A/N: I have been loving the review for this fic! Everyone is getting quite deep into it, and really making me ask myself questions and think about the characters and the story. The feedback has been more insightful than any other feedback that I've ever had before, and it really pushes me to keep writing. On a more annoying note, my return to the hole in the earth that is my school means that I no longer have time to pinpoint and edit (some) of these chapters as much as I did before, so I apologise for any lacking. I still don't publish them until I've re-read and edited them a couple of times over, but the time constraints have stopped me from being my usual finnicky self.

R&R!

Caroline walked into their hotel room and stopped abruptly. She whirled on her heel and arched a single eyebrow at Klaus.

"Seriously?"

In the middle of their lavish Hilton hotel room was a giant king sized bed, piled high with cream and beige cushions.

Klaus moved to stand beside Caroline, putting down her suitcase.

"Obviously," He said politely. "I'll be sleeping on the couch for the duration of our stay."

"Yes." Caroline said. "You will. There were no double rooms available?"

Klaus shrugged and went out to the balcony.

"Love," He called. "Come look at this view." Huffing, Caroline followed him outside. She had to admit that the view was spectacular. She had never seen a city like this. A million lights, carved into the shape of skyscrapers and windows, flashing over and over again, bright and neon against the black of the sky.

"It's alright." Caroline allowed.

"New York is nice," Klaus comments. "But in my opinion, Tokyo always was the real city that never sleeps. Would you like to see it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"I want you to know that I am very uncomfortable right now." Caroline hissed in Klaus' ear, her fingernails tightening around his arm. Klaus glanced back at her, an amused look on his face.

"Relax, sweetheart. You'll be nothing but admired here."

"Yeah, that's slightly why I'm uncomfortable."

"Admiration is a compliment." Klaus promised, his own eyes raking over her appreciatively. Caroline scowled at him, and was irritated by the subsequent flushing that spread up her face. They were entering a dark, musty, dirty looking club, packed to the limit with middle-aged Japanese men in suits and young skinny girls in brightly coloured frilly taffeta skirts. Apparently, this was the classy establishment where Klaus' top, very valuable and important, source frequented. Caroline was wearing the one and only dancing-type dress she had in her suitcase, which happened to be from when she was going through a particular hot mess stage with a bad boy warlock named James, and ended about ten inches above her knee. She could tell even before she left the hotel that the majority of her night was going to be spent pulling the dress down.

"Are you going to at least buy me a drink first?" Caroline asked sarcastically, but, as she was talking, a tuxedo-wearing waiter stopped by them with a margarita, handing it to a surprised Caroline.

"Compliments from the man at the bar." He ducked his head and hurried away, nervous of the furious look that had appeared on Klaus' face.

Caroline glanced at the bar. A portly man with slicked back hair and a loosened tie nodded and winked at her. Caroline shrugged and raised her glass to him, winking back flirtatiously. Klaus growled almost inaudibly beside her.

"I thought you were feeling uncomfortable." He grabbed her elbow and whisked her gently through the crowd, making sure she wasn't jostled by any of the crowds. At the back of the club, near the ladies bathrooms, was a plain, discreet door. Klaus led Caroline through into a small room decorated almost exactly like the main room of the club. Four business men, flanked by two scantily clad girls each¸ glanced up at their arrival.

"Niklaus!" One man, with an overbite and yellowed eyes, stood up and threw open his arms in welcome.

"So glad you have come!" Overbite grinned. His gaze slid to Caroline. "Who is your friend you have bought? You did not say? We had prepared your usual selection of Lee and April?" He gestured to two petite girls in the corner of the room, both nearly naked in matching tiny metallic bikinis. Caroline turned to face Klaus, her eyebrows raised. Klaus, in a feat Caroline had never seen before, almost blushed.

"Thanks, but I won't need the ladies services tonight." He said quickly, not meeting Caroline's eyes.

"Only one woman, Niklaus? Have you gone soft with old age?" A second man, this one thin and reedy, piped up. Caroline disliked him immediately. His eyes were like lizards and flickered up and down her, lingering on the expanse of leg she was showing. Caroline tugged her dress town self-consciously.

"Has the wolf finally found his mate?" Lizard eyes asked. "Are you tame now, my friend?"

Caroline tensed automatically, expecting Klaus to rip Lizard eye's head off for speaking to him like that. Instead, his arm reached around her shoulders and he grinned at the man.

"If any woman could…" He smirked. Caroline shrugged out of his arm, bristling.

"Who could? April?" She asked innocently. The four men laughed behind her. Klaus' jaw tightened.

"Sit. Please. Klaus, treasured guest." Overbite gestured them into the empty, cushy armchair opposite Lizard eyes and another man. Lizard eyes grinned as Caroline struggled to sit in her tight dress.

"So, what is it about this one with the yellow hair?" He asked. "I thought you liked the taste of your local flavour on your visits?"

"Is this guy serious right now?" Caroline huffed quietly in Klaus' ear. She was way past the point in the life where she let men objectify her and get away with it. In fact, she overpassed that point basically at the same time that she had been smothered to death with Katherine's pillow. Vampires didn't need to take shit from anyone, and she had spent many a night teaching a man a lesson for making a demeaning remark. Klaus lay a comforting hand on her knee, but Caroline pushed it off. This guy was getting seriously under her skin. She didn't even want to be in this country.

"Did you fly her over?" Lizard eyes asked. He raised an eyebrow as Klaus nodded. "Ooh. She must be very tasty to deserve her own little holiday."

"Alright." Before she could think about what she was doing, Caroline was out of the armchair and lunging towards the man, her fangs bared. Klaus grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her back just as Caroline's clenched fist was inches from his smug, giggling face.

"Easy, love." Klaus cautioned. "I didn't realise you were so inclined to violence."

"Certain triggers, Klaus." Caroline replied, jerking at her restraints. Klaus gently shoved her back into the arm chair and strode up to Lizard Eyes.

"Now do you see why I like her?" Klaus asked, smiling and clapping a hand on the guys shoulder. Caroline fumed from her seat. Seriously? Was Klaus defending and laughing with this masochistic offensive disgusting man?

Klaus' hand tightened. "And," He continued, a friendly smile still plastered on his face. "I think owe her an apology."

Lizard eyes snickered, not bothering to look at Klaus. "The day that I apologize to a stupid bitch is the day that I die." Caroline's mouth twitched.

Klaus' smiled stayed broad. "And I guess not even then." He said and, swiftly, pulled Lizard eyes' heart out of his chest. Lizard eye's gasped, falling backwards and clasping the hole where his heart had been only moments before. Gasps echoed around the room, including Caroline's, as his head lolled back and he twitched one final time.

"Any conversation surrounding my exquisite guest," He gestured to Caroline with the hand that was still holding the beating, bloody heart, "And is not 100% positive and in her favour, should now cease to exist. Cho, would you mind?" Overbite grabbed a white handkerchief out of his pocket and passed it to Klaus, who dropped it in the middle of the room and wiped off his hands. He handed it back to Cho, who grimaced and shoved it at one of the girls beside him.

Caroline shied away from him as he settled himself back into the armchair.

"What's wrong?" He murmured.

"Seriously?" Caroline did not even have enough breath in her bodyto tell him what was wrong. Besides, this room full of strangers, each probably as vile as Lizard eyes, was not the place. She knew Klaus didn't mind the occasional insult from her, but she wasn't sure how he'd react to the beat down she had swimming in her head, especially in a room of Klaus' elite-looking business associates.

"So," Another man spoke up, this one wear a natty plaid suit. "What is the business you want from us, Mr Mikaelson?" His eyes flickered to his dead's friends heart, and his sickly false smile broadened.

"I'm trying to find someone."

"Who?"

"A Mrs Pearl Yung. She has information I need."

A long, complex look was exchanged between the three men.

"Mrs Yung is, err, notorious in Japan." Cho said.

"What for?" Caroline asked curiously. Cho looked surprised and irritated at the interruption, and the girls looked immediately scandalised. Caroline could tell that the tone in this room was very 'men talk, women listen'. She was sure Cho would make some cutting remark, if it wasn't for Klaus next to her.

"An evil woman. Dark magic." He answered her unwillingly instead.

"So, a witch, then?" She was confused about these men's knowledge about the supernatural. Obviously, they knew about Klaus, they had called him the 'wolf' and also just kind of witnessed him murdering someone with his bare hands, but did that mean they were also clued into witches?

"Yes, a majo."

"Where can I find her?" Klaus asked.

Cho scratched his chin hair nervously. "Ah…that is what she is notorious for. A master of disguise, a women of shadows. Only seen by those who she chooses to be seen by."

Klaus frowned. "Are you telling me you can't find her?" His voice took on a dangerous tone.

"No, no!" The only man who hadn't spoken yet jumped out of his seat, shocking the tutu-clad women on his knee.

"It means, it will take us longer than usual." Cho explained. "And we may need more resources than usual."

Klaus shook his head and stood up, pulling Caroline up with him. "The usual sum." He said firmly. His mouth twitched into an amused smile. "You can split it by three now, though." A nervous, on edge tittering went through the room. Caroline stiffened beside him.

"I'll be in contact with you in a week." Klaus said. "Come along, love." Klaus ushered Caroline outside of the private room. The club had switched to a brazzy, high strung house number. On the black lit dance floor, pretty girls were grinding on wealthy looking elder men. This entire club was a carbon copy of them example Caroline had seen in the room, she realised.

"Do you want to dance, Caroline?" Klaus asked. His voice was casual, as if he had no idea of how much Caroline wanted to rip into him. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Sure." When they had found a suitable little pocket in the middle of the crowd, Caroline wrapped her arms around Klaus' neck and promptly stomped on his foot, puncturing the top of his leather shoe with her stiletto.

"Oof, careful, love-"

"First of all," She hissed in his ear, leaning up and tightening her arm as if she was whispering sweet nothing, "I don't appreciate being carted around like your little pet or mate, whatever the hell that is. Second of all, that room and those men were disgusting and I'm disgusted in the fact that you even associate with them. Did you see the way they looked at me when I talked? Are women not allowed to talk or something? This is 2015, Klaus." Another perfectly executed stomp.

"Caroline-" Klaus began, his voice irritated.

"I'm not done!" Caroline snapped. "Yeah, I maybe lost it a little in there at Lizard eyes, but you took it took a whole new level with all that Kill Bill shit. Did you think that I wanted you to do that? Killing is not currency, Klaus. You can't do it to try impress or express or whatever the fuck else you want to do it for. However much of a terrible person Lizard eyes was, I don't want to feel even partially responsible for his death. And you shouldn't either. Don't you understand that?"

Klaus drew back from her, unwrapping her arms and placing them on his waist. He let out a hum, his eyes hooded.

"Most people would not have been able to get more than a sentence like that out before I had ripped them to shreds."

"Oh, my God." Caroline nearly screamed. "Did you literally just not hear a word that I said?"

"I heard." His eyes were masked, but Caroline saw something flicker there.

"But you don't want to, do you?" Without thinking, she grabbed his chin between her fingers and forced him to look her in the eyes.

"If anyone else dared lay a finger on me…" Klaus hissed, but he didn't move out of her grasp.

"I'm the only one who ever calls you out on all of this, aren't I?"

"Don't think you're special, love. Plenty of people disagree with my way of life." Klaus said sarcastically.

"And how do you deal with that? Rip out their lungs? And how do you deal with me? Let me, literally, stomp all over you."

Klaus' eyes hardened and slid past Caroline. She tightened her grip on his chin, her fingernails making indents in his skin.

"Is it hard, now, Klaus? I bet for thirty years you had almost forgotten what it was like for someone, whose opinion you actually care about, hating everything that you choose to do." Klaus' eyes, reluctantly, met her own again. "And I know you care about my opinion because I know you. Not through and through, but enough. And I know that you know me, too. Which is why I can't understand why you do these things and then expect me to be…to be grateful." Caroline spat out the last word, releasing Klaus' face.

Klaus gritted his teeth. "Killing is currency in my world. It's how I paid to keep my siblings and everyone else obedient, and loyal, and willing. It's commonplace-"

"It's just a part of who you are. It's inevitable. You killing someone is ordinary, and expected, and it doesn't matter who. Do you think the more people that you kill, the less that I'll care? That I'll realise it's just a casual thing you do, and forgive and forget about the Worst day of my life because you weren't trying to ruin my life, it's just that murder is a part of you, just like your fucking star sign!" Caroline whirled abruptly and vampire-sped out of the club, not caring if anyone saw her. Klaus went to follow her, but was jostled out of his path by a dancing couple, and lost sight of her.

As angry as she was, Caroline still had to admire the beauty of Tokyo. The fluorescent, effervescent lights created a warm, light aura in the air, hanging low above the crowds that walked briskly through the streets, yammering loudly to each other. She loved it, the entire atmosphere, and wished she could have visited it in any other way but this. Nowhere else would she even be able to consider walking down the streets, dressed as she was. She wondered idly if now would be a good time to try and escape. She couldn't see Klaus behind her. But what had the men back at the club had said? That Pearl Yung was as good as impossible to find. Maybe she should wait until they found her, and then steal her away and show her the symbols. That would be the most logical plan.

The only flaw to it was the fact that she despised Klaus with every inch of her soul, and didn't know if she could stand him for another minute.

"Caroline? Are you serious?" A statuesque brunette made a run towards the vampire, picking her up and spinning her around like a little kid.

"Gracie!" Caroline laughed in response. "Put me the hell down, okay?"

The girl obliged, but planted a wet kiss on Caroline's cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"It's…complicated. What about you?"

"Oh, I love it here! It's like, my fifth home! Do you want to grab something to eat?" When she saw Caroline hesitate, she quirked an eyebrow. "What? Are you not feeding or something?"

"I don't drink from humans?"

"Not even a taste and tease?" Gracie's brow crinkled. She had met Caroline about twenty five years ago, when the Worst day was still recent in Caroline's mind and she was in a dark, unreachable place. She still didn't kill humans, but she was drinking from them and compelling, an act which plagued her with guilt in the present.

Gracie had been the friend she had needed, a wild child looking for someone to party with. She hadn't minded Caroline's depressed mood or violent mood swings, or how she would spend most nights drinking until she passed out. In fact, Gracie was usually on hand to pour her another drink when Caroline could no longer see straight to do it. Gracie had been a heavy drinker too, and a big over sharer. She was once attacked by the infamous Original vampire, Klaus Mikaelson, for trying to stop him from taking a coma-d out girl back home with him. She had escaped by smashing a glass against his face, but she now only had one kidney. Gracie told the story with gleeful nostalgia.

"Aren't you worried that he'll come looking for you?" Caroline had asked once. Gracie just shrugged, but Caroline had noticed how she only used payphones, and how she once killed a man where he stood for taking a photo of her in a nightclub.

"Oh, well, some sake then?" Gracie gestured to a place directly next to where they were standing. "This place is pretty decent."

Caroline shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

Gracie ordered for them, asking for "Kunshu sake".

"You'll like it, babe. It's fruity, like you."

Caroline laughed. When the drink came, Gracie slapped Caroline's had away as she went to pour herself a glass.

"You pour the other persons first, you heathen! Are you trying to make me look like a dorky tourist?"

"I am a dorky tourist." Caroline pointed out, but poured Gracie a drink obligingly.

"Caroline." Caroline's shoulders sagged. Without looking, she closed her eyes. She was such an idiot. She should've made Gracie take her to somewhere far away. But it wasn't like she could actually run away from Klaus. When she did eventually do it, she would need a much better plan that just running up the street.

Gracie stiffened in front of her, her face paling to a slack white. Klaus didn't seem to recognise her though, glancing idly at her and then focusing back on Caroline.

"Don't run out on me again." He growled, encircling her arm with his hand. Caroline glared back.

"I was feeling claustrophic." She replied tartly.

"Uh…I'm just, uh, going to the bathroom, Care, if you don't mind," Gracie leapt out of her seat, banging the table and spilling sake in her rush. Klaus shot her an irritated look.

"Fine."

Gracie was half way across the restaurant when Klaus talked again, his voice casual but resonating across the mostly empty room.

"If you try and run, however, I'll just have to come and get you and that would be decidedly unpleasant."

Gracie's entire body tensed, before she hurried off, disappearing into the ladies bathroom.

Klaus smiled at Caroline, releasing her arm and taking Gracie's seat.

"So is she scared of me because of something that I did to her, or is it just my reputation preceding me?" He asked. Caroline gaped at him.

"Wait, you just said that because…you really don't recognise her?"

Klaus shrugged. "Not in the slightest. I just happened to notice the table almost toppling over."

"Well," Caroline began haughtily. "You should remember her."

"Why?"

"You almost killed her!"

"Did I?" Klaus' expression didn't change from plain indifference.

"You were trying to force a poor drunk girl to go home with you, like some sort of predator or something." Caroline said, her voice disgusted. She was even more appalled at telling the story then she had been at hearing it for the first time, especially at what had happened back at the club. A small crease appeared in the middle of Klaus' brow, but his face didn't move otherwise.

"Gracie asked you to stop, and in response you took out her kidney. She managed to fight you off and escape. You seriously don't remember her?"

"No, I don't. Similar things happened a lot. Gracie, is that her name?"

"That's the name she gave me. I doubt it's her real one."

Klaus smiled thinly. 'Smart girl."

"You're disgusting." Caroline snarled. Gracie came shuffling back to the table slowly, shaking and her eyes red rimmed with tears. Caroline reached out a hand to comfort her.

"Pull up a chair, have a seat, dear." Klaus invited.

"Leave her alone." Caroline hissed.

"Do shut up, Caroline."

Caroline's mouth opened and snapped shut again, gobsmacked. Klaus rarely talked to her meanly, and never in such a casual way. Gracie sat down next to Caroline, her eyes down and not looking at Klaus.

"So, Lenora," Klaus said, his voice smooth as silk. "I hear you've been telling some dirty little lies about me."

Gracie's head snapped up to glare at Caroline.

"What did you say to him, you idiot?" She said, her voice angry and high pitched. Caroline blinked.

"What? What you told me? Wait-Lenora?" She turned to Klaus. "So, you do know her, then?"

"Yes, I do." He turned his gaze from Gracie back to Caroline. "And I'm afraid her little concoction of a sob story was bunch of bullshit." He said bluntly.

"What?"

"You and your friends weren't the first to try and kill me, love." Klaus smiled for a second. "You are the cutest to date, however."

Caroline ignored the comment.

"Lenora, here, and a bunch of twenty or so eager vampires tried, about a hundred years ago. Their weapons of choice were lighters and gas fluid." Klaus snorted in amusement. "I slaughtered them all," He said casually, even as the two girls winced visibly, "but left our little Lenora to spread the word of what she did, and to warn others not to bother trying to kill me. Instead," Klaus' eyes slid in narrow, angry slits. "I see she's been spreading a swoon-worthy story of our darling hero Gracie, saving a damsel in distress from the big bad wolf."

Lenora looked wildly around the room, mentally screaming for help. The restaurant was near empty, the staff blissfully ignorant.

"How dare you paint me as a predator." Klaus hissed, his face turning poisonous. Even Caroline was frightened of him, edging backwards in her chair. He looked ready to reach out and rip her to pieces, right here in public. Through his semi-closed eyelids, she could see flashes of yellow.

Caroline suddenly remembered a conversation between her and Stefan, sometime after the Mikaelson's ball. Damon had made a snide comment about Klaus just 'compelling Caroline for a night and getting over her'.

"I did, after all." He had added. Caroline had glared at him vehemently, but Stefan had spoken up before she could snap back at him.

"Klaus wouldn't." He said, sounding so self-assured that Caroline had stared at him in shock.

"How do you know?"

"Murder, torture, bullying, drinking blood…he's fine with it all. But he draws the line at anything borderline sexual harassment."

"Sort of a muddled line to walk along." Caroline had commented.

"Yeah, sure, but that's just how it is. When my memories of Chicago came back, I remember the only time Klaus had been really angry at me, apart from the whole Rebekah thing. I was trying to compel a women back to my bedroom-"

"Stefan!"

Stefan had shrugged, looking guilty. "It was the 20s. Klaus sent her away and threatened to snap my neck. I made some sort of 'oh sure, like you haven't done worse' comment, and he stabbed me in the throat with a broken bottle."

"Oh my God. So, why is he so opposed to it?"

Stefan had raised an eyebrow. "Do you think he shouldn't be?"

"No, no!" Caroline had said quickly. "But I mean, he doesn't seem to have trouble with anything else despicable."

"I wouldn't know, honestly. But I always kind of thought that the reason behind it was the same reason behind him being so protective of Bekah."

Shaking her head out of the memory, Caroline studied Klaus. He looked furious, sure, but it was so terrifying because it was layered over another emotion. Indignation? Hurt?

"I'm going to kill you, it case it wasn't clear." Klaus hissed.

"No!" Caroline grabbed Klaus' arm, wincing as he shook her off like she was an irritating dog. "Klaus, don't."

Klaus didn't bother looking at her. "I will not have my name dragged through the filth that Lenora created."

"Then compel her! Compel her to tell the truth!"

"She's on vervain." Klaus said. Caroline bit her lip.

"Trust her." She said meekly. Klaus barked out a sarcastic, vindictive laugh.

"Trust her?" His eyes met Caroline's again, his gaze sarcastic.

"Trust me, then." Caroline amended herself. "Or, do this for me. I know that you know that this is important to me."

"You've made your feelings about who I am very clear. Why should I bother?"

Caroline sighed and stood up, pushing her way out of the booth. It was no use. She couldn't stop him. He didn't have any humane part to even begin reasoning with.

"Maybe you shouldn't." She muttered, stalking out of the restaurant. She jammed the traffic light button, waiting for the lights to change. Klaus appeared behind her shoulder.

"I'm going back to the Hotel. You can wash the blood off your hands there." Caroline said sarcastically.

"I didn't do it."

Caroline didn't turn around. "Why not?"

"Because you're right, love. I do care about your opinion. And I've already got enough things working against me, I hardly need anything else." The lights flickered green and Klaus overpassed her, walking quickly.

"Wait." Caroline matched her pace with his. "Thanks."

Klaus glanced briefly at her. "Anytime, sweetheart."

The Hilton was only a five minute walk, but when they reached it the elevator was malfunctioning and the staff told them that they would have to climb the stairs. Caroline cried out.

"Noooo." She moaned, the hours of the night catching up to her in one swell crash. "My shoes are killing me." Klaus picked her up and began carrying her, just like before at the airport. Caroline started.

"Klaus! I didn't mean that…put me down!"

"What, and hear you moan some more? No thank you."

"Klaus!"

"Do shut up, love." It was the second time he had told her to stop talking, but this time his voice was laced with amusement.

"Well, well. I can't say I was expecting this, Nik." A posh, accented voice dripping with disdain was waiting for them at the door of their hotel room, belonging to the one female Caroline despised more than any other girl in the world. Rebekah.