Hello readers! How long has it been? I feel horrible for taking a million years to update... times have been hectic. I leave you with the newest chapter and really hope that you guys enjoy! :)

Chapter 20: Visitors

The empty road ahead was lined with countless snow covered trees. Caroline leaned her head against the glass of the passenger window as the sign welcoming them to Mystic Falls appeared in the distance. A feeling of dread made her heart thump and her stomach churn. Christmas was next week, and although it was her favorite time of year, she couldn't focus on anything else but how she would break the news to her mother. Elena and Bonnie had been very clear during their encounter on the island—Klaus would never fit in. They would never see him the way she saw him, to them he was nothing more than a murderous Original vampire who took delight in turning their lives upside down. And Stefan had already made up his mind about him, he wanted Klaus as far away from Mystic Falls as possible. The sign blurred past them as little specks of snow floated through the air, hitting the car's windshield and transforming into little droplets of water.

"Stop the car." Caroline's voice was demanding, causing Klaus to let go of the accelerator and press lightly on the breaks.

"Is something wrong, love?" The Original pulled over to the side of the road, driving over the thin layer of snow that covered the ground. "You've been very quiet for the past hour."

Caroline looked at him, her eyes drunk with adoration. The little creases on her forehead became visible as she furrowed her eyebrows just enough for him to notice her worrisome expression. "Why did you agree to Stefan's request to leave town?"

Klaus let out a hum, "I came to Mystic Falls to break my hybrid curse. I accomplished it. I used the doppelganger's blood to create a hybrid army—not quite successfully, but nonetheless I did it. Now, I have gotten rid of the cure and the white oak stake is in my possession." He paused, "You have agreed to be with me." A smile appeared on his lips as he reached over to touch her hand. "Don't you think it's time we move on to bigger, better things?"

She smiled, considering their future together, but the thought of leaving her mother behind and ending her friendship with Elena and Bonnie wiped her smile right off. Caroline opened the car door, a cold breeze entered the car as she stepped outside. Her boots sank a few centimeters into the snow and her breath became visible against the frigid air. Klaus came to her side, looking into her eyes with anticipation. All he wanted to hear was that she was leaving town with him.

"I need to tell my mom everything. I would like her to come with us, wherever it is we go. It will make me feel better knowing we're there to keep her safe." She swallowed, looking up at him and taking a hold of his hands. "But I'm not ready to go back home just yet." Her lips curled up into a smirk.

The Original took her in his arms, embracing her tightly as his lips pressed against the top of her head. "The Mikaelson mansion awaits." He muttered, breathing in the fresh scent of coconut in her hair, and he heard her giggle against his chest.

They drove around the fountain, coming to a stop right in front of the main entrance of the mansion. The house lights twinkled against the falling snow as they made their way to the front door. There was nothing but silence all around—the remote location provided Caroline with the stillness she'd been longing. Klaus propped the door open and flicked the lights on. It looked just as she remembered, everything was in pristine condition—no sign of dust anywhere. She walked through the hallway into the main room, the chimney stood dark and cold in front of the long couch.

"Don't you get lonely living here by yourself?" The blonde asked, taking a few steps into the room and running her hand over the back of the couch. She looked up at the painting above the chimney, "Haunting and yet beautiful." She said, referring to the scenery in the frame.

Klaus smiled, "You may call it loneliness. I call it solace." He approached her slowly, his eyes never straying from her face. She turned to him with glazed, droopy eyes and her lips parted as if wanting to say something but no sound came out. "Of course, having company is always better." He muttered, walking around her as if circling her in.

Caroline felt a shiver run down her spine and she felt the reverberating effects against her arms and legs. Whenever Klaus was near her it made her feel like she grew increasingly lighter. It was cold outside, and the house had been empty for a while, but she still felt like she was wrapped in heat just being near him. And the closer he got the closer she wanted him, it was a need she couldn't—and didn't care to—explain. He smiled, the left corner of his mouth lifting seductively. His hand caressed the side of her face, causing her eyes to flutter. He moved slowly, as if dancing, swaying her slowly along with him and making her burn from the inside out. And just as easily as he had made her come undone, he quickly stepped away, leaving her breathing unevenly. With a few turns of the notches another fire began to burn, this one inside the fireplace.

"That's more like it." Klaus whispered, pulling her in by her waist. He rested his forehead against hers, their noses flirting with each other as his ample lips brushed against her own. He kissed her slowly at first, tasting her and feeling her warm breath against his mouth before exploring further. Caroline could feel his tongue dancing around her teeth, begging to be let in. She opened her mouth slowly, letting it twirl inside and gently touching the roof of her mouth. His hands ran along her backside, touching and squeezing her flesh and attempting to expose more of her skin.

She pulled at his lower lip, softly scraping them with her teeth before her mouth moved to the corner of his mouth. She brushed her lips over his stubble, quickly burying them in his neck. Klaus' eyes were half closed, his fingers sliding underneath Caroline's shirt as she continued to run her teeth over his flesh. In one swift motion, he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his hips as his knees bent and they both dropped to the ground. The Original lifted up her shirt, revealing nothing else but the fair and pink skin of her plump breasts underneath. He let out a groan and quickly took off his shirt, setting her down on her back and diving into her chest like a swimmer jumping into a crystalline pool. The fire flickered in Caroline's peripherals. The heat between her legs made her ache with need as his mouth gently sucked on her breasts and his tongue danced over her perky nipples.

The blonde held on to his hair, muttering his name and watching his head bob up and down as he kissed her stomach and made his way down to her bellybutton. She slightly arched her back as his hands pulled on her jeans and undergarments. Klaus unbuckled his belt, freeing himself from the restraints of his clothes and hovered over Caroline. The blonde opened herself up for him. His length rubbed up against her moist center, causing her to moan and breathe a little heavier. She could feel it pulsating and radiating heat the closer it got to her opening.

"I need you Klaus." She managed to say between breaths.

The Original kissed her once again, running one of his hands over her breasts and pinching her nipples just enough to make her scream in pleasure. Caroline couldn't wait any longer, in one quick movement she had him underneath her, sitting astride him as she guided him inside her. His thickness inched itself through her walls, slipping into the warmth of her center and causing both of them to groan in satisfaction. She began moving, slowly at first, up and down until her insides became increasingly damp. Klaus' hands clasped to her hips, his thumbs delicately caressing her skin as she began rotating her body. Her snakelike movements were rhythmic and entrancing. The Original licked his lips, biting down and breathing heavily as she placed her hands on his firm chest. The fire next to them seemed to be dancing along with Caroline's movements. The minutes passed and her whimpers echoed throughout the room.

Klaus hoisted himself up, coming to a seated position with Caroline still connected to him. She could see the black veins under her eyes fade in and out and her eyes became bloodshot just as his glowed an ardent gold. He pushed into her with more force, making her heave and curse as she moved faster. Klaus bit into her neck, immediately skyrocketing her into a cloud of pure ecstasy as she began to come. He wasn't done licking the blood off her neck when she burrowed her teeth into his shoulder, the mixture of pain and pleasure was enough for him to empty himself into her. His body shivered, brought upon by a combination of his release and the feeling of gratification from her bite. Their movements began to slow down. Their faces were flushed and a sheet of perspiration made their skin glisten against the crackling fire.

Caroline smiled, batting her eyelashes almost shyly as she bit down on her lip. "You're amazing."

Klaus brought his hand up, twirling a stand of her hair before placing it behind her ear. "Don't give me too much credit love, you did most of the work." He smiled wide, "I love it when you take charge."

The blonde laughed, pecking at his lips before pushing him back down the ground.

Brightness emerged behind Caroline's closed eyelids and she turned her back away from the window, finding Klaus sleeping like a baby right next to her. She beamed, thinking back to the previous night. They had somehow made their way back upstairs, sans clothes, before finally draining themselves out enough to fall asleep in each other's arms. She peeked underneath the covers, her eyes trailing over Klaus' naked body.

"I hope it's just as impressive in broad daylight." Klaus said, his eyes still shut.

Caroline let go of the satin sheet, "It's much more impressive now that I can see all the details." She chuckled and Klaus opened his eyes, sliding his hand over her waist under the covers.

There was silence for a few seconds before her stomach faintly growled. The Original was amused, "Someone's a little hungry."

She put her hand over her stomach, "Please tell me there's something in this house I can eat."

"The cleaning lady doesn't come until tomorrow." Klaus chuckled, poking fun at her wariness to drink from the vein. "But luckily for you, there's cereal and what I believe to be unexpired milk in the fridge."

"Lovely." She muttered, pushing herself up from the bed. He grabbed a hold of her hand, trying to pull her back in the bed. "I'll be right back. I just need something to shut my stomach up." She smiled.

The blonde looked around the room. Her clothes were still in the living room and she had nothing else to wear. She went to the closet and grabbed one of Klaus' buttoned down shirts, quickly slipping into it and walking out of the room.

"I hope you don't mind me borrowing this for a bit."

Klaus glanced at her, licking his lips. "Is it weird that I find you absolutely ravishing wearing my clothes?"

"Hmmm. Maybe just a little." She teased before heading to the door.

Her feet moved fast as she ran down the spiral staircase. She tiptoed her way across the cold floor until she spotted her clothes atop the carpeted living room. The fire was still burning, although not as lively as the night before. Her hands took a hold of her black underwear and she pulled them up her legs.

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her startled the blonde. Caroline turned around, her eyes wide and her lips semi-parted. "Pardon the interruption, we didn't know Niklaus was—busy." Elijah looked away, trying not to make her any more uncomfortable.

Caroline took a deep breathe, standing in nothing but her underwear and Klaus' shirt. "I—"

Her explanation was cut short as Rebekah and Kol walked through the door, "Where is that bastard brother of mine?" Rebekah stopped dead on her tracks and her eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of Caroline in the room.

Kol lifted an eyebrow, a sly smile surfacing on his face. "My, my, my, what do we have here?" He walked towards Caroline, causing her to step back. "Nik didn't tell me he had a girlfriend—a very pretty girlfriend." His eyes narrowed as he took in her face, "Wait. You're Elena's friend. The one who almost got me killed." Kol's demeanor changed from playful to predatory.

Caroline moved around him rapidly, evading his accusatory look. "There's a lot that's happened since then." Her eyes moved towards the pair of jeans on the floor, wishing she would've grabbed them.

"Really? Because as far as I know, it's only been about a month." His smile was devious. "You're lucky I have bigger problems to take care of." He blurred towards her, coming inches away from her face. His nostrils flared and his eyes roamed her face. "You do smell delicious."

"Oh please, Kol. Stop trying to intimate her, she's obviously not afraid of you." Rebekah whined. And in a way she was right, under the circumstances, Caroline was more afraid of her underwear showing than what Kol could do to her.

Elijah's expression was unfazed, "Caroline, we'd like to speak with our brother."

"Speak. Only after I break his teeth for leaving me daggered in a box while he rolled around with her." Rebekah's mouth twisted in disgust.

Caroline's eyes flickered towards the open door, watching as a shirtless Klaus made his way down the stairs. "What's with all the commotion?" He asked in a stern voice.

He paced over to his siblings, a mixture of confusion and annoyance plastered on his face. He noticed Caroline wasn't wearing any pants and tilted his head towards the blonde, giving her a comforting look.

"Hi Nik." Rebekah said between gritted teeth. Her body moved quickly across the carpet as she pushed Klaus against the wall, inserting the dagger that had once been in her chest into his stomach. Caroline sped towards him in an effort to help, but Kol was faster than her and blocked her way.

Elijah remained calm, "Rebekah." He simply stated, acting as if she was just playing a mean trick on her brother.

"That's for not helping me." She said, pushing the dagger even further into him before stepping away.

Klaus groaned in pain and pulled the blade out of his stomach, his wound quickly beginning to heal. "You ruined my good pair of jeans. It's a good thing I hadn't put my shirt on yet." He muttered as Caroline came to his side. "I'm sorry Rebekah, I didn't know coming to get you out of that coffin was more important than dealing with the revolt of my hybrids." He replied, "Besides, I figured a few more days in the box wasn't going to be that big of a deal. You've done way more time than that." He smirked.

Elijah stepped between them, holding Klaus shirt in his hand. "Niklaus, I'm afraid we're not here just to reprimand you for your less-than-brotherly actions." He gave him the shirt, giving Klaus time to put it on. "Kol, Rebekah and I are here because our family is once again in danger."

Klaus' brow crinkled, he looked at Caroline and then at his siblings. "What are you saying, Elijah?"

The older Original walked over to the couch, contemplating sitting on it before noticing the rest of the clothes scattered on the floor. He hesitated, with good reason, and instead walked back to where Caroline and Klaus were still standing. The blonde wanted nothing more than to clothe herself properly, but figured that bringing more attention to herself would only make things more awkward.

"A few days ago—after pulling the dagger out of Rebekah—I received a visit from an old friend." He began.

"Katherine." Rebekah blurted out. "And according to her, they're not just friends." She wrinkled her nose, "Kind of like you two."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her. Whatever Elijah and Katherine had going on couldn't be compared to what she had with Klaus but it would take hours of explanation for Rebekah to understand. Not to mention, it would also mean engaging in a conversation and frankly, Caroline had no desire to waste her breathe on the Original sister.

"Katerina?" Klaus asked.

Elijah cleared his throat and continued, "There's a movement going on in New Orleans. Word got out of what you did with the hybrids here in Mystic Falls and the wolves there seem to be preparing themselves for retaliation."

Klaus laughed, "And how exactly are they planning to defeat a creature who can't be killed?" Caroline took a hold of his hand. Something about him being in danger still made her uneasy, even knowing he was probably the safest of them all.

"You can take on a measly army of twelve hybrids, Nik. But how do you take on an army of hundreds? Even thousands if the vampires decide to join." Kol's words were grave as he flickered his glance between Klaus to Caroline.

"What else did she tell you, Elijah?" Caroline could feel his hand fastening around hers as he continued to speak. She knew he wasn't scared for himself but maybe the thought of bringing harm to her made him uneasy.

In that moment, the tall, svelte figure of Katherine Pierce stepped into the room. She walked as if floating in air. Her steps had been cat-like. Caroline looked at the brunette wondering how many more people would be witness to her bare legs. Klaus' expression changed, he looked at her with vengeful eyes.

"It's nice to see you too Klaus." She said coyly, his name lingering on the tip of her tongue. "As Elijah was saying, the wolves in New Orleans are getting a little restless. One of your hybrids—Tyler is it?" She asked, eyeing Caroline knowingly. The blonde swallowed hard, knowing where this was headed. "He and his friend—that little wolf girl—have been riling up the wolf clans for a couple weeks now. There's been an outpour of them from all over the Mountain states as well as from areas in the Appalachians. New Orleans is crawling with them as we speak." She raised an eyebrow, turning to Elijah as if for confirmation.

"Why New Orleans?" Caroline finally spoke.

Katherine looked at her and smiled, "Where are your pants?" She strayed away from the conversation for a second and Caroline looked away sheepishly. "Anyway, to answer your question, the witches in that area know infinitely more magic than your friend Bonnie would ever even dream of." Katherine paced back and forth, "I've been told the wolves there are able to transform even without the full moon."

"That's impossible." Klaus muttered under his breathe.

"Is it?" She asked, giving him a dubious look. "Luckily for you, I know the name of someone who can help. I have an inside man. But my information does come with a price."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, it was obvious she wasn't fond of Katherine. "Spit it out." She demanded.

"You want your freedom." Klaus deduced. "You want me to call a truce in exchange for this so-called information."

"Ding, ding, ding!" The brunette said with a smirk. "So what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

The Originals sat around the dining table, it was quiet as they planned their next move. They couldn't let the werewolf situation get out of hand or soon they'd find themselves being the hunted and the laughing stock of the vampire world.

"We need to find a way to infiltrate their operation and shut it down from the inside. If it's true they're working with the witches in the city, there's no guarantee all four of us won't end up entombed and sealed away. We can't be killed but they can find a way to stop us." Elijah's words were delivered with eloquence, his clasped hands resting over the table.

The more Caroline thought about it, then more she realized it wouldn't be possible to avoid a massacre. It was the night of the Winter Wonderland celebration all over again, except this time, the Originals were in danger of being the ones to lose the fight.

"Isn't there a way you guys can come up with an agreement? There must be something they want more than just getting rid of you, right?" Caroline's voice trembled.

"We've pissed off a few thousand vampires in our time, Caroline. It's the perfect opportunity for revenge and they're taking it." Rebekah replied, "What we need to do is get rid of all those disgusting werewolves who are already plotting behind our backs and send a message to those considering to join them."

"I agree. We need to show them the Mikaelsons are not to be meddled with." Kol nodded. "I say we approach this with the highest of stealth. If they don't see us coming and their comrades just start dropping dead, it will be much more effective."

"Kol's right. We do have the advantage of knowing their plans ahead of time. There's nothing better than the element of surprise." Elijah chimed in.

Caroline's mind drifted away as the sound of their voices became muffled by her thoughts and fears. Once again, Klaus was in danger and this time it was either him or Tyler who would come out of it alive. She wished nothing ill against the wolf and yet all she really wanted was for Klaus to be okay, no matter the consequences.

"We'll leave for New Orleans in a couple days. That should be enough time to get in touch with Katherine's inside-man and come up with the best plan of attack." Elijah said reassuringly.

"And that gives me enough time to say goodbye to everyone here." Caroline replied, looking at Klaus with a smile on her face.

But the Original's expression was solemn. And then he muttered the words she was afraid of hearing. "You're not coming with us, Caroline."

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