A/N: Thank you to all those who followed/reviewed the first chapter, I am extremely grateful to all the feedback! (:

And also; a HUGE special thanks to 'approvesomuch' on tumblr for making this absolutely stunning fanfiction cover, I was incredibly over the moon when I saw it and thank you so much!

I hope you enjoy the second chapter, and a few new characters are added. x

The following Sunday, Klaus reluctantly threw back his sheets and stumbled into respectable black trousers, a white dress shirt and ebony tie. He rubbed at his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Perhaps being out all night wasn't the best thing to do when you had to attend a regular church session in the morning. As despite it being the 21st century, Mystic Falls was still widely known for its religious roots. It was by no means old-fashioned, or subjective - in fact it was open to many modern beliefs - but the religious element was still a huge part of many of the townsfolk's lives.

So no matter what excuse Klaus attempted, his mother still dragged his grumbling ass out of the door every Sunday.

"Klaus," She called from the kitchen. ", we're leaving in twenty minutes so come and get something to eat before we go, please."

"Coming."

He rolled his shoulders back, and resisted the urge to shrug on his motorcycle jacket. Ignoring it, Klaus closed the door firmly behind him and traipsed into the kitchen. He found his mother at the sink, scrubbing hard at dishes that were most likely already clean. Esther was like that. She wanted everything to be perfectly neat and organised. In that sense, Klaus and his mother were as unalike from each other as humanely possible. Yet they both shared a sense of loyalty. An unspoken, but visible bond of family. And it was through that bond that Klaus was fairly certain was the reason he hadn't been kicked out of the house yet, despite all his late night activities and juvenile crimes.

He reached for an apple on the kitchen counter. "Good morning, mother."

Nothing.

Klaus felt his eyes narrow as the silence continued. He took a seat and watched as Esther paused by the sink, her hands tightly gripping the edge. After another minute rolled on, the silence became deafening. The only noise in the room came in the form of the kitchen clock, and the rhythmic ticking added to Klaus' frustration.

"What's-

Ester spun around. "Klaus," She looked at him carefully. "I think I should call your father."

"No."

He contemplated leaving the room for a moment. "No, I do not, under any circumstance, wish to speak to him. That's not going to happen." He looked Esther in stony silence. Why did she have to bring him up? He wondered in anger. His mother knew the relationship between her ex-husband and son was tense, but Klaus had never elaborated on the reasons behind it. When they divorced three years ago, Esther agreed to leave the family home and Klaus went with her willingly. His elder brother Elijah was already heading away to do his first year at Harvard Law, so the arrangement had yet to affect him. However his younger sister Rebekah had been distraught. Despite her equally rocky relationship with her father, and tight bond with Klaus, she refused to leave her friends, and school life behind. So she had decided to stay in Massachusetts with Mikael.

Klaus hadn't spoken with either of his siblings since the move. He and Rebekah had always been close growing up. Whenever their parents were fighting, they would keep each other company and talk as loudly as they could to overcome the screams and shouts from below. They would play rock music through the stereo, and talk about their day; distracting each other from the rows. So when his younger sister announced she wasn't moving, Klaus was more than a little grievant. The pair of them had argued and pleaded until their voices bled into nothing but silence. He was hurt, angry, and most of all, dismayed that they would be apart. And to make it worse, it was through Rebekah's own choice.

At first, it had been difficult without her around. But Klaus had managed to temporarily fill the void with his friends, and also rebuilding his relationship with Esther again. They had been relatively close, but Mikael had always managed to slip his youngest son into arguments; focusing on Esther as the reason for his wayward behaviour. But there was still something missing from Rebekah's absence, and Klaus couldn't bring himself to think of her very often.

"I don't know why the pair of you fell out over the divorce, Klaus, but this has to stop. What happened between Mikael and I should not concern your relationship with him." She gave a small sigh and looked away. "Besides, I think having a father figure will be good for you again. With all what's been going on lately…"

Klaus knew she was referring to the trespassing.

"I'm not seeing him, and that's final." He bit into the apple, hard.

"Well, then." Esther shook her head, and a few strands of dark blonde hair escaped from the loose tie. "If you show me signs that you're doing well at school again, and that means working on improving your attendance record too, then I promise not to contact your father until you wish to do so." She sighed again, her expression wary. "Do we have a deal?"

Klaus hid his smile behind the fruit. "We do."

After all, there was no way that he ever planned on visiting his father, so as long as he kept up in school; his mother would back off. It was a small sacrifice to pay, as Klaus would have less time with his group. But after he completed his janitorial service, and the other punishments set, he would be left alone once again, and free to spend time as he wished.

Somewhat satisfied, Klaus watched his mother relax again. She set the cluster of dishes to one side, and brushed her damp hands onto a tea towel before turning around. She gave Klaus a hopeful smile, and reached a hand back to tug her hair out of the hair tie. It reached her shoulders, and she smiled again. "Ready to go, son?"

The church in Mystic Falls had been dated back to its founding origin in early Elizabethan times. It was the only remaining church from before the 1800s back when Mystic Falls was called Fell's Church. The Fells were the founding family all the way back to the early 1400s until 1860. Little was known about the events leading up to it, but historical records stated that Thomas and Honoria Fell fled with their children in the 1800s, leaving behind the town that had been in their generation for hundreds of years. The sheriff at the time, and close friend of Thomas', William Forbes, gradually rebuilt the town with his family; renaming it Mystic Falls in hope of a new beginning. 150 years later, and the Forbes family were still an important part of the town.

Reverend William – Bill to those who knew him – Forbes was, in a whole, a good man. He strayed from teaching just about God in the hope that ignorance could be perished. He encouraged equality, and freedom of speech, and was never quick to judge those who had wronged. Two years back, his wife, Elizabeth Forbes, had passed away in her sleep on a Saturday evening. Despite everyone assuming church was cancelled for the following morning, the church doors opened at 8am sharp and a service was held for anyone who wished to go. Although he wasn't exactly the son of a preacher, Klaus remembered that service in detail. He had watched quietly from the pews as William Forbes stood at the front of the church and spoke to the gatherers.

"They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. Death cannot kill what never dies." The reverend had begun by saying. His voice was soft, but clear; sad, but sharing. "As many of you know, last night my beloved wife passed on from this life. I would like for this service to be in memory of her beauty, her inspirational strength, and her soul. My daughter, Caroline, decided to pray in solitude today, so if I may ask you all to join us in prayer together."

Klaus had never remembered seeing so much strength in one person. The people in the church sung hymns, wept openly, and prayed together in unison, and the reverend welcomed their emotions with tears of his own. He asked people to come to the front and share stories of their loved ones, or anything they wanted to say about his wife. And they did. Women and men shared funny tales of disasters, heartfelt stories of last goodbyes, and simple thoughts and views of life, love, and death.

It was also in that moment that Klaus realised so much of who you are can be determined by misfortune. Or sadness, or sorrow, or grief. Anything that gave you the opportunity to seek revenge, or spread hatred across the world because something didn't occur the way you wanted it to. Instead, like Bill Forbes, you can turn that hatred into light.

It was a shame that Klaus couldn't follow his own beliefs. Instead, he chose a life of petty crime and general mishap in the knowledge that people's emotions and feelings was something he could control. Something he could stage or portray, bit by bit. Death, he couldn't. Love, he couldn't. But he could control the people around him like puppets on a string. And as long as he didn't grow too close to anyone, nothing would ever make him thirst for revenge with hatred burning through his veins like wildfire.

Because that's what love, and hope, does to you. Klaus sat in the church, lost in thought as he waited for the ceremony to begin. It consumes you like a flame and burns and destroys any sanity you have left. It makes you act like a man possessed, and you can't control anything when you're captivated by someone else. It's insanity, and entirely unnecessary to feel.

He carefully looked at his mother next to him and wondered if she felt the same after the divorce. He'd watched his parents scream and hate each other for years, and it had affected him greatly. It was possibly the origin for all his hatred against emotion, and one he didn't take to kindly. If only he could've controlled their emotions back then.

Shaking the thought from his mind, Klaus looked around. Roughly 15 rows of wooden pews led up to a large alter towards the front of the church. The Norfolk-styled arches had been painted white, and enhanced the height of the building beautifully. Just like every time before, his eyes were drawn to the stained glass windows. At every 5th pew, a detailed stained glass window was arrayed across the gap. The colours were captivating; blues, greens, reds all swirled together to make a story. The one closest to Klaus and Esther was of a waterfall. The contrasting of the dark blue hills and paler blue tumbling water captured the mystical feel of the window, and Klaus felt himself itching to trace it with his fingertips. Art was one of his few passions, and one he held great admiration for. There were stained glass images of trees, mountains, and fires, and Klaus particularly liked one window of an eagle. However Klaus admitted to having a personal favourite as well.

It was The Wolf.

The name 'wolf' originated from the Old English word 'wulf' which had an inner meaning for 'warrior'. Wolves, and warriors, are apex predators. They are always at the top of their chain, and always at the highest point possible to survey the other members in their pack. That was why Damon always called him Wolf, or The Big Bad Wolf if he was willing to push his luck further. Even Esther had admitted to the similarities when Damon came round for a lift one evening. "But he's also loyal, like a wolf is to his family." She had added, and that got a smirk.

The wolf in the window was howling. Burnt orange, the glass behind the animal had traces of yellows and crimsons dashed across the background and inside a rim of black, the wolf stood tall, and proud; head tilted back to howl at an unseen object. Klaus liked to think it was howling at God, howling at the strange man in the sky that nobody else could see. He also wasn't a fan of religion itself, but Klaus wasn't opposed to admitting the beauty within the building.

"Welcome."

As soon as the reverend spoke, all was still in the church. He wasn't exceptionally tall – maybe 5, 7 or 5, 8 – and had cropped, dark hair and a kind smile. He wore a dark grey suit and navy tie, and addressed the church with his arms spread wide in front. "I hope you all had a safe journey."

A few murmurs replied, but Klaus was not one of them.

"I would like to begin this morning, by saying thank you to the Lord. Last Saturday evening, he saved a life. The young footballer, Matt Donavan, was found injured by a fellow student. I would like to inform you that he is said to be making an excellent recovery as we speak. I send my gratitude and my thanks to the Lord, for he takes care of all his children."

Bill paused. He scanned the seats, and his eyes lingered a moment on Klaus. "May we also pray for the others who were possibly involved, that they may also find the path of righteousness. For although that road can be a struggle, the good Lord knows and understands this."

Klaus grit his teeth.

"I would now like to ask the choir if they may step forwards and sing in prayer." Bill took a step away from the stand. "I have also asked them to select a song appropriate for Matt's recovery, and in theme of appreciating life and God's watchful eye." He gestured for the choir to stand, and smiled as the piano struck up a melody. Usually, it was customary to read from the bible or sing hymns, but the reverend allowed Christian artists as well, another reason his status was well respected amongst all ages.

The choir began to sing;

Seven days old in the ICU tonight.

Little baby boy they don't want to have to say goodbye.

Your mother is on the phone, Father is in the hall.

Praying God save his life.

Klaus closed his eyes just in time for the chorus to begin.

He sees you, He's near you;

He knows your face, He knows your pain.

He sees you and He loves you;

He knows your name, He knows your name.

He felt his eyes open again in curiosity when only one voice continued.

Maybe you're alone;

In the corner of an empty house.

Or maybe you're the one;

No one notices in the crowd.

It was Caroline. The quiet girl he had spoken to, and made jump, a few days ago at the library. The long-sleeved white shirt, and grey skirt was much more tightly-fitted than her usual wear, and Klaus noticed slyly that the blonde was hiding more than books beneath her clothes. He quickly tore his eyes away from her curves, and looked up. Her blue eyes were closed. Lost in the song, she sang sweetly and softly as the music continued alongside her. Klaus began to find the song melodic and bearable at the least, but watching Caroline put a little bit of herself into the music, it suddenly became alluring.

As she sang the final few lines, the blonde reopened her eyes and looked across at a few rows. Her eyes showed an image of such believable happiness that Klaus contemplated selling his soul to the Lord in the hope of feeling like that for just one moment. The song finished a few seconds later, and as if able to move again, Klaus mentally shook some sense into himself. What the hell had happened to hating emotion? Just don't listen to her sing again. He concluded, carefully. Or else you'll literally be preaching to the choir.

She was rather compelling though, Klaus reflected. He'd never even spoken to the girl before last week, but he wasn't completely against the idea to do so again. And why? All because she wore ill-fitting clothes, squealed like a new-born child, and spent all her free time hanging out in the school library. Maybe he was right after all; this girl sounded like a real charm.

Esther rested a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "It's time to go, Klaus."

Behind her, Klaus saw Stefan and Hayley lingering a few rows back; waiting. Their parents were also fairly religious, but Damon and Elena had most likely excused themselves and hopped into one of the other's beds. He nodded to the pair, and turned back to his mother. "You go; I'll catch a ride back with Stefan later." Usually, he would be the one giving them a lift back, but Esther had taken and locked his motorcycle away for a couple of weeks until his school record cleared.

She frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Well then," She attempted a carefree smile, but Klaus knew she was worried. "I'll see you back home later?" Esther posed it as a statement, not a question.

Klaus nodded. "Yeah. Not too late, I promise."

He waited until Esther had left the church with Stefan's mother, the pair talking quietly with their heads bowed together. Then, he made his way over to his two friends, somewhat annoyed by the lack of control over his actions. He'd agreed to complete the set punishments, but Esther had no right to baby him.

Stefan noticed his stony expression, and nudged the other boy with a grin. "Enjoy the service?"

"Why, it was an absolute pleasure," Klaus muttered, still bitter. "I was filled with this wonderful light, right here; in my heart." He continued snidely, and Stefan gave a short chuckle. "And the choir was full of such beauty and wonder that I had to resist the urge to jump up, run up to the stage, and sing the song of the Lord for the whole world to hear." He gave a heavy sigh, the bitterness fading. "It was quite something, mate."

"If you wanted to join the choir, Mr Mikaelson, all you had to do was ask."

Oh, shit.

Klaus was certain who it was standing behind him before he turned around.

The reverend didn't look angry though, more vaguely curious at the most. He simply looked at him with interest. "Though I take it from the lack of joy on your face, you have decided to pursue another path in the name of the Lord?" He smiled warmly when Klaus didn't reply. "It is not our place to judge others, child. Remember that."

As the reverend walked off to speak to another man, Stefan let out another laugh at the other boy's frozen expression. "He got you good, buddy." He grinned teasingly. "For a second there, I thought you were going to be forced to sing kumbaya in front of the entire church next week!"

With a smirk, Hayley joined in. "Now that I'd like to see."

Klaus decided to ignore their banter. After all, he had been in the wrong that time. He watched as the reverend continued to speak to the other man. Dressed in a dark grey suit, he and the reverend seemed fairly close as they spoke and smiled together. They shared a laugh, and suddenly, Klaus recognised where he knew the man from. Like a trigger, his memory cleared. It was from the night he got caught by the police, and the man speaking with Bill was the same man who had taken him back home to Esther. He hadn't recognised him at first out of uniform.

"Who is that?" He asked Stefan and Hayley.

Before a moment could pass, Stefan shot a confused look at Klaus. "Did I not tell you?" When Klaus frowned, he continued. "That's Steven. He's a new cop on the police force, moved in across the street from us a few days ago. You know how my mother is; she practically jumped at him to introduce herself the minute the moving van pulled up. Turns out he's an old friend of the reverend's late wife."

"He was on the force with her?" Hayley asked.

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. He is a cop though; they tend to like knowing everyone in town."

"Right." Klaus responded. But how the hell did he know who I was? He watched the pair for a few more moments then turned back to his friends with a smirk. "Any plans?"

The rest of the week passed by at an absurdly slow pace. True to his arrangements, Klaus refrained from skipping any classes and managed to keep concentration at least half of the time. But he hadn't contemplated just how boring and long-stretched the days would become by doing so. The lessons seemed to last for hours, and he gained newfound respect for students that had been working like this for the previous four years when he had barely lasted a week.

So by the time Friday came around, all Klaus wanted to do…was sleep.

"Are you serious, man?!" Damon cried. "It's a Friday! We're all going to go over to Hayley's and get the party started. Her dear old parents are gone for the weekend; come with us!"

"I told you before," Klaus shot back. "I have to be up early for tutoring tomorrow."

Differing from his brother, Stefan shared a sympathetic look with him. "They're really making you tutor disadvantaged kids?"

"Yes, they are."

The youngest Salvatore sighed, but patted his friend on the back as he turned to leave. "Well, best of luck."

Klaus managed a smile. "Thanks, mate."

Ignoring the protests from the rest of the group, Klaus began the long walk home. On the way he considered his options of travel for the following day. He'd already asked Esther if she could make an exception and let him take the bike, but she had refused point blank. "That bike always seems to land you in trouble." She had told him. That left Klaus with the options of either finding another volunteer whom he could ask a lift from, or taking the bus instead. As he didn't know who else volunteered, Klaus decided to make a mental arrangement to check the bus timetables back at home. He was still partially angry that he had to give up a free day when there were many different ways he could be punished. But he also saw fairness in it, and resigned himself to getting an early sleep for the first time in years.

Preparation for control, number 1; acceptance. He instructed. Accept the consequences, just get through it as quickly as possible, and then it'll be over sooner.

So when the alarm clock rang at 8am on Saturday morning, Klaus was more than ready to go. Esther knocked on the door just as he pulled a black V-neck shirt over his head. She gave a small smile. "Did you want me to make you anything before you go?" She asked, quietly.

Klaus shook his head. "No, it's fine." Reaching for his leather jacket, he paused at the doorway. "Thanks." He added.

"It's not a problem," Esther flicked the kettle on. "I'll see you later."

He gave a small nod, and closed the front door firmly behind him. The nearest bus stop was half a mile down the road; not that far from the school in fact. When Klaus reached the stop, he checked the time on his phone and sighed. Typical. He'd underestimated his ability to speed-walk and had ten minutes to kill.

He reached a hand inside his pocket and quickly pulled out a cigarette. He played with it between his fingers before lighting it. Inhaling deeply as smoke began to surface, Klaus exhaled loudly. The burning in his chest ignited into fire, and he welcomed the intensity with an open heart; his eyes closed, head tilted back.

"You must be Klaus."

He re-opened his eyes, turned slightly and saw another, slightly older man walking towards the bus stop dressed in dark blue jeans and a smart red shirt. His shoulder-length brown hair was neatly combed, and a slight stubble grew across his jawline. Apart from the stranger knowing his name, Klaus could see no other detail that suggested a questionable motive.

"And who's asking?" He challenged, inhaling another smoke.

The older man gave a short laugh. Smiling, he held out his hand good-naturedly. "My name is Finn Lawrence." Klaus shook his hand in response. He paused, as if waiting for a reaction before continuing. "I'm one of the student coordinator at Mystic Falls High School, and I'm also the founder of the tutor program between your school and Ashton High, where you'll be tutoring."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "So you're here to keep an eye on me?"

"No," Finn shook his head. He cast a frown at the cigarette but made no complaint. ", I always travel by bus. And to answer your question: no. It's nothing personal, but one student coordinator must keep an eye on the tutoring sessions. We take turns every week, so you'll meet us all gradually."

"I see."

"And I know all the regular volunteers fairly well by now, and you're new." Finn took a quick look around the corner for the bus. "And Mr Richards informed me of your…involuntary position."

"Fantastic." Klaus replied, dryly.

Finn gave a chuckle. "Well, I'm not complaining; we could use all the help we can get."

A fairly comfortable silence progressed soon after and the two remained quiet for a few minutes until the bus came into view. Finn waved a hand to him. "After you." He said, and Klaus thanked him before holding his student pass up to the driver. He nodded him on with a glance, and Klaus took a seat near the back; silently hoping that the student coordinator didn't take the seat beside him. However, Finn took a seat near the front of the bus instead. Alone at last He thought. Klaus plugged in earphones and spent the rest of the journey lost in music.

When the bus reached Ashton High, he thanked the driver and followed Finn off the bus; walking a few feet behind him until they reached the entrance. Looking up at the building, Klaus noted that it was a simple, dark crème, one block structure; with a large grassy courtyard around the front. He also recognised a handful of other people from his school. There was Bonnie, a quiet girl in his English class who once won a nationwide writing competition. Klaus could only remember this because it had been made a great deal about, and she won a large sum of money and a scholarship ready and waiting after graduation. Walking beside her was Caroline. The blonde threw her head back and laughed at something her friend said, and a beautiful, musical sound warmed his dreary spirit.

She seems to be showing up a lot, recently. Klaus realised with a start. Why does she suddenly keep turning up wherever I go?

He watched her for a few more moments, interest somewhat peaked by the blonde who kept resurfacing. He'd always presumed her to be a quiet bookworm and nothing more. But there was something about her that fascinated Klaus; finally someone he couldn't see through right away, yet had no doubt he could control. She walked with an air of confidence that he hadn't seen in Caroline before, in school. Though he couldn't think of a single reason why she chose to hide beneath old-fashioned clothes alone in a library. Although remembering the strange way he felt about her, Klaus quickly decided to keep as much distance as he could from the blonde.

Once inside, he traced Finn's footsteps into a large, open room filled with two-seater desks and chairs. A few pairs had already begun tutoring, and Klaus spotted Caroline sitting beside a petite girl with dark waves and delicate features. The two had their heads bent over work already. Eyes moving to the next table, he saw Bonnie sitting with a tall boy; a grin plastered onto his face as he watched his tutor explain what looked like geometry. "Kol, are you even paying attention?!" He heard the brunette snap. Klaus watched the other boy ogling at Bonnie and smirked. I don't think it's the work he attends for, he thought dryly.

"Excuse me," He turned his eyes away from the girls and looked at Finn. The student coordinator was walking towards him with another boy; tall and muscular with ebony skin and sporting a blank expression. "I'd like to introduce you to your tutee. Klaus, this is Marcel. Marcel, this is your tutor, Klaus Mikaelson."

Klaus stuck out his hands reluctantly. "It's nice to meet you." He managed.

The other boy stared at the offending hand for a few moments, before shaking it in his own. "You too."

"Well, then," Finn rubbed his hands together. "I'll leave you two boys to get on with it. Marcel will show you what he needs tutoring on, and all you need to do is guide him through it to the best of your abilities. If you're stuck yourself, call me over. Apart from that, let me know if you need anything else." He turned, and began speaking to another pair; leaving Klaus on his own with his tutee.

He took a seat a few rows behind Bonnie and her tutee, Kol, and waited for Marcel to follow his lead. "So, what do you need help with?"

In reply, Marcel pushed a large textbook across the table towards Klaus entitled 'Biology: Units B4, B5, and B6.' Klaus gave a relieved sigh. Fortunately for Marcel, science was a subject that came relatively easy to him, so he shouldn't have any problems tutoring it.

"What parts are you struggling with?" He offered.

Marcel shrugged. "All of it."

"Okay…" Klaus paused. He wasn't sure whether to test Marcel on what he knew already to see the boy's capability, or simply go through each unit bit by bit. "So, how about we start at the beginning of the book then? We can see how we get along, and then I can test you afterwards. How's that sound?"

"Sounds fair enough."

Well, thank the Lord for that. Klaus thought, half-amused. He flicked the book open with one hand, and studied the first few pages briefly to cover the subjects. He then turned to Marcel. "Well then," He began. "What can you tell me about the physical factors that affect organisms?"

An hour and a half later and Klaus was waiting for the bus once again. He had successfully covered an entire unit with Marcel, and felt more pleased than he had expected to. Finn had said goodbye with a "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" but stayed a few more hours to watch over the others. Klaus was about to plug in his earphones, when he heard someone deliberately cleared their throat a few feet away.

"Hey, Klaus."

He groaned inwardly at her voice. Oh, you cannot be serious.

"Hey." He stared straight ahead.

"You seemed to do really well with Marcel back there." She began. "I didn't know you started volunteering as a tutor." Her voice was quiet, but Klaus noted the admiration. When he said nothing, she continued. "I just wanted to say…I think it's really good of you. Not many people give up their free time to help others, so you must be very selfless."

"No, I'm not." He snapped, and shot her a dark look. "This is a set punishment, not an optional vacancy."

Klaus watched Caroline's eyes widen. "Oh." She looked down at the ground. "I just thought you…"

"What?" He scoffed. "You thought I volunteered because I was feeling generous? In fact," Unable to stop himself, Klaus took out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it in front of the stunned blonde. ", it may surprise you but not everyone gives up their free time to help disadvantaged kids. Most people go out, and have fun. Have you heard of that, love?" He smirked when Caroline took a small step away. "No, I didn't think you have. Why don't I show you," He exhaled a breath, and offered the smoke to her. ", here, I dare you to have a little fun, Caroline. Go on, prove me wrong."

Klaus challenged her with a glint in his eyes. Waiting for her to run, he was considerably surprised when she scrunched her pretty face into a scowl and took a step towards him instead. He watched in astonishment as the blonde snatched the cigarette from between his fingers, and angrily threw it onto the floor. She stomped the heel of her foot into it with force until the smoke began to clear. Satisfied, Caroline took a step back again. Her eyes slowly drew up until they stared into Klaus'. "I…I hate smoking." She said softly, and then cast her eyes down at the ground.

He was speechless for the first time in a long time. At most, he had expected the blonde to turn her back or ignore his teasing. But Klaus hadn't expected her to react so heatedly. He stared at her for a few more moments in silence, the lighter still in his left hand. Caroline kept shuffling her feet; left then right, then left again. She looked over her shoulder, back at the school, and then looked at Klaus for the briefest of glances as if contemplating leaving. Klaus wanted her to. Leave. He wanted to snap. Why else is she still here? He thought. Surely he had angered the blonde enough to back away.

Caroline looked across at him again. Her loose curls fluttered over her shoulders; the wind blowing loose strands across her cheeks. The way she looked at Klaus was provoking his nerves. No one had the right to look at him like that. Like she was digging deeper and deeper into his mind; searching for something to hold over him. Her blue eyes were playing on his nerves like ice on fire; attempting to cool down the burning emotion coursing through his veins, but instead only fuelling the flame. Why the hell was she still looking at him?

Klaus was livid with frustration. "Why are you still here?"

The blonde did not reply, but continued to stare. He was just about to circle away and trek the long walk home, when she smiled. "Number 4."

"I'm sorry?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

With a secretive smile at Klaus, Caroline readjusted the strap on her bag and began to walk straight past him, heading off down the road. A few feet away, she paused and turned back with the same peaceful look and hidden smile on her face; hair bouncing in the wind like leaves. "Number 4," She repeated, gently. ", 'befriend someone I don't like'."

And with a final beam, he watched as the cryptic blonde disappeared around the corner, leaving Klaus Mikaelson with nothing more than a bewildered expression and a cluster of perplexed thoughts. The bus came pretty soon after that, and Klaus spent the rest of the ride home thinking about the number four and, once again, an intriguing blonde named Caroline.

Please read if you can :)

I won't be updating for a couple of weeks because…I'm going on holiday! All my exams are finally over, and my family is heading off on a cruise around Norway and Iceland. I am very excited, but unfortunately will not be able to write whilst I am on the boat…if I do have some free time, I will write; but I cannot promise anything, sorry!

Story note; so in this chapter you met Steven, who will be developed more in the storyline with Bill and Caroline. If anyone wants to venture a guess as to how, then feel to! And remember that he KNEW Klaus, so how do you think he recognised him…?

You also met Finn and Kol, who obviously are NOT Klaus' brothers but are side characters who add to the story, hopefully (!).

Also, the continuing thought that Klaus has about control, is one that is very important with regards to his relationship with Caroline; he likes knowing about others so that he can control them, like he said, he can't control death or love so he controls people. It's 'Klaus Logic' and the reason he gets so frustrated with Caroline is because he cannot control her like he can with everyone else. She's intriguing to Klaus as he doesn't know what to think!

Oh, and the song that they sing in the church is 'Fireflight - Name' which is such a BEAUTIFUL song that always makes me feel really emotional, if you get the chance to listen to it! x

I SHALL RETURN…IN TWO WEEKS! x