Caroline sat in the middle of the bed with her legs crossed and phone pressed to her ear.

"So how's the trip going?" Asked her mother from the other end.

"Its great. Just doing the usual tourist stuff." Caroline replied, overly cheerful.

"You're still coming home for Christmas right?"

A small crease formed between her eyebrows.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Just making sure. Elena was asking. She said she hasn't heard from you." Liz said, in that way a mother's gets when they're fishing for details.

"Ohh yeah I've been meaning to call her. The schedules just been so crazy." Caroline replied as she began to fidget in the bed as is if moving around would better hide the guilt in her voice.

"Well i just hope you're not having too much fun with your new college friends. And that you're being cautious." Her mother's voice became low and she knew she meant about the vampire factor. Caroline started playing absently with the hem of her skirt.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that Mom." She said with a forced smile in hopes of sounding more convincing.

"Ill be home day after tomorrow." Caroline continued in an effort to end the conversation.

"Alright honey. I have to get back to work. I can't wait to see you. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too Mom. I love you." Caroline's voice was low and sincere.

"I love you too honey, see you soon."

Caroline looked guiltily at the phone as it dropped from her ear and ended the call. She had told her mom she was going on a trip with some friends from school. She hated lying to her mom about where she was but no one would understand why she was there. Stefan might not have judged her like the others but he had left after graduation and didn't keep in touch. When Tyler had come back he'd done nothing but continue trying to find a way to get back at Klaus. Caroline had tried to assuage his hatred and try to get him to understand Klaus's side of it once and they had gotten into a huge fight. After that Caroline never bothered to try and sway him again. Having to keep her thoughts to herself put a strain on their relationship. A few months ago she had ended it. Tyler was always angry and suspicious of what had happen between her and Klaus. She told him that she did everything a loyal girlfriend was suppose to do. She fought for him and waited for him everyday and he still couldn't trust her. That wasn't the type of relationship she wanted to be in. Tyler had apologized but agreed that they were different people now. He wanted to go and help more werewolves and she wanted to stay in school. So it was amicable and to be honest it really didn't hurt that much. Caroline figured it was because she was so used to saying goodbye to him. She couldn't admit to herself it was because her heart wasn't in it anymore. Elena herself had voiced her strong disapproval of her and Klaus's tentative friendship. Before she died Bonnie wasn't real crazy about it either but it was more out of concern for Caroline becoming collateral damage at some point.

So Caroline hadn't told any of her friends she was going to be in New Orleans for her break, much less tell them with Klaus acting as her charming host.

She heard a rapt on the open door to her room and was startled out of her thoughts. Her head shot up to see Klaus standing in the doorway bringing his arms behind his back to rock on his heals.

"How is the good Sheriff Forbes doing?" The corner of his lips drew into a devious smile.

"I apologize for the eavesdrop but, small living quarters and all." Caroline tilted her head and scolded him with just the look in her eyes and pursed lips.

He laughed a short throaty chuckled and dropped his head before stepping into her room. Her eyes followed him around her bed to the window as he peered out.

"So you'll be leaving soon." His eyes dropped to the ground for a moment and he steeled his face before letting them travel up the bed to look at her. She opened her mouth but words caught in her throat for a quick moment.

"Gotta do the whole Christmas thing with the parental unit."

She glided off the bed and took a few step towards him dropping her arms heavily at her sides. She noted the look of disappointment he was failing to hide behind a slightly wounded smile.

"Well i don't want you to miss out on the time u have here. But i do have a matter that requires my attention for a short time." He stared down at her apologetic.

She opened her eyes wider and threw on a bright reassuring smile.

"Yeah. By all means. I don't expect evil scheming to stop just for me. I'm perfectly capable of exploring on my own thank you." She threw him a confident raising of the eyebrows.

"I'm sure you can. However id feel more comfortable if you allowed one of my associates to make sure no one bothers you." He was asking but not really requiring an answer.

"I don't need a bodyguard Klaus." She crossed her arms and fixed her stance and stern face on him.

"I understand your objection but there are a lot of supernaturals here and not all are friendly. You don't know the dangers here Love. Troy will be invisible you won't even know he's there."

Caroline wasn't backing down from her look of protest. Klaus took a step forward closing the distance between them and tilted his head to better lock his eyes on hers.

"Please, Caroline. It would ease my mind knowing you have some protection." His hands had grabbed onto both her arms with his pleading. Caroline's lips parted from there hard line and her eyes softened seeing the genuine worry surging threw his. Her stance loosened and Klaus dropped his hands as she huffed in defeat grabbing her phone from the bed and turning back to face him.

"Fine." She let out sharply. "But i don't want any drivers or minions doing my shopping for me."

"Of course Love." His hand dug into the back pocket of his jeans and then brought a key out to dangle in front of her.

"In case you need to return before I'm finished."

Caroline held her hand palms up to let him drop it for her to catch. She smiled at them. It was a simple and practical thing for him to do but she couldn't help but appreciate the intimacy of him giving her a key to his place. He took a step sideways to motion towards the door allowing her to pass by him. She tried not lose her thoughts to how close they had just been.


Caroline decided to shop for clothes while she was on her own. She also went by Jefferson Square again to check out the cathedral Elijah mentioned. This made her wonder about what their views on god were. Did Klaus think there was a heaven, or a hell? Supernaturals went to a sort of purgatory so she guessed it didn't matter much now.

She decided to explore some new streets, after buying one of those cheesy tourist maps. She followed it to find The Garden District. There were some amazing gardens scattered throughout the city. They made her think of Bonnie.

She was admiring the scent of a white petaled flower when something from behind overshadowed her and she spun around to face it.

"White Oleanders." Said the man with mocha skin and a pearly white grin reaching from ear to ear. She took a step back to put respectable space between them.

"They're poisonous you know. Well to humans that is. They're both beautiful and deadly." He eyed her knowingly and outstretched his hand offering it to her.

"I don't think i had the chance to properly introduce myself. I'm Marcel." He touched his free hand to his chest in recognition.

Caroline looked at his hand and then back to his face crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him.

"That's nice. I was just leaving." She stepped around him to walk away but footsteps echoed behind her.

"Well hey now what's the rush." He called after her.

"Nothing I'm just not interested buddy take a hint."

Just then he flashed in front of her stopping her mid step. She was startled at first but quickly regained her whits and shot him an annoyed look.

"I was just wanting to formally welcome you. Seems like this is your first look at my city."

Before she could answer her phone rang and she reached for it in her back pocket.

"Excuse me." She pointedly shot at him while turning around and stepping away a short distance knowing he'd still hear.

"Miss Falls. You've been asked to come back for a second interview. How soon can you return?" Caroline didn't recognize the voice but she knew Klaus's hybrid Troy was watching her and would have told him immediately when Marcel approached her. He was trying to give her an out.

"Oh yeah, sure. Ill be right there." She ended the call and spun around where Marcel was still waiting.

"As fun as this has been I've got somewhere to be but thanks for the welcome." His eyes squinted and his grin widened again.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again." Caroline faked a quick smile and turned to walk down the cobblestone street.

She took a left down an alley and when she saw Troy had followed she gave him a nod. Her phone rang again this time it was Klaus.

"Is he gone?" His voice was heavy and fixated.

"Yeah he's gone." Caroline watched the entrance that Troy was standing guard at.

"Make your way back home. I'm on my way." He spoke with authority but there was also evident worry underneath his instructions which made Caroline herself a little uneasy.

"Yeah, okay." And she sped threw the alleys back to Klaus's condo.

Using her key to get in, she hurried threw middle room and closed the doors after her. Heavy steps hurried down the stairs behind her and she spun around with freight before realizing it was Klaus. Before she could speak his arm encircled her crushing her to his chest. Startled by the sudden affection her hands and arms were pinned against his chest, her body stiffened.

When his hand lifted from her back to cradle the back of her head she relaxed and slid her hands from between them and under his arms so she grasp onto his back. It was a gesture to comfort him more than herself as he had clearly been rocked by her run in with the vampire king. Her face moved to nestle in the crook of his neck for a moment before he began to pull back only to move his hand from behind her head to cup her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"Are you alright." His eyes were focused hard on hers searching back and forth.

"I'm fine. Really. He was just talking that's all. I told him I wasn't interested. Its okay. I'm okay." She was trying to reassure him because she didn't want him to overreact but she also felt an overwhelming sense of admiration at his genuine worry for her.

Klaus's mouth had curled into a hard line and his eyes grew angrier. He nodded to himself when his hand dropped and he turned away from her. His hands pressed flat together and came up to his mouth as he closed his eyes. Caroline watched as he stayed like this for a moment, visibily seething underneath.

"It was nothing Klaus. C'mon just let it go." She took a few steps closer to him and rested her hand on his shoulder from behind.

He turned to face her then, causing her hand to drop, his shoulders slumping while his head fell lazily to the side with his eyes unfocused.

"Perhaps its time you returned home." He forced the words out as if they weighed too much for his lips to speak.

Caroline's face changed from a soft pleading to disappointment. He wasn't looking at her when she thought to herself for a moment and took another step in front of him.

"Hey!" She blurted out and he finally moved his head to face her with creased brows.

"I'm not going to run away or be chased off. Not by this guy and NOT by you." His eyes bore hard into hers then as if a warning for her not to prove anything but she continued.

"Now i still have tonight and tomorrow to enjoy here and I'd rather not spend it with you brooding and being all vengeance-y if you don't mind." Her eyes widened holding her eyebrows in a high arc. A finite gesture to let him know that there was no argument here. He glared at her just a moment longer before his resolve fell with a short and husky laugh escaping him brightening the look in his eyes.

"Well then. All this aggravation has made me hungry. Let us get something to eat." Caroline nodded her head sharply and started for the kitchen.