"I can't do this right now Tyler!" Caroline attempted to walk past her now very angry boyfriend into her kitchen, but she was pulled back. Damn his temper.
"No Caroline I need to know!" He pinned her back against the wall with his Hybrid strength.
"Why? It's not like it matters! I know that I love you Tyler! Isn't that enough for you?"
"It's not a hard question Caroline! Do you have feelings for him?"
"Tyler it doesn't matter!"
He glared and tightened his already painful grip on her arms, "So you do have feelings for him!"
She winced and blinked back tears, "No! Tyler you're hurting me just stop!"
"Which is it Caroline? Tell me!" He slammed her back against the wall again, the force shaking the house's structure.
"I don't know!"
With those three words everything stopped. Tyler released her and she slid her back down the wall, crying. He began to back out of room, towards the front door, "You don't know? Fine! Why don't you go ahead and take Klaus for a test ride. Take your time Care. Figure out what you want."
He turned to leave and Caroline jumped up, "Tyler please!" Without a word Tyler whipped around and threw her into the back wall before turning back around and slamming the door on his way out.
About an hour later Caroline walked into The Grill, heading straight for the bar.
"Good evening Miss Forbes," The bartender inquired cheerfully, "You're looking lovely as always. You look a little down, though, anything I can help you with."
She faked a smile and wiped under her eyes at her newly applied eyeliner, "Thank you, but no not really. Just boy drama."
The bartender nodded and gave her a reassuring smile, "I see. What can I get you?"
Before Caroline could speak, her stomach lurched uncomfortably as an all too familiar voice filled her ears. "The lady will have a sex on the beach and for myself I'd like bourbon, and leave the bottle. That is if you aren't too busy flirting to do your job."
The smile slipped from the bartender's face as he glared at Klaus, his arm wrapped possessively around Caroline's shoulder. "Coming right up." He turned away to make their drinks, leaving Caroline in the hands of the Original.
She shoved his arm off her and looked in the other direction, "I can speak for myself Klaus."
He smirked and took her chin, forcing her to look at him, "I know love. Tell me, how would Tyler feel if he knew that you just stood by and let the hired help flirt with his girl?"
She shook him off again and shrugged, sipping at the drink that was placed in front of her, "He'd probably be pissed. Not that I care."
He downed his drink and looked puzzled, "You two fought? What about?"
She glared at the wall, "What do you care?"
"Am I not allowed to care about your troubles love?"
Caroline's head snapped in his direction, "No. You're not. Not until you care about every other one of my troubles that you've caused."
He looked a little hurt by that statement, "Do you honestly think I don't know everything I've done that's hurt you? Because I do love, and I know that most of them were wrong. Just because I don't openly show it doesn't mean that I don't regret every time that I've ever hurt you in some way. Because I do."
She pursed her lips at this, feeling the tears coming on again. She held them back, not wanting to have to reapply her makeup once again, "Klaus, don't you have somewhere to be? Best friends to murder? Hybrids to boss around?"
He chuckled and shook his head, pouring himself another drink, "No, not really. I saw you walk in and thought I'd pop by for a chat."
She rolled her eyes and sneered, "Well forgive me if I'm not very talkative today."
He nodded and moved a strand of long blonde hair out of her face, "I understand. But answer me this, if you will. What was so horrible that Tyler gave up an angel like you?"
At that Caroline felt the tears pushing through and closed her eyes, though not before a single tear slipped down her cheek. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "I don't want to talk about it Klaus. Certainly not with you. I'd appreciate it if you would just leave me alone."
He pursed his perfect lips and nodded, wiping the tear away with his thumb before standing, putting some money on the counter, "Drink's on me love." Before he left he leaned in close, speaking into her ear, "You can always talk to me Caroline, about anything. All you have to do is ask. You know where to find me if you need someone to confide in."
He turned to leave, and she replied under her breath, knowing that he would hear her with his hybrid hearing, "Don't hold your breath."
Caroline knocked on the front door of the Lockwood Estate. She wanted to talk to Tyler, make him see that she didn't want to hurt him and that, no matter what she may or may not feel for Klaus, she loved him. He would understand that right? Her inner question was interrupted by the door opening to reveal a tall brunette. She was beautiful, wearing nothing but a pair of Tyler's boxers and a sports bra.
Tyler came up behind her, chest bare, pants undone and fighting to stay up at his waist, "Hey baby who's at the door?" He made eye contact with Caroline and stopped, "Oh, uh, hey Care."
It took two seconds for Caroline to explode. "Hey Care! Hey Caroline! That's all you have to say to me?"
He shrugged, "What do you want me to say Caroline? We broke up."
"So you hook up with the first girl you see?" She took a deep breath and shook her head, "You know what? No. I'm not dealing with this right now." She turned on her heals and marched back to her car.
Tyler called after her, "Care wait."
She rolled her eyes and shouted, "Have fun with your whore" And slammed the door.
She slammed the gas pedal, getting out of there as fast as she could before the tears began to show in her eyes. She passed a sign she had never seen before: You Are Now Leaving Mystic Falls. She drove for four hours all the way to Atlantic City before stopping. She quickly checked into a cheap hotel, compelling the manager to see the room as completely paid for. She walked to her room an flopped onto her bed, letting her emotions finally take over.
It was three in the afternoon when she woke up. She was on her side, curled against something warm, a hand absently playing in her hair. Still half asleep she smiled, thinking she was dreaming. It took less than a second for her to realize she was no longer asleep.
She jerked away abruptly, grabbed the wrist that was running itself over her hair, and rolled over to pin down the intruder. She opened her eyes to glare down at a very amused Niklaus.
If he had been trying he could have easily thrown her off him, but he was having too much fun. "Morning love."
She glared down at him, getting off him, "Don't give me that look Klaus, I'm mad at you."
He sat up and grinned, resting his elbows on his knees and admiring her, fighting with her unruly hair and attempting to tame it, "Ah but you are stunning when you're angry love."
Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently, "What are you even doing here? We're like four hours outside of Mystic Falls."
He nodded, his expression changing into one of seriousness, "Yes, love, we are. Would you like to take a stab at explaining to me why that is?"
She walked over to a mirror and clawed at her eyeliner and mascara streaked cheeks, "I don't have to explain myself to you Klaus."
In a flash he was behind her, reaching in front to pull her hair back, his fingers untangling her hair so gently that she barely felt it. "Seeing as I don't see any luggage this was a last minute trip. Did you have the sense to pack any blood bags?" Caroline suddenly felt a pang of hunger. She hadn't had any blood since the morning of the day before. Her thought was interrupted by the sight of a bottle in Klaus' hand, the unmistakable red liquid filling it to the top. "It's a good thing I brought you some then."
Caroling clenched her jaw and willed the veins of hunger to keep themselves hidden. "Thanks but no thanks."
She tried to walk past him but he shoved her against the wall, "Take it Caroline, you need it." He unscrewed the cap and held it under her nose.
She tried to hold out but she felt her vampiristic urges taking hold. Eventually she took it and downed the bottle in a matter of seconds, feeling the warm blood coating her throat. Once she was finished she licked her lips and sighed. When she opened her eyes she saw Klaus, and then she was suddenly aware of his hands on her waist. She looked down and cleared her throat, holing the bottle out to him, "So, um, how did you find me?"
He smirked, "One of my hybrids saw you leaving Tyler's house in a hurry and took it about himself to make sure you got home alright. He followed you all the way here and called me once you stopped. I came as soon as I heard." He smirked, "I ran to your rescue."
She raised her gaze to meet his, "Why?"
He looked down at her, like he could see through her. All the usual sarcasm and malice that reflected in his face gone, replaced by the intense look that he always gave her, concern and love pooling in his eyes. "I ran for 900 years, Caroline. Imagine that. When you left Mystic Falls you were running. I cannot fathom the idea of you spending your life running from your problems like I did." He pressed himself to her, pinning her to the wall, and placed his hands on either side of his face gently. "You deserve so much better than that."
Caroline found herself lost in his eyes. She could barely breathe when he looked at her like that. She became aware of every place on her body that was touching his, and slid away to his dismay. "I'm not running Klaus I just needed a break. I was going to go back…eventually."
He smiled warmly and nodded, "Eventually can be a long ways away for a vampire, love." He reached out to move a piece of hair from her face but thought better of it, seeing her body tense. He instead took her hand and gently guided her back to the bed. "Talk to me Caroline. Tell me something, anything."
Caroline eyed him suspiciously, "Why?
He squeezed her hand reassuringly, "Because, love, if you go back to Mystic Falls with all your emotions still bottled up…" He thought for a moment, "For humans keeping feelings hidden is natural, it's encouraged in society, but for a vampire, well, it's a good way to end up like me. For us, everything is heightened, happiness is bliss, love is lust, sadness is a gut wrenching depression, but after a while that sadness becomes so overwhelming that it turns to rage. Suddenly it's like, if someone looks at you the wrong way, you want nothing more than to rip their head off. For me that's normal, but for you I know it would break you." He leaned in and rested his chin on her head, letting her lean against him awkwardly, "You are so good, so pure, so full of light, the realization that you killed someone would rip you apart until it killed you, or you turned off your emotions. Neither of those a preferred outcome."
She nodded and cleared her throat, "Okay…um…what do I say?"
He chuckled, "Anything love, tell me what's on your mind."
She sighed and pulled back; however, she stayed close enough that Klaus was able to rest his forehead against hers comfortably. "Alright. I guess right now I'm thinking that I want a break from Mystic Falls."
He smiled, "Why?"
She shrugged and averted her eyes, trying not to focus on his gorgeous face against her own. "I don't want to see Tyler again, not for a long time. And I don't want to have to explain everything to my friends, Elena has her own problems to deal with and Bonnie doesn't want to have anything to do with vampires and werewolves. I just…I feel like they'd be better off without me around, and I'd be better off without the drama."
Klaus played with Caroline's fingers, tracing the lines of her hands, "Then why don't you leave?"
She rolled her eyes, "Because I'm their best defense against you."
He raised his eyebrows, "Oh really?"
"What?" She laughed at his expression, "I'm not wrong. Damon likes to think that your infatuation with me is a weak point to be taken advantage of."
Klaus nodded and sat up with a dangerous look in his eye, "And what do you think?"
Caroline shrugged, "I don't know what to think. I don't think it's right to use the last shred of humanity left in someone so far gone against them."
For a moment time froze. Klaus and Caroline got lost in each other's eyes, letting what was just said sink in, until finally Klaus pulled away. "Tell me about Tyler. Why don't you want to talk to him?"
She rolled her eyes and her expression turned dark, "Because I can see very clearly how that will end. He'll come up and try to talk to me and I'll stand up and snap his stupid neck. Then I'll wait for him to wake up and I'll do it again."
He couldn't help but chuckle, "Why? Because he broke up with you?"
"Well really the break up is mostly your fault. But– "
Klaus sat forward, "Hold on a minute love, why is it my fault?"
She waved his question away, "It's not important. But as I was saying before being so rudely interrupted was that after I saw you at the Grill I went to Tyler's to try and talk to him. When I got there a girl opened the girl," Her eyes started to tear, "it was obvious he had slept with her, I mean, why wouldn't he? She was beautiful, far prettier than me. And he was clearly over me. Didn't have anything to say to me. So I left. He's probably happier with her."
She felt her chin being pulled up towards Klaus, "There is no possible way that anyone could be more beautiful than you, and believe me I've seen some very beautiful women in all my years, human and vampire alike. None of them could ever compare to you. And as for Tyler, he may be happier now but it won't be long before he realizes what a grave mistake he's made, letting a goddess like you slip from his fingers."
She shook her head and wiped her cheeks, turning away from him, "You're just saying that."
He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, "That doesn't mean it isn't true."
"This isn't you Klaus."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You don't rescue a damsel in distress you are her distress. You aren't kind or compassionate, you take whatever you want no matter what lengths you have to go to."
A sly smirk slid onto his face, "Precisely. But I do have my moments. Now, about that issue of my being the cause of the fight between you and Tyler…" They were suddenly laying on the bed, Klaus looming over her, but she saw the playfulness in his eyes.
Caroline's heart started up again and she inched away, "It doesn't matter Klaus. Just drop it okay?"
He leaned in closer so they were nose to nose, "Oh but it matters to me love."
She glared up at him, "What are you going to do? Compel it out of me?"
His eyes glinted and he grinned, "Of course not sweetheart. That would take the fun out of it." Caroline cringed, not wanting to think about what he was planning to do to her. It wasn't so much what he was thinking of doing, but the way her stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of him doing anything to her, that made her uncomfortable. After a moment Klaus chuckled, "Your hearts beating out of your chest love. Do I make you nervous?"
Caroline glared, "No of course not. What do I have to be nervous abo–" She was interrupted by the stream of giggles escaping her lips as Klaus' hand found her sides, tickling everywhere they could reach. "Klaus stop!"
He was laughing as much as she was, loving the sound of her laugh and the glow of her smile, "Are you going to tell me what I want to know?"
She squirmed around and pulled her arms to cover her sides, "Fine! Please just stop!"
He carried on for a moment before letting her catch her breath, "Alright, I'm done I promise, but you have to uphold your end of the bargain."
It was quiet for a long time, no sounds but their breathing. Neither of them spoke, Klaus ran his hands along her sides lightly, and Caroline stared at the ceiling, catching her breath and trying to convince herself that she didn't love the way his hands felt.
Finally she sighed, "You want to know why Tyler and I broke up?" He nodded, not saying a word. "Okay, but you can't let this go to your head. Understand? This does not mean a thing."
A smirk played at Klaus' lips, "My curiosity is killing me love."
She closed her eyes and sighed again, "Tyler and I broke up because he asked me a question an my answer was less than satisfactory."
"And what question was that?"
"He asked if I…had feelings for you…" She turned her head away, not wanting to see the smug look on his face.
She could, however, hear it in his voice, "And your answer?"
"I told him I didn't know." After a long moment she looked up to see Klaus' reaction. He was sitting on top of her, smiling like a moron. "Don't! Don't do that! It means nothing!"
He nodded but grinned triumphantly, "Whatever you say sweetheart."
She shoved him off and sat up, pouting angrily, more at herself than at him. He chuckled and sat up beside her, pulling her into his chest, "I'm sorry love, you're right. It means nothing, not until you fully admit your feelings for me."
She rolled her eyes, "Don't hold your breath."
His grip around her tightened possessively, "You said that you couldn't leave Mystic Falls because you were your friends' best defense against me, correct?" She nodded. "What I left as well?"
She laughed and shook her head, "You wouldn't leave, not with Elena still here."
"But what if I did?"
"Then I guess I would go." She turned to face him, "But it doesn't matter. I have no idea where I would go. Plus I have no way of being sure that you won't just run back to Mystic Falls a week after I leave."
He pursed his lips, looking up in mock thought, "Well there is a simple solution to both your problems." He leaned close to whisper in her ear, "I'll go with you."
She shook her head, "No way, that's just a recipe for disaster."
Klaus chuckled, "What's wrong love? Scared?"
She glared, "No! I just know better than to put myself in any position of vulnerability. If I go with you, you win."
"Even then I haven't won yet." His hands found the hem of her shirt and trailed around her stomach. "I have to win your heart, and that's what you're afraid of."
She attempted to slow her heart rate, "I'm not afraid of anything."
A sly grin was plastered on Klaus' face, "Prove it."
Caroline gasped involuntarily as his lips pressed against her neck. For a moment she couldn't think straight. "Fine. When do we leave?"