Once again - I can't thank everyone enough for reading, reviewing etc! You make me veeery happy indeed, guys! :))

Next two chapters are coming up... I honestly hope you like them!

XX

Borzoi

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE ART OF THINKING STRAIGHT

Klaus hadn't shown up again, but Caroline didn't really mind. Well, she did, but the rest of the evening went by in a daze anyway. She kept replaying her time with Klaus in the garden and didn't pay any attention to her surroundings. At one point she was dancing with Matt and absentmindedly answered his question on how her mother was doing with 'yeah, the garden is lovely'. Matt's face was priceless, and she went into a round of giggles, but then she decided it was probably high time to leave before she embarrassed herself any further. Elijah seemed to be a little relieved when she sought him out and asked him to escort her back to the mansion. As they were walking towards his car, he looked at her questioningly.

"Are you all right, Caroline? You seem somewhat flustered."

"I'm fine, thank you Elijah. Just a bit tired."

His gaze softened. "Caroline. I know I am his brother and you have no reason to confide in me. I am not asking you to. Allow me, however, to say something to you."

She swallowed. "Of course."

"Thank you. I will not be keeping you very long." He smiled and went on. "My brother is not an easy man, as you are well aware. In fact, he is many men in one body. One of these men is very hard, malicious and cruel. He is merciless and utterly unforgiving. That is Niklaus the soldier, and you and your friends have met him often enough. Then there is Niklaus the artist. He is the man who lives, loves and breathes beauty, whose heart can break at the sight of a masterful painting and whose eyes fill with tears at the sound of the Ode to Joy. This man has the most sensitive soul and a very fragile heart. The fierce protector is another one of his faces, and it is more often than not accompanied by the soldier. He will go to any length to protect the ones he loves – us, his family. He has fought an impossible fight throughout the centuries, but he kept us safe. From our father, our enemies, even from ourselves at times." Caroline heard the honest emotion in Elijah's voice. She could tell that he cared for his brother very deeply, no matter what had happened in the past, no matter what would happen in the future. She smiled at him tentatively, and he continued.

"There are many more of him. The son who was never accepted as such. The discoverer who burns with curiosity at all things new. The young boy who loves to play and banter. I could go on endlessly. But there are two other sides to Niklaus, and those sides are the reason I wanted to speak to you. My apologies, dear Caroline, but I will have to admit that I saw you and my brother earlier tonight."

Caroline flushed crimson. Was there anyone in Mystic Falls who hadn't been in the garden with her and Klaus?

"Please, do not feel uncomfortable, for there is no reason. You see, you have encountered the one face of Niklaus that has not made an appearance for centuries. The man. Not the Hybrid, not the vampire or the wolf. You saw just Niklaus, the man who has feelings, dreams and desires. I had given up all hope for that man to ever resurface, but it would seem that you are bringing him out. And I want to thank you for that, Caroline."

She stared at Elijah, not knowing what to think. She was at a complete loss.

"But there is one other side to Niklaus, a very dark one, hidden deeply within him. This side is very dominant indeed. I can unfortunately not speak to you about it. That is only for my brother to do. But tonight was the first time in six hundred years that I began to have some hope that he might actually be able to find a way to conquer what is haunting him. I therefore need to ask an immense favour of you."

"What kind of favour?" Caroline whispered.

"Let him in. Try to make him open up. Try to get him to speak about his darkness. He already allows you in very much further than anyone outside the family, and his single-minded protectiveness of you is unprecedented. I am as yet uncertain of the extent of his feelings towards you, but there can be no doubt whatsoever that they exist, and that is more than can be said of any other woman besides Rebekah. You could in fact be the very best thing that ever happened to Niklaus, and with that, to all of us. Please, Caroline. I am asking you to help my brother."

Her head was spinning. What was Elijah saying? That Klaus had genuine feelings towards her, feelings that went beyond desire?

"I apologize if I am being too forward, Caroline, but I feel I can trust you. And I would never burden you with any of this was I not convinced that you are not entirely indifferent towards my brother. Am I correct in my assumption?" Elijah asked very softly. She was about to heatedly deny it when she looked into his eyes. There was understanding, affection and such an amount of genuine concern for his younger sibling that she just couldn't bring herself to lie.

"Yes," she whispered, "you are correct, Elijah. I am not indifferent to him. But I don't know what that means. I don't know what to think and what to feel. I am completely confused, and it's driving me crazy. He is Klaus. He caused so much pain to my friends, and he is that big evil plague. But I have seen some of the sides you have been describing, and I no longer know what is right and what is wrong. I'm not sure how to do what you ask. It seems crazy, but I think that somewhere deep inside, I might be…"

"… feeling something for him," Elijah finished her sentence. "I understand you very well, Caroline, believe it or not. And I appreciate your honesty. Getting Niklaus to open up will also bring some more clarity for you, as to whether you will be able and willing to accept all sides of him."

"You won't say anything to him, will you?" Caroline asked, a slight note of panic creeping into her voice.

"Of course not. I would never betray your trust like that. What is between you and my brother will need to be sorted out by the two of you." Elijah chuckled. "And good luck with that, lovely Miss Forbes."

She rolled her eyes. "You really know how to cheer up a girl." After a short hesitation, she asked, "You love him very much, don't you, Elijah?"

There wasn't the slightest hesitation. "Yes," he admitted, "I do."

"Is he worth your love?"

Elijah smiled appreciatively. "I like that question. In fact, no one has ever asked it before. And to answer it – yes. He did many atrocious things, he made many mistakes, but there is so much more to him than that. My brother is not essentially a bad man, Caroline. He just lost his way." He looked at her with his wise, gentle eyes and added in a determined voice that left no space for doubt, "No one – including Niklaus himself – will actually believe this, but… he is worthy of love. Very much so."

Klaus was leaning on the kitchen counter, a cup of tea next to him. He hadn't been able to sleep, and if his hearing hadn't been mistaken, neither had Caroline. When the new day had dawned, he had finally got up and made his way downstairs. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well continue his musings in the relaxing company of a decently brewed cuppa. He smiled to himself. For reasons passing understanding, Americans had never been able to learn how to make a proper tea.

He had found out a couple of rather interesting – and disturbing – pieces of news on his latest trip. He'd had to cut it short due to Caroline's 'disappearance', but that was not before his source had finally given in to his… coercion and told him what he needed to know. He had made a decision over the course of his sleepless night, and he was quite certain Caroline would not like it in the least. Again.

Caroline. He remembered the surge of panic that had flashed through his system when Elijah had called him. His one and only thought had been, 'Not her.' He had been on his way back within the minute, racing along the highways with everything his M6 was capable of. He usually enjoyed bringing his car to its limits, but the only thing he had been able to think of was Caroline. The mere idea of anyone hurting her drove him crazy, and all he wanted was to see her standing in front of him safe and sound. His rage when he found out that she had just gone shopping was all but suffocating him. What she had put him through! Did she still not understand that he needed her to be safe, to be protected? By the Gods, how angry he had been! His actual plan had been to drag her from the dance, spend the better part of the evening yelling at her and then lock her up. But she had spiked his guns. The moment he had laid eyes on her, his mind had gone blank. Relief had overwhelmed him in a way he had never thought possible, followed by a tidal wave of desire. What was that blasted woman doing to him?

The blasted woman did also seem to have an impeccable sense for timing. He heard her footsteps long before her slender frame appeared in the kitchen door. His breath caught at the sight of her. Again. Tousled hair, sleepy eyes, pure and lovely. He would have loved nothing more than to take her in his arms and continue where they had left off last night. But that would have to wait. Bad news first.

Caroline stopped dead when she saw him casually leaning on the counter. He was wearing a pair of black denims with a dark red button-down shirt, and he looked positively sexy. Very sexy. Not again, Caroline! Didn't you get your fill of 'sexy' last night?

"Morning," she muttered awkwardly. She had no idea how to face him after what had gone down between them in the garden. She hoped to God they could just act like nothing had happened, but he was Klaus. He would never let it pass. And she was right.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he smirked. "You look every bit as lovely this morning as you did in my arms last night." Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well, almost – for you will always look far beyond beautiful when you are in my arms." Butterflies, get LOST!

"Where did you disappear to, anyway?" she asked, hoping to distract him from the topic. She had spent the entire night thinking about being in his arms.

"Missed me, did you?" he retorted, but his smile was gentle. "I hope you had a nice remainder of the evening. I suspect all of Mystic Falls was at your feet, ravishing as you looked. I am truly sorry I had to leave, but there was business to attend to and some arrangements to be made. We'll be leaving for Europe tonight."

"What? Who is 'we'?"

"You and me, love. My family will follow in a few days, as Elijah will need to finish some affairs and he will travel with Rebekah and Kol once he is done."

She stared at him and crossed her arms. "You don't seriously think I'll let you drag me to Europe just like that! With no explanation, no nothing?"

"There is something we need to find, and as you proved yesterday, you can't be trusted not to be irresponsible when it comes to your safety. Therefore, you'll come with me. It's as simple as that."

"Like hell it is! What do we need to find, where are we going and what have you found out so far? You don't answer my questions, I'm not going. It's as simple as that," she scoffed, trying to imitate his blasé tone.

He gave an impatient huff. "I can always make you."

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "I have no doubt. You want me to make your trip a living hell? Go ahead. I dare you, Klaus," she challenged.

His smile was genuine and a little teasing. He liked the way she stood her ground to him, she could tell. He nodded and said, "All right. Point taken." He ran a hand through his hair. "We will need to find a white oak tree."

"I thought there was no white oak left?" she asked, perplexed.

"That is what we all thought. I'm sure Damon told you all about the three men in the alley that night, three weeks ago." She inclined her head. "Well, they were carrying white oak stakes, so there must be another tree, which I made it my business to find. The source I went to see during the last few days pointed me in the right direction after some… persuasion." Caroline shook her head, but didn't comment. "It so happens that the white oak tree in question seems to be located in the precise same country as an old witchy acquaintance I will need to seek out."

"And what country is that?"

"Norway. We'll fly out of DC to Frankfurt tonight, and then on to Tromsø."

Caroline knew she hadn't been fast enough to put the little gleam of excitement out of her eyes before he saw it. Norway. It wasn't the country she'd expected to visit on her first international trip, but she liked the idea. If only he hadn't seen that she did! But she wasn't going down without a fight.

"If you need to seek out a witch, why didn't you get in touch with Bonnie? You said you knew where she was, and that you wanted to bring her back to Mystic Falls. So why didn't you?"

"Who says I didn't, love? Besides, I don't require some random witch but a very specific one this time."

"Wait, you spoke with Bonnie? Where is she? How's she doing? Is she coming back soon?"

He looked at her with something remotely reminding her of pity. His eyes were a bit sad when he answered, "I am sorry, Caroline, but I do not think she will be coming back at all."

"What makes you say that? What did you do to her?"

His eyes narrowed. "Quite honestly, I am getting a bit tired of you immediately blaming me for just about everything bad that happens on the face of the Earth. If you want to know – your friend Bonnie has succumbed to black magic. Entirely so. She is no longer one of the good girls, Caroline. I have no final proof as yet, but if I am not completely mistaken, Bonnie has been instrumental in helping our warlock return from the other side."

Caroline shook her head. She refused to believe him. Not Bonnie! Bonnie, who had always been so intent on differentiating right from wrong? Who had given so much for her friends? It wasn't possible!

"You are lying!" she exclaimed "Bonnie would never do anything like that! Never! She would never help anyone like him, and you know that!"

With two measured steps, he was right in her face. "I have only ever asked one thing of you, and that was to try and learn to trust me. Why would I lie to you? What would I stand to gain? Nothing whatsoever, love. Knowing you the way I already do, I was unfortunately quite certain of your reaction, which was why I wanted to keep this from you. I knew you would be hurting, and you have endured more than enough pain as it is. She was your friend. But you'll have to get used to the thought that the Bonnie you knew is gone. The black side of magic is very, very powerful. Once you get drawn into it, there is no way back. I'm sorry. But these are the facts."

She shoved him with all her might, and as she had actually caught him off guard, he flew across the kitchen and hit the wall with a thud, somehow managing to elegantly land on his feet. His eyes sought her out immediately, and in a flash, Caroline was at him again, trying to punch him in the face. He swiftly pushed her away, and now she was the one sailing across the room. Ugh, she thought as she slammed into the opposite wall, full-on Mighty Klaus mode! But she knew that he actually wasn't using so much as a fraction of his true strength with her.

That knowledge enraged her even more, and she turned. She sank into a crouch, fangs bared, arms stretched out to the sides, fingers tensed. Her eyes were on fire, and a deep snarl erupted from her. See if you take me seriously now, Attila the Hun!

Klaus stared at her for a long moment with an unfathomable expression, and suddenly all the fight went out of him. She could see it immediately. His face split into a huge grin.

"You really shouldn't do that, love," he said, a bit too smugly for Caroline's taste.

"And why is that?" she hissed aggressively. "Afraid of getting bloodstains on that pretty shirt of yours?"

His smile broadened. "'Pretty shirt'? Oh please. This is Burberry, love! But go ahead, you can stain it all you want, I have a whole armoire full of them."

"Then why shouldn't I? It's sadly not like I could kill you," she snapped, still poised to attack.

"You shouldn't do this because right now you've got me so turned on that I wouldn't trust myself not to drag you off to the nearest bed and repeatedly take you until you beg for mercy."

Her limbs turned to jelly.

"Stop it, Klaus!" she yelled at him desperately. "Stop all of this… hitting on me, trying to get me into your bed, everything. Just stop, stop, stop!" She was sure he hadn't missed the slight note of hysteria in her voice.

Of course he hadn't. He never missed anything.

"Hit a nerve there, did I?" he chuckled delightedly. I will kill him. I swear I will kill this cocky son of a bitch! "Why should I stop when we are making such marvelous progress?"

Slowly, Caroline's fangs receded and she straightened out of her crouch. Shaking her head, she sagged against the wall. "Because I can't think straight anymore when I'm around you!" she shouted, slamming her fists into said wall in sheer frustration. The silence that followed her outburst seemed to be thundering in her ears. Caroline, you are such a twit! She hid her face in her hands, shaking her head again.

Suddenly, a pair of hands was on hers, gently pulling them away from her face. She hadn't heard him move. He tilted her chin so that she had no choice but to look at him.

"Neither can I, it would seem," he said softly, without a trace of flirtatiousness, and she could see some indefinable emotion running across his beautiful face. It rendered her motionless. His gaze drifted to her lips and back to her eyes. She understood that he was asking for permission.

"Don't, Klaus. Please."

The emotions displayed on his face now were more easily readable. Disappointment, anger. Her rejection hurt him. She was surprised that he kept himself in check – he didn't deal well with being turned down. Somebody usually died or got their neck snapped. Still, she couldn't help feeling his hurt and she hated it. Been there, done that.

"As you wish, love," he murmured, lifting a hand to play with one stray curl of her hair. He recovered quickly and looked her straight in the face, taking a step back, his features now strong and bold. His power face. Regal Klaus was back with a vengeance. "But you should never doubt for so much as an instant that the moment will come. You are going to kiss me, and you will do so freely and willingly. Just as you will share my bed, Caroline." His voice became darker. "I will show you what it means to really be desired. To be worshipped. I will have you in every way you can imagine, and in even more ways you have never dreamed of, until the only thing you will be able to do is scream my name in ecstasy." Caroline hadn't noticed that she was staring at him, mesmerized, her breathing growing heavier, but again, it was not lost on Klaus. "And I have the distinct feeling that we will both have a very hard time to ever leave the bed again." There was the devilish grin she secretly fancied so much.

I know. God help me, I know. But I just can't do this, Klaus. Once I go down that lane with you, there will be no way back for me, and that scares me to death, no pun intended. I have to fight it for as long as I can and hope it will be long enough for you to lose interest in me. Although somehow, I doubt I can resist you very much longer, you freaking sexy bastard.

She glowered at him very deliberately, putting on a show, trying not to betray her thoughts. "When are you ever going to get it into that pigheaded Original brain of yours that it is never going to happen? I am just not interested! Should I have plans to sleep with anyone ever again, it will most definitely not be with you!" Ha, good one. Eat that.

"You need to practice, sweetheart. You are a terrible liar, but you already know that, don't you? You and I are going to happen. I want you, Caroline. I have wanted you ever since I stepped into your room and fed you my blood." His eyes were on fire, and she was burning under his gaze. "My desire for you is very real, love. And I will be here, watching your every reaction to me. The moment I see your eyes on my face, filled with nothing but the same overwhelming lust I feel for you, you will be mine. Have no doubt." He brought her face to his, but he did not try to kiss her. Her eyes widened at the fierceness in his stare. "I want you. Don't you ever dare forget that."

She lowered her head. If he looked into her eyes for one more second, she would break. She would sink into his arms and let him do everything he had promised to do to her. Why did he have this kind of power over her? When had that happened? All of a sudden, she felt weak and exposed, and that made her lash out.

"It looks like I don't really have a say in the matter, do I? Why don't you just go ahead and take me by force, so you can get it out of your system?" she almost yelled. She knew she was being beyond unfair. He would never do anything like that, but she was so scared of what he made her feel that she saw red. "Come on, do it! Take me, clip my wings!"

He looked at her and she could tell he was very offended. "As I said on numerous other occasions, I am appalled that you think that low of me. You should know better, and I think you do. It makes you afraid that I want you, and it frightens you even more that you could want me in return."

Is he reading my freaking mind?

"And for your information – I will never clip your wings. On the contrary. I will be there to give you wings whenever you want to fly." He paused. "And you want to fly, Caroline. You will always want to fly."

The absolute certainty behind his words made her temper flare again. "What are you, clairvoyant now?" she spat, desperately trying to ignore the feeling tugging at her. The feeling that he might know her better than she thought. Better than she knew herself.

"No, love. Just experienced."

"Well, to hell with you, your experience and your stupid… crush on me!" she exclaimed heatedly. Klaus chuckled, which made her all the more mad. "Crushes are for adolescent schoolboys, sweetheart. And whatever it is that I may or may not feel for you, it could never be called stupid."

Caroline closed her eyes, shaking her head in despair. Suddenly, she didn't want to fight, bicker or argue anymore. She needed to get out of here, put some distance between them. Any sort of logical thinking seemed to have evaporated from her brain, and she was on overdrive, with her state of mind changing by the minute. He must think she was completely nuts. She thought so herself.

"Whatever, Klaus." she replied tiredly and started towards the door.

"Caroline." She didn't turn around to look at him, but she did stop at the serious tone in his voice, all playfulness gone. He was eerily quick in assessing her moods. "I know you think it is all too much for you right now, but you are very strong, and you will cope. Whatever life throws your way, you will always manage to pull through. You will even handle me." He paused, and Caroline felt her shoulders drop. But she was glued to the spot. She heard him sigh.

"Do me a favour, Caroline. Go to your room and lock the door. I will make sure no one disturbs you. Then stand in front of the mirror. Look at yourself and think hard about everything that has happened to you until now. Be prepared, it will hurt. Very much. But you feel weak and powerless now, and that is the precise moment you will need to go through all of your suffering again. Watch your reflection while you do that. Never look away." There was another pause.

"What you will see in the mirror is your strength, Caroline. While reliving all those memories, you will never once see yourself change, and you will never once see your light go away. You will realize that nothing, nothing, will ever be able to break you. Not even me."

At that, she did turn around, and their eyes met. She wasn't even ashamed of the tears pooling in hers. There was nothing but sincerity in his gaze, and she lowered her head, turning towards the door again. When she was almost outside, he spoke again.

"We'll leave at four. Now go and see yourself the way I see you."