"I love Sheriff and trust his instincts." How else is Caroline supposed to react when her dog growls upon meeting Klaus?

"Come on, Sheriff!"

Excited, the tawny pit bull bounded down the stairs. Caroline didn't bother hiding the smile taking over her face as she picked up Sheriff's harness. Even after a year of living with the dog, he never failed to amuse Caroline with his energy. "Are you ready for our jog?"

Carefully distracting Sheriff with his doggie mint, Caroline strapped him into the body harness and attached the leash. "Drink," she commanded, pointing to the mostly full water bowl by the door. She double-checked the treats and small water bottle in her fanny pack as Sheriff hydrated for their daily exercise.

When he finished, Sheriff pushed her toward the door. He stared up at her, tongue hanging in a big smile. As they made their way out of the house, his bouncy gait reassured her how happy her big dog was.

"A pit bull, Caroline," Bonnie asked incredulously. "Aren't they super dangerous?" Nervous, she glanced around the animal shelter, as though a bystander would be available to take her side.

When the blonde scoffed, Bonnie knew she was in a losing fight. "I'm just saying," she clarified. "These dogs have a bad reputation, and this little guy is in this shelter for a reason."

"You know," Caroline replied, "I thought a science teacher would have a better appreciation for the animal kingdom." Raising her eyebrows in challenge, Caroline turned away from the shelter window to face her best friend. "All animals are dangerous, but the proper training can help to build the trust between a pet and its human."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You've been reading pamphlets, haven't you," she asked.

With a beaming smile, Caroline nodded. "I've been reading everything the shelter has, as well as anything reputable I can find online," she answered. "I'm taking this seriously, Bonnie."

"I know that," Bonnie sighed. She knew living in the house alone was hurting Caroline, emphasizing the fact that her mother was no longer there. "But maybe you should wait a little bit longer before taking on such a big responsibility."

"It's been six months," Caroline pointed out, trying to soften her tone. No matter how reasonable her explanation, getting defensive would only prove Bonnie's unspoken accusation that she was being too emotional about this. "I've been back in my routine with work and everything, but I still feel something missing."

Bonnie wrapped her friend in a hug. "And you think a dog is going to help?"

"I should at least meet some," Caroline said with a wry laugh, reluctantly letting go of Bonnie. She turned back to the window, through which she could see a couple of dogs playing.

"But why the pit bulls," Bonnie asked.

Caroline's smile turned sad. "They need love, too," she explained. "When I called the shelter, they mentioned it was hard to find homes for the pits. I know how that feels."

"Okay," Bonnie sighed. "Let's go find a match."

When Caroline was introduced to the pup named Sheriff, she knew it was fate. With the obvious tribute to her late mother's profession and instant friendliness, Sheriff was everything Caroline was looking for in a canine companion. Months of obedience classes helped them adjust to their relationship, just as the growing bond between them assured Bonnie that Caroline was healing.

It took hard work on the blonde's part, but she had quickly found ways to adapt Sheriff into her daily routine. Though Sheriff was already housebroken from his time at the shelter, Caroline was grateful her popular advice column gave her the freedom to work from home during the transition period. After a year, Sheriff was well used to their afternoon jog once Caroline sent her draft to her editor.

Wanting to keep their exercise light on the hot day, Caroline led Sheriff to the park. The old trees provided enough shade to keep them cool, and the walking paths were mostly clear at the time. Even if the neighborhood had gotten over their initial fear of her pit bull, Caroline tried to cut down on the risks as best she could. The last thing she needed was for someone to accuse Sheriff of menacing behavior, which explained her initial wariness of a stranger sitting on her favorite bench.

Klaus drew in a deep breath, the warm air and quiet park doing nothing to relax his agitated posture. It was barely even afternoon, and he already felt the need to get out of the new house. He had been working hard on reining in his temper, but his sister seemed determined to stretch him past his limits.

"Nik," Rebekah screeched from upstairs. "What did you do with Princess's kitty-castle?"

Not moving from his sprawled position on the couch, Klaus groaned at his sister's question. "I put all the boxes marked 'Princess' - and thanks for that, the chaps from the trucking company had a great chuckle - in your room, like you demanded," he answered. "I'm sure it's tucked in those somehow."

"Obviously," Rebekah sneered, walking down the first couple of steps to glare at her brother. "But I thought you would put the castle together so Princess can be comfortable while we unpack the rest of the house."

"A house you just had to have when you were plotting behind my back to move to the suburbs," he accused. "And I'm exhausted Bekah. Can't we at least take a break now that all the boxes are in their appropriate areas?"

"Not if you're going to keep muttering about my 'secret plot' to set down roots, heaven forbid," Rebekah scoffed. "Whitmore is barely thirty minutes away, and you only commute three days a week as it is. Your precious art history tenure will survive, and now we have more space."

Knowing when to give up, Klaus took his fate into his own hands. "Then, by all means," he said, walking toward the front door and grabbing his new house keys, "enjoy your space by unpacking, if you wish. I'm going to take a walk and explore this place you're dying to call home."

"Bring back dinner if it gets too late," Rebekah called as the door slammed. Looking over toward Princess, she gave the cat a big pout. "We'll make him put your castle together when he gets back."

Wandering around until he found a park was not the bright idea Klaus had thought it to be, but he had to admit there was something beautiful about the small town Rebekah had chosen. Even more beautiful was the blonde woman jogging her way right toward him, a large dog in tow.

"Hello," she greeted, apparently pausing at his bench to stretch out her legs. As she did, the woman reached into a fanny pack to give her dog a treat.

"Hi," Klaus stammered, realizing that she was waiting for a response.

"You're a new face around here," said, giving the dog a pat on the head. "Sheriff and I are regulars at the park, so we would know."

"Klaus Mikaelson," he replied, rising to offer a hand for her to shake. "My sister and I just moved into town, into what I'm told is the old Fell House. It's been quite the scandal, if Bekah's gossip has been reliable."

"Oh, yeah," the blonde nodded, grinning. "Mr. Fell was sneaking around with his assistant, and when Mrs. Fell got the house in the divorce, she immediately put it up for sale."

"That doesn't sound all that scandalous, to be honest," Klaus pointed out, taken with the woman's bright smile. "I've certainly heard worse."

"This is Mystic Falls," she said, shrugging off the assumption. "The Fells are a founding family, and that house is technically an heirloom. Mary was a Fell by marriage, so in the town's eyes, the house wasn't hers to give away."

"Ah," Klaus answered, feeling a little uncomfortable with the perception of his new home. "Have I offended everyone already before I even met them?"

"Some, maybe," she admitted. "But not me. Mary deserved every cent she could get from the dirty, old man."

Unable to suppress a laugh, Klaus stepped a bit closer. "And who may I thank for being such a benevolent host for the town?"

"Caroline," the blonde said, clearly fighting a big grin. "Caroline Forbes. And Sheriff," she hastened to gesture down to the pit bull, who had been patiently waiting to continue their jog. "Like I said, we're regulars around here, and we should really finish our run."

"Well, then," Klaus said. "Perhaps you might be willing to continue informing me about my new hometown over dinner Friday?" His stomach roiled with uncertainty over possibly tainting the small town dating pool, but something about Caroline drew him in. He could not bear to pass up the opportunity.

Biting her lip, Caroline could not believe her luck. This gorgeous man with the sandy curls was just sitting on her favorite bench, as though waiting for her to show up. He was new in town, asking her to show him around? It seemed too good to be true.

"I think I'd like that," she said, agreeing to the date. "Do you want to meet somewhere?"

"I could pick you up," Klaus offered, his expression alight with excitement. "That way, you won't have to deal with my sister quite yet."

"Yet? That's confident."

Klaus glanced down, embarrassed at his slip. She was really beautiful, and it was clearly messing with his good judgment. "I just meant-"

"I get it," Caroline said with a giggle. "Do you have a phone with you? I'll give you my number, and you can call me tomorrow."

Quickly fumbling for his pocket, Klaus passed her his mobile and watched her input her contact information. It wasn't until she passed it back that he realized how rude he had been. "It was nice to meet you, Caroline. And Sheriff, of course. May I pet him?"

The question seemed to stretch Caroline's smile even wider. "He's super friendly, just make sure to go slow," she said, bending down to hold onto Sheriff's collar and scratch his ear. "He likes neck rubs."

Klaus carefully proffered his hand for the dog to sniff, and he slowly moved it to the top of his neck. The introduction was going swimmingly, until his sleeve brushed up against Sheriff's nose. A deep growl rumbled in the pit bull's throat.

"Back up, Sheriff," Caroline commanded, pulling the dog away from Klaus. "I'm sorry, he's normally great with strangers."

"It's alright," Klaus protested, "I'm sure he's just anxious to start jogging again." His phone beeped, indicating an irate message from Rebekah. "I should get back to unpacking, but I'll call you tomorrow?"

As soon as Caroline nodded, Klaus was waving and striding away. She looked down to Sheriff, his aberrant growl sticking with her for some reason.

"Remember, folks," the obedience trainer said in her brief remarks, "trust your dog's instincts. They can be the best indicator that something is amiss. I don't trust people who don't like dogs, and I really don't trust people dogs don't like."

"That's a little morbid for a doggie graduation, isn't it," Bonnie asked in a whisper, happy to support Caroline and Sheriff on their big day.

Caroline shrugged. "Maybe, but at least it's good advice."

It wasn't until later that night over dinner and a movie with Bonnie that Caroline started freaking out about her date with Klaus. "What if I gave a serial killer my number, Bonnie?"

"In Mystic Falls," Bonnie asked incredulously. "Then that would have to mean your dating luck is worse than mine."

"Elena will forever be caught between the Salvatore brothers, and she is still on my shit list for breaking your heart over Damon," Caroline ranted easily. "But you'll meet someone new, and it will be magical."

Bonnie snorted. "When I meet someone new, it will be magical. But you actually did, and he's a serial killer?"

"It makes sense," Caroline exclaimed, Sheriff huffing a bit from his spot next to her on the couch. "Sheriff didn't like him, he asked me out after barely talking to me, Sheriff growled at him, he wanted to pick me up, Sheriff hates him-"

"Okay, no more rambling for you," Bonnie interrupted. "If it's the 'knowing where you live' part wigging you out, it's a small town. He could easily figure out himself anyway. And you know where he lives. If you're that worried, serial kill him first."

Caroline turned to fully face her friend, eyes wide. "You really think I should go out with him?"

"I think it's time you stop letting fear and sadness limit your life," Bonnie said plainly. "Not that I don't love the indomitable trio you, me, and dog breath over here make. I just think it's time to widen the circle again."

When Caroline still seemed unsure, Bonnie pulled out the big guns. "She wanted you to be happy, Caroline."

The blonde smiled sadly, launching herself toward Bonnie and hugging her tightly.

Friday afternoon, Caroline was a bundle of restless energy.

Sheriff had anxiously watched her pace the living room floor as evening crept closer. When she finally started to get ready for her date, the dog followed her into the bathroom. His presence was comforting, but her frayed nerves were too overloaded at the prospect that he really hated Klaus.

"If I don't come home tonight," Caroline warned, continuing to blend her eyeshadow to perfection, "you bark loud so Ms. Andrews next door knows something is wrong."

Sheriff huffed in acknowledgement, which made Caroline smile at her own silliness. "I was planning on the blue sundress, but what do you think," she asked, pointing to the dress hanging on the back of her door. Chatting with Sheriff seemed to work in calming her down, even if she sounded crazy in talking to herself.

The angry butterflies in her stomach came back later, though, when she heard the doorbell sound throughout the house. "Go check it out, Sheriff," she said, nodding toward the door. The dog took off while she finished her primping, and she waited to hear the single, "all clear" bark Sheriff used when he recognized who was there.

When Caroline finally descended the stairs, she could see Klaus waving to Sheriff through the front door's window. Smiling, she called, "Pillow, Sheriff." The pit bull immediately ran to his elephant-patterned pillow in the living room, awaiting further instructions. She tossed him a treat before turning to open the door. "Hello."

"Hello, Caroline," Klaus said smoothly, holding out a large tulip. "This is for you." Rebekah had not let him out of the house without warning him to stop for flowers. When he saw the soft, pink petals, he could not resist the comparison to Caroline's lips.

"Thank you," she answered, charmed by the gesture. Quickly setting it in a nearby vase of fake flowers, she grabbed her clutch and keys from the front table. "I figured the Mystic Grill would be a good choice. You know, to get to know the town."

Klaus smiled at the attempt to downplay their dinner, a tactic he found adorable coming from the blonde. "I shall defer to your wisdom," he said. "Are you ready to go, then?"

Caroline nodded, but reached again toward the table. "Let me just say bye to Sheriff," she said, holding onto a treat. "I'm leaving!"

Sheriff bounded over to collect the treat, and Caroline smiled at how happy he looked. She stiffened when Klaus reached down to pet him, but a sigh of relief escaped her when the dog just welcomed the friendly touch. He even encouraged further petting when Klaus tried to straighten up. "Bye, Sheriff," she called, leading Klaus out the door.

"How was it?"

Klaus had just walked into his house, not expecting Rebekah to still be in the living room. The television set was tuned to one of her cooking shows; however, Rebekah seemed more focused on her laptop, despite Princess lying on the keyboard.

A small grin lighting up his face, Klaus refused to gush to his baby sister over a date. "It was fine," he answered blithely.

"Just fine," Rebekah asked, eyebrow arched. "You barely tell me anything about this girl you met in the park, you rush out of here like a bat out of hell to take her to dinner, and the date was 'fine'? You're being awfully secretive, which leads me to believe there's something wrong with this Caroline."

"There's nothing wrong with her," Klaus bristled in defense. Seeing genuine hurt in Rebekah's eyes, though, made him soften his tone. "I just don't want to make this a big deal."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "It's hardly a big deal to just tell me about her and how your date went," she said. "Besides, we only really have each other here. Please get over whatever macho understatement you're trying to emulate and give me girl talk."

Sighing, Klaus resigned himself to the couch. He ignored Princess's hiss for encroaching near her space, and he found himself not sure where to start. "What do you want to know?"

"What's she like," Rebekah asked. She was so pleased her brother was even trying, she figured she had better start slow.

"She's…bright," Klaus said after some consideration. "She is passionate about her work, she loves her dog, and she's lived here her entire life."

"I never pegged you for the small-town-girl-type," Rebekah said, laughing.

"Caroline is special," Klaus replied, lost in the memory of their goodnight earlier.

"And that's why you can't believe a word of what the Lockwood spinsters have to say about each other," Caroline giggled. "I think that's it. I've exhausted every interesting story about the good people of Mystic Falls."

"I'm sure there are still a few about a former Miss Mystic you could spare," Klaus said mischievously.

Blushing, Caroline led them up to her front door. "One of the first things they teach to pageant queens is to stop talking before the man is scared away," she said mockingly. "Funny enough, I was never good at that lesson. But it seems really important right now."

Klaus stepped closer, sultry grin taking over his face. "I don't scare easily," he whispered, leaning in slightly. He paused, silently begging for Caroline to come forward that last inch.

When she did, Klaus kept the kiss soft and sweet.

Sheriff, though, had caught sight of Caroline's curls through the window, and his excited bark broke Klaus out of his daze. Luckily, the bright smile on Caroline's face was enough to bring out his own goofy smile.

"It looks like the other man needs your attention now," Klaus quipped, stepping back. "I had a lovely time tonight, Caroline."

"Me, too," she answered, turning toward her door. "Maybe next time, you could bring your sister. I'll invite some friends, and I can introduce you all to everyone."

"She may not be forthright about it," Klaus hedged, "but I think Bekah would like that." Making sure her key worked before leaving, he called out, "Good night, Caroline."

"Good night," she called back, turning to face the energetic dog waiting to be let out before bedtime.

Klaus made it all the way to his car before he realized he was grinning like a fool.

"Anyway," Klaus coughed, trying to shake himself back to reality. "Caroline wants to introduce us to some of her friends."

"Why on Earth would I want to meet her friends," Rebekah asked archly. "I'm perfectly capable of meeting friends of my own."

"You'll be working from home for a while, sister," Klaus reasoned, knowing Rebekah needed to build up her clientele before she could open a storefront for her custom fashion designs. "In fact, that's something you share with Caroline. I really think you could be friends, therefore her friends are also potential friends. You, my spoiled baby sister, ought not look down your nose at opportunities like this."

Scoffing, Rebekah set her laptop on the table and scooped Princess into her arms. "Whatever, Nik," she said. "Just don't expect too much."

True to her personality, Rebekah was a difficult customer when it came to Caroline Forbes. The bubbly stranger was nothing like the women her brother had previously dated, and her tight-knit friend group seemed impossible to penetrate. They had inside jokes and old stories to share, all of which seemed to bore Rebekah to tears. A table full of strangers at the local grill was not how she had wanted to spend her Sunday night.

"Sorry I'm late," a female voice called, approaching the table. "I had to finish grading photosynthesis projects for tomorrow."

"Say that five times fast," a man named Matt joked, sliding over to make room for the new addition.

Rebekah felt frozen as she took in the beautiful woman making herself comfortable at the table. She barely heard Caroline making the obligatory introductions until the stranger offered her hand to Klaus, then Rebekah.

"Hi," she said, directing her gaze to the siblings. "I'm Bonnie. I promised my students I'd hand back their project grades tomorrow, and they tend to get snippy if I don't keep my word. How are you liking Mystic Falls?"

Forcing herself to act normally, Rebekah straightened to her haughtiest posture. "It's quaint, I'll give it that," she said.

"Which is code for backwater, one-horse town, right," Bonnie asked, a daring look in her eye. "Say what you want, but we've got a great community that treats everyone like family."

"She didn't mean anything by it," Klaus interjected. "In fact, Rebekah was the one who chose Mystic Falls in our hunt for greener pastures."

"Is that right," Bonnie said, not believing a word in defense of the snobby blonde.

Rebekah could hear the disdain in her voice and decided to be honest, in hopes of gaining the gorgeous girl's favor. "I was intrigued by the Falls," she replied. "From the pictures and the description, they seem lovely."

"You haven't seen them yet," Caroline asked, leaning across Klaus to face Rebekah. "Bonnie, you should take her. Bonnie does this great field trip for her students about the science side of waterfalls and the ecological effects."

"Just not at night," Matt said. "I can't tell you how many times I have to break up teenage lovers looking for some privacy up there. If I knew being a Sheriff's deputy was basically cock-blocking, I probably wouldn't have applied."

"Maybe you should take Sheriff with you," Caroline offered with a laugh. "He would love the opportunity to meet new people, especially if they're all hot and bothered."

Bonnie and Matt groaned, used to Caroline's bad jokes about sex, while Rebekah just blushed at the implication. "Boo," Bonnie called, throwing one of Matt's fries in the blonde's direction. "Klaus, how are you getting along with Sheriff?" The dog was like Caroline's child, and Bonnie wanted to make sure her friend wasn't getting played.

"Sheriff's your dog," Rebekah asked Caroline, who nodded quietly.

"It's been hit or miss with him," Klaus admitted to Bonnie. "Half the time he loves me, the other half he growls at me."

Caroline's smile lessened, remembering earlier in the evening when Sheriff did growl at Klaus. It didn't seem like a good omen to Caroline, but she did really like Klaus. "It is a bit weird," she said. "He should have warmed up to you by now."

"Nik, I'm surprised you haven't tried to blame it on Princess," Rebekah scoffed. "You used to come up with all sorts of excuses to get rid of her."

"Princess," Caroline asked gleefully.

"My cat," Rebekah explained, not letting Klaus get a word in. "Nik hates her, especially when she sleeps in his closet."

Shaking his head, Klaus butted in. "Only because she tracks litter in and makes my clothes catch its awful scent," he defended.

Bonnie lit up and exclaimed, "That's it!"

"What, Bon?"

"Remember when Sheriff hated obedience classes at the shelter, and the assistants there said it might have scared him that you were taking him back," she asked. "He would growl every time you walked in. Maybe he's remembering the smell of the litter boxes when he's around Klaus."

"That sounds crazy," Matt said. "But it sounds like Caroline logic, so maybe it's true."

"Hey," Caroline yelled. "But you have a point, Bonnie, which means Klaus probably isn't a serial killer after all!"

"What," Klaus and Rebekah asked simultaneously.

"You thought I was a serial killer," he continued.

"And you agreed to a second date," Rebekah screeched.

Caroline winced at their questions before coming clean. "I love Sheriff and trust his instincts," she answered. "When he growls around you, it kind of puts me on my guard. I accepted a second date because you're really cute and sweet, and Bonnie promised to help me serial kill you first if I got too freaked out."

"I did not," Bonnie protested while Klaus just laughed.

"Well, thank you for the benefit of the doubt, sweetheart," he said, leaning to kiss Caroline on the cheek.

"Though maybe you should lock your closet so Princess can't get inside," she suggested. "I'd really like it if you and Sheriff could not have to worry about litter smells and growling."

Klaus nodded, reaching for her hand under the table. "Fair enough," he said.

"Hey," Rebekah cried in defense of her cat. "Princess can't be the villain in this situation."

"What kind of cat is she," Bonnie asked, looking to distract Rebekah from the lovebirds. It didn't hurt that Klaus's sister was gorgeous.

Noticing the flirty eyes, Rebekah preened under the attention. "She's a white Himalayan," she answered. "Would you like to meet her?"

Sneaking a smile to her friend, Caroline felt pretty good about whatever it was that drew her to include Klaus and Rebekah as a part of their group. Call it instinct, she supposed.