I literally hate myself for leaving this story hanging for so long! I apologize for the long wait, but rest assured I hope I can update this story a little more frequently, for I want to wrap this story up fairly soon.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS ALOT TO ME! :)

Please remember to review at the end! :)

Days turned to weeks, and, though she tried to be a comforting presence towards him, Caroline failed. She failed to make him happy.

It didn't help that every time he came home he was leaving over and over to go on… what were they called?

She pursed her lips, and turned her head to the side. Oh, yes, dates.

He went on dates. Something she had no idea what they were, and when she asked what they were, he only replied they were social events that he took some of his lady friends to.

Well, she was a lady, and she was his friend (she hoped), so why didn't he take her?

She lowered her eyes, and shook her head. He was ashamed of her. He didn't trust her.

He didn't care.

Quickly, she wiped the tears from her eyes, and turned on the magic box, which was called a television, and leaned back in the couch, lifting her legs to her chest.

She let out a sigh as she focused on the television, watching some program about a woman out of her element in the western frontier, but proving that she could survive, even though she butted heads with a handsome Mountie.

She smiled at the comparison between the couple and her and her master. She laughed as she watched the young woman stand on top of her desk, trying to attract her students attention, and as she made a fool of herself, earned the respect of her students, and of him.

Caroline's head tilted as she continued to watch this captivating movie, and sighed with contentment when it ended, letting her revel in the way the couple were now growing closer than before, because they had pushed the differences aside.

Turning her head to the clock on the mantle, she sighed.

Klaus would be home in thirty minutes.

The thought made her heart pound in her chest. "What should I do?" She asked in the silence, wondering if she should meet him at the door with a bright smile, as she usually did, or…

She shrugged her shoulders. Not that he cared.

He never seemed to care.

Not ever since she blinked up a tiger in his master bedroom, which in turn destroyed his shirts and boots.

It didn't help that she had replaced them all. No, he still yelled and stormed off.

She couldn't seem to do anything right. How was she going to get him to care if she could do nothing but make him upset at every turn?

She jumped out of her seat when the doorbell rang, and she covered her mouth with her hands, containing her scream.

A knock followed soon after, and moving her head back and forth, she tried to determine if she should open the door or remain quiet.

Klaus never let her meet people, and that irritated her. Was she really that much of an embarrassment?

Slowly moving to the door, she cleared her throat, and dipped her head. "Who is it?" She asked, deepening her voice and used Klaus' accent.

"Klaus?"

She swallowed, clamped her eyes shut. "Uh…yeah…" She answered, shaking her head in disbelief. This was ridiculous.

"Look, I know Klaus' voice, and that's not it, so could you please open the door?"

She shook her head. "I don't know you." She remarked, glancing down at her jogging pants and tank top, which she was thankful that she had followed Klaus' idea of wearing that should anyone stop by. It would be very hard to explain what she was to strangers. At least, according to him, to her it was quiet simple, but Klaus didn't do simple.

That much she knew about him.

She heard a chuckle, and she risked a peak through the elongated window beside the door. Her eyes widened, as she caught sight of laughing bluish green eyes or so they appeared to be.

The laughter stopped as their eyes connected, and she swallowed. Sure this man was handsome enough, but not that handsome.

"Well, hello there." He remarked, bending his head towards her.

She scoffed, and pulled back from the window, moving to lean against the door.

"Look, I just need to drop off something, so can you just open the door so I can do that?" He called out.

Caroline's eyes closed, and she shook her head. Klaus would be furious, but what choice did she have. This man had already seen her, and she had no choice.

"Fine," She breathed out to herself, turning to unlock the door, and opened it enough to get whatever he had to leave for her master.

"Hi,"

She lowered her eyes, and nodded. "Hello," She returned, clutching the doorknob with her left hand.

He lifted his right hand, and held up a book. "This is Klaus'. I finished on our supposed vacation. You know the one where he disappeared from." He began, causing her to swallow as she remembered why. "Well, anyway, I just needed to return this, since I wasn't going into the station today." He added, as she took the book from his hand, and nodded, moving to close the door.

He shook his head, and caught the door. "Wait, you didn't tell me your name." He stated, causing her to stop, and her eyes widen. "I'm Stefan. Stefan Salvatore." He remarked, holding his hand out.

She lowered her eyes to the hand, and clutched the book to her person. "Caroline," She returned, stepping back.

He nodded, and smiled, dropping his hand when she didn't take it. "It's nice to meet you, Caroline." He remarked, politely.

She nodded her head. "Same." She stated, simply.

"You're not much to small talk, are you?" He asked, watching her shake her head. "Well, then, how about dinner?" He asked, smiling when her eyes widened. "Unless, you and Klaus are…." He began, trailing off, as he noticed the shocked look on her face.

"Unless we are what?" She asked, shaking her head.

He chuckled, and motioned to her. "You know, dating." He answered, tilting his head to the side with a jerk and a blink.

She lowered her eyes, and her shoulders deflated. "No, we're not." She whispered, moving to close the door.

"Well, you're living in his house, aren't you?" He asked, lifting his eyes to house.

She nodded, and sighed. "I had nowhere else to go, and Klaus took me in." She explained, giving a roundabout version of the truth.

Stefan nodded, and his lips pouted in understanding. "That's Klaus." He replied, softly. "Well, since you two are not, together, then you wouldn't mind going with me to dinner." He began, stepping towards the door.

She started to shake her head, but then the thought of Klaus going out at night with different women went through her mind, and she felt a knot form in her stomach. "Okay," She whispered, finally.

Stefan smiled, and nodded. "Great, I'll pick you up at six." He remarked, winking at her before stepping back, and walked down the walkway towards his car.

As he drove away, Caroline's heart plummeted in her chest.

What was she going to do?

~XXX~

"Okay, now what did Klaus say about this miniature tv?" She asked, as she sat down at the table with laptop in front of her.

She tilted her head to the side, and touched the button with a dash and a half circle on it, and smiled as it hummed to life. She clapped her hands, and bounced in her seat with excitement.

"Yes!" She shouted, or nearly shouted, clapping her hands with great excitement. "Okay, now how does this work?" She muttered to herself, trying to find the way to search on what Klaus described as the Internet.

She clicked on a circle with three colors, and smiled as a page popped up on the screen. "Yay!" She whispered, silently congratulating herself for a job well done. "Okay, now, what do I do now?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. With a sigh, her smile began to droop, and a frown appeared.

"Dates," She muttered, looking at the keyboard, and began to hit each key with her pointer finger. "D…A…T…E…S" She called out with each key hit, and hit the enter button, which Klaus had showed her a few days ago.

"That wasn't so hard." She remarked, nodding at her accomplishment.

A groan escaped her lips, and she nearly sagged into her chair when images and results appeared of a shriveled up fruit, and she closed her eyes, and let out a sigh of frustration. "I don't want that." She stated, shaking her head.

"You don't want what?"

She jumped in her seat, and a bright smile appeared on her face. "Master!" She shouted with glee, and jumped out of the chair, and flung herself into his arms, causing Klaus to stagger back even though he knew it was expected.

Klaus wrapped his left arm around her waist, and rolled his eyes. "Hello to you too, Caroline." He remarked, just as she stepped back, and straightened her tank top. His eyes moved to the table, and sighed as he moved towards the laptop. "What are you trying to do, Caroline?" He asked, placing his hands on the back of the chair, and leaned over to look at the screen. "Dates?"

She shrugged, and clasped her hands behind her back. "I was trying to find out what dates are, like the kind you go on." She stated, her eyes moving around.

Klaus straightened his back, and turned to face her. "And why would you want to know?" He asked, watching her bite her bottom lip, something he noticed she did when she was nervous.

"Because a man came by this afternoon, and asked me out on one." She answered, turning to walk away from him.

Klaus swallowed, and narrowed his eyes. "You told him no, didn't you?" He asked, but she turned her head, and bowed it. "You said yes!" He nearly shouted, causing her flinch, but not much. "Caroline," He began, stepping towards her. "How could you?"

She turned to face him, and her eyes flashed with anger, and Klaus realized that some of the objects in his house were starting to levitate. "How could I not say yes?" She asked, shaking her head. "You never take me anywhere, and I spend all day in this house with nothing to do, except to watch that…that…magic box." She shouted, flinging her arms out, pointing in the direction of the television.

"I want to see your world, Klaus, but you won't let me." She stated, backing away from him, watching his jaw clench. "Are you that ashamed of me?" She asked, her voice lowering and tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Do you not care?" She added, turning away from him, and moved towards the couch.

Klaus shook his head. "Caroline," He began, walking towards her with a frustrated gaze, though it wasn't towards her, more towards himself. "I'm not ashamed of you." He added, sitting next to her.

She turned her head, and gave him a weak smile. "Then why haven't you taken me on one of those dates?" She asked, watching him swallow.

He started to shake his head, not knowing what he could say, when she shook her head.

"Doesn't matter, because Stefan is coming to pick me up at six, and I have to get ready." She stated, wiping her eyes with her hands. "What do you think I should wear?" She asked, with a fake smile on her face, though it became real when she caught sight of his face, as he realized what she had just said.

"Stefan? You're going out with Stefan?" He asked, standing up to glare at her.

She rolled her eyes, and nodded. "Yes, he asked me this afternoon, and I obliged." She stated, standing up, and faced him.

"You can't go out with him." He stated, shaking his head, folding his arms over his chest.

She shook her head. "You don't own me, Master. Remember, you set me free." She stated, with a sly smirk. "I am not your servant, so you can't order me around." She added, moving past him, towards the stairs in the hallway.

He rolled his eyes. "Caroline, this isn't over!" He shouted, causing her to stop, and turned to face him on the stairs.

"Yes, it is, Klaus." She remarked, and he saw the brief flicker of sadness in her eyes. "He asked me." She added, lowering her eyes, and mentally added, because you never would.

"Caroline, I'll take you out." He stated, throwing his arms out.

She shook her head. "It's too late, Master." She added, rushing up the stairs, and entered the room that he had given her.

Klaus heard the door close, and bowed his head. Dismay flooded him, and something else. Something he never thought he would experience with her.

He felt jealousy.

"Damn it, what did I do?"

~XXX~

Caroline tilted her head to the side as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her chosen white dress flowed down her body, flaring from the hips down to just above her knees. Her straps were wide, and slightly off the shoulder, but due to the weather outside, she knew she would need a sleeve. Although, that seemed pointless, Genies couldn't get sick by a mere change in weather.

She smiled, and touched her hair with light fingers, smiling as the tender curls cascaded down her back, and one section of her hair was pulled back by a silver comb.

She was beautiful.

Lowering her eyes, she felt her smile fade. She didn't want to go with Stefan, but she had to prove to her master that she could behave in public.

She had to, if she was going to break the curse.

The curse…

She swallowed as she thought about the requirements for the break. She had to get her master to admit he loved her, but that was such a long way off.

How could she get him to love her when she screwed up half the time?

Sure she didn't mean it, since she hadn't been a genie for very long, but still, he didn't have to be so mean when it did.

Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded her head in a curt manner, and turned to head towards her bedroom door.

She was ready.

She hoped.

~XXX~

Klaus paced back and forth in the living room, his mind racing over what had happened an hour ago, and he shook his head.

How could she consent to going on a date with Stefan?

Okay, maybe he should have asked her, but how could he when he was scared?

He stopped in his tracks, and lifted his eyes to the stairs in the direction of her room, and his eyes widened slightly.

He was scared.

Not of being embarrassed, no, but of what he was feeling.

With Caroline, he was feeling things he never dreamed he would feel.

His heart pounded every time she was around, and her smile sent his blood racing.

He cared about her that much was clear, and it scared him.

How could he care for a Genie? A genie who had blinked his uniform to be impenetrable from bullets, which caused such a ruckus down at the station, he took nearly a week to get it cleared up.

A genie who had blinked him home while he was interrogating a prisoner, but that cleared up quickly, since the prisoner quickly confessed, and swore he would straighten up his life.

A genie who made him laugh when he needed it, who comforted him when he had a rough day, who listened when he needed to talk.

He heard the door open, and he swallowed as he quickly walked over to the bottom of the stairs, and held his breath.

She walked down the stairs with grace and poise, he wondered if this was the same woman, but from the look in her eyes as she took in his reaction, sealed the deal.

"You look…ravishing, Caroline." He complimented, watching her cheeks blush.

"Thank you, Master." She returned, her breath catching as she stepped off the last step, and caught his eyes.

Her heart pounded in her chest so hard she thought he could hear it, but she didn't care. From the way he was looking at her, she knew she had chosen the right outfit.

He smiled, showing off his dimples, and lifted his right hand to brush a strand of blonde hair from her forehead.

It was such a tender moment, and it caused her to breath even harder as her body began to sing from just a single touch of his fingers.

"Have you got a sweater?" He asked, after a moment, clearing his throat.

She nodded, and quickly blinked her eyes and nodded her head, causing an off-white sweater to appear in her hands. "I do." She responded, watching him smile at her ingenuity.

"Well, then, you're all set." He stated, his eyes diming ever so slightly.

She opened her mouth to say if he wanted her to stay, she would, if he truly wanted her too, but nothing came out. Instead, the doorbell rang, and instead of answering it, quickly, she tilted her face up, and kissed his cheek, before turning to leave.

Klaus watched as she opened the door, his heart aching inside his chest, and smiled with a curt nod towards his best friend.

"No hard feelings, Klaus." Stefan remarked with a smile.

Klaus shook his head. "No hard feelings, Stefan." He returned, watching his friend smile, and wrap his arm around Caroline's waist, possessively, a little too possessively for Klaus' liking.

Klaus growled lowly as he held the door open, and watched them drive away in Stefan's small sports car.

"Klaus, you're a fool." He muttered, closing the door finally. "A damned fool."

~XXX~

Stefan smiled as she laughed, as they pulled up at Klaus' house, and nodded. "Are you going to tell him?" He asked, watching her smile fade, and her head bow. "Caroline, I know a woman in love when I see one, and if you don't tell him…"

"He knows, Stefan." She whispered, fiddling with her skirt. "He just won't do anything about it, and besides, he doesn't feel the same." She added, shaking her head.

Stefan shook his head, and wiped the tears falling down her cheeks with his hand. "Caroline, I also know a jealous man when I see one, and he was jealous." He stated, watching her smile.

"Really?" She asked, watching him smile. "I'm sorry, Stefan, this was supposed to be…" She began, but he stopped her.

"Caroline, nothing would have happened tonight, I promise." He interrupted, gently. "My heart belongs to another, and besides, you looked like you needed a night out on the town, though I still don't know how that waiter's pants caught on fire." He added, not catching her biting her lip, as she remembered the way he leered over her, trying to look at her breasts.

"Well, thank you for being understanding, Stefan." She remarked, softly.

Stefan smiled, and nodded, touching her hand, gently. "Don't mention it, Caroline." He added, as she opened the door, and stepped out. "I hope he knows how lucky he is, or I hope he realizes it soon." He called out, watching her smile.

She nodded, and wished him goodnight before closing the door, and headed towards the house.

Stefan smiled, and drove away, hoping Klaus would tell her how he felt, and soon, Caroline was just too beautiful to stay single forever, no matter how much she wanted Klaus.

~XXX~

Klaus watched as she entered the house, and sighed against the door. "Have a good time?" He asked, standing up from his chair.

Caroline nodded, and pushed away from the door. "Stefan was very charming." She answered, not adding that nothing was between them, or whatever was the phrase these days.

Klaus clenched his jaw, and marched towards her. "Are you going to see him again?" He asked, in a demanding tone.

She shrugged her shoulders, and gave a small smile. "I don't know. He didn't ask." She answered, watching him fume, and silently enjoyed it, if only for a little bit.

He stepped closer towards her, and caught her eyes with his. "Did anything happen?" He asked, his tone still demanding, and his eyes near flames.

She tilted her head to the side, and her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" She asked, as his eyes narrowed. "If you mean does he know that I'm a genie, then no, but I did use my powers." She added, bowing her head.

Klaus couldn't resist the smirk on his lips. "What did you do? Spell him into asking you out?" He asked, his voice and manner changing, slightly.

Caroline's head jerked up, and he realized what he had said, and even opened his mouth to take it back, but he couldn't. "That's what you think?" She nearly shouted, her eyes flashing. "That I would use my magic to get a man to ask me out?!" She continued, stepping closer to him, her temper flaring even more. "I would not do that and the fact that you would even consider that thought…" She trailed off, letting out a grunt of frustration, and whirled around, letting her blonde hair hit his face.

Klaus shook his head, and reached for her arm, but grabbed nothing but air, as she disappeared from the room.

He groaned, and closed his eyes.

This day just kept getting worse and worse.

Please remember to be kind!

I had intended for Klaus to kiss her, but that didn't seem appropriate at the time, but I hope you all enjoyed the way the date played out, and Klaus' reaction! I hope I stayed at least semi-true!

Oh by the way, the show mentioned in this chapter is When Calls the Heart. It's a wonderful Hallmark series. If you haven't watched it, then I highly recommend it! I LOVE IT! :)

Next Chapter: I'm A Genie, but You're An Idiot

Until Next Time...