CHAPTER ONE

INTUITION AND CHIVALRY

Days had passed, and Klaus was still consumed by fury, betrayal and pain. His own sister had purposely destroyed his most prized possession – the remaining bags containing the doppelganger's human blood. She had deprived him of the only chance to create more Hybrids and therefore effectively put an end to his efforts to make his loneliness more bearable. Not that he had felt any particular attachment to any of his Hybrids, but they were still better than nothing. Or rather, better than no one.

He felt a fleeting hint of something remotely resembling remorse when he thought of his last words to Rebekah. 'From this moment on, you're not my sister. You're nothing.' Then he had snapped her neck and left. He determinedly shook off the feeling. She had betrayed him, and she deserved every single minute of his wrath. However upset she may have been about his having saved Caroline instead of her, it was no justification for what she had done to him. Hell, she always wanted to be taken seriously, be accepted as her own woman, and now she got all whiny about him leaving her to fend for herself against a few pathetic humans? Something they both knew she was more than capable of? It was beyond ridiculous.

Klaus wandered aimlessly along the edge of the forest, feeling the overwhelming need to inflict pain, to destroy, to punish, and he knew he had to bring it under control. Whenever he acted out of rage or made decisions led by his temper, the result was usually subpar. He had taught himself over the years never to attack in anger, but even after so many centuries, he still slipped once in a while. Much as he hated his late stepfather, he had to admit that the old man had had a bit of a point in saying 'Your impulse, Niklaus. It is and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great.'

He took a few deep breaths and steadied himself, listening to the sounds of the woods and the nearby houses. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, including himself, but he dreaded the return to his big, empty mansion. Rebekah had left right after their spat as he expected her to. He had no idea where she had gone, nor did he care. He most definitely did not. Kol and Elijah had left for Europe before the whole council madness had started and it would be a while before he could be expecting them to return. Kol had called it a bonding trip, but Klaus knew that Elijah was actually seeking out a few old acquaintances for information on roaming vampire hunters. They needed to be prepared, and it was always wise to see the enemy coming. Elijah had also planned to look after some of their family's affairs in the Old World, and he had taken Kol along to keep him from making the troubles that had lately besieged Mystic Falls any worse. Klaus sighed. Elijah was the only one who managed to keep the siblings in check. Well, most of the time anyway. Klaus really hoped his brothers would be back soon, for he even missed the bloody obnoxious Kol. He reckoned that Elijah would be far from pleased with what had happened between Klaus and Rebekah, but it was not to be helped for now. Klaus had never been this angry with his sister, and he was certain she was harbouring some vindictive feelings of her own. He would need to watch his back.

There was a light breeze whispering through the forest, carrying the faint sound of voices to him. Agitated voices. He peered through the trees and realized that he was in close proximity to the Lockwood mansion. Without making the slightest bit of noise, he approached the rear of the house through the garden. He recognized Tyler's voice, coming from the driveway, sounding defensive.

"Listen to me! She is a friend who helped me through a bit of a rough patch, okay? That's all!"

"Yeah right," he heard a contemptuous but still pearly voice. Caroline. She was fighting with Tyler, just a few days after they had found each other again? Now wasn't that a piece of luck? With an expectant grin, Klaus settled comfortably on a dwarf wall hidden in the dark.

"A friend, huh? I know all of your friends, Tyler, so how come I never heard so much as a syllable about her? We have only been back together for a couple of days, and you have another girl living under your roof, didn't even care to tell me about it and let me walk in on you two laughing and drinking and having fun together? And I am not even talking about the way her eyes follow you everywhere, all gooey like some kind of syrup! I should probably sound praise for the fact that you still have your frigging pants on!"

Klaus grinned delightedly.

"Oh, are we talking gooey stuff now?" Tyler shot back. "Which one of us got Klaus drooling all over her? And which one of us is keeping his fucking drawing in her fucking bedside table drawer?"

She had kept his drawing? A flash of warmth rushed through Klaus, but he ignored it. This was getting really interesting.

"Excuse me, do you see Klaus staying with me at my house? Do you see me dancing Ring Around the Rosie with him in my living room?" Caroline exclaimed heatedly. Klaus gave a low chuckle. She really held her own, not that this was any news to him.

"How about some trust here, Care? I told you Hayley was nothing but a friend. A good friend who was there for me when I worked on breaking the fucking sire bond for you! You should actually be grateful to her – I don't know if I had managed to do this without her help!"

Klaus shook his head, his grin growing wider. Talk about someone digging his own grave. Poor sod, still so much to learn. He heard Caroline draw a deep breath.

"You want me to be grateful to the woman who was there with you when I should have been? You wanted to break the sire bond on your own. I offered to go with you, but apparently, the company of other girls was far more helpful than mine could ever have been. And now you want me to be grateful to her, when she is so obviously head over heels for you? Are you totally nuts, Tyler?" she shouted at him.

"She is not in love with me! That's bullshit, Caroline! Do I have to spell it for you? She is a friend! And by the way, how was it to be kissed by Klaus? Did you like it, Care? Did it turn you on? Are you sorry you didn't take it any further?" Tyler snarled, outraged.

Klaus shook his head as anger flashed through him. This was really below the belt, and Tyler bloody well knew that. He couldn't believe the boy actually blamed Caroline for kissing him while he had been in Tyler's body. A small part of him, however, was still not above being amused at how foolishly Tyler was handling the whole situation. The greater part of him wanted to just throw Tyler into the nearest wall for deliberately hurting Caroline.

There was a long silence.

"I can't believe you're asking me that," she said in a flat tone. Klaus heard light footsteps moving away from the house.

"Care, wait," Tyler called after her. "I'm sorry! I didn't…"

"Yes, you did mean it. And I don't want to talk to you anymore tonight, Tyler. And probably not tomorrow or the day after."

A car door opened and closed, and there was the sound of an engine starting, drowning a strained "Fuck!" from Tyler. Klaus debated for a moment whether to follow her or stay and have a look at the cause of all the commotion. He decided on the former and flashed off into the direction of Caroline's house, where he managed to even arrive ahead of her.

Caroline parked the car in front of her house. Her hands on the wheel, she stared unseeingly into the night. She just couldn't believe she was having this fight with Tyler only days after she got him back. She had been so sure that everything would be all right, everything would be bearable with Tyler at her side. And now there was this girl, so very obviously in love with her boyfriend, living under his roof and apparently having the time of her life with him. And this moron doesn't even see the problem! How can he not know that he's hurting me? God, will there never be a moment of peace, a day without problems?

She opened the door but didn't move to leave the car. Slowly, her head sank onto the wheel, and silent tears started to trickle down her cheeks.

"No one could ever be worth your tears, love," a soft, dark voice with an all-too-well-known British accent sounded very close to her ear. Caroline gave a violent start but didn't turn to look at him. With a shaky sigh, she wiped the tears from her face.

"Go away, Klaus. I am in no mood for your little games tonight."

"Which implies that there are in fact other days when you are in the mood for them."

With an exasperated sigh, she pushed him aside and climbed out of the car. "Can't you just leave me alone, Klaus? Please?" She slammed the door shut and determinedly started walking towards her porch when she felt his hand on her arm. Seriously?

"I am sorry, Caroline. I didn't mean to upset you any further than you obviously already are. Forgive me."

She whirled around to face him, perplexed. "Is that you in there? Or did you just switch bodies with an actual sentient person?"

He chuckled. "I am not as ill-mannered as you seem to think, love, and although I choose to mostly ignore them, I am also not completely oblivious to the moods of those around me. Especially not when it comes to your moods," he added softly. Why did he have a look about him like he wanted to take her in his arms and soothe her? She must be hallucinating, that much was clear.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well, if you are so sensitive to my state of mind, what does your intuition tell you to do now?" she snapped, annoyed. In the same instant, she groaned inwardly. Brilliant, Caroline! Couldn't you find a bigger plate to hand him the opportunity on?

He smiled widely at her, flashing his dimples. "My intuition, dearest Caroline, tells me this." Taking her hand, he slowly raised it to his lips. An inch from her skin, he stopped the motion, and she could feel his breath caressing her fingers. Had her heart still been beating, it would most likely be jumping out of her chest by now. There was something about his eyes, some flicker of emotion that made her swallow. He lowered her hand again but didn't let go. His other hand reached for her face, and suddenly, she felt the tips of his fingers very softly touch her cheek. She stopped breathing. I have to be upset! Come on, look upset, Caroline!

"It tells me to bid you good night now. Get some sleep. Your mind will be clearer in the morning and you will be ready to face whatever is bothering you. Do not try to sort it out now, for any decision you make with your mind in turmoil will not be a wise one. Good night, love."

With that, he turned and walked towards the barely lit street at human speed. Caroline stared after him, confused. What had that been? She had expected him to try and take advantage of her weakened state, but instead, he had somehow managed to make her feel a little better. But – no innuendos, no snippy comments? Was he drunk?

"Caroline." He had turned around again and was watching her now, a malicious gleam in his eyes. "My intuition will not always be this chivalrous." And with a wink and a ghostly chuckle, he flashed off into the night.

The world is back to normal. Stop staring. Start breathing.