A/N: I am so sorry for how long it took to update this. Life and TDB kind of ran away with me. There should be more regular updates to this now and not waiting like a month-I think it was at least that long. I'll go back to updating every week/two weeks depending on work!

Anyway! I hope you enjoy!

It was the last night in England when Caroline had finally called her mother. She had known the way she left wouldn't settle well with any of her friends, but it was her mother's reaction that she was most worried about. Her father had left in the middle of the night, suitcase in hand after another screaming match between her parents, and Caroline would forever remember how broken Liz had looked in that moment watching Bill walk out into the dark without ever looking back. She would never forget the resignation in her mother's face before she had been spotted peeking out her bedroom door.

Caroline couldn't help but wonder if her mother had felt that way when she realized that she wasn't coming home, that she'd also taken off and left her behind, and that twisted inside of Caroline, the guilt eating away at her. It was bad enough that she had left Elena in the middle of the Salvatore driveway, that she hadn't spoken to any of her friends since that moment, that she hadn't called Tyler, but her mother…her mother deserved better than that.

And she didn't the excuse that Klaus wouldn't let her talk to them. He'd offered to show her how to dial international on more than one occasion but she'd shied away from doing so. Not ready to face that music. She still wasn't with her friends but she couldn't put off calling Liz any longer.

Usually it took her mom a few rings to pick up, no doubt because she was knee high in whatever supernatural drama was happening in Mystic Falls, but it only took one ring for Liz to answer that time.

"Caroline?" She shut her eyes at her mother's voice, the guilt worsening at how tired her mother sounded. Caroline knew it wasn't because of the time. She'd made sure to work out the time difference so she wasn't calling in the middle of the night.

"Hi, mom." She wanted to smack herself for the simplistic answer as she sat down on the bed, thankful to hear her mother's familiar voice. "I'm okay, I promise."

"Elena said you went with Klaus so he wouldn't hurt her anymore," Liz continued, and there was a strain in her voice, a bitterness that Caroline hadn't expected. "That you sacrificed yourself for them."

"It's not really a sacrifice." Except it was or it had been. At least that's what it was supposed to be. "He's just showing me the world. For a year and then I can come home and he'll leave Elena alone." Maybe. That part wasn't exactly ironed out. He was only obligated to not harm any of her friends for the duration of the year. Caroline was at a loss for what to do after that.

"After seeing what the world has to offer you, Caroline, I highly doubt you'll want to step foot back in this town," Liz pointed out, and Caroline frowned at that, knowing it was a possibility.

"I'll always want to come home at some point. You're there." Until she wouldn't be any longer and then Caroline wasn't sure she'd ever want to step foot in Mystic Falls ever again.

"You should have told me what you were doing," Liz continued and Caroline actually smiled at that, thankful for the normalcy of being scolded by her mother.

"I didn't want to give the others a chance to stop me and make everything worse." Because Caroline knew that if given the chance the Salvatore brothers would have screwed it all up somehow. "But I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. I didn't know what to say."

"I'm going to expect updates from you now." There was a long pause and Caroline could hear her mother's shaky breath, could swear it sounded like her mother was crying or close to doing so. "I need to know you're okay. Don't tell me where you are—I don't want the others to try anything, but I can't go on not knowing if you're alive or not."

Caroline bit her lip at that, bowing her head as she realized her mother had been worrying about her welfare, that she'd most likely dreaded never knowing if she even existed any longer, could only imagine the scenarios her mother had come up with about the twisted deaths she could have been dealt. "I'll call. I promise."

They spoke for another few minutes and by the time Caroline hung up she was a mixture of feeling awful and grateful, simply cradling the phone in her hands for a couple of moments before placing it back on the receiver. Klaus returned from wherever he'd gone a little after, giving her an appraising look, but thankfully he didn't ask how the call had went.

"We're leaving," he told her, nodding toward her open suitcase. "Be packed and ready in an hour."

Caroline simply nodded, too exhausted to say anything which wasn't like her, but she didn't feel a need to fight him on the sudden need for them to travel. She didn't want to be in England anymore anyway. It was time for a change. The fact he tossed her a blood bag before heading out of the room to pack up his own belongings was a definite plus as well.

Six hours later and they were picking up their luggage from baggage claim in Brussels. "Sam will bring everything to the hotel," Klaus informed her as he steered her away from the hybrid who was somehow managing to maneuver all of their bags towards a taxi.

"And where are we going?" She grinned, ready to explore and thankful that they didn't need to deal with the trivialities of check-in, something she'd come to abhor already with traveling.

"You'll see," Klaus murmured, and she couldn't help but widen her own grin when he smiled back at her, obviously enjoying her exuberance as he led her over to another set of taxis.

Caroline knew there was little point in containing her excitement about seeing the new city. The days of trying hard to hate everything they were doing, of sulking and scoffing at whatever Klaus showed her had ended. She enjoyed his company, loved listening to the stories he told her, and the guilt she had been feeling over those facts had been chipping away for days now. Ever since London she couldn't seem to bring herself to put up that fight, to force those stripped pieces back into place.

But just because she had found that his wealth of knowledge on so many features of places could capture her attention for hours didn't mean that was unaware of who he was and what he was. It didn't get rid of all he had done in Mystic Falls to the people she loved. It didn't wipe the slate clean, but Caroline couldn't discount that it certainly allowed for her to see other sides of him. And maybe she wouldn't ever forget but she was beginning to wonder if she could forgive.

Elena forgave Damon for so many things and while the two were just friends (something Caroline hoped wouldn't ever change) and considering all Damon had done to Jeremy and even to Elena, it was a wonder Elena even allowed Damon to be in her life. So…couldn't Caroline allow Klaus to be in her life?

Except did what Damon had done really compare to Klaus? Well…considering what Damon had done to her she was pretty sure it did in some ways, but she highly doubted that her friends and family would see it that way.

Klaus was pointing at a landmark out the window though, regaling her with some event in history that he'd experienced, and Caroline pushed out all of her thoughts, focusing on Klaus' voice instead, ready to learn everything she could.

"You want me to what?"

Klaus cocked his head at her, hands behind his back as Caroline looked incredulously between him and the rest of the crowded street. "How exactly am I supposed to find you and even know where to go in a city that I've never been in? That is full of people who speak another language!"

He tsked, grinning as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, obviously not enjoying the fact that he was finding her confusion and uncertainty amusing. "You're thinking like a human," Klaus pointed out, steering her toward a corner and away from the moving masses. It wasn't quite as busy as some places he could have brought her, but he could sense her fear, the newness of what he wanted her to do confusing the girl.

She really did think too much like a human, relied too much on her human senses and the way she had done things previously in life. Case in point the fact that Alaric had even been able to get hold of her. His sister had flashed out of harm's way. From what Klaus had gathered Caroline had flashed to her car and fumbled with her keys when she could have done the same as Rebekah and fled the scene. It wouldn't do for her to continue to think that way, to react that way in the heat of the moment. Not if he was going to manipulate her into remaining with him, not if she was to become his eternal companion. He had enough enemies who would no doubt try to exploit the fact she wouldn't be as strong as them because of how young she was. There was no need to add any further vulnerabilities.

"You say that like it's such a bad thing," she muttered, and Klaus simply stared at her for a moment—of course it was a bad thing, thinking like a human could get her killed. "I like humans."

"As do I. Their blood is quite tasty, especially straight from the vein and full of fear," Klaus replied, shrugging at her scoff, though he noted there was hardly any venom to it that time. "I can hardly be faulted for enjoying what I need in order to survive."

"You don't have to be so gleeful about killing people," she countered.

"I never said kill. I said fear and tasty. I do not need to kill in order to feed, Caroline," Klaus continued, though he did enjoy the kill, the power he held over life and death, watching those beneath him waste away to nothing as he grew stronger.

"How often don't you kill when you feed?" she asked, lips twisting as she considered her own question.

"When circumstances deem it necessary not to." Usually when Mikael had been too close to finding him or his siblings. Or if he didn't particularly feel like a blood bath—not a common occurrence—or a few other reasons that propped up now and again. It was easier to kill at times than compel and send them on their way. All depended on where he was and what else was happening in whichever city he was residing. "But enough about that. It's not why we're out here since I'm adhering to your desire to drink only bagged blood."

It was sufficient but hardly as delicious as what he was used to dining on. One day Klaus was sure Caroline would understand the difference between fresh and bagged. He couldn't wait for that day.

Klaus placed his hands on her shoulders. "Close your eyes." She quirked a brow at that and he reciprocated the look until she sighed, rolling her eyes before complying. "Now listen. What do you hear?"

"A whole bunch of people moving around," Caroline opened her eyes, that trademark look that went along with her 'seriously' catchphrase plastered on her face.

"Come now, Caroline. If the doppelganger was hidden in a building somewhere near here and you were listening for her cries for help would you only be able to hear the people nearby?" Realization seemed to dawn on her and Klaus watched her close her eyes again, memorizing her expression as she tilted her head taking in the world around.

She rattled off some more features, bells that she could hear, a few conversations she overheard that were in English, the sound of a baby crying somewhere east of them. He wasn't surprised when she started listing off what she could smell as well. Caroline Forbes was an over achiever and he didn't think that would ever change, nor did he want it to.

Klaus leaned in close, sliding his fingers across her shoulders and to her neck, letting them trail up her throat. She opened her eyes and he couldn't quite make out all of the emotions he saw whirling inside of them, but he knew one of them.

Lust was a powerful emotion. One he was pleased to see in her in regards to him and a month ago it would have been enough. He would have ran with it and gotten all he wanted from her. But lust wasn't enough now. He craved more and he would have what he wanted, damn the consequences. He would have all of Caroline Forbes, mind, body and soul for the rest of eternity.

"Now then," Klaus started, catching her gaze with his, feeling her freeze beneath his touch, waiting for what would come next. "Use those same abilities to find me."

He was gone before she could respond, flashing off through the city until he was a good distance away from her. He could hear her curse and laughed at that, settling down in a tiny cafe as he waited for her to locate him. He kept his attention on her as she moved, making sure she was alright, listening to her mutter as she used her senses to try and deduce where he had gone. Two hours later she was standing in front of him and he nodded toward the cappuccino he'd purchased for her as she slid into the seat across from him.

"It's cold," Caroline told him, nose wrinkling in disgust as she placed it back down.

"If you'd found me sooner it wouldn't be," Klaus replied, enjoying the way her brow furrowed at that, seeing the need in her to do better the next time. He knew she would, that she wouldn't allow herself to fail. "Hopefully your dinner won't get cold."

He was gone in an instant again, smiling as she sputtered at that, cappuccino splattered across the table from the speed of his departure. It took her an hour to locate him and then thirty minutes, fifteen the next. Klaus knew she was feeling a mixture of accomplishment and a continuous need to beat her last score, each time frustrated with herself for not getting to him in what she was deeming to be an appropriate time limit.

Except for that last time.

Only two minutes to find him and Klaus knew they had done enough for the day, that the first lesson had been a success, even if she didn't realize why he wanted her to practice.

Caroline was all smiles as she appeared in front of him, practically bouncing with excitement over how quick she had been, and Klaus couldn't help the pride he felt swarm inside of him at her accomplishment.

"My turn," she murmured, flashing away from him before he even realized what she was doing.

That had not been part of the plan and an inexplicable pain flashed through him at the sound of her leaving, of her walking away from him, and he wanted to squash it, to rid himself of the worry, of the fact her leaving could cut him as deeply as it had in that second before he realized she was simply continuing the game. It took him less than a minute to find her, shoving her into the nearby alley wall as soon as she was in his reach.

"Excuse you—" she started, clearly annoyed with him, but she was cut off as Klaus crashed his mouth against hers, devouring her whole. There was nothing sweet about the kiss, it was all possession, want and need rolled into one and he expected Caroline to push him away once her brain processed what was happening but he didn't care, he simply took what he wanted.

She didn't push him though. Instead she matched him with the same fervor, nails digging into the nape of his neck as she tried to pull him closer, the limited space between their bodies apparently too great a distance. He felt her fangs, had a feeling her eyes would also reflect her true nature if she were to open them and Klaus let his own fangs slide out, as his hands moved from the wall to glide down the sides of her body before pulling her hips against his, closing the distance between them. He wanted to feel all of her, to strip away anything that was preventing that from happening, but Klaus knew that she would get spooked at any moment, that he had to let her call the shots or at least allow her to think she was doing that for a while.

Which was fine. He would simply memorize the way she tasted, the way her body melded to his in that alley, the bite of her nails into his skin, every movement of hers only enticing him even further, strengthening his resolve.

Caroline nipped his lips, drawing blood and that seemed to be what broke her from the moment, that bit of blood, of realizing that she was giving into animal instinct had her closing herself off and Klaus hated it. He wanted to push, to force her to see how amazingly beautiful the true nature of her was to him, but that would be counterproductive to his end goals with her.

"Why don't we head back to the hotel? I'm sure Sam has acquired the blood bags I instructed him to retrieve by now," Klaus suggested, running his hands up to her shoulders, trying to make his touch soothing, reminding himself that it would take time to break her and mold her into who he knew she could be. "And it seems that someone is hungry."

Caroline pulled away at that, stiffening completely and Klaus could practically see every internal wall of hers build up all over again. "That—what he just did—it's never happening again."

It was adorable how she believed that, how she thought she could protect herself from him and his thousand years of getting what he wanted through whatever means necessary. All those walls she had placed around herself—and for good reason, he knew—would do little to protect her from him wanting her or having her or keeping her. Especially when he could see the cracks in them and Klaus had always been good at exploiting those cracks, at demolishing them. The sledgehammer approach wouldn't work this time, but that mattered little.

Winning over Caroline wouldn't take nearly as long as it had taken him to break his curse. It would simply require different tactics and he would keep on chipping away until he figured out the one that worked, the one that kept her willingly at his side.

He always did like a challenge and Caroline Forbes was turning out to be an even more intriguing one than he'd ever dared dream.

"Of course not, sweetheart," he replied, stepping back from her and motioning for her to walk, enjoying the slight shake of her hands as she headed past, head held high, hair flipped over her shoulder to show him her inner strength.

Trinkets wouldn't work with her. Caroline Forbes couldn't be bought. He'd already learned that.

However, she was steadfastly loyal to those she considered friends and perhaps that was what he needed to play with first. Not by trying to exploit her friends or threaten them as he had done countless times in the past but somehow establish an intimacy with her that had her seeing him as someone in her inner circle as well. Klaus wasn't sure how to go about doing so but he had a feeling he would quite enjoy learning what was needed and he meant to ensure that Caroline would enjoy the journey as well.

Considering how much she had seemed to enjoy that kiss before her fears had taken over, Klaus had a feeling he was already well on his way to figuring out a little of the puzzle that was keeping Caroline with him for eternity and he wouldn't stop until he had all the pieces in place and put together just for him.