An unexpected sight greeted me as I left the house for school: Klaus, standing at the top of our front walkway, just below the porch.

"Good morning," he greeted me.

"Hi. What are you doing here? I can't hang out with you today; I have school."

"I know. I happened to be nearby and I need to head downtown. Since you will be heading in that direction for the school, I thought it made sense that we'd walk together."

"Yea right," I said with a look. I wasn't buying his tale. "I don't need an escort from home to school, Klaus."

"I know; but seeing you in the morning is a wonderful way to begin my day." I rolled my eyes at his cheesy form of flattery and walked past him, heading to school. "I enjoy spending time with you, and this is me trying to do more of that."

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with antagonizing Caroline?"

"None at all. That's an added bonus."

"I really don't need protecting as I walk to school." Klaus opened his mouth to respond, but I spoke again, first. "Don't pretend that that isn't what you're doing here."

"There's no reason for this to upset you, love. There is nothing going on here to impose on either one of us. You need to walk to school; I enjoy a good stroll through town. I enjoy spending time with you, and you can't get enough of me," he spoke with his usual smirk.

"Is that so?" I asked, sarcastically, with a laugh.

Klaus was there, leaning against one of the trees outside of Mystic High when I left as school let out.

"I'm beginning to see the pointlessness of complaining; if I don't want you to walk with me, you'll just follow behind."

"You learn quickly," Klaus said as he pushed himself off the tree and walked alongside me.

"No, I've just realized how little you listen. And I know you'll only stop doing something when you want to, not when anyone else wants it to stop."

"It's part of my old-fashioned charm. As is courtship." I looked away from Klaus as he brought up courtship again. I watched the sidewalk pass underneath my feet as I walked.

He spoke again. "I know you're not pleased that I'm here. And I know you feel as though I'm only doing this to protect you, but you're wrong. I am trying to protect you; I will always protect you — don't even doubt that. But I enjoy these moments we get to spend together. Especially when we're alone. If we go to your house, there's a chance that Caroline will yell at us. Or yell at me. If we go to the Grill, that blonde busboy will spend the entire time glaring at us. Not that I mind the yelling or the glaring, but I know you don't enjoy it. And I don't want to be responsible for causing a rift between you and your cousin."

"Thank you. There's always your house."

Klaus shook his head no. "If we go there, there's a chance I'd have to share you with Rebekah. And I'd rather have you all to myself."

"You don't always get what you want."

"I usually do. Eventually." I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.

We had walked a few more blocks in silence. When the silence was broken, it was because of Klaus. He took a deep breath before he began, and when I heard in his voice was something I never could have imagined would come from the Original Hybrid.

"I'm sorry, Riley."

I had to admit: I was surprised to hear Klaus say it so blatantly. I stopped walking, but I didn't say a word; I'm sure the expression on my face expressed my confusion better than words anyway.

He continued. "I apologize for my actions regarding you and the humans, for that whole 'incident'…"

He trailed off, and I swallowed back the lump in my throat. Klaus's eyes burned into mine, watching my every move. He sighed after a few moments. "You're possibly the only person in this town, outside of my family, who I would never want to hurt. I am truly sorry."

I looked down at my shoes, pressing my lips together. Klaus's eyes never left mine, even as I looked away.

"You don't have to apologize, Klaus. We've moved past it."

"I know, but I realized that I never did say that I was sorry. And I want you to know that I am. I am sorry."

I raised my eyes up to meet his. "I'm not sure what you want me to say."

Klaus toed at the sidewalk for a few moments before looking up at me with a huge grin. "You know, the courtship concept would be a lot easier for both of us if you just admitted the truth."

His sudden switch from apologetic to jovial sort of threw me. "What truth would that be?"

"That you find me attractive."

I rolled my eyes. "No."

"No you won't admit it?"

"No, I won't boost your ego. You know you're good looking; you don't need me to confirm that."

Klaus laughed. "So you are attracted to me." He stated it; he wasn't asking.

I scoffed but began walking home again. I was uncomfortable with how the conversation changed from him being attractive to me being attracted to him.

"Don't feel embarrassed, love. You're not the first person to be attracted to me, I assure you."

I rolled my eyes again and shook my head, but I didn't slow down.

I left Klaus with his delusions of me being attracted to him on the front porch. I went in the house and straight to my room. I saw him watching me through the window of the door.

I didn't stay at home long; I dropped my bag onto the chair at my desk and sent a quick text C and Aunt Liz, letting them know I was going out.

At school, Rebekah had invited me over to spend the afternoon together. And that was where I quickly found myself: at the front door of the Mikaelson mansion. I rang the doorbell and Klaus answered the door.

He leaned against the inside doorframe. "You just cannot get the enough of me, can you love?"

"Sorry to bruise that massive ego of yours, but I'm actually here to see Rebekah," I replied as I pushed the door open even further and side-stepped him.

"You don't have to make up excuses."

I scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."

"It's not flattery if it's true."

Before I could respond, Rebekah spoke. "Just some girl chat, dear brother," she said from the top of the stairs. "Nothing that would interest you."

"I doubt that," Klaus said as I started walking up the staircase.

"Too bad," I told him, over my shoulder.

Rebekah and I went to her room. In it, she had a table set up with two chairs, one on either side of it. The top of the table was half-covered with bottles of nail polish. I halted my steps when I saw two women standing near the far wall.

What is going on?

"Oh, relax," Rebekah said as she sat down in one of the chairs at the table. "They're nail technicians."

"Nail 'technicians'?" I said with a laugh.

"Yes. I thought we could use some pampering. I thought some manis and pedis were due to us." The nail technicians came over to the table, apparently ready to work.

"I can paint my own nails, thank you" I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Do they really need to be here?"

"Must you always take the fun out of everything, Riley?" I glared at her, but didn't move or speak. "Fine." She turned to face the technicians. "Be gone." Once they were out of the room, I sat down in the other chair at the table.

I grabbed a bottle of nail polish, a dark purple. "I'm only painting my fingernails. My toenails are just fine."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. She let out a huff and grabbed a bottle of light pink nail polish.

As she began to open the bottle, I thought of something. "Is the point of this for us to paint each other's nails?"

"No. The point was for the technicians to paint our nails. But if you want." She handed the light pink nail polish to me. "Have at it."

"I don't want to, Bekah," I said as I took the bottle of polish from her. "But I will. You were kind enough to arrange all of this, and then I made you get rid of them before you had any pampering."

She smiled as I opened the polish. I had put the first coat on three nails before Rebekah spoke. "Ri, how are things with you and Nik?"

" 'Things'? What do you mean?" I asked, not looking up from her nails.

"You two have been spending a lot of time together lately."

I shrugged. "Yea, we've been hanging out occasionally."

" 'Hanging out'?" Rebekah asked as I began painting her other hand. "No. Don't lie to me, Ri. And don't think I didn't see him at the school today. Twice."

"He being annoying and overprotective."

"That's how he is, Ri. Nik does what he has to do, regardless of what people think."

"Well, he should take other people's opinions into consideration."

"Don't waste your breath telling him that. He'd rather have you safe and angry with him than dead but having made your own choices," she said as I finished painting her nails. "You're right: he doesn't respect choices; but he does keep those he cares about alive."

When I didn't speak, she continued. "I wish you would talk to me."

"I don't think I can," I said with a sigh. "Speak to you," I clarified. "About him."

"Why? Because I'm his sister?"

"Yes. Because you're his sister and you are also my friend. And I'm not sure you can separate the two. And I don't expect you to."

"Maybe I can." I raised my eyebrow at her. "Or maybe 'separate' is not the appropriate term. I may not be able to stop being his sister because I'm hanging out with my friend, but being close to both of you gives me a unique vantage point. I know Nik, but I also know you, Ri."

I was unsure of how to respond to that. Rebekah inspected her nails. "All right, I think they're dry. Let me paint your nails now," she said as she outstretched her hand. I gave the bottle of dark purple nail polish to her.

Happy Halloween, to those who celebrate.