Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. All rights go to the creator of the TVD.
Summary: Caroline Forbes is starting her job at the Mystic Falls Psychiatric Hospital. There she is assigned to Klaus Mikaelson, a troubled man who everyone else has given up on. As she gets to know more about him, the more connected she feels to him. Will their doctor-patient relationship grow to something more?
A/N: This will probably be my last update for awhile; I'm going to be gone for the next week. But I wanted to get one more chapter in for all the readers out there. Reviews are really appreciated; I like knowing what viewers think.
Two weeks later
After his sudden emotional collapse, Caroline could say that Klaus was doing better than when she had first met him. Since he had opened up to her, she had learned much more about him. Besides his passion for art, he also had a fascination with classical music. Like herself, he admired horses and she learned that he'd been riding since he was five. She even learned that he used to have five siblings, but his youngest brother, Henrik, had drowned at the age of twelve. That was when things went downhill, Klaus had told her. He had told her that after Henrik's death, his mother had fallen into a deep depression and Mikael became more violent than ever.
As Klaus had told her his life story, Caroline's perspective of him changed. She had first pitied him and wanted to sympathize with him… But after hearing the horrible things he had endured throughout his life, Caroline admired how strong he had been through it all.
She was also beginning to understand his actions and his behaviour. She knew that his short temper was more of a defense mechanism; something that remained after Mikael's abuse. She knew he could sometimes be territorial when it came to his bedroom and that he valued his privacy.
She also knew that he enjoyed her company; something he had told her repeatedly. She was flattered that he admired her and enjoyed being around her…but she had to make sure their patient/doctor relationship stayed just that; patient/doctor relationship. Caroline had to be sure it didn't turn into something more.
It was one of those rare days where things were too quiet on the ward. Klaus sat sprawled on the sofa, watching the television with disinterest. He hated days like these; time literally seemed to stand still. He needed to find a way to distract his mind; his thoughts were constantly revolving around Caroline and her beauty. Klaus had filled up an entire two sketchbooks with drawing s of her.
Whatever it was that Klaus felt for her, it was more than admiration, more than friendship. He wanted her, desperately. Openly, he'd never admit it to anyone…but he loved her. Now, as he stared at the television, all he could think about was if his feelings were reciprocated.
The television suddenly turned dark, drawing Klaus back to reality.
"I was watching that," Klaus lied, turning to glare at Stefan. Stefan smirked and propped his feet up on the coffee table.
"Sure you were," he mutters, folding his arms over his chest. Klaus enjoyed Stefan's company, but Stefan could be annoying when he wanted to be.
"You're head over heels for her," Stefan chuckled, his eyes glittering humor. "You're in love with your doctor, aren't you, Klaus?" The glitter in his eyes brightened which made Klaus even more irritated. Stefan was just as bored as he was and he seemed to find it amusing when he pushed Klaus' buttons.
"Why don't you say that louder; I don't think everyone heard you!"
Stefan smile and leaned toward Klaus. "You're not denying it so it must be true," he said in a low chuckle. Klaus leaned so close to Stefan that looked as though they were about to kiss.
"Say another word," he growled in a low hiss, "And I will rip your liver out and feed it to you." Stefan smiled got up from his seat and patted Klaus on the shoulder.
"Deny it all you want, Klaus. You can say what you want, but your face says otherwise."
Two days later
Her thoughts had kept her up all night and were now giving her a migraine. She had to know how he felt about her. She couldn't let their relationship become too friendly; that would only cause problems for both of them.
She strode down the hall and into the recreation room with purpose, her head held high. The door to Klaus' room was partially open, the light spilling out into the hall. She knocked on the door gently and poked her head into the room. Klaus sat on his bed, flipping through his sketchbooks. He glanced up at her and smiled.
"Can I come in," she asked as she stood in the doorway.
"Of course," he replied, placing his sketchbooks on the bedside table. "What brings you here, Dr. Forbes?"
Caroline stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, shifting from foot to foot. She tried to organize her thoughts on what she was going to say. She opened her mouth several times in an attempt to speak, only to snap it shut suddenly. She sighed heavily; she just had to get this over with.
"I need to talk to you, Klaus," she said, taking a seat next to him on the bed.
"Go ahead, love."
"I need to know how you feel about me," she stated leisurely. Klaus squinted at her, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Be honest," she added suddenly. He turned to stare out the window momentarily and then turned back to her, his eyes hopeful.
After a moments 'pause, he smiled gently. "I care about you Caroline; you're special. I enjoy your company and I want you around all the time...I can't stop thinking of you." His words ended in a husky whisper. Caroline struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat.
It was true; he loved her. This was what she had feared…she loved him too. They couldn't be together though; that crossed the doctor/patient relationship boundaries.
An awkward silence filled the space between them. Klaus turned to her, his expression hopeful.
"How-How do you feel about me," he asked quietly. "Be honest."
"I can't stop thinking about you either, Klaus," she sighed, "But we can't be together; I could lose my job if any of the other staff found out I had a relationship with a patient." Klaus grabbed her hands, pulling them close to his chest.
"We could hide it from them," he said desperately, "We could be together; we'd just have to keep it private." He leaned close to Caroline so that she could feel his breath on her cheek. A shiver ran up her spine and she felt her heartbeat accelerate. He gazed at her with admiration in his intense blue eyes. He leaned in closer to her, so that their noses brushed against each others. She could feel his cool hands on the back of her neck.
His lips were suddenly pressed against hers, his hands moving to cup her face gently. For a moment, Caroline allowed him to kiss her; his lips were unbelievably soft and experienced. But as the rational side of her took over, she pulled away, pressing her hand against Klaus' chest to widen the space between them.
"We can't do this, Klaus," she said definitely. Klaus' hopeful look vanished as a deep sorrow appeared in his eyes. His lips pursed into a thin line. He got to his feet, wrapping his arms around him.
"You understand what I mean, don't you," she asked gently, looking at him resolutely. Klaus nodded stiffly, his lips still pursed tightly.
Caroline noted the building tension in his shoulders. She got up from the bed and approached him, reaching out towards him. Klaus backed away, his arms still wrapped around him protectively. Caroline frowned, confused by his sudden intolerance to touch.
"Klaus, I'm sorry-" she began, her words trailing off as she noticed his eyes darken with anger. He turned so that his back faced her. His body was trembling with a barely controlled rage.
Caroline started towards the door; she knew when he needed his space…Now was one of those times. She shut the door firmly behind her, releasing a breath she realized she hadn't been holding.
As soon as the door was shut, she heard as series of thumps of what she could only assume was Klaus punching the wall. She headed back to her office feeling deflated. She didn't intend to make him angry, but she knew that a relationship between them couldn't happen…Even if she loved him…It was better if he was angry with her.
The drugs that Mason had given him left his mind muddled, his thoughts fuzzy. His head rested against the wall, his eyes half closed. Although it hurt his heart he still thought of Caroline and how wonderful her lips had felt against his. She tasted of raspberries and her skin had a silky softness that made Klaus want to explore her entire body. Klaus moaned in frustration as he forced a fantasy out of his head.
Why did love have to be so cruel?
Love had always been almost non-existent most of his life. He never knew his biological father and the father he did know hated his guts. His mother, although she said she loved him, had looked at him as though he was a disappointment. To Mikael, he was a disappointment and a waste of skin.
His siblings had been the only ones to care about him, excluding Finn who was too absorbed in his own life. Yet, when he had been admitted to the hospital, Kol and Rebekah had deserted him.
Elijah was the only one that truly cared, Klaus thought.
He and his older brother had been close when they were younger, but as they had aged they had steadily grown apart. But Klaus knew Elijah would be for him when he needed it… It was just part of who his brother was. He was the big brother, and Klaus knew that Elijah worried about him.
Klaus wished his brother was with him now so that he could express his frustrations. He loved Caroline; he hadn't loved any woman in a long time. She was his ray of light in his world of darkness; she made him happy.
But happiness was something that seemed to avoid Klaus like the plague. In Mikael's words, He was a bastard who no one cares about. The words still stung to this day, but Klaus wasn't one to care what others thought. Caroline had taken away his pain; she had cared about what happened to him… And he loved her for that…But she would never love him the way he wanted her to…she said she couldn't love him.
Klaus was determined to make Caroline his; he would make her see a way that they could be together.