Before I get started, I'd like to give a quick shoutout to veganwitch for the idea of opening up an AO3 account. It turns out there's a bustling community over there that I was completely missing out on. If anyone hasn't checked it out already, I'd highly suggest you do, because it looks like it has a lot more ACTIVE Klaroline stories. Don't worry; I'm not leaving! Just crossposting.

No, no no, Caroline was not attending some stupid Senior Prank Night!

Sending Tyler another text telling him so, she tossed her phone on her bed and went right back to her history essay because she did not have time for this, darnit!

It definitely had nothing to do with avoiding him after he said he loved her.

Okay, so she did have fuzzy feelings for him, and she was really happy in this relationship, way more than any other one she'd been in, and it was definitely a relief not needing to hide all this supernatural drama from him, but wasn't it a little early for all that? Caroline was still working on the whole forgetting-what-a-meathead-stoner-he-used-to-be thing (the curse of growing up in a small town strikes again). Not to mention, they rarely got a chance to actually be a couple; it seemed like they were always either fighting for their lives or banging each other's brains out.

So, was she attached? Sure. Did she really, really care about him? Absolutely. But love? She just wasn't sure if she was there yet. Maybe she was getting cynical after all her bad luck in that department, but she couldn't help it.

Heck, most of their friends were still coming to terms with their recently public relationship. Matt had scoffed, said he knew it, and promptly removed himself from the picture (though she'd seen him talking to Tyler recently, so hopefully things would get better soon). Elena had been surprisingly on board from the start, despite having the most reason to be upset. She always was a hopeless romantic, and Caroline was sure the forbidden, newly-turned vampire/werewolf aspect of their relationship appealed to that part of her. Alaric was still just… out. Caroline couldn't really blame him. It would probably be safer for him to keep his distance. Bonnie was concerned, but they won her over with a group date to the movies, after which she declared them "kind of disgustingly cute." Stefan just asked Caroline if she knew what she was doing and promised she could always talk to him if she needed it. Damon… was Damon.

Oh, come on, Barbie, Damon ranted after her announcement to the group. He's even more of a monster than we are! Have you forgotten what he did to Jenna? I mean, sure, we all know you're shallow enough to jump in bed with any guy who looks at you the right way, but past all those rippling muscles and teen spirit charms is a wolf that would like nothing better than to rip your head off. He can't help it; it's in his blood. Just be sure to keep him on a leash, and don't come crying to me when this ends exactly the way everyone thinks it will.

Seriously, though, who cared what Damon thought?

No, not attending Senior Prank Night had nothing to do with Tyler. Caroline had goals. Responsibilities. Priorities. Homework.

But I'll bet everyone's having fun.

Caroline shook off the mental image of most of her classmates and friends gathered in the gym laughing. What she really needed tonight was for History to not be the class that screwed up her somehow-still-a-4.0 gpa, and her college admissions, and her career, and- okay, well maybe not her life, but at least a chunk of it.

… What were vampires supposed to do with eternity anyway?

Maybe I'll ask Stefan tomorrow.

Resolving to do just that, she turned back to her essay and put on her mental blinders.

This research report was going to be her bitch.

Klaus didn't particularly like going back on his word (mainly because it was more difficult to make deals when everyone expected to get stabbed in the back), but if the doppleganger needed to die to create a new race of apex predators that most likely obeyed his every whim because they owed him for all the effort he put into making their existence a possibility, that was just what was going to happen.

He knew it. Rebekah knew it. But they didn't necessarily need to know it. Yet.

He eyed the little ragtag group they'd forcibly rounded up in the science lab. The doppleganger, the Bennett witch, Stefan, and… some random quarterback. Klaus wasn't quite sure how that one fit into the equation, but the human townie had insisted on being present, and far be it from him to refuse a method of encouragement. Oh, and then there was the dead werewolf splayed across the lab table.

Ti… rell? Tiberius? Tyson? I'm sure it was Ty something. Ty…ler? Yes, that sounded right.

"Right. So here's how this is going to go. If anyone tries to leave without my express permission, Stefan will tear into the human's throat without so much as a warning. He's quite a messy eater, so let's avoid all that unpleasant cleanup, shall we?" Everyone eyed Klaus as though they wanted nothing more than to stake him, particularly Stefan.

Vampires always got so worked up about having compulsion used on them. It was delightful, really. Once the existence of the Originals had been rendered practically legend, rather than known fact, Klaus had enjoyed terrifying newer vampires with his ability to control them; in fact, watching the realization dawn on their faces as he toyed with them for hours on end had been one of his favorite forms of entertainment for the next few decades, until the novelty wore off and it simply became another tool in his arsenal.

"Why are you talking about him like you know him?" Elena asked, clinging to Stefan's arm.

Perched on a nearby desk, Rebekah sulked into the screen of her brand new iphone (part of Klaus trying to buy his way back into her good graces), refusing to so much as glance at the new couple. I know, sister. But to get our Ripper back, we'll have to wait for the opportune moment.

Still, it was a sensical question, so Klaus decided to offer some semblance of the truth."We don't have to know him to know of him. You see, there was a time where your friend here built quite the name for himself. Anyone who's stumbled across his work would remember it."

"Even Nik was impressed," Rebekah added, never taking her eyes off her phone. "Quite the work of body horror. What did they call you in the papers again? The Ripper of Monterey?"

All eyes turned to Stefan, who stared at his shoes. The witch seemed particularly taken aback.

"It was a dark time in my life," he mumbled as a half-explanation. "I don't drink from humans anymore."

Interesting. That certainly explained his weakened state. And it explained the Bennet witch's seemingly easy acceptance of him up to this point. They're only aware of this part of him. They have no idea what he's truly capable of. Klaus filed that away as something fun to address later.

Rebekah also cocked her eyebrow without ever looking up, but thankfully, said nothing other than "Good for you, I suppose."

"Enough about that. We have a transition to complete. The Bennett witch will use this," Klaus dangled the locket he'd taken from Elena's neck earlier, "to contact the Original witch and find out why my hybrids aren't transitioning. We will then use that information to save poor Tyler. I go about creating my hybrid army, you all go back to your insignificant little lives, no harm done."

"Except that Tyler either dies or turns into a vampire," the quarterback shot back. It was like the boy had no sense of self preservation. "His life will never be the same after this."

"Hybrid," Klaus corrected. "And I may very well be doing him a favor. Imagine being free of the need to turn. Free from age, disease, and petty human conventions. Being strong. Potentially becoming the second of our kind is an honor."

No one said anything for a few moments. If it weren't for those glares and the way the witch moved to position herself between the fallen wolf and the Originals, Klaus would have thought his point proven. Honestly, he couldn't understand these people even when he tried. The more he interacted with them, the more convinced he was that they were literal children incapable of simple logic.

"I thought you planned to leave for good last time." Stefan seemed to be in an extra sour mood.

"Believe it or not, I'm even less happy about my being here than you lot. So, let's cut the chat and get to business so we can all be rid of each other, shall we? I'm afraid your friend Tyler is operating on borrowed time."

As if on cue, Tyler gasped, shooting straight up on the table. His eyes were noticably bloodshot. It's beginning already, Klaus thought darkly.

"Guys?" the transitioning wolf looked at Elena, and she immediately looked away. "What's happening? I feel… wrong…"

Stefan met his questioning gaze with nothing but pity. "I'm sorry. You're in transition."

"Transition?! But didn't Klaus say-"

"We'll fix it," Bonnie said firmly, though Klaus could see the uncertainty in her stance. Regardless, he had every belief that she had now taken ownership and was completely invested.

Perfect. To be honest, Klaus hadn't been entirely sure this group would care enough for his plan to work. He'd been banking on the theory that the reason his second string of sacrifices had been forcibly freed was because they'd included Tyler-from-the-list. "You have approximately two hours before your friend's body fatally rejects my blood. In the meantime, I would highly suggest all humans keep their distance in case the usual transition bloodlust kicks in. Tick tock."

Caroline's phone kept buzzing with texts. Tyler really must have wanted her there tonight.

Maybe I'm just overthinking things like I always do, she thought to herself. Okay, sure I'm not ready for the L word, but that doesn't mean I have to treat him like he did something wrong. He's been nothing but sweet. Well, most of the time. They definitely got into little spats over the silliest things, and he needed an attitude adjustment from time to time, but they always made up later. Maybe if I finish soon, I can show up and surprise him.

With that in mind, she doubled down on her work. She had all of her quotes and research, now she just needed to put it all together. Then, she could see what the big deal was and maybe respond in person.

It seemed no one wanted to leave Tyler alone with the Originals in what may well be his last few moments. As the only vampire of the group, that meant Stefan stayed behind, as well as the quarterback, since Stefan had been compelled to keep him in sight at all times. Having decided that much, the others practically fled to different parts of the school for their lives like the lost lambs they were.

After staunchly refusing to give Tyler his phone back in case he called one of his little ex pack members for help, Klaus noticed Stefan and Matt tapping away at their own phones every few minutes or so.

"I hope this isn't some ill-advised attempt to call for reinforcements," Klaus lightly threatened. "I would hate for the night to end with unnecessary slaughter." That was kind of a lie. A more accurate statement was that most of the members present tonight were, in some way, moderately valuable to him, and he would hate for his impulses to complicate his life in the future.

"Dude, are you serious right now?" Tyler all but growled at his potential sire. "I'm literally dying."

"Technically, mate, you're already dead."

Tyler shot Klaus a look made slightly more effective by the bloody eyes (even Klaus had to admit, they were off putting).

No sense of humor whatsoever. "What can I say, it's difficult being the most powerful being alive. One must always be on the lookout for betrayal."

"Yeah, well, chill."

"... How about this? I'll just ask outright and you supply me with a concise answer; what are you both doing?"

"We're keeping his girlfriend up to date on what's happening," Stefan said. "Even you should be able to understand that."

Oh? Truthfully, Klaus hadn't thought to wonder what loved ones this little experiment might affect. But a petty high school romance didn't rank very high on his list of priorities. It would end sooner or later. Likely sooner.

"Care's going to freak out if you transition and she's not here for it," the quarterback said.

"I know. And it'll be a lot worse if I…" Tyler gulped around the truth of his position, gripping the sides of the desk until it splintered.

Seemingly curious for the first time all night, Rebekah finally looked up. "She knows about all this? Does that mean she's a wolf, too?"

"If she was, I definitely wouldn't tell you."

A rebel. Fantastic. Klaus would have his hands full with this one. On the other hand, that loyalty was quite a desirable trait in a number two.

Stefan slid his phone back into his pocket. "She's a year-old vampire who used to just be a typical teenage girl. She can't help with your hybrids, or any other schemes you might have. We don't involve her in our business unless we have to, so she had nothing to do with you, or any of this, until you dragged her boyfriend into it tonight."

What a concise way of addressing my concerns. Honestly, sometimes it was like his Ripper was still in there. Klaus decided to take Stefan's words more-or-less under advisement.

Rebekah scooted to the edge of her seat. "Wait, you're dating a vampire? Isn't that problematic?"

She was right to ask; Klaus had only run across a handful of vampire/werewolf couples, and they never ended well. Either the vampire outlived the wolf (since werewolves couldn't be turned once their gene was activated), there was some kind of accident involving wolf venom and their natural instinct to hunt vampires while transformed, or some other well-meaning wolves would kill the vampire thinking it was manipulating the wolf in some way.

Tyler simply answered his sister with a long look and the firm statement "Not unless people make it that way."

He was so young and naive. It looks like I'll have to add that to the list of things to fix.

"She must be asleep or something," the quarterback reported. "Otherwise, she'd be here. Or blowing up all our phones nonstop."

Tyler smiled to himself. "It's better this way. She'd be a complete wreck if she knew and couldn't do anything about it."

Rebekah caught Klaus' eye and he could see a softness in her face that always meant trouble for him. She was more prone to coddling whenever star crossed lovers were involved, particularly fresh after a heartbreak of her own. "Nik, surely, we could let her visit. We don't know if this will work. At the very least, she could keep an eye on him so Stefan and the human can leave the room."

Klaus let out a long sigh. He was in no mood for theatrics, so if it would pacify both his sister and the Mystic Falls locals… "Well, I suppose that if-"

"No." Tyler shook his head. "Tell her not to come, no matter what."

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked.

"You know she'd want to," the human added.

"She would, but I don't want her here for this. It sounds… bad. I don't want that to be how she remembers me."

"That's not happening. Bonnie's always come through before." The quarterback patted him on the shoulder.

Suddenly, Tyler caught his hand, eyes fixated on the human's wrist, mouth slightly agape. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed his own spit in a vain effort to combat his thirst.

Before things could escalate further, Klaus flashed between them and pushed the human away. Stefan managed to catch him. "Remember, mate, you're prey in a cage full of predators. Your friend here is literally starving, and if he feeds, both of you will end up dead, rendering this entire experiment pointless."

Tyler closed his eyes. His arms trembled. "Matt, I'm sorry, I just…"

It seemed like the quarterback was finally becoming aware of his situation. Horror dawned on his face and his heart hammered loudly. That wasn't going to help with the bloodlust or the generic predator instincts. Even Klaus rather wanted to take a bite. "N-No, it's… I get it, I think… Care told me about the cravings."

"Yeah, me, too… I never thought it would be like this, though." It was obvious to anyone who looked that Tyler actively struggled to keep himself seated. The quarterback edged even further away.

"Come here." Rebekah patted the desk next to her. "I'm one of the strongest vampires in the world, and I'm perfectly full."

The boy was smart enough to obey right away. He didn't even say a thing as she leaned against him and pulled her phone back up to do whatever it was she was doing.

Another one so soon? Klaus hoped this was simply a plaything, rather than an actual interest.

To be fair, he couldn't blame his sister for seeking comfort after watching Elena cling to her latest paramour tonight. And this was kind of his own fault, so it would probably just be best to bite his tongue and let his sister have her fun.

"Does it ever get better?" Tyler asked Stefan.

Wrong person, mate.

Predictably, the ripper avoided answering.

The poor wolf could use an ounce of hope right now. "Usually," Klaus offered. "For most vampires, control comes with age as your need for blood decreases."

"Just let your girlfriend boss you around until you get the hang of it," Stefan added. "She's the best vampire I've ever met. She won't let you turn into a monster."

Tyler seemed to relax a little. "Yeah. Okay. That… sounds about right."

This is all so ridiculous, Klaus thought, watching Stefan send yet another text and Rebekah begin a whispered conversation with the human, complete with an actual giggle.

For the first time in quite a while, Klaus remembered that he supposedly had a mate. His wolf pined for her the instant just the idea of her existence came to mind, but he would not become what he saw in front of him. Never.

He had resisted so far, and it wasn't so bad. Just like blood cravings, really, only more abstract. If he could stay away completely, he was sure it would be fine. But if he found her…

He'd come to a decision about that as soon as the shock wore off. Whoever she was, she had best pray he never laid eyes on her. He would rip her heart out the instant he realized what she was, before he was even tempted to consummate the bond. He might even drain it before tossing it aside, as an added statement to whatever powers sought to control him. His wolf would undoubtedly grieve, but then it would grow all the more vicious for the experience.

Yes, that would do nicely.

"Your training begins tomorrow," Klaus clapped his first successful hybrid on the shoulder and was rewarded with a wide smile. The witch (and some quick reverse-psychology on his part) came through. Doppleganger blood was once again the key. "For now, go see that girlfriend you've been whining about all night."

Once Tyler had gone, Klaus turned to the others. "You're all free to go, but I would like a word with my doppleganger."

The room went quiet.

"No," Stefan said, stepping protectively in front of her. "Whatever you have to say to her, you can say to me."

"Fine. Everyone else, leave the room."

The witch approached as Rebekah led the quarterback out. "If you hurt her. If you so much as lay a finger on her, I will put you down, Original or not."

She's growing feisty. "You can try. Others have for centuries, some significantly longer than others. But don't fret; I simply want a few words."

The Bennett witch glared at Klaus, then huffed and looked at Elena and Stefan. "I'll be just outside this door. Scream if anything happens."

Elena nodded.

Finally, the trio was alone.

Klaus paced the room while Stefan eyed him warily, ready to spring at a moment's notice. "Well, this does complicate matters, doesn't it?"

"How's that?" Stefan asked.

"We had a deal," Elena added.

"Yes, but you knew that there was always the possibility I would need your blood again. And now, it seems I do."

Still, the girl stood her ground. "You gave me your word. You were supposed to let us go on with our lives. In peace."

"Yes, I remember… Thus the complication." Klaus crossed his arms and mulled it over. This was one of those situations where Elijah would lecture him about morality and not being hasty. As though he still has the moral high ground. Still, he might have been useful right at that moment.

Slowly, a compromise formed in Klaus' mind.

Stefan stood in front of Elena, tense and unbreathing. It wasn't enough to counteract a thousand years of reflexes. Klaus had him against the wall in less time than it took to blink. Staring straight into widened eyes, Klaus issued a string of commands. "You will protect Elena from everything you perceive as a threat to her wellbeing, other than myself or those you know to be loyal to me, to the best of your abilities," he compelled. "You will not allow her to run from me. You will not allow her to hide from me. You will not allow others to take her from me. You will not allow her to turn into a vampire. If you so much as suspect a scheme to do so, you will intervene. Whenever and wherever I wish to see her, you will bring her to me. From here on, she is to be available at my beck and call, no matter what else may be occurring at the time."

As Stefan repeated his new role in detail, Klaus loosened his grip and surveyed his doppleganger with a satisfied smile. She trembled, whether from rage or fear, he couldn't tell. It never stopped being satisfying, having such a hold on Tatia's look-alike. A reminder of how far he'd come since his days as a weak human, mind clouded by his affections.

"Here are my expectations. You were under light protection before, but your safety is now my number one priority. You won't leave town without permission and whatever guards I see fit to assign you. Every week, I will contact you with a time and location where you will donate blood. You are to keep your health in peak condition. Other than that, our deal remains intact." Just then, Klaus remembered the witch on the other side of the door. "Oh, and any others you involve in attempting to break one of these expectations will no longer be safe. Do I make myself clear?"

Stefan swatted his hand away. "So much for your word."

"Actually, this is me keeping my word, despite the new developments. If it hadn't been for that pesky deal we made, I would already be draining your girlfriend nearly dry over and over again to begin my stockpile. A pint a week and her boyfriend as a bodyguard is nothing in comparison."

"You're a monster." Elena ran to Stefan, who found himself amusingly incapable of stepping between her and Klaus.

Klaus laughed mirthlessly. "Look around you, love. You've surrounded yourself with vampires, werewolves, and hybrids. Every one of us are monsters."

Hatred he'd not seen in quite some time burned in large, brown eyes. "My friends are more human than you'll ever be."

"And thank the gods for that."

Klaus delighted in her revulsed shudder. Yes, this one was much more fun than Katerina. What a happy coincidence she ended up being the one he kept alive.

Tyler died that night in some kind of hostage/human experiment from hell crossover event. It didn't take, thank God (actually, more like thank Bonnie) but still, he had been dead and Caroline had missed it.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Caroline cried into his chest, pressing Tyler against her mattress so hard even he and his new hybrid strength couldn't fight her off. He held her gently, rubbing soothing circles in her back.

"I'm okay, Care, really. Better, actually. I feel strong. More alive than ever."

And he felt strong beneath her. His heart beat a little slower, and something about his scent was a bit more dangerous, but it was still him. He watched her with warm, brown eyes that hadn't changed a bit. He was seriously cute when he wasn't being a stereotype. "What about the cravings? Is it really bad? It was really, really bad for me at first."

He shook his head. "It was until I drank Elena's blood, but then it was like I could take it or leave it. Klaus says ever since he unlocked his werewolf side, he can more or less take his pick between normal food or blood; doing both just gives him more power. Blood apparently helps him heal a lot faster. Oh, and I guess after literally a thousand years, it's kind of hard to give up…"

"Lucky," Caroline whispered, mostly to herself as he wiped her wet cheeks with his already ruined shirt. But she still couldn't shake her misgivings. Does this mean Klaus is like your supernatural mentor now? Because it kind of sounds like it. That couldn't be a good thing.

"I know, right? I'm telling you, this is good. And he was actually pretty nice to me during the transition. Maybe he's not such a bad guy?"

I knew it. Caroline gave him a shove. "Klaus used you as a guinea pig! He wiped out an entire pack before you, Tyler! A whole pack! Oh, and before that, he tried to sacrifice us! Both of us! You only lived tonight because Bonnie worked hard and everyone got lucky! Don't even think for a second that you owe that psychopath anything!"

Tyler was silent for a while, but he didn't have to say anything to help her calm down. Just having him there helped. Caroline curled into his chest and he rubbed her back again. "Did I really scare you that bad?" he asked quietly.

"Mm-hmm." Between the texts from everyone, mainly Stefan and Matt, Caroline had gotten enough updates to seriously wonder whether she would even still have a boyfriend in the morning. They hadn't tried to sugarcoat it. She'd almost rushed off there herself, but they universally warned her away, saying that Klaus was basically keeping everyone in lockdown, that he was threatening them, and Tyler specifically didn't want her in danger. "... I wanted to be there. As soon as I heard, I should have gone, no matter what anyone said. What if I never saw you again? What if you didn't-"

"Ssh." Tyler cut her off with a sweet shush, the kind a patient parent might give a small child, stroking her hair out of her face. "I'm here now, okay? Quit spazzing. It's over."

"... Okay." Caroline nodded. With a deep breath, she forced herself to meet his gaze and practically whispered the thing she should have said before. "I love you." I don't know what I would have done if I lost you.

"You…" A sweet smile followed his initial surprise. They kissed again.

As usual, always actually, kissing led to making out, and making out led to clothes coming off, and Caroline wasn't sure if it was the near-death experience, or both of them dropping the L word, or his new hybrid status, but God the sex was good that night. She didn't have to hold back at all, and he actually ended up coming out on top with almost no effort, much to his own delight.

Maybe he was right. Maybe this was a good thing.

Ummm, confession time: I planned on more content in this chapter, but the more I ended up writing, the more I was like, no, there's no structural way this can just be one. So then I thought I'd release a few chapters in the same day as a compromise, but it's taking a while to get the next one finished (it's OFFICIALLY over 5,000 words and still needs heavy edits), so I figured a staggered (but close) release might be best. I'm sorry! I'll try to get the next part up this weekend!

Jennifer: Thank you. Tbh the writing has been super therapeutic, and so has all the positivity coming from my readers!