THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!

Please remember to review at the end! :)


Caroline and Klaus stayed at the cottage a few more days after the devastating news. Mainly because Klaus wanted to be sure of Caroline's strength. He did not doubt her ability to overcome the crisis. It was his instinct to protect her and allow her to know how much she meant to him and his family which kept them there. However, they could not stay in the cottage forever, as much as he wanted to stay. They had to return to work as soon as they were able.

As they returned to a semblance of normality, Klaus smiled from the wall of support his sister and mother showed to Caroline. They invited Caroline and Bonnie over to the mansion on Saturday, an invite he approved of wholeheartedly. Too long, Caroline lacked a comforting support system. Her mother and Bonnie had been the only ones in her life to creating such a feat. Now, it was Klaus and his family as well.

For Klaus, it was enough. He could tell because she was brighter and happier with each passing day.

Saturday morning arrived, and he opened the door with a slight flourish much to the amusement of the women on the other side. "Welcome, ladies," he greeted, winking at Caroline, who rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Trying charm to us?" she asked, entering with Bonnie behind her.

He shrugged. "Well, it is a beautiful morning and it's even more beautiful now that you're here," he added with a low, husky tone.

She blushed with a gasp. "I thought I told you," she began, leaning closer to him. "I'm too smart for that."

He smirked with a dimple forming on the right side of his face. "And I told you that I would up my game," he whispered, deeply.

She inhaled, sharply. Her heart picked up a beat before her left hand lightly slapped his upper arm. "Don't you start," she remarked with a giggle.

He chuckled, closing the door. "Mother and Rebekah are in the dining room," he explained, pointing in the direction.

Caroline nodded, glancing down the hall. She noticed Bonnie walking away, leaving them alone. "Are you staying?"

"No," he answered, stepping closer. "Kol and I have some work to catch up on at the office." He gazed into her eyes with a soft expression. "Besides, this is a girls' morning. I wouldn't dream of interrupting."

She breathed in with her chin rising in the air. "I don't think I had the chance to thank you for everything."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Oh, yes, I do," she breathed out. "You've been…" she paused, licking her lips. "A great friend to me."

His expression fell only slightly, but the words filled his heart with warmth. A friend was what she needed and he wanted to be that friend. More than anything. Raising his hand, he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek before wrapping his hand around her neck, feeling the warmth of her flesh. "I'm whatever you need me to be, Caroline," he whispered, carefully.

Her breath caught in her throat. His words held a double meaning. A double meaning, she wanted to believe and hoped it was not misleading. "Whatever, huh?"

He hummed, searching her eyes. "Whatever."

Licking her lips, she sensed the air becoming tighter around them. Creating such sparks, a fire would soon blaze beyond anything they could control.

She stepped a fraction closer, yearning for the closeness, the feel of Klaus. Nothing more, but just him.

He was what she needed. She needed him. She wanted him. There was nothing else in the world she desired at the moment. Nothing, but Klaus. Strange how a few months changed her entire outlook.

Yes, she loved him. She loved him more than she ever imagined she could love, and that love grew deeper with each passing day. It was so deep, she thought she would drown in the emotion.

Klaus' emotions were on a whirlwind. The love and desire pounding in his heart were urging him onward. He wanted her. He wanted her body pressed against his. Her lips crushing underneath his own. He wanted her love. He needed it. Craved it. He needed it like he needed air. He was suffocating without the love, but perhaps, she did love him. Perhaps, she did, just as he loved her.

Their connection was stronger and deeper than ever before and still, they held back from taking the step they both wanted.

He witnessed the pupils in her eyes dilate the closer they became. Her chest heaved with the deep breathes she was taking as if her pulse were racing, which it was. He felt it with his hand still resting on her neck.

Her right hand caressed his cheek, stroking the scruff she loved so dearly on his face. Her speech was beyond her. Beyond them for the moment.

The air crackled. They needed this moment. They needed it beyond anything they ever needed before. Their noses brushed together and they both jerked, slightly. It burned, but it was a good burn. A burn, they craved.

Their eyes closed and they inched, slowly, hoping for the touch they desired.

"Caroline!"

They jerked, slightly apart, both feeling anger and disappointment for whoever was calling her.

"Caroline! Are you coming?!" Rebekah called, entering the foyer and placed her hands on her hips. "Nik, I thought you were leaving."

Klaus searched Caroline's eyes, seeing the disappointment lingering in her gaze. The disappointment he knew reflecting on his own. He nodded. "I am," he responded, refusing to budge.

"Well, everything is set on the table," Rebekah remarked, amusedly. "Whenever you're ready, Caroline."

Rebekah's heels pounded on the tile floor, leaving them alone once more.

"I better go before she comes back," Caroline stated, rasping.

He cleared his throat, stroking her neck before slowly dragging his fingers across her skin, lingering lightly under her chin. "Yeah, you know what a pest she can be," he remarked with a light smile.

She breathed out a laugh and nodded. "But a good pest," she countered, holding his eyes.

"I'll see you in the morning, Caroline," he confirmed. Though he didn't budge a centimeter. Instead, he bent his head and lightly brushed his lips over her cheek.

She gasped, lightly. Her skin burning over the touch. Her eyes closed before she opened them and caught his eyes. "In the morning," she repeated, standing a few seconds longer behind the door as he walked out and gently closed it behind him.

She breathed out, placed her hand over her chest. "Oh, my," she whispered, shocked at the events.

Pivoting, she headed down the hall towards the dining area and tried to contain the joy threatening to erupt from within. When she entered, the others paused their conversation and they all knew.

"Caroline?" Bonnie asked, sliding out of her chair. "Did he?"

Caroline shook her head. "No," she answered, though the brush of her left hand over her cheek gave the information. "Oh, Bonnie," she breathed out, becoming enveloped in Bonnie's arms.

Rebekah clapped her hands and Esther nodded in approval. "You have to tell us everything," Rebekah demanded when the two friends separated.

Caroline laughed, light radiating through her eyes. "There is not much to tell."

"Oh, I would beg a differ, my dear," Esther commented with a sly smile. "My son has been walking around the house these past few months with a lighter step and a brighter mood. I am assuming it is because of you."

A blush tinged Caroline's cheek, and she bowed her head. "I don't know."

"Oh, come on, Caroline," Rebekah remarked with a scoff. "You know it has everything to do with you."

Caroline settled in the chair between Bonnie and Esther and lowered her eyes.

"You care for him, don't you?"

Esther's question sang to her soul. Care was such a menial word for the feeling she had. "I…" she began with a slight shake in her voice.

Esther smiled, tenderly. "There is no crime in caring."

"It's not that," Caroline whispered, glancing at Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded, passing her encouragement. Caroline's heart pounded with each nervous moment. Each tick of the clock on the wall made her pulse quicken. Bonnie understood Caroline's uncertainty, but she also knew how far Caroline came during the months with Klaus.

"You haven't told him," Esther deduced with a kind tone. Caroline's silence told her enough. She bowed her head. "Are you waiting for him?"

"It's too soon," Caroline confessed, softly.

"If what I witnessed in the foyer was too soon, then you need to rethink this," Rebekah commented with a gentle push.

"Niklaus' life has not been easy, which I'm sure you are aware of now," Esther began with Caroline's answer on her face. "He is not quick to say what he feels. Perhaps, if you suggest or take the first step, you'll find the truth."

"He's changed in these months," Caroline revealed, passing glances between the women. "He's not the same man as before. I don't know what to make of him."

"I don't either," Rebekah stated, smiling. "I have my brother back. We've actually gotten closer these past few months."

Caroline, knowing the truth behind the earlier distance between Klaus and Rebekah, smiled. One silent exchange between herself and Esther revealed Rebekah's and Klaus' mother knew the truth as well. Caroline never dared to reveal the entirety of Klaus' past to Bonnie for fear of breaking Klaus' trust.

And that was something she refused to do.

After all, he was kind enough to keep her secret or most of it from his family. She should grant him the same curtsey with his past. Wasn't that what trust meant?

The breakfast went as well as she could have hoped. They laughed and discussed Klaus and Kol, along with the other brothers, whom Caroline did not know quite as well. It was charming and relaxing to just sit back and have a laugh or two or three with friends.

As they were preparing to leave, Esther called Caroline back for a moment. Caroline, uncertain what the matriarch wanted, followed her into the den. She swallowed as the door closed and Esther's smiling face melted into a serious expression.

"I wanted to know how you were doing," Esther commented, clasping her hands in front of her.

"I'm doing as well as I can be," Caroline returned, nervously.

Esther hummed with a bow of her head. "As you know, Niklaus never went into details of what happened to you, but I recognize the signs. I felt the same when Mikael was in his moods, as did Niklaus." She stepped closer. "I assume he told you."

"He told me enough."

"He told you more than that, judging by the way you glanced at Rebekah earlier," Esther revealed with a kind tone. "He does not know everything Mikael did to me, and unfortunately, I don't know everything Mikael did to him."

"Klaus is not a very open person."

"No, but for him to reveal anything about his past, especially after what happened with Camille, is something."

Caroline averted her eyes to the ground, unsure of what Esther was pushing towards.

"I am saying this because I know how my son feels about you," Esther revealed, watching Caroline's eyes widen. "He never went to the lengths he has gone through for you. Not even with Camille. You are a very special woman, Caroline."

"I haven't done anything to deserve this praise," Caroline replied, weakly.

"Oh, you've don't more than I ever thought possible. You've returned my son to me and my children their brother. You've opened his heart again, and for that alone, I thank you."

~XXX~

"This has become a habit."

Caroline laughed, licking the ice cream from her cone. "You only say that because the vendor knows what you want every time," she commented with a glance to Klaus.

Klaus shrugged, sliding the spoon of chocolate ice cream into his mouth. "He sees so many people, how can he possibly remember me?"

"Well, you are unforgettable," she stated with a teasing look. "Not to mention, we do go to him every Sunday. He did say we were regulars."

"Maybe we should change it up," he suggested with a smirk.

She shook her head. "Not on your life, buster. He has the best ice cream in the city. I'm not about to abandon him."

He chuckled, taking another spoonful in his mouth. "You and your sweet tooth."

"I'm a slave to it sometimes," she remarked with a laugh.

"I can attest to that."

She bumped his shoulder with her own and laughed once more. "There's got to be something you are a slave to. Something that makes you weak when you see it or hear it."

He eyed the bowl in his hands. His heart urged him to say she weakened him. He craved her, but the words never formed. "I suppose it would be a good pizza."

She hummed, nodding her head. "Pizza is definitely a weakness. You know what makes a good pizza?"

"No, love, enlighten me," he encouraged, lightly.

She smiled, brightly. "The sauce. The right kind of sauce literally melts in your mouth and lingers on your tongue in a way that leaves you wanting more," she explained with the words an image Klaus could not remove from his mind. Her voice melted into a husky seduction, and he wondered if she knew what she was saying and how.

One glance told him no, she didn't know. She really had no idea how strong her powers were. She was a seductress, who did not have a clue she was seducing him with each passing day.

"What an image you produce," he uttered, catching her eyes.

She laughed, breathlessly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well," she whispered.

He smiled, finishing his ice cream and watched as she finished her cone. "Did you have a good visit with mother, Rebekah, and Bonnie yesterday?"

She nodded, wiping her hands with the napkin. "I did."

"Talk about anything in particular?" he asked, watching her stiffen, only slightly.

"You, as a matter of fact," she answered, raising her eyes to his.

"Oh? Do tell," he inquired, gently.

She shrugged. "Well, nothing horrendous, but Rebekah did say that she had her brother back."

He sighed, lowering his eyes. "With Mikael gone and with what happened with you," he paused, clearing his throat.

She placed her hand on his with a tender expression crossing her face. "I know."

"I've been trying. These past few months have opened my eyes to how far I let my darkness consume me."

"You were protecting yourself and your family, Klaus. No one would blame you."

"You did."

She opened her mouth, seeing the pain reflecting on his face. She tightened her hold on his hand and searched his eyes. "No, I didn't. I just didn't understand and refused to get close because…" she trailed off, bowing her head.

"Because you were afraid of getting hurt," he concluded, quietly.

"Yeah, I guess we really are the same in some ways."

He smiled, pulling her up with him, holding her hand tightly in his. "I would say in more ways than we think."

She laughed, leaning into his side as they proceeded to enjoy their Sunday morning walk through the park.

Each one hoping this bubble they lived in would last. Little did they know come Monday morning their bubble would be threatened.

~XXX~

Caroline's work was laid out for her on the desk the moment she walked on Monday morning. Passing a glance to Klaus, she pursed her lips. "Got caught up Saturday, huh?"

He shrugged with a smile. "I told you, love, Kol, and I had business."

She nodded. "I can see that." She motioned to the stacks of letters and files on her desk. "You know, I should get a raise."

He chuckled. "Not my department."

She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. "Really?"

He held up his hands in self-defense. "I'm just a partner." He approached her with slow steps.

She smiled a quirky smile, and stepped towards him, meeting him halfway. "And what am I?"

He brushed his fingers across her face. "You are office equipment," he answered with a teasing gleam in his eyes.

She gasped. "Oh, you…" she began as she slapped his chest with both hands. She continued to slap him on the back and arms until he retreated into his office.

He laughed and grasped her hands, pulling her closer to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he confined her in his embrace. Restricting her movements. She laughed, loving the teasing camaraderie she held with him. "What am I going to do with you?"

He hummed, watching her eyes brighten with each passing moment. "I can think of one thing," he claimed, huskily.

"I should get back to my desk," she whispered, breathlessly.

She was right. She should, but the feel of her in his arms was too sweet to deny. He refused to let her go.

"Klaus."

His body reacted to her breathing his name and judging by the expression on her face and movements of her body, she was feeling it too. "Caroline," he chanted, lowly.

Their foreheads met and the exchanging of air between them heightened their emotions. They were so close. So very close that the ringing of the phone at her desk, caused them to jump and groan in frustration.

She stepped back, hoping her legs were steady enough to carry her to the phone and her voice wasn't shaking as she answered. Back in his office, Klaus ran his hand over his face before throwing his head back. One of these days. He prayed. One of these days, they wouldn't stop.

He just prayed he was going to be strong enough to handle it when it came.

Caroline replaced the receiver on the cradle and sighed as she began her work. All the while her mind lingered on the kiss she almost received from the man in the office.

She carried on with her work for the next few hours. Sending calls to Klaus when they came and even some for Kol, who had yet to come in. He would not be in until later because of the pre-trial at the courthouse.

She heard the door open and she waited until she finished editing a sentence on a letter before she responded. Her eyes raised and a friendly smile appeared on her face when she eyed the woman in a casual teal pantsuit. "Hello, may I help you?"

"Yes, I would like to see Klaus if possible," the woman answered with a southern drawl.

Caroline hesitated. "I'll check and see if he's available. May I have your name?"

"Camille Lake."

Caroline froze, her eyes widening. The infamous Camille. "Camille," she whispered. "I'll…uh…let him know."

"Thank you, Miss…?"

"Caroline," Caroline responded, picking up the phone. "Klaus, a Miss Camille Lake is here to see you." She glanced up. "Yes, that's who she said." She nodded, biting back a laugh at his reaction over the line. "Of course. I'll tell you," she added, hanging up the phone. "Klaus will be out momentarily. If you care to have a seat." She pointed to the chairs in the waiting area.

"Thank you."

Caroline nodded with a rough smile, biting her lip as she recalled Klaus' reaction. Is this hussy in for a surprise?

Kol entered a few moments after and froze when he saw the woman sitting in the chair. His expression would have been comical if Caroline did not know him better. She recognized his resentment and his anger he tightly controlled.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Camille smiled, pleasantly. "Nice to see you too, Kol."

He growled, lowly, folding his arms over his chest. "Haven't you done enough damage?"

She sighed. "Actually, I'm here to see Klaus on a purely business transaction."

"I just bet you are," he scoffed.

Klaus' office door opened and his expression darkened upon seeing Camille before him. He spared a glance at Caroline and the expression in his eyes softened slightly. "Please hold my calls, Caroline."

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

He nodded to Kol and stepped out, motioning to his office. "Camille," he responded, tightly.

She stood and gracefully walked into the office.

Klaus closed his eyes before opening them to find Caroline. "Don't," he whispered, hoping she understood.

She smiled and bowed her head. She would be a nice little secretary for the moment, but she would be ready if he needed her.

He smirked, shaking his head.

The door closed and Kol growled. "That woman!"

Caroline laughed. "Klaus can handle it."

"I hope so. He never had a strong constitution when she was concerned, at least until…" he trailed off, watching Caroline's understanding expression.

"He's got this," Caroline added with a flare of her hand.

"You sound confident."

She shrugged. "I have to be," she whispered, bowing her head.

He approached her desk and leaned forward just a little. "So that's how it is."

"What?" she asked, shaking her head.

He smiled. "Nothing," he answered, turning with a whistle and left her alone.

She frowned when his door closed and part of her wondered just what he meant, and then it dawned on her. Blushing, she tried to focus on her work, but all the while she wanted to know what was being said in Klaus' office.

~XXX~

"What do you want, Camille?" Klaus growled, moving to sit in his chair, keeping some distance between him and the woman who betrayed him.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

He scoffed. "No, but friend is a very, very loose term when you are concerned."

"Oh, come on, Klaus," Camille responded, sitting across from him, crossing her legs in a mildly casual way. "You can't still be sore about that blog, can you?"

"Your blog destroyed my family, and revealed secrets that none of us wanted out."

"The world was going to find out sooner or later, and besides, what difference does it make?" she defended, shrugging her shoulders.

"A great difference," he paused, eyes hardening. "It hurt mother."

She stiffened and even flinched at the sentence. Her playful manner disappeared and her eyes became downcast. Shame radiated from her person, but Klaus refused to accept it. "I am sorry for hurting her."

"It's a little late for that, and you didn't come here to gloat or apologize, so what. Do. You. Want?" he asked, breaking into one-word sentences.

She sighed. "I need some help. Some legal advice and you are the first one I thought of."

"I can recommend another lawyer."

She sagged in her seat. "I know I deserve the hostility, Klaus, but come on, we used to be close. Isn't that thread of familiarity or friendship still there?"

"No." His expression darkened. "I confided in you because you lied to me. You fed me some bullshit half-truths in order to write an expose on my family. You used me to get to them for what, Camille?"

She glanced away. "It wasn't lies, Klaus. Okay, I wasn't a psychologist yet, but I was studying to become a psychologist. Writing, providing an outlet. I didn't intend for the truth to come out the way it did."

"Yes, you did. You said moments ago, the world needed to know. What exactly did the world need to know, Camille? That my real father was a police officer? That my step-father disinherited me?" he demanded, his hands clenched together on the desk. "It was nobody's business. I told you because you claimed to be a psychologist. I was even referred to you."

"I know. He was doing me a favor."

"A favor that cost him dearly," Klaus stated, darkly.

Camille looked away. "What do you want me to say?"

He clenched his jaw. "State your business and then leave." A curt response, but it was effective. The bridges had long since been burned and he had no interest in building them again.

Camille opened her purse and pulled out a document. "This was mailed to me by a friend in Virginia," she responded, passing him the document. "I know it isn't much, but I was wondering if it would hold up."

"Hold up how?" he asked, glancing down at the document. A lump formed in his throat and he blinked a few times. "How did you come by this?"

Camille shrugged her shoulders. "I told you. A friend mailed it to me."

"Your signature is at the bottom of this," he growled, reigning his control with what little civility remained.

She nodded. "I finished my doctorate two years ago. I'm a full-fledged psychologist now." She watched his eyes darken and she knew from past experiences he was trying hard to control the urge to yell and lash out. "I requested a copy because I was the secondary psychologist."

"What do you want to know?" he ground out.

"I want to know if it will hold up in case something happens."

"You want to know," he began, leaning back in his seat with his words coming out in low gravel. "If this person, who you co-signed as being sane would attack again?"

"No, I just want to know if he did, would my testimony hold up in court because I said he was not mentally ill but in fact sane."

"You think this man is sane?" he growled, watching her shrink in her seat.

She cleared her throat. "At the time, I thought he was, but just after he was released, I…found out some things I didn't know."

"So, you want to know if you made a mistake."

"I want to know if it will be against me if I come forward and denounce this," she argued, defensively.

"That's a contradiction, Camille."

"It's the truth, Klaus. I didn't know everything when I was assigned to him. I wasn't even the primary doctor at the time."

"But that didn't stop you from releasing this maniac back out on the streets!" he nearly yelled, jerking out of his seat.

"What difference does it make? He's in Virginia. We're in North Carolina."

"Because he could hurt her," he whispered, clamping his eyes shut.

"Her?"

Klaus whirled and stared out the window into the bustling city below.

Camille closed her eyes. "Is there anything I might be able to do to counter this?"

He inhaled and exhaled. "He did stand trial for the crimes he committed, didn't he?"

"Yes," Camille answered, lowering her eyes. "He was deemed incompetent, but the trial proceeded. Unfortunately, he could not be convicted, and he was placed in a psychiatric facility."

"And yet, you and another psychiatrist deemed him sane?"

"We thought he was cured, Klaus," she paused, glancing warily around the room. "He can't be declared incompetent again, can he?"

"No," Klaus answered, solemnly.

Camille sighed. "So, if he does something to counter the sanity plea," she began, trying to understand.

Klaus turned and the expression told her all she needed to know. "If he attempts another crime, which I know he will, then the next time he would not be deemed incompetent. He will stand trial, thanks to you and the other idiot who deemed him sane."

"So, by declaring him sane…"

"You've released him back out into the world."

"His actions were ten years ago…"

"He'll murder someone again. He's done it before."

She tilted her head to the side. "How do you know someone was murdered?"

Klaus inhaled, deeply. "I know one of the victims."

Camille lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," he growled, sliding his hands in his pockets. "Is that all?"

She sighed. "I suppose," she remarked, standing. Reading his anger and frustration, she turned towards the door. "I'm sorry about your friend."

"I'm sorry you were the one who released the killer."

She turned her head. "For what it's worth, I did mean everything I said. I do believe this man is dangerous, and I do believe he is sane. He knew what he was doing. He knew the whole time."

Klaus lifted his chin and refused to comment or move until the door closed behind her. Sagging into the chair, he covered his face with his hands.

How was he going to tell her?

How?


Please be kind!

Yes, I know, another hurdle, but I hope you approve! Also, two almost-kisses... Even I'm getting frustrated! LOL! I hope the moment they actually kiss will be worth waiting for!

I also hope I got the legal bit right. I'm not a lawyer, but I do know some of it. I researched what I could and this was what I came up with. For this story, it serves a purpose, I hope you agree!

I cut this one short, because of time. This past week has been hectic. Seemed like every time I sat down to write, something came up. I hope y'all can forgive me! :)

I'll try to get back on track next week!

Next Chapter: Never Alone

Sneek Peek:

"I won't make a move unless you want me to, Caroline."

"Why?"

He smiled. "Because it has to be you." Klaus' heart raced inside his chest. Holding him in position with each move she made.

Caroline swallowed and placed her hands on either side of his face. "I should not be doing this."

"Why?"

She lowered her eyes to his lips and licked her own. "I don't know."

He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer, still allowing her to lead.

"I'm not alone, am I?"

He shook his head in a slow movement. "Never."

With slow movements, she leaned forward.

Hope you enjoyed the preview! I know I'm bad... LOL! Y'all still love me though, right?!

Until Next Time...