Hey there :)

Well what can I say? You guys really keep me motivated with your love. I think I have about 70 followers on this story which is HUGE to me! I love getting all these notifications that you guys favourited, reviewed and added me to your lists - you guys are amazing! Thank you so much!

I'm surprised that I'm able to constantly update this story - normally i'm suffering from writers-block by now... :/ But I think it's thanks to the late night over-thinking and fantasizing I do about Klaroline (I really should get some sleeping pills!)

Anyway, new chapter, hope you guys enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. As always, I love hearing what you thought so please leave a review :)

Enjoy! Oh, and this chapter was inspired by the song 'Better Days' by Goo Goo Dolls :)

The Night The World Begins Again

Stefan held open the car door as Klaus carried her in and put her down in the backseat. He paused for a second to watch her softly sleep; she looked peaceful, calm and just like her old self. You wouldn't think this beautiful, innocent-looking girl was capable of anything violent. You wouldn't think she was behind all the reckless, inhumane murders up and down the coast the last six months. No. But then again, this new Caroline liked to prove everyone wrong; she enjoyed being the wild card, the reckless one; the one who transformed people's expectations of her.

Her last words still had Klaus stifled. There was so much darkness within her now that it frightened him. He was scared of losing her, of losing her light.

He started the engine as Stefan took his seat at the front.

Stefan glanced back at Caroline.

"How long d'you think the vervain will keep her out?" he asked, distracting Klaus from his thoughts. He glanced at the rear-view mirror, she looked so serene, beautiful, he thought.

"Hopefully until we get her home".

"What's the plan then? What do we do? Drain her out, let her bloodlust starve? We could lock her up in basement like I did with Damon when he went off the rails." Stefan conjured up the idea.

The thought of starving Caroline of blood at this point was probably the best option to get her onto the road of recovery. But Klaus couldn't bring himself to do that to her. He didn't want to hurt her or punish her and Stefan's methods angered him. She wasn't some kind of animal that had to be locked up!

"She's not an animal Stefan!" Klaus exclaimed, his eyes turned cold as he began to speed down the freeway.

Stefan looked back at Klaus incredulously. "You gotta be kidding me? She just literally murdered an entire town over the past six months! And you heard her back then, there's no stopping her."

"We'll find something" Klaus said in a small, hopeful voice. "I'm sure Bonnie can find a spell to fix the situation."

Stefan scoffed. "C'mon Klaus" he glanced out of the window. "Bonnie just about helped us tonight with that hallucination she played for Caroline. Her magic's not safe, not with Silas on the loose. We have to find another way".

"We will" Klaus assured, slightly tipped off. "But I'm not going to lock her up and starve her to death. There are other ways."

Stefan took a deep breath.

"Fine. But the minute she decides to go on a killing spree; I'm doing it my way." Stefan warned sternly. He regretted threatening Klaus; after all, he was the original hybrid and could have his heart pulled out before he could blink. He was surprised Klaus didn't reply.

But Klaus was far too deep into his thoughts to pay attention to Stefan's feeble attempts of making a stand.

Caroline jumped awake, spluttering on the remnants of vervain that had collected in her throat. She rubbed her sore throat and looked around frantically.

Where the hell am I? she thought as she glanced around the big old room.

She soon familiarised herself with the old, Victorian interior and didn't need to second-guess where she was.

Within a moment, she was at the window-sill, pulling away the curtains that hid the morning sun only to feel the wrath of the burning sun sizzle her skin.

She screamed in excruciating agony and jumped back, hiding in the shadows.

She glanced down at her hand.

That damn original prick!

"Well good morning, love" a chirpy voice caught her attention. Her scorching, sore eyes instantly gaped back at the door where stood Klaus. He was standing triumphant, his hands behind his back, his lustrous, red lips ever so smug.

"What the hell are you doing?" she cried. "Where the hell is my ring?" her anger was sprouting out of her as the final aches of the sunburns evaporated off her skin.

Klaus took a couple of steps forward.

"Now-now love, no need to use that tone" he replied as he walked past her and drew the curtains close again. He was glad to see her awake – finally. He was glad to see that the same whingeing, quite irritating Caroline wasn't gone.

"I'll use whatever goddamn tone I want to use now where the hell is my ring? And how dare you bring me back here?" she cried angrily.

Klaus drew a deep breath, standing in front of her.

"Caroline love, you need to calm down. I have your ring – it's safe. You can have it back when-" he thought about his words for a second, trying to figure out how to word what he was trying to say, "-when you comply to what I ask".

"Excuse me?" she was furious as she folded her arms, taking the typical Caroline stance. Again, Klaus was glad there were still parts of the old Caroline evident. "You're in no position to make demands. Did you hit your head and forget what I said last night" she thought back and wondered how long she was out for. "or whatever night it was?"

Klaus laughed once, it irritated Carolien further.

"Oh no sweetheart, I still remember your words. What was it? Something along the lines of you'll have mine and Stefan's work cut out for us if we didn't leave you alone?" Caroline didn't answer; her blazing eyes were still reeling. If looks could kill…

"Well I'm sorry love but" he winced mockingly, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to call your bluff since" he glanced around, spreading his hands out, "you can't leave this house without your daylight ring and besides, I'm not going to let you out of my sights again".

He seemed so sure of his words and it infuriated Caroline. She hated that at this moment in time, it was as though he owned her, like she couldn't step forward or do anything. She felt trapped.

And she had to do something about that.

So she did what she did best, she pretended not to care; she tried to give the message that it didn't bother her. It would only be so long 'til she'd find a loophole and she'd run like hell. Surely darkness would fall outside soon.

She laughed at his words, "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that Klaus. What are you gonna do? Baby-sit me twenty-four seven? Bled me dry? Use Stefan's tactics and try and starve me out to the point where I beg and grovel and tell you what you want to hear; that I'll turn it back on, that you'll get the old Caroline back? That I promise not to have another drop of human blood again?" she laughed again and took a step closer to Klaus.

"Well game on" she challenged.

Klaus smile grew wider knowing that she was all talk. Maybe she wasn't but Klaus didn't want to believe that. He didn't underestimate her intelligence or cunning new tactics because he was ready for it. He was ready for her.

He cocked his head to the side. "Hungry?" he asked as he walked away from her to the door.

He looked back to her when she didn't follow. "You've been out for over thirty hours love, surely you must be thirsty?".

"Well that depends; have you got a tasty snack for me? And not just any old blood-bag, you should know my new diet; I like the real thing".

"Well come and see for yourself love" and with that he left the room.

Caroline hesitated for a second. What was he playing? What was his game? She was clueless right now, and she hated the fact.

She finally followed after him and crept down the stairs. Her memory reminded her of the last time she was on these very same steps; her past life. She shook the memory away, remembering what Klaus had said that night of it being a constant reminder of what she was becoming.

She followed his as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He looked back at her and flashed her a smile.

She narrowed her eyes as she met him on the landing.

She followed his eyes as he inclined her to the dining room where stood four compelled humans.

And god did they smell ravishing to Caroline. She could almost taste their blood with every pulse that pounded from their hearts.

Klaus extended his hand. "Go on then love" he urged.

Caroline resisted.

"How stupid d'you think I am Klaus? I'm sorry but I really don't feel like igniting my throat again with concentrated vervain" she said sourly.

Klaus looked hurt. "Is that how little you think of me love? I wouldn't do that to you".

"Oh yeah?" she replied incredulously. "Your old age really must be creeping up on since I have to remind you that it was only thirty hours ago that you and Stefan injected me the damned stuff".

Klaus smiled angelically, "Well, that was just business love; nothing personal. We had to get you here somehow" he replied as though he had done nothing wrong.

"Here, I'll show you that this isn't a trap". He walked to one of the girls that stood. He softly moved away the brown hair, revealing the perfect spot of the neck. He snaked his hand around the girls neck before meeting Caroline's hungry eyes and extended his fangs. Looking away from Caroline's eyes for a moment, he took a long sip. He stopped himself short and looked up, wiping his mouth.

"See? No vervain, no trap. Just fresh blood. C'mon love, have at it" he offered the neck he had just pierced to Caroline.

Caroline hesitated for a second but then the invitation was so persuasive, she could taste the succulent uice in her mouth; she wanted it, she craved it, she needed it.

She didn't hesitate any longer. She was next to Klaus in a flash, replacing his hold on the girl and extended her fangs momentarily before truly ravishing the meal.

She only came up for air a few instances as she drained the four bodies.

Blood had never tasted so good to her before. She loved every enticing moment of it.

And Klaus just watched her.

When she finally dropped the last empty body to the ground, he shifted off the wall and walked towards her.

Caroline wiped her mouth and let out a deep sigh as she stepped over the small pile of bodies.

"Well that was delicious. Sorry I didn't save you any" she added.

Klaus smiled, "don't worry about it love".

Caroline licked her lips as her eyes wandered over to Klaus. There had to be a downside to all of this. He had to have something up the sleeve.

"So now what?" she asked. "Surely you didn't bring me all the way back here to ravage the townspeople".

Klaus folded his arms across his chest as he stood opposite her.

"You're right." He said, his smile disappearing. "Let's just say that was my way of saying thanks for being co-operative so far". Caroline scoffed at his sarcasm. "And" he paused, "your last real meal".

Caroline widened her eyes in disbelief. She laughed aloud, clapping.

"Well bravo Klaus, you really had me step right into that one. But I'm sorry, I'm afraid I won't be co-operating anymore". From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that there was no sunlight peering through the windows anymore.

"Well we'll just have to see about that" Klaus said, sure of himself. His phone vibrated then on the table. He backed off the wall to see who it was.

"We will" Caroline agreed, watching as Klaus paid momentary attention to his phone. She probably had half a second. It was all she needed.

"But I'm afraid it won't be today." she finished before flashing to the front door. Klaus began o follow her in a flash, it was a knee-jerk reaction for him even though this time, he really didn't need to. He paused opposite the front door, leaning against the stair pillar as Caroline swung the front door open and attempted to run out into the dark blue night.

Only, as she tried to run out, her torso mashed against an invisible wall.

She gasped in shock and tried again but she kept smacking against a shield.

The things you can get a witch to do, Klaus thought smugly to himself as his grin grew wider, I must remember to thank the Bennet witch for her kind services over the past two days.

"Ugh!" Caroline growled fiercely as she tried to break through the shield again.

"You might as well give up love. You're not getting out of here tonight." He said ever-so cheerily.

Caroline looked back and scolded him with her fiery eyes.

He got off the pillar and walked towards her again. "Luckily, I got Bonnie to trap you in this house. Just like you, Tyler and she trapped me in the Gilbert house not too long ago." He was ever so happy with himself; Caroline could see it in his smug, pathetic face.

"I guess I'll always be one step ahead of you love".

Caroline slammed the door as hard as she could before growling at him. She stomped towards him.

"Fine" she spat through her teeth. "Just remember this Klaus, you brought this on yourself!" she exclaimed before throwing the vase off the table behind him and stomping up the stairs.

He couldn't help but grin wider at her actions.

"Now-now love, no need to take your anger out on the mantle-pieces." he mused.

He heard another vase being dropped at the top of the stairs as Caroline huffed in annoyance and slammed the door shut and he chuckled.

He really would have his hands full with this new Caroline. It was like having the old Caroline but with her neurotic, whingeing and flighty temper characteristics heightened. It would be fun, he thought, and challenging.

But it was Caroline. Seeing sparks of the old Caroline only made his mission to get her light back a priority. He'd do anything to get her back. Including locking her up from the world like Stefan proposed.

At least this house had better décor, better light and better company, unlike the Salvatore's, Klaus thought to himself. Moreso, at least Caroline was finally in his grips again. Even if she wasn't herself, she was here in person, with him. And that fact that she was here allowed Klaus' world to take off again. The past months he'd spent searching for her; it was as though he was at a standstill. His world froze when she ran away and now that she was back, his world restarted.

He looked forward to what tomorrow would bring with Caroline – if she hadn't broken down his entire house overnight!

I tried to add some humour to this chapter only because I thought it deserved it what with Caroline going all 'dark' on us now ;)

Anyway, I'd love it if you left a review :) Thanks for reading - sending y'all cupcakes! ;)