Thank you to Delena and Klaroline Forever, L, melyna1864, Crazygirl8234, Lisolotte, meagainpauline (x2), vampire-hybrid, Guest, Guest, chillwithJyl, shadow74, shadowfaxangel, featherwing25, Kat7CA, Garota, Trich, Bell16, Mintylove-Kristina, elijahlover, Clara, InueGnome17, KlausxCaroline14, Guest, Anneliese, ZZGA, LorenaLaufey (x2), deceptivedecadence, Lazerlicious, BiancaR, I Love All TVD Books Klaroline, xx-MissM-xx, lilylulurose, pinkpanda07, TaylorMikaelson, angelvboo, BlueJean452, and PsychVamp for reviewing!

Just to clarify something regarding Caroline knowing Katherine, Caroline does not have any memory of Katherine before she 'met' her with Pearl and Anna. Katherine, for reasons which you will find out, has not told our dear Care a thing (that doesn't mean she isn't nasty to her though.) Anyways, I hope that makes sense!

I just want to apologize for the longer wait for this chapter; I was on a school trip with no access to technology. Anyways, I hope this makes up for it.

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.

Chapter 2

Shadow Man

Dover, England 1560

Klaus stared at the woman across from him, watching her almost Orient features as they revealed nothing to him. Pearl was a young vampire in comparison to himself and they both knew it. Any other given day, Klaus would have boasted on it, thrived on it. He would have intimidated her and forced her into doing his bidding, as was his nature and, dare he say it, right as an Original.

But today was not such a day. Today, he begged because today he would lose the one thing that meant most to him in the world, the one thing that made him almost human. Caroline, his Caroline.

His gaze suddenly drifted to the blonde vampire in question, looking at where she lay unconscious on the sofa across from him. He watched the subconscious rise and fall of her chest with a heartbreaking intensity. His chest ached deeply as his eyes scanned over her. What else can I do?

What else is there?

Who else is there?

His black heart shattered.

Turning his eyes back to Pearl's, he kept his gaze cool, finally locking down on his emotions.

"I must ask this is of you, what say you?" The younger vampire, Anna, glanced to her mother as she clutched the older woman's hand with a tight grip.

A moment of silence and then Pearl nodded. "I will care for the girl as I care for my own daughter." She stated, meeting his sharp eyes with her own, a serious look upon her face.

"Thank you." He said quietly. "I trust you know what I must do next? It is for her safety… and yours." A look of uncertainty passed her face for only a minute before she once again nodded.

"I do, m'Lord Niklaus." Klaus stood from his perch on the hard-backed chair and approached the pair.

"Which one of you will go first?" He asked, looking at them steadily.

"My daughter, m'lord. I must be assured that she will be alright." Klaus glanced at her briefly, as if questioning her loyalty. Any other time, the look would have quaked her in her seat. As it was Klaus was simply… drained. It was as if all of his emotion was wiped off the page and he had become a book without words. Empty. Unfeeling. Alone.

"Very well." Klaus crouched and gripped Anna by her shoulders. His pupils widened and immediately her face adopted a dreamy expression. As he compelled a vampire for the second time that day, Klaus could feel the black hole inside hime widening and eating at his already blood-soaked soul. When it was done, Anna fell sideways in an unconscious state, following his command to 'fall asleep'. He then faced Pearl and began anew, forcing his mind into hers, working his compulsion. As she too fell unconscious, Klaus stood once more and beckoned his lackeys to come forward.

"Grab those two and bring them to the carriage. You will bring them to Paris as fast as possible, keep them under vervain in the meantime so they do not awake in panic…" He glared at the three younger vampires with utter menace. "If you harm either of them, I will not be so merciful as to end your pitiful lives with stakes." Looking properly frightened, two of men went to pick up Anna and Pearl as the third stood to the side of the room, awaiting orders.

Labelling the third as insignificant, Klaus turned and crouched before her, his love, his Caroline. He gazed silently upon her and feeling came back… horrible feeling, pain and hurt and an undying love. He raised his hand and ran his thumb lightly down her cheek, pausing at her lower lip. He leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss to forehead, trying to enjoy this last moment with her. He was surprised to feel a burning behind his eyes, his throat tight. Then, abruptly, Klaus stood and he once again faced the other man in the room.

"Take her, as well and do as the others did... Only, if I find out she had been hurt, I can promise you that there will be nowhere you can hide from me." His commanding turned gruff and cold, as he glared at the other man. He tried in vain to ignore the anger and jealously as he watched the man pick up his blond angel and carry her out the door.

It was when the door closed that Klaus shut out his feelings to world once and for all.

Mystic Falls, 2010

Caroline walked around aimlessly, the blackness around her taking away all her senses. All that was left was herself and the man standing across from her. As she looked at him, she felt the sudden urge to reach out and wrap herself around him. But it would not happen, it had not happened in the last thousand times she had dreamt this particular tale.

Instead, they stood across from each other, forever at a state of limbo. Had Caroline been able to, she would somehow shatter the nerve-wracking limbo that came every time she closed her eyes.

'Who are you to me?' She asked the shadow man in her dreams... The one that gazed upon in her with eyes that were a shade of blue that she had never seen. His eyes were absolutely mesmerising. 'Why do I know you?'

And then as she reached out to him, wanting to touch him, finally. But then as she felt herself get sucked into his blue, blue eyes, he disappeared.

Now everything really was black.

Caroline awoke with a gasp, her heart pounding.

It was no surprise she found her heart was also yearning for him, for the blue-eyed shadow man.

Who are you?

London, England 2010

Her hand reached out to him, her angelic face one of curiosity and hope. Caroline. Beautiful Caroline. Just as she was about to touch him, she disappeared all together and Klaus found himself standing alone.

When Klaus awoke from his dream, he did not gasp or panic. No, that period had long passed, only happening the first few times he had had the dreams. Now, it was simply a part of his livelihood. There was no way to avoid them, after all, even vampires need their sleep. Sometimes he wondered if that was strictly true though, that he could do nothing about his predicament... Maybe something could be done if he kept on trying… or maybe he wanted his dreams because, without them, there was a chance that Klaus would forget what she had looked like.

He sighed. Caroline.

Klaus had vowed to himself never to forget the blonde vampire, even if he just remembered her in passing. For a long time, he had kept a watchful eye on her, one that was far away. Then, little less then century ago, she disappeared completely and his trackers lost her. She was truly gone to him and there was nothing that Klaus could, should do about it.

She was happy without him. She had to be.

There was no one else who deserved a little happiness more. Caroline was good and she had been enough throughout her life. He should know, he was the one keeping track of her before she went missing. Still, it was difficult, watching on the sidelines, never truly able of getting your one, true desire.

And he couldn't even hope to see her one day, eventually.

She didn't even know who he was, after all.

Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010

Who knew it was only a year ago that Caroline had made her new life? Caroline sure didn't. She was no longer the loner vampire that traveled from place to place looking for something that obviously didn't exist anymore. It had been nearly five centuries, how much more time could she spend? Of course, the dreams still plagued her nights, the shadow man never too far off, however, she wasn't the same person she had been only a year ago. Nope, now she was Caroline Forbes, bubby blond cheerleader currently attending Mystic Falls High School and best friend of Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennet.

The day their junior year started, Caroline walked into school with a big smile. She received several hellos from her fellow classmates as she made her way to her assigned locker. Once there, she let her mind wander, putting away her books and binders in their rightful places. She hoped she would get to see Elena soon. Her human friend had had a tough summer; she had only just lost her parents and Caroline knew that the grief must have been weighing heavily on the brunette.

Caroline was not a stranger to loss, after all.

She had barely had a chance to comfort Elena during the holiday months since both girls were separated, and, the blonde knew that sometimes such grief had to be dealt with alone. No matter, Caroline would now be there for the other girl, as much as she was needed. She wasn't about to lose her only human friends.

Seeing said girl across the corridor, she closed her locker hastily and greeted her heartily. As she smiled at her friend, Elena replied with a grin of our own, one that the vampire knew for a fact was fake. Still, she gave the girl a gentle hug in return and toned down her supposed 'dumb blonde' persona, instead opting for silent, somewhat unseen comfort.

Hopefully she could be of some help for a change.

It was later on that Caroline felt an oddly familiar presence. The feeling wasn't an ominous one or something like that, it was just… out of place. Still, she would stay on her guard, just in case. Of course, this soon changed as Caroline turned around and caught sight of someone she had not seen in years. She froze in her surprise.

Is that… Stefan? What is he doing here? He hasn't been here in almost a decade… I thought he was avoiding coming home… and now he's here? As all these thoughts flew threw her mind, she vaguely noted the awkward conversation that occurred between Elena and Stefan. In any other moment, she would have laughed at the sight but, right now, her mind was still processing the idea of Stefan being here.

A sudden happiness bubbled up into her. Stefan's here! Caroline did not have many people that she trusted implicitly or that she shared a close friendship with, but Stefan Salvatore (and yes his brother, Damon, as well, Caroline grudgingly admitted) was definitely one of them.

Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864

Caroline and Anna entered the large white house arm-in-arm, their evening dresses swishing with their movements as they made their way through the throng of people. It was another 'Founding Families' event and both girls had been told to attend by Pearl, who said they needed to keep up their appearances.

As such, the vampires mingled appropriately until eventually Caroline found herself standing alone, watching as Anna was spun around on the dance floor. Her loneliness did not last, however, when someone joined her at her side.

"I am happy not to be the only one who avoids dancing." Came a deep voice from beside her. Caroline turned to meet green eyes set in the face of smiling teenager. "I am sorry but I do not believe we have met. My name is Stefan Salvatore and, might I ask who you are?" Stefan continued to grin at her, his face open and without a sign of any other intentions other than being just plain friendly. Caroline immediately took a liking to him as she held out her own hand, smiling back at him.

"My name is Caroline Forbes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Stefan."

"So you do not know anything of your past?" Caroline nodded to Stefan's question, her face somewhat sad looking. The two of them had become fast friends. Their friendship was purely platonic but the blonde vampire had grown quite fond of her companion. It was something akin to what a family must feel like, she thought. In fact, Caroline already trusted him enough to tell him what she really was. Of course, this probably had something to do with the fact that Katherine, damn her, had already told the youngest Salvatore that vampires existed in the first place. And let's not forget the compulsion he had been put under by the devil herself, either.

It hurt Caroline to see her friend being used by the older vampire, but she could do nothing against it. Katherine was simply too strong, too cunning for her. So she tried her best to help Stefan out, show him that not all vampires were like Katherine. In the meantime, she also found herself revealing much of herself to the young man. There was something about Stefan that just made her want to talk, maybe it was the fact that he was always willing to listen.

Caroline was startled out of her thoughts when a hand gently patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry, bella." She smiled and rolled her eyes at the use of the silly nickname. "I'm sure you will eventually find something, it can't all be gone, your still here, aren't you?"

"I suppose you're right, Stefan." She looked at him with a grateful gaze. "Thank you."

Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010

Caroline smiled as memories of the Salvatore brothers filtered through her head. She wasn't ashamed to say she had missed them. They were her only contact, in the last century or so, to the vampire world. Anna and her had long been separated after Pearl… after Pearl... Despite of the fact that the Salvatores were her main connection to the outside world, she hadn't seen either brother in near a decade.

She soon saw Stefan approaching from what seemed to be the men's room. What was Elena doing there before? Caroline wondered if Stefan would notice her or if he would be too preoccupied with thoughts on the Katherine-look-a-like to do so. Yes, I've noticed those obvious looks of yours, Stef. Soon, she grew too impatient and decided to make it easier for her friend.

"Stefan!" Caroline cried happily as she ran forward to envelop the younger vampire in a crushing hug, enjoying his look of utter shock. After a brief moment's hesitation, his arms encircled her.

"Caroline?" He asked incredulously as he finally pulled away from her. "What are you doing here?" He looked so confused that the Caroline could not help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

"Same thing as you, Stef. Starting a new life and all that jazz." Her answer caused him to lift a disbelieving eyebrow before he shook his head once, a small, amused grin on his face and she simply beamed at him. During their exchange, Caroline noticed a certain brunette watching, and her smile turned mischievous. She grabbed Stefan's arm and propelled him towards Elena. He had tried to struggle initially, instinct she supposed, but he was no match for the much older vampire.

Elena looked at them with wide brown eyes, the questions she wanted to ask clear in them. She kept silent though, as they arrived to stand in front of her and Bonnie, who had the same shocked look on her face.

"Hey 'Lena, Bonnie, have met Stefan?" Caroline asked, playing dumb.

"Yes, actually, I have… Do you guys know each other?" Elena answered.

"Yeah!" Caroline said quickly before Stefan had a chance to answer. They couldn't come up with different stories; they had a cover to keep. "He and I went to the same school when I lived in Seattle." For some reason her answer seemed to cause the two girls to go even more slack-jawed. Weird. "We've been friends for a long time."

Caroline glanced at Stefan and they both grinned a bit, knowing just how long she really meant.

"Wow, that's… well, that's great!" Elena said, seeming to have gotten over whatever was bothering her. Just then the bell rang and Caroline immediately began pulling Stefan away again.

"Got to go! I have to show Stef here around, I'll see you girls later!"

Also, for those you asking about Klaus – his first appearance IN Mystic Falls will be around ch. 5 – ch. 7. That does not mean he will not be included in the actual story, however. I found one thing I loved a lot about TVD was how much suspense was put into Klaus' arrival; I hope to do something similar here ;)

So, I am aware that updates are shorter than from TLTLB, and I was wondering if I could ask you all a question. Would you rather I update more regularly with shorter chapters or somewhat less frequently with longer ones? Up to all of you :)

Next Chapter: Damon, more Klaus and Caroline finds a connection to her past.

Thanks for joining me!

RW