Apologies for making you wait so long but I seriously hope this chapter makes it up to you. Yes, it is THAT chapter. *wink wink wink*

It took me ages to write and I really hope you find it any good.

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A massive thanks and lots of virtual flowers and chocolates to everyone following, favoriting and of course, reviewing the story. Every time I get one of those notification emails it is a huge incentive to write the next chapter.

At Abattoir's

Marcel and Thierry went back to Abattoir's after the night out with Sandy and Caroline. After all, it was Marcel's club and his home and he needed to check in to see what he had missed that night. Marcel was in a good mood and once they arrived at the parlor on the first floor, Thierry found out why.

"I believe that went rather well, no? I think Caroline really likes me; she seemed very apologetic about the other night. It doesn't make her the sharpest tool in the box but hey, it serves my purposes right? " He laughed. "And after all, I don't mind a little fling, she is actually kind of my type." After a short pause, Marcel continued with a twinkle in his eyes. "And I really do not understand why you are constantly moaning about Sandy - you could have done worse. And once the plan is set in motion you can cut her off and never speak to her again. Or drink her. Up to you."

Thierry looked pissed. "Not to cut in on your good mood but I do not share your optimism about Caroline. I got a call from Leon; he saw Rebekah lurking around the bar. And not just for a minute but the entire night. That makes it the second time for her to stay in the background when you are meeting Caroline since 'that night'. I think she is faking it; she is still living with the Mikaelsons after all. And I am not constantly moaning about Sandy. But you know my heart is elsewhere - it is not as easy as it looks to fake-kiss."

Marcel's mood immediately turned towards anger. He sat up straight, looking intently at Thierry. "Rebekah was there again?" He paused, considering what he had just found out. "You may be right. Maybe she is faking it, maybe she turned the tables around. She must be a hell of an actress though - if not for Rebekah playing bodyguard, I would believe her. Let's find out if Rebekah's been there by coincidence. And god be with Caroline if she is playing me."

Thierry got up, clearly awaiting instructions what to do next. "What do you want me to do? Shall I pay her a little visit?"

"No. If she is not playing us then this would completely ruin our chances for the plan to work. Why don't we...skip ahead a little in the timetable and let's see who she really trusts. Caroline did her best to make me believe she cannot stand Klaus and she does not trust him - let's see if she is lying. And if she is lying - well, then I don't need her for my plans anyway."

"Give Sandy a call, Thierry. I think it's time for her to meet up with you at your place."

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A lesson in art

Caroline had been giddy when she returned to the house, waiting for Rebekah to catch up with her in the sitting room. She was surprised not to find it occupied by Klaus already; she had been convinced that he would be waiting for her to report back. She ignored the disappointment she thought she could make out in her feelings and instead helped herself to a blood bag from the fridge. She had no idea who did the 'shopping' but clearly, Klaus had made sure to mention her favorite blood type to that person.

"Girl, that went well, don't you think?" Rebekah burst into the sitting room, same smug look on her face as Caroline assumed she had. "And Marcel has been on fire - damn, he actually charmed me while I was listening in!"

"Yeah, I thought it went well. And it wasn't so bad in the end, I actually had fun. I missed hanging with Sandy but seriously, she is really falling hard for Thierry. Did you listen in to them sometimes? I think I have to tell her something. She needs to be cautious. I am not sure what he is playing at with her but she seems to have only eyes for him."

"Mh, really? No I didn't really pay attention to them, I had too much fun listening in to Marcel. And you are quite the actress my dear, I believed you the swooning schoolgirl act." Rebekah laughed.

"But yeah, we may have to warn her. I like her, she was the one inviting me to the Sunday pub nights. But she is too trusting. Clearly, since she invited me to the Sunday pub nights..." Rebekah smirked.

"Anyway, well, meet up with her and tell her you've seen Thierry with someone else, or something?"

"That's not a bad idea. But she may end up asking him about it and then Marcel will be suspicious. I see her on Saturday; we agreed to have a pajama party at the Guesthouse."

"At the Guesthouse? Why not here?"

"Ah, you see - I thought about it. Marcel will not believe me that I am scared of Klaus and you guys and that I am into him if I keep living here, no? Elijah told me how Klaus faked staying at a hotel when he was already staying here. So why don't I do the same thing? Sandy, Thierry and Marcel will believe I am moving back to the Guesthouse on Saturday but in reality, I stay here. That means the pajama party has to happen at the Guesthouse. It's better for Sandy anyway, she has seen Klaus before when I met him that first night at Abattoir so I am not sure how it would look to her if she finds out I am living with him."

"You are not living with Nik, you are just staying at the same house. That's a difference. And we could just ban him from the house for the night, if you ask, he may actually do it. I am not sure how you want to convince Nik to let you stay at the Guesthouse for the weekend. I mean, come on, it's my brother. He seriously has issues when it comes to you. " Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"I'm not really moving to the Guesthouse for the weekend. I am just faking it. And it's a girl's night with a human girl, what should happen, seriously. As soon as Sandy leaves I will come back here. And then I just need to make sure to make a few appearances whenever Sandy is working - and possibly compel the cleaning staff so they don't rat me out if the room's never used. And that's it, perfect plan."

"You may be right. If you are back on Sunday morning, Nik may actually agree to it. We are helping him with his plan to take over the city, after all." Rebekah, getting up, pauses. "You want a cocktail? I need something strong now."

"Thanks but I think I am heading to bed. I am quite tired and I wanted to go to the office tomorrow; there is a Friday meeting that I want to attend."

"Alright, good night, Caroline. "

Rebekah headed towards the liquor cabinet and Caroline walked back to the main foyer to go up the stairs. She paused on the first floor but could not hear anything from Stefan. Maybe he was out hunting in the woods, he preferred doing it at night. When she reached her floor she saw light coming from the room opposite hers and the door was slightly ajar. Without thinking about it, Caroline stepped nearer to the door and peeked through the gap. She had expected another bedroom, since Klaus had mentioned he was staying on the other side of her room. But instead, she saw a large empty space, an atelier as it seems, with wooden floors and only a few furniture scattered across the room. There was an easel in the middle of the room, Klaus standing in front of it, brush in his hand. To his right was an open fireplace and two leather Chesterfield and two armchairs. On the left, Caroline imagined seeing another door leading to the attached room. 'The bedroom, probably.'

Klaus seemed deep in thoughts. He didn't move a muscle although as a vampire, he must have heard her coming up the stairs. Caroline contemplated stepping inside but then again, she didn't want to disturb him. Looking at the painting for the first time, she forgot all her reservations and pushed the door open.

"Is that me?"

Klaus let the brush sink, slowly turning around. Seeing Caroline standing in the door, he smirked at her. "It does speak for my skills that you have recognized it so early in the work."

Caroline moved closer, stopping in front of the painting. He was right, the painting was far from completed, it was a mass of dark lines where her face was, and her eyes and mouth. But still, she could recognize herself and, although she would rather die - again - than admitting this to Klaus: damn, it was good.

"Why should it not be you, Caroline; your face is too perfect not to be eternalized on a canvas."

Caroline blushed, trying to avert Klaus' eyes.

Klaus caught up on her embarrassment and he dropped the subject. Putting the brush carefully on the board of the easel, he turned to Caroline. "How was your night out? Did you enjoy seeing your friend Sandrine?"

"Yes, it was good. The music was good as well, actually. And before you even ask, I was never in any danger, Rebekah was nearby all evening."

"I did not plan on asking. If I'd expected danger I would have not let you go." Klaus said bluntly.

Caroline let her gaze drift through the room. She saw lots of canvases lean along the walls, blank and painted ones. The door leading to the next room was left open and she could make out light in the other room and something looking like the shape of a large bed.

"Seems like you painted a lot since you came here. What are you doing with all of them?"

"Not all of them are new. I keep most of my paintings in storage and when I move somewhere new I unpack a box or two. Some of the paintings in this room are more than 400 years old. And not all of them are mine either, Caroline."

"So you are collecting as well?"

Klaus was surprised by Caroline's sudden interest in his hobbies. She did not see the joy this revelation gave him on his face though. Caroline wandered slowly through the room, stopping at a painting here and there and looking through a stack of them leaning against the wall.

"I would not call it collecting, love. From time to time there are paintings that are inspiring to me, or that signify something important in my own life. Then I'll keep them, at least for a while. And you must remember that I am a thousand years old - I have known many artists in those 10 centuries - so of course, there are gifted paintings as well in my possession." Klaus paused, following Caroline with his eyes. "Do you like art, Caroline?"

Caroline looked up from the stack of paintings she had been looking through, meeting Klaus' eyes. "I don't know much about art, actually. I took classes in high school and we learned a lot about different styles and eras. But since I've never been anywhere outside of Mystic Falls I haven't really seen much art."

Caroline blushed slightly. She never had a problem with not being well-travelled before but ever since Klaus had said those things to her at the 'roaring 20s' ball she felt uncomfortable admitting that she had almost zero travel and life experience. He was a thousand years old, he had travelled the world multiple times, probably. She hated feeling stupid. Caroline decided to change the topic away from her again.

"If you have known so many artists, do you have any favorites?"

Klaus laughed. It was a nice laugh, Caroline thought, it seemed careless and very relaxed. Not something she would usually expect from Klaus.

"There are many painters that would deserve to be on a list of favorites, believe me. And there is probably at least one in every era that I have admired more than others. " Klaus paused, obviously giving the question some serious thought. "Well, I think I do have a favorite. There was an English painter, he lived and painted in the first half of the 19th century. I always loved his work. He painted beautiful landscapes in oil and he became most famous for his watercolors, funnily enough." Klaus smiled, reminiscing those long gone days. "He had real talent. His landscapes perfectly captured reality and many of his paintings were far ahead of their time. I wish I could show you a few of his works but all paintings I have from him are in my country house in Cornwall. I think you would enjoy his work."

"What is his name, maybe I have heard of him, if he was famous?" Caroline asked.

"J.M.W. Turner - or Joseph Turner, in short. But I'm afraid, his fame is mostly recognized in the old world." Klaus smiled.

"I would have known Picasso, or Rembrandt. But I haven't heard of any Turner." Caroline smiled.

"I'll see if I can get one or two of his paintings through an art dealer here in the US, then I'll show you."

Caroline nodded. She had finished her tour through Klaus' studio and was near the door to the hallway again. She realized that she had been quite a while in the studio already. Why had she come in again?

"I should let you get on with it again. I didn't want to disturb you, I was on my way to bed, actually."

"You did not disturb me, Caroline. I am glad you came in. Do you need anything before you go to bed?"

"No, thanks. Or wait, there is one thing - I have arranged with Sandy to have a girls' night, with DVDs and stuff. But we'll be having it at the Guesthouse, on Saturday. I had the feeling it would sit better with my overall story. I mean, I am not really moving back there, I am just stopping by for a few hours and then come back Sunday morning..." Caroline trailed off. She could not read Klaus' expression on his face. He was listening to her but she had no idea what he was thinking.

"Will you need anything for the party? Shall I ask one of the chefs to prepare something for it?"

Caroline looked perplexed. Was that all? "No, no, thanks. So...you are okay with it?"

Klaus looked at her calmly. "I trust you, Caroline. If you say this is a night with your friend and you will be out for a few hours and then back, then why should I not be okay with it. I have agreed to tonight, haven't I?"

Caroline blushed. She had expected some kind of fight, or at least a need for a lot more explaining. Again, she was aware of how much the situation with Klaus had changed. Here she was, standing in his art studio, in the middle of the night, alone - in his house. Talking calmly about her living at his place. She trusted him too, she realized.

"Right. Well, thanks. I think. For the trust. Or the place to stay. " Caroline was babbling. She blushed even more. Quickly, she turned towards the door, almost hurrying towards it.

"I should go now, really. Good night."

"Good night, love."

Within a flash, she was in her room on the other side of the hallway, leaning against the door.

'Weird', she thought.

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The pajama party

Friday came and went rather uneventful. Caroline enjoyed spending a day at the office and she got a lot of work done. Mostly she was doing research now, and writing up instructions for the different project teams. But although this was much more boring than going out and meeting the different clubs and carnival organizations she did learn a lot and she did not regret staying in New Orleans for it.

Sandy texted her a few times, suggesting some movies they could rent. Caroline was looking forward to the night with her friend and she packed a bag with her essentials -and a few pieces as mockup in the Guesthouse room for the weekend. Rebekah took her to the mall on Saturday morning where they rented a stack of DVDs and bought wine and snacks in all varieties. Sandy had texted that she would bring pizza since she was passing a few shops on her way to the Guesthouse.

Late afternoon on Saturday, Rebekah dropped Caroline off at the Guesthouse. They unloaded the party necessities and Caroline's stuff to prepare her room to look 'lived in'. Their next stop was then to catch the cleaning staff and the reception staff at a quiet moment to make sure they only remembered Caroline staying at the Guesthouse every day from now on.

It had been her idea and Caroline was proud that she had thought of it. It made her life much easier - should Sandy ask any of her colleagues then they'd tell her that Caroline was staying at the Guesthouse and that she had just missed her.

Sandy arrived at 8pm sharp, pizza in one hand, a bottle with a colorful liquid in the other hand. She beamed at Caroline, clearly as excited about the girls' night as she was.

"Hello girlfriend - it's party time! I hope you like your pizza with everything - I couldn't decide so I just let them throw on it whatever they had!" Sandy laughed. "And - I got a special aperitif for us as well, courtesy of L'Abattoir, the best club in town."

"Come in! Pizza is always good - no matter what is on it. I bought wine - red and white. Shall we start with that first?"

"Oh no, no no no, I promised Thierry we would try the drink. You see, apparently it's this new super cocktail they gonna start serving next month. And we are the first ones to try it. And I promised we would try and I would text him how we like it. And if anything is missing."

"Huh. Okay. Well, I never say no to cocktails. But no texting Thierry - we agreed on a girl's night, no boys allowed, not in person and not virtual!"

"I must text him. I promised him."

Caroline laughed. Sandy looked dead serious, almost scared of the prospect of not being able to text Thierry. "I am sure he'll survive if you tell him tomorrow, no? Come on, get comfy, and let's decide on the first movie. Maybe a classic? Breakfast club? or Sweet Sixteen?"

Sandy threw off her shoes and walked to Caroline's little sideboard, where she had put on the snacks and bottles and glasses. Grabbing two glasses she filled them to the brink with the greenish liquid from her bottle.

"First - here is your cocktail. Seriously, I promised we would try."

Caroline looked slightly worried by how obsessed her friend seemed. Taking a glass she watched Sandy down her glass in one go.

"I have no idea why it's green but it tastes a lot like peach. Like Bellini, maybe," Sandy said.

Caroline sipped from her glass. 'Not bad', she thought. 'But if that is supposed to be a new and funky cocktail then they really have to keep trying'.

"So, you did see Thierry then, yesterday?" Caroline asked.

"No, he had to work. Why?"

"I thought maybe because he gave you the bottle."

"Oh no, he gave that to me on Thursday. He called me after our night out and I went by his place for a goodnight-drink. And then he mixed me that bottle and I promised to bring it tonight and that we would try and tell him what is missing. To be honest, I think it's missing a lot - it's a bit boring, no? Do you mind if I tell him that you said its boring? I don't want to hurt his feelings, you know? Because he mixed it?"

Caroline laughed out loud. "Sure, tell him I said that. And actually, I do say it - it's a bit boring. Here, I am done. But I think I'll rather continue with wine, I'm not the biggest fan of peach."

Sandy laughed, getting out her phone to text Thierry.

Caroline dropped the empty glasses on the sideboard, returning with the wine and a box of pizza.

"He called you Thursday after our night out?"

"Yes"

"So... how was it? I mean, you went to his place...what happened?" Caroline raised her eyebrows slyly.

"Oh, well, we had a drink. And he told me about the cocktail."

"And what else?"

"I don't know. Nothing really, I think. I don't really remember. I remember he called me but with all the wine we had that evening I don't remember much else."

Caroline looked alarmed. "But he did not ...hurt you, right? Or force you to anything?"

Sandy looked at her friend, first shocked, then bursting out with laughter. "Forcing me? God, that was good, Caroline! I basically had to throw myself at him the first few dates, don't you remember? He will not need to force me to anything, believe me. But no, sadly enough - we did not do anything where he could hurt me, if you know what I mean. " Grabbing a slice of pizza, Sandy thumbed through the DVDs. "Oooooh, can we start with Pretty Woman? I love that movie!"

The girls started watching the movie, munching on the pizza and snacks and constantly chatting. They both had seen the movie hundreds of times, a bit of a chat would not distract them.

Caroline felt hot and she got up to open the balcony doors. She wavered slightly on her feet and she suddenly felt nauseous. 'What the...I only had a few sips of wine so far, there's no way that'll have an effect on me already.'

Returning to the bed, she felt herself starting to sweat.

"Caroline, are you okay? You are really pale and I think you are staggering. Did you start drinking without me, or what?" Sandy looked worried.

"No, I didn't. I only had a few sips of wine, and the peach stuff earlier. But I have a really high tolerance, I cannot be drunk from this. I feel...weird. My skin hurts and my vision is a bit blurry."

Sandy paused the movie, looking at her friend. "Do you want to lie down?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think I will lie down a bit. But we can keep the movie on, seriously, I am sure it's over in a second..." Caroline swayed, sitting on her bed. She felt as if she had felt like this before but she could not remember when or why.

"I think I should call Thierry. You really do not look good."

"It's alright, I will feel better in a second. And Thierry is not a doctor, is he? So I think he'd be no help anyway."

"No, he is not a doctor but he told me to call him immediately should I need anything tonight. So I should call him. He said he'd be with Marcel all evening. "

"There's no need to call Thierry, really, Sandy. If I don't feel better in a little bit then I can always call Rebekah to get something for a pharmacist or something."

"I have to call Thierry, Caroline, he said I should call only him."

Caroline looked confused at her friend. She felt dizzy and really weak but there was no mistaking - Sandy was becoming hysteric.

"Sandy, calm down. And put your phone away. What's going on with you? Why are you so obsessed with calling Thierry?" Caroline grabbed the phone from her friend.

Sandy was crying now, walking around in the room and replying loudly with a high-pitched voice. "He told me to call him if I need anything. I must call him. Give me my phone!"

Caroline was hurting from head to toe now, her skin felt as if something was crawling around underneath and she felt like she had 120 degrees. She got scared. Why was Sandy acting so weird? It was as if she had been compelled, no question, but why would Thierry compel her to call him? This did not make any sense.

Out of nowhere, Sandy started yelling loudly. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Caroline snapped her eyes open. Klaus was leaning over her, his hand on her forehead.

"How did you...?"

"The balcony. I was in the area and heard your argument."

Sandy had stopped yelling but was staring shocked at Klaus. "How did he, how did he...where did he come from? Oh my god, he just appeared out of thin air..." Sandy gasped.

Klaus, looking intently at Caroline and feeling her pulse, rolled his eyes. He flashed to where Sandy was leaning, pinning her against the wall. "You will stop screaming now. In fact, you will stop talking altogether until I tell you otherwise."

Sandy closed her mouth, not a further word coming out of it.

Klaus looked around the room and grabbed the bottle with the greenish liquid, standing on the sideboard. He sniffed at it and looked curiously at Caroline. "Caroline, where did you get this?"

"It's Sandy's. Apparently, it's a new cocktail they want to serve at Abattoirs and Thierry wanted us to try it first, for feedback. It's not that great though."

"You did not taste anything?"

"Lots of peach, why?"

"It smells of wolf."

Caroline gasped. Wolf. Venom. That's where she knew the sick feeling from. She had werewolf venom in her system. Shit.

"What? But... Sandy got it from Thierry and... it doesn't make sense, why..."

Klaus didn't let her finish. Within a second he was at her side again, biting down hard on his wrist. Offering her his arm, he sat down next to her on the bed. "I'll make sure to ask your friend about it. But first you have to drink. You seemed to have gotten quite the dose, you really look not well. I guess you could not smell it because you are not a wolf. Werewolf venom is hidden rather well in drinks, I must say."

Caroline looked at the two blood drops forming on Klaus' wrist. Taking his wrist to her mouth, she closed her eyes. 'Werewolf venom. What if Klaus wouldn't have been lurking outside? I would die now.'

Shuddering, Caroline kept drinking for a few more seconds, before dropping Klaus' arm. "Thanks," she said with a small voice. She felt exhausted.

Klaus had flashed over to Sandy already, leaning in on her again.

"Why did you give Caroline werewolf venom to drink?" he compelled her.

"It is a new cocktail. The cocktail will be served for the first time next month but because we are trustworthy we got to try it first. And we have to try it first before we disturb our taste buds with something else. And I have to give feedback on how we like it."

"Who gave you the cocktail?"

"Thierry."

"What else did he want you do tonight?"

"Nothing. Thierry said I should have a great night and he hopes we have fun. And if we need anything at all I should call him. He will be with Marcel and he will be there immediately. I must call him, Caroline is not feeling well so I must call him."

"He compelled her, didn't he?" Caroline asked quietly. She felt better, her dizziness subsided but she was feeling very weak. The situation started to dawn on her. Her friend had been compelled. She had put her friend in danger by playing these games, hadn't she?

Klaus looked very angry and for a second, Caroline was scared he would hurt Sandy. But the hybrid surprised her.

"Sandrine, look at me. You did well. You brought the cocktail and you and your friend Caroline drank the whole bottle. And you liked it, although it tasted a lot of peach and you do not like peach. Neither does Caroline. But nothing happened. You got very tired and you wanted to go to bed. So you said goodbye to your friend and you went home. You will go home now, Sandrine, and you never saw me here. It was only Caroline and yourself. You had a great night but now you will go."

Sandy blinked. Yawning, she grabbed her coat off the chair where she had thrown it. Waving at Caroline, she turned towards the door. "I am so tired Caroline, I think I will head home. We should do this another time again though, I had a great night."

With that, she turned and was out the door. Klaus stared at the closed door for a few seconds before turning around to Caroline again. The anger had returned to his face.

"We are leaving. Before any more surprises surface."

Before Caroline could even reply, Klaus had swooped her up in his arms and was out the door. His car was a few blocks away, hidden in a five storey car park.

"You heard me from here?" Caroline asked surprised.

"No. I was outside your house, enjoying an evening stroll."

"Oh."

They didn't say anything else. Klaus drove (too fast) to the plantation and Caroline closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. She was exhausted, although it was not even 10pm yet. Her whole body still hurt but the fever was gone.

'I will never again say anything against Klaus lurking around in the shadows, when I am out in New Orleans,' she thought groggily.

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Sometime during the drive Caroline had drifted off to sleep and she did not wake when they arrived at the plantation. Klaus must have carried her in because when Caroline woke again, she was resting on one of the chesterfield couches in Klaus' studio. On the floor besides here was a decanter with blood and two glasses. Klaus was sitting in one of the armchairs across from her, book in his lap but staring into the fire in the fireplace, deep in thoughts.

"Have I been asleep for long?" Caroline asked.

Klaus turned his gaze towards her, watching her. "Maybe an hour. It's past 11 now. You were exhausted, it's quite normal after being poisoned. Have some blood, it will make you feel better."

Caroline grabbed the glass, but only took a sip. She watched Klaus staring at her.

"It doesn't make any sense, does it? The werewolf venom? The cocktail? Why would Thierry want me to drink werewolf venom? He knows it's deadly, he knows only you have the cure. So if only you have the cure, why would he want Sandy to call him instead of you? And why would Marcel work so hard convincing me to trust him and then he would poison me?"

"I don't think he wanted to poison you. I have been thinking about it since we got back and I believe it has been a test. Marcel may have not believed you as much as you thought he did, when you met him the last two times. You could have let Sandy call Thierry, and then put your fate in Marcel's hands. Either he would beg me to help you - or he would not. I'd say it's clear that you have failed that test miserably."

"What, why?"

"I wasn't supposed to be there, now, was I? And you are not supposed to trust me enough to call me for help. So you being alive, without calling Marcel first, means you failed his test."

"Oh."

They returned to silence. Klaus turned his gaze back to the fire and Caroline took another sip from the blood, sneaking a look at Klaus here and then. He didn't seem angry anymore, just deep in thoughts.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"I was thinking about the werewolf venom, love. Marcel doesn't like werewolves, he was the main force behind wiping out the werewolf population in the area. So this wolf must be the one he was talking about with Thierry, when you listened to their conversation. The one they caught. But as you just said, I am the only one they cannot threat with a werewolf. Why is there a werewolf in play?"

Before Caroline could reply to this, they heard commotion in the house.

"Nik?" Caroline could hear Rebekah come up the stairs. "Is Caroline with you?"

"We are in the studio, sis." Klaus murmured. He turned his eyes to the door just in time to see the blonde Original come in, followed by Stefan.

'Huh. They must have been out together', Caroline thought. 'Interesting.'

"Care, how are you?" Stefan asked. They both said down on the other Chesterfield, looking intently at Caroline.

"Fine, I'm fine. How do you know about it though?"

"Know about what?" Stefan asked confused.

"The venom?"

"Venom?"

Everybody looked confused now. Caroline, because apparently both Rebekah and Stefan had been worried about her without actually knowing that something had happened, and Rebekah and Stefan because they had not heard about the werewolf venom yet.

"Thierry compelled Sandy to give Caroline werewolf venom to drink, I gave her my blood, we came here so she could get some rest." Klaus summarized with a bored tone in his voice.

"So you killed Sandy?" Rebekah asked incredulous. "Despite knowing she was compelled?"

Caroline thought she could see a hint of hurt on Klaus' face. But it was gone so quickly, she was not sure. "I did not kill Sandy - of course I knew she was compelled. I compelled her to forget and sent her home."

"Then Thierry killed Sandy?" Rebekah asked, looking at Caroline now.

Caroline was still confused. "Nobody killed Sandy, she brought a bottle with a cocktail, or so she thought, we drank it, it was poisoned, she freaked out and Klaus compelled her. And then she said goodbye and went home. And we came here. Thierry and Marcel don't know anything yet."

Klaus looked at her pitying. "Love, I don't think that's what Rebekah meant. "

"Huh?"

Stefan cleared his throat. "Care, look... Rebekah and I were out for a drink and when we drove back along the alley to the plantation, we saw Sandy."

He paused, putting his hand on hers.

"She's dead, Care."

Caroline looked from one vampire to another. "What?"

"Somebody snapped her neck, Caroline, and since it wasn't my brother I guess it must have been Thierry. They probably know that something went against their plan and they must have found out that Sandy was compelled. And since she was pretty much dropped on our doorstep they must know you are here..." Rebekah said.

Caroline felt numb. This could not be happening. Sandy was dead. Her friend Sandy, who never had anything to do with vampires before she arrived in town. Who wouldn't have been compelled if it weren't for her. Who wouldn't be dead if it weren't for her.

Caroline started sobbing, quickly turning into a quivering mess. "This is my fault..." she sniffed. Stefan looked at Rebekah worryingly.

"This is not your fault, Care, you didn't do anything. This is all Thiery's and Marcel's fault. They are the ones who compelled her first and who made her do things she didn't want to do. They are the ones who killed her."

"It is all because of me. She died because she was my friend. The only reason they killed her was to hurt me, because I failed their test, because I ..." Caroline sobbed.

She felt a hand on her hair, combing through it strand by strand. Only when he started murmuring did she realize that it was Klaus' hand.

"It is not your fault, Love. You couldn't know this would happen. She was compelled, she had forgotten, there was no reason to kill her. They only killed her because they wanted to and that is not your fault. "

Caroline kept crying for quite a while before her tears stopped flowing like a stream and she only sniffed a bit. She felt exhausted, even more than when she had been poisoned a few hours ago. Everything was numb inside of her, and her thoughts only circled around Sandy and how her friend had been in such hysterics about calling Thierry. Had this really only been a few hours ago?

"You need to get some rest, Care. You will see, everything looks less bleak tomorrow." Stefan was still sitting on the other Chesterfield and Caroline realized that she was snuggled against Klaus' shoulder. There was a large wet stain on his shirt witness to her tears.

"Rebekah is heating you some milk, that will help you sleep?" Stefan kept talking.

"I don't want milk, thanks. I want to turn back time. I wish I would have never come to New Orleans. Sandy would be still alive if I would have just stayed at Whitmore College. I wish I could just forget everything..." Caroline sobbed again.

She felt herself being picked up. Peeking through her tears, she saw the stubble on Klaus' chin inches from her and she felt that he carried her across the room. Stefan followed on their heels. Klaus carried Caroline to her room and flicked on the lights with one finger. From the way he carried her she may have been light as a feather. He drew back her covers and put her in her bed, covering her again with sheets. Turning on the little light on her nightstand, he sat down onto the edge of her bed.

Caroline leaned back against her pillows, looking from Stefan to Klaus and back again. They both looked at her worriedly.

"Shall I get you anything else, Care? If you don't want milk, maybe some blood?"

"No." Caroline closed her eyes. "I want to forget. That's the only thing I want."

Klaus nodded slightly at Stefan. "From what I can hear, Rebekah is not only heating up some milk, she is fixing a platter of what not. Tell her she shouldn't bother will you? I'll be down in a minute as well, we need to fill in Elijah when he comes home."

Stefan looked quickly from Caroline to Klaus but he just nodded. He left the room quietly.

Caroline still had her eyes closed but she could feel Stefan leaving the room. Klaus was still perched on her bed.

"It may seem like the worst moment to you right now Caroline but believe me, it will be better by tomorrow. I promise. And give it some time and you will not feel the hurt anymore." Klaus said quietly. "There's so much in the world to see and you have so much time, Caroline. You will forget about her."

Caroline opened her eyes and sat up again. She returned Klaus' gaze. "I don't meant that I want to forget Sandy. I want to forget the guilt. It is my fault, no matter what you say, Klaus."

"It is not your fault, love. And the feeling of guilt will go away once you had some time to process it."

Caroline didn't reply, she only looked at him.

"You should get some rest, it's been only a few hours since you had been poisoned. You are confused. And you are hurt. It'll all look different tomorrow. Do you need anything else? I will be downstairs but I'll hear you if you need anything, just call."

Caroline was still looking at Klaus. At one point, the numbness in her body had reached her brain and she wasn't able to form any coherent thought anymore. She was exhausted, he was right. And confused. And hurt. But she was also sad, and she felt lonely, and she felt a sense of despair.

Propping herself up on her hands, she inched closer to Klaus. For a split second, she could see the surprise on his face but then she was too close to see anything. She closed her eyes - and met his lips with hers.

Caroline moved her lips softly against his. She felt the stubble on his chin and although it always looked so scratchy it was actually kind of soft. She put one hand on his shoulder, only slightly holding on to him. It took Klaus a second to catch up but then she felt his lips move against hers. She smiled, opening her mouth slightly and teasing his lips with her tongue. He didn't hesitate and once Caroline realized that he was, in fact, more than happy to accommodate her, she held faster to his shoulder, moving her hand behind his neck and toying with is hair.

The kiss quickly grew more passionate and all softness was gone. Caroline leaned in closer, pressing her upper body against Klaus and moving her second arm behind his neck. Klaus' right hand rested lightly on her hip while he steadied himself with his left on the bed.

Caroline felt lightheaded. Her mind was blank and there wasn't a single thought in her head but she felt warm and alive and...she needed more. This was perfect.

She moved her right hand from his neck and trailed down the front of his shirt. Reaching the hem, she picked it up and slipped her hand underneath. She felt Klaus shudder and she replied with another smile and by deepening the kiss.

Klaus felt like he was dreaming. Was he dreaming?

His voice interrupted both of them, sounding breathless. "Love, are you sure this is what you want?"

Caroline frowned. What was he talking about? And why was he talking now at all?

"Does it matter what I want? I want to forget and right now I think I have forgotten everything." She moved her hand across his stomach, dragging the hem of his shirt up with her hand. Bringing her second hand for assistance, Caroline grabbed the shirt with both hands and pulled it over Klaus' head.

Immediately leaning in to continue the kiss, Caroline was confused when she felt Klaus draw back slightly. Putting both of his hands on her shoulders, he held her steady, drawing in a deep breath while leaning his forehead against hers.

"Caroline, you have been poisoned. Deadly, I must add. You just lost a friend. You are not in your right mind. I will get you some B+ and a glass of water and you will rest for a few minutes. " Klaus kissed her lightly on her forehead, getting up from the bed.

Caroline stared at him, not understanding a word he was saying.

"I'm back in a few minutes and if you then still want to take off my clothes then by all means, I won't stop you. But I have waited too long for this to have it being ruined by any regrets you may have tomorrow if you are not sure about what you are doing."

Klaus left the room without waiting for a reply. He paused at the top of the stairs for a second, pulling his shirt back over his head. He still felt breathless - and shocked. Did this really just happen? Did Caroline kiss him? Did Caroline...did she want this? Did she want him?

Like in trance, he moved slowly down the stairs, listening to voices. Rebekah and Stefan were talking in the sitting room and he could feel his brother's presence as well. So Elijah had returned. His brother had been playing babysitter for the pregnant wolf lately and apparently, he had brought her back after a day out in the country. He could hear Hayley's heartbeat on the first floor. A wave of gratitude towards Elijah ebbed through Klaus. Elijah must have been looking for Klaus when he returned and he must have known better than to disturb. He was always looking out for him, it seems.

Without entering the sitting room, Klaus went to the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag and a bottle of Evian from the fridge. Walking up the stairs he heard the voices pause. Apparently they had heard him in the kitchen.

Getting closer to Caroline's room, Klaus felt an unusual emotion. Nervousness.

Easing open the door, he immediately stopped in his tracks. Looking like an angel, Caroline was lying in her bad, blonde waves covering her pillows, sleeping.

He quietly put down the blood and the water on her nightstand and then leaned against the door, watching her.

He was a thousand years old but even if he would turn 5000, he would never forget what it had felt like to be kissed by Caroline Forbes for the first time.

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Puh. That was HARD WORK! I think you will have to wait a long time for any sex scene - I suck at writing this, clearly. I hope the kiss was not off-putting, I was trying my best to make it sound as good as it probably would be.

Now, what do you think? Let me know!

PS. I promise some more Rebekah and Stefan action in the upcoming chapter, and then we will finally get to Caroline's gift for Klaus - I hope you did not forget about that ;-)

Thank you so so so much for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing!