A/N: Thank you guys so much for your wonderful reviews and all the faves and follows that have been steadily trickling in. They make a girl feel appreciated. This chapter contains some limey goodness, which, if you were unaware, is generally accepted to mean oral sex. If this offends you, you're welcome to click away now. If it doesn't offend you, read away. Just know that this is the first time I've written/published anything like this, and I don't feel like I'm any good at it, so I'm sorry, but it's part of the story. Also, I don't think I've addressed Bonnie so far in this story, especially because my canon-divergence point has her still at the whole anchor to the Other Side thing. Somewhere in my four year dead period, I'm sure there's an adventure or something where she's brought back to life as a normal, proper witch. No Expression, just Bonnie. Don't worry about it. If I ever get through writing the sequel, I'm sure I'll actually address it at some point. But I figured since she shows up in this chapter, I should point that out. Happy reading.

Chapter 9

Caroline's phone lit up and the name that appeared made her squeal in delight. "Bonnie!" she exclaimed excitedly as she answered.

"Oh my god, Care, it is good to hear your voice," Bonnie sighed on the other end of the line. "Please tell me your day has been better than mine."

"Did I ever tell you I transferred to Tulane?" Caroline asked her oldest friend.

"Cara Lynn called me and told me, actually. Was looking for a new wardrobe—I mean roommate," Bonnie joked. "Said something about some scary, serious Edward guy coming to get you and then you disappeared."

"Elijah," she said and heard Bonnie's 'Oh' of understanding.

"That makes a lot more sense. Klaus is kidnapping his victims by proxy now?"

"Klaus is in no shape to do any kidnapping," Caroline informed her. "The witches here in New Orleans cursed him so he can only be a man while the moon is out. Otherwise, he's a wolf."

"Ouch," Bonnie admitted. "What does that have to do with you, though?"

"Think R-rated Beauty and the Beast," Caroline admitted. Bonnie's answering laugh made her grin.

"I thought I asked you to have a better day than me," Bonnie teased.

"I did," Caroline assured her. "I woke up. Wolf-boy was being cuddly, so I got a face full of fur any time I tried to do anything worthwhile. Eventually, I gave up and let him sit with me while I did homework. Eventually, Kol convinced us to go torment Hayley, which was fun. We came back, moon rose, heavy make out session, and now he's painting something while I annoy him with my inane chatter. His words, not mine. I think he kind of likes it though."

"Of course he likes it. He likes you, after all." Caroline had missed the girl talk. Her breakthrough with Cammi had been nice, but with Bonnie, all the old patterns were there. Bonnie knew the history, knew just how to cheer her up, knew when to tease, when to be serious.

"I miss you," Caroline told her friend wistfully.

"Me too, Care," she admitted. "And hey, while we're being serious, are you okay with all of this? You really happy with Klaus or do I need to come kick some Original ass?"

"I'm good, Bon," she replied. "It's not Mystic Falls, and Klaus is… Klaus is great. Patient and kind and—"

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Klaus?" she joked.

"You know he's always had a thing for me. Maybe I developed a thing for him. Now that I'm not just a Damon Salvatore Vampire Barbie Distraction patent pending."

"I should stuff Damon's head in a blender for all the crap he's pulled on you," Bonnie grumbled. "Hell, all the crap he's pulled on all of us."

"Wouldn't want to burn your bridges with Elena," Caroline teased. "Someone's got to be my eyes and ears so that I can pop home while they're out of town and visit Mom's grave."

"He'd survive most of it," Bonnie said unapologetically.

"That would be fun to watch," Caroline admitted.

"Ugh, Care, do me a favor," Bonnie said seriously.

"Anything, Bon," she replied, worried.

"Keep me updated on your amazing life. Between work and stuff going on here, my life sucks."

"Aw, Bonnie," Caroline was now very worried about her friend. "Of course I will."

"Okay. I should go. I have to get up for work in the morning. Like an adult."

"I'm 17 for the next forever, so…" Caroline trailed off jokingly.

"Love ya, Care," Bonnie chuckled on the line.

"You take care of yourself, Bonnie. All right?"

"You got it. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

"The Bennet witch?" Klaus asked without looking up from what he was doing.

"Yup," Caroline agreed. She stood and headed over to see what exactly Klaus was painting. She came up behind him, saw something pretty abstract, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Is your intent to distract me?" Klaus asked her, glancing over.

"Do you want to be distracted?" she countered. He leaned just enough to capture her lips. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He was warm and firm as she pressed herself against his back.

He pulled back to look at her. "Perhaps we should move this before I break my neck trying to kiss you."

"Move it where?" she asked dangerously. What was she getting herself into? She wasn't quite sure, but she knew that she enjoyed where it was headed. She was running out of excuses to give him for not giving in and just having sex.

"The bedroom seems a more appropriate place," he kissed her in a relatively chaste manner.

"Okay," she heard herself agreeing.

Before she could process, he was dragging her at vamp speed to the bedroom. The door was shut and locked swiftly, and then Caroline was pressed against it. His lips crushed against hers and she let out a contented noise when he pulled her hips into his.

"The things you do to me," he groaned as his moved to kissing her neck. She felt his hardness pressing against her middle. "To finally have you in my bed, but not in the way I want has been driving me mad these past few weeks."

Caroline thought of their near miss in the woods the first time, when he was in Tyler's body; the not-a-miss-at-all pressed against the tree and then rolling around on the ground on the Salvatore property. It was probably best if they finally enjoyed each other in an actual bed.

But the fear in the back of Caroline's mind pressed to the front and it felt as if a cold bucket of water had been dumped over her. "Sorry," she admitted, pulling back. "I really don't mean to be a tease."

Klaus looked at her face then, and his expression sobered. He let out a growl, then turned to her, surprisingly tender. "What's changed, love? What has you running?" He ran a hand through her hair and she dimly noted that this must be why he leaned into her touch, wolf or not; it was comfort and affection and everything she'd always wanted, and it was Klaus. "What have I done to scare you off this time?"

"It's not you," she shook her head because it wasn't. It wasn't anything he had said or done that had her turning tail and running. "I'm scared," she admitted. "I'm scared because with you it's always been all or nothing. But now, with this curse, the stakes are higher than they've ever been. What if we have sex and it doesn't work? Is that it for us? Because I've waited for so long for this, I've built it up so much and if it just ends like that? I don't think I could take it. But then again, what if it works? What if you're back to normal? Then it's an eternity with you and I just, I don't know if I'm ready for that, you know?"

She was crying now—when had that happened?—and he was tucking her against him, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her arm. "Forever or never," she repeated. "I just don't know if I'm ready for either."

"I understand," he said softly. "It was always my intent to give you as much time as you needed to come to me. This curse has forced our hands more than I care to admit."

He pulled her back and stared in her eyes once again. Instead of saying anything more, he kissed her, slow and sweet, allowing the action to say all of the things he couldn't or wouldn't. Reminding her he loved her.

He guided her gently to the bed, pressing against her softly until she was lying with him atop her. She ran her hands through his short hair, down his muscled back, feeling all of him and reveling in it. His hands slipped under her top and he managed to remove it, barely breaking their kiss. When he removed her bra, she pulled back, the fear, she was sure, present in her hooded, aroused gaze.

"Shh, love," he against her lips before she could make her protest. "I'm not going to pressure you into anything," he promised. "Tonight, I simply wish to please you, sweetheart." He started kissing down her neck toward her exposed breasts. He palmed one lightly, his thumb brushing over her nipple and she arched into the touch with a gasp. "I assure you I merely wish to kiss every inch of you." The mischievous look in his eyes undid her.

"Klaus," she breathed out, pressing her body closer to his.

"May I kiss you, Caroline?" he asked teasingly.

"I might kill you if you don't," she admitted. "Please," she begged for his touch.

Without a further word, he obliged, kissing her just as he promised. First one nipple and then the next, he licked and sucked until she was panting and moaning and writhing for more under his attention. He kissed lower, down her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel as he unbuttoned her jeans.

In one tug, Caroline's pants and underwear came off and Klaus stared unabashedly at her naked body. Changing position from where he'd been kissing her stomach, he moved to her legs, starting at her knees and working his way up first one leg, then the other.

He paused halfway through these ministrations to admit to her, "If I could, love, I would draw you just like this. Aroused and filled with want for me and only me. I have imagined this more times than you could count, but I've never been able to put pencil to paper. Now that I have seen it for myself, perhaps, my muse, I shall be able to draw you."

"Klaus," she groaned, grasping for his head. When she managed to get a hold on it, she tried to push his mouth to where she needed him.

"Patience, love." He grinned against her thigh. "I'm not quite through here."

He kissed everywhere but where she needed him. "Klaus," her voice was pleading. Never in her life did she think she'd actually beg Klaus for anything. Still, she knew how skilled that tongue was in her mouth. She wanted it on her core.

He kissed up slowly, and finally, finally, his breath was there, hovering over her center. "Is this what you want?" he asked, his tone dangerous, and he flicked his tongue out against her clit. The sensation it sent through her was divine.

"Yes. Oh god, yes," she groaned and arched up towards his face. He grinned wickedly, and did just as he'd promised. He gave her a hot, wet, openmouthed kiss against her lower lips, alternating between driving his tongue into her and licking and sucking at her clit.

It didn't take long for her to find her release, and find it she did, digging her nails into Klaus' scalp, pressing him into her as the tremors hit. She rode her orgasm out against his mouth and he ate up all she had to offer.

She laid back, boneless, and Klaus climbed back up the bed to plant a kiss on her lips. "You taste heavenly, Caroline."

"Mmm," she hummed her response, not really ready for anything else. The others she had been with had never really cared to do that to her, had never been very good it and so she hadn't thought she was a fan of oral sex. Klaus had just made a believer out of her.

"And that was just my mouth," he whispered to her deviously. "Imagine what I can do with the rest of me."

She did imagine and a pleasant shudder ran through her body. In fact, her body seemed more than ready to accept what her mind couldn't. Her mind couldn't think about the way her heart clenched every time she saw that dark, ancient expression cross his features. Her mind wouldn't think about the heat that pooled low in her belly whenever he touched her. Her mind wasn't ready to admit that she was falling for Klaus, fast and hard.

He tugged his shirt off and gently put it on her, kissing her forehead as he pulled the cloth over her head. It was moments like these that she wondered how anyone could see him as a monster. He was gentle and kind and that anyone could hurt him hurt her. She knew he was as scared as she was. So she threw her arms around him and nuzzled into his neck. She couldn't say the words just yet, but they were bubbling up in her throat, tugging somewhere around her heart in a glorious, painful way.

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