercy, Klaus would need to keep his captives alive if they were going to tell him anything useful. At least it served her purposes now.

Taking one of the bags, she made her way back in front of the prisoner and kneeled down in front of him. He raised his head slightly to meet her eyes and she gave him a soft smile.

"I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I'm going to give you some of this blood."

She ripped off the top of the bag's straw with her teeth and gingerly put it to his mouth. He reacted to the substance instantly, slurping it up greedily. When he was done, the bruises on his face had faded minimally, but he had the strength to lift his head and speak, though his voice was faint and hoarse.

"Didn't know Mikaelson kept pretty blondes around to play nurse."

"He doesn't keep – I'm not a nurse."

"Say whatever you like darlin', I wouldn't mind you patching me up." Despite his mangled appearance he managed a smirk and Caroline internally rolled her eyes.

'Nothing like a strong male ego to overcome a beating.'

"What's your name?" she asked, trying to keep her tone as non-threatening as possible.

"Vincent. And yourself, sweetcheeks?"

"I'm Caroline."

"Well Caroline, are you the halftime entertainment? Here to soften me up before your boyfriend comes back for Round 2?"

"Well, I wouldn't call him my boyfriend…" she muttered, avoiding eye contact.

A half-grin spread across Vincent's face, though it just looked like he was grimacing in pain. "He doesn't know you're here, does he?"

Caroline still avoided eye contact, grateful that he was chained up and too weak to take advantage of the situation in any way. She was already beginning to wonder if she was in over her head.

"So the big bad wolf can't even keep his own bitches in line. Oh, Landon's gonna love this." He chuckled slightly but ended up wheezing, painfully. Caroline guessed some vervain had made its way down his throat at some point, and probably a lot if an entire blood bag hadn't healed it.

Still, she had a hard time feeling too sorry for him, if he was going to be an ass. "You're not making a very convincing case for yourself here," she told him sharply, "in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to help you."

His eyes turned serious and he stared her down for a moment. "You are, aren't you? You're helping me. Well I guess I can't complain about that. Now, if you could just…" He made an effort to shift around in his chains, but he winced as more vervain soaked into his skin. He let out a pained yelp, shutting his eyes against the sting.

"Keep quiet!" whispered Caroline harshly, listening for any footsteps. She stood up and flashed back to the wooden table, quickly donning a pair of black leather gloves she found amongst the knives. Walking back to Vincent's chair, she ripped off the chains as quickly as she could, and undid the shackles on the armrests.

Vincent tried to stand up but ended up keeling over. Caroline knelt beside him and raised his arm over her shoulders.

"Come on, easy does it." She half-dragged him out of the cell and instead of heading for the staircase leading upstairs they ventured deeper into the basement's darkness.

"Wait…I need some blood first."

"There's no time, if you're getting out of here, you need to do it now!"

"You know sweetcheeks, you really don't seem like the type to hang around the big ol' hybrid. Why're you helping anyway?"

"I guess I got tired of listening to you wail like a dying cat for five hours" she muttered.

"Nah, you definitely don't have the stomach for this. Livin' with Mikaelson can't be a cakewalk."

"You know for somebody who can't walk, you talk a hell of a lot. Mind shutting up?"

"Seriously darlin', what's the story?"

Caroline huffed, and tried dragging him faster towards the only other exit she knew. 'If I could just find the damn door in the dark.'

"Look, Klaus is just extra-stressed at the moment, he's convinced every witch in New Orleans is trying to kill him."

Vincent just scoffed in derision. "Please. As if those fucking pussies would even help. All they want is their peace so they can sit around playin' with herbs all day."

Caroline let out a sigh, ready for her little adventure to be over with. They finally came to a small stone staircase, leading to cellar doors. Leaving Vincent's body in a heap at the bottom, Caroline ran up the steps and pushed the doors open. Then, (with considerable effort) she helped/dragged him up the stairs after her until he was lying on the grass outside.

"Listen, you don't have a lot of time, so I suggest you get going, now."

Wincing with every movement, Vincent managed to stand on his own. Freedom seemed to kick in whatever adrenaline he had left, and he started limping away. Stopping for just a moment, he looked back to Caroline.

"Uh…aren't you coming, sweetcheeks?"

Caroline shook her head vehemently. "I'm not leaving with you, but you have maybe thirty seconds before he finds you again."

He gave her a confused look before continuing on his way. Even in the quieter part of the French Quarter where the mansion was, the height of Mardi Gras season meant an abundance of tourists, and Caroline knew he wouldn't make it far before finding some way to restore his strength. She wondered if she should feel a pang of guilt that she had let a rabid monster out onto the streets, but she reasoned that she had her own monster to deal with.

'Besides, one vampire off the streets will not make New Orleans any safer for the humans.'

Her morality was becoming one giant gray area, and this preoccupied her thoughts as she made her way back to the cell. She shed her gloves on the table and then gripped the edges as she tried to make sense of her emotions. She had done what she wanted, gone through with her plan and she was proud, really…but taking another look at the torture implements she was forcibly reminded of what kind of world she was diving into.

Gulping down a few deep breaths, Caroline squared her shoulders before beginning to head back up to the main floor. Sooner or later, Klaus was going to come looking for her, and it was better for her to put on a brave face and find him first. Wandering past the living room she jumped at the sudden disturbance to the silence.

"Was Vincent accommodating, love?" He stood by the fireplace, tumbler of scotch in hand. She walked towards him, doing her best to look as unaffected as possible.

"Very. In fact, he talked too much."

"Young vampires often do. Arrogant creatures, even at the worst of times." Caroline was startled to hear Elijah's voice, and found him sitting in an armchair near the corner of the room, so silent that she hadn't even noticed him.

(If she was going to hold her own as a vampire, she had to work on her senses.)

Klaus pulled her attention back to him, face stony. "I trust you found out what we needed?"

Caroline nodded, holding her head up with a proud smile. "You don't need to worry about the witches anymore, they just want peace. But he did mention someone named Landon- does that mean anything to either of you?"

"He was part of Marcel's inner circle. Very loyal, if I remember correctly" answered Klaus.

"So, is he a problem?"

Klaus avoided her gaze, instead staring straight at his older brother who sipped his own drink before returning Klaus' look. Both said nothing, and Caroline felt herself getting irritated.

(It was one of those 'looks' that probably meant they were having an entire conversation without actually saying anything. Could Original Vampires read minds? Damn, she hoped not.)

"So…Landon? Should we be worried, or did I drag Vincent's ass around that creepy basement while getting hit on for nothing?"

Klaus growled at that, "I don't know why we had to let the bastard go. He made an attempt on my life, I should be holding his heart in my hands right now."

"Niklaus, the boy thought you could be killed with a regular wooden stake, clearly he was young, foolish, uninformed, and ultimately harmless" sighed Elijah.

"It's the principle of the matter, brother; I have a reputation to uphold!"

"Regardless, he's gone now. If nothing else, he'll be able to spread word of what happens to anyone who crosses us. If he chooses to boast of his escape, then our enemies will let their guard down. And most importantly," he raised his glass to Caroline, "Miss Forbes will be out of the line of fire, if they consider her a potential ally."

Klaus bristled again, irritated by the thought of any of his enemies thinking about Caroline at all. Elijah noticed his brother's mood and knowing he could do nothing to assuage it; he decided to leave the task to Caroline and took his leave, bidding them both a quick goodnight and making his way up to his room.

Caroline remained in her spot in the middle of the room, biting her lip. They had both avoided her question, she noticed, and they were almost certainly hiding a larger story from her, but she decided not to press the issue tonight. It had been hard enough selling Klaus on the whole 'Good Vampire, Bad Vampire' routine. He still looked angry and she knew he was going over every possible way this could've gone wrong.

With a small sigh, she walked up to him and plucked his glass out of his hand, setting it on the mantle, and then pulled him in front of the fire. She took his arms and pulled them around her waist before looping her own arms around his neck. His eyes softened as he met her gaze, and she smiled reassuringly. "Hey, relax. This was my idea, remember? I wanted to do this, I wanted to help you."

"I know love, I know. And I want you to know…I am proud of you. Fiercely proud. I hate the thought of you in any danger, but you were right, in the end, he told you what you needed. Wouldn't even say a word in front of me."

"Well, people like me, remember?"

He chuckled softly. "Quite right. But love, I have to ask, what brought this on?"

Caroline ducked her head, feeling a little embarrassed. "I guess… it's been building for a while. I just felt like I needed to do something. I don't think I could've lived in this city with you and your family without becoming involved sooner or later. The vampires in this city can be a little – "

"Has someone threatened you?" he cut her off sharply. "Has anybody made you feel unsafe, because if so just say the word and – "

"No! Nothing like that. It's just…I don't think I feel like I belong with you, in this world, unless I show them that I do."

Klaus frowned, tightening his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his body. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look him dead in the eyes. "Listen to me, Caroline. You belong here. Right here, in my arms. It's too late for me to entertain the thought of a life without you now, and rest assured sweetheart, you have nothing to prove, not to anyone. I love you. Completely."

She felt her heart swell at his words and leant up to kiss him. He responded in kind and they stood like that for a few moments, entangled in each other, before breathlessly pulling away. Caroline stopped herself from letting things get carried away too quickly, she needed to try and explain herself to him first.

"Klaus…it's not just that I'm trying to prove anything to anyone else. I think I need to do this for myself too, but I don't know if I can. I don't want to forget who I am, or wind up over my head and end up doing something I'll regret."

"Sweetheart, I would never want you to become something you're not."

"I know. And thank you for that. But I still need to figure out how to do this."

Klaus nodded his understanding, then smirked, running his hands down from her waist to the back of her thighs and in one swift motion he had picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Tell you what, love" he said in a low growl, pressing kisses to the column of her neck. "We'll continue this conversation another time, but for now," he sped them over to the large staircase and began to make his way up, "how about I show you just how proud I am of you?"

Caroline grinned, tightening her arms around his neck. She'd be their Queen tomorrow. Tonight, she was his.


And that's Part I! Leave a review, let me know what you think, and with any luck, Part II will be up shortly.

Now I think I'm going to watch the Klaroline scenes from the season finale for the 200th time. Bye!