Author's note: This was created for the 12 Steps for Klaroline Xmas event (Step 2: fluff is in the air). In this sequel to Chapter 51 in this series, both Caroline and Klaus are supernaturals pretending to be human — can they continue to fool each other with their human charade?


"We know what we are, but not what we may be."
― William Shakespeare


This was going to be a disaster. From the moment Caroline rescued Hot Gym Guy from getting staked by his crazy neighbor, she knew she was in over her head. She'd done her best to maintain a professional distance — she'd been a cop for more than five years and easily had avoided getting attached — until now. But the problem with rescuing Klaus is that she'd already developed an inconvenient crush on him just from seeing him at her gym. And then when he asked her out while she was shoving his neighbor in her patrol car, and then again when he ran into her at the gym later, she was far too weak to say no.

And she knows she should've said no. Because as a vampire, she had absolutely no business trying to date a human. She was doing her best to blend in with the human world, but she also knew how dangerous it could be for a human to get caught up in the supernatural. Damn those dimples.

She was surprised to see Klaus scowling when he returned from talking to the hostess. "Apparently, we can't have my usual table, sweetheart. It's already occupied," he grumbled, gray eyes flashing.

Confused, she didn't understand what the big deal was, but Klaus was being weirdly territorial about this. Making a small, frustrated noise, she patted her pockets and said, "Oh, no, I think I left my phone in your car. Would you mind checking for me while I wait for a table to open up?"

"Sure — I'll be right back," he told her, sending the hostess a final look of irritation as he headed outside.

Moving quickly, Caroline compelled the hostess to let them have Klaus' table, and then swiftly compelled the group of businessmen camped out there to move to the bar. As she settled into their booth, she somewhat understood Klaus' insistence when she saw the sweeping views of the forest that was once part of the old Lockwood estate.

"Incredible, isn't it," Klaus murmured as he slid across from her. "I must admit I've become somewhat territorial about the woods since I moved here," he explained as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, there's fantastic running trails."

Caroline raised a questioning eyebrow, not completely convinced that 'fantastic running trails' completely explained his earlier aggressive behavior with the hostess. If she'd been human, his odd behavior would've raised concerns. However, she knew her supernatural strength would be more than enough to put Klaus in his place if necessary, no matter how formidable his well-toned frame appeared. Realizing she'd been blatantly staring, she blushed, quickly saying, "Well, I see you at the gym all the time, so I knew you liked to stay in shape, but you add running to your routine too? You must have a fairly flexible schedule. What do you do?"

He seemed somewhat embarrassed as he revealed, "There's a family trust in place, but I also paint. I actually have a few pieces in the Bennett Gallery downtown."

Seriously?! That amazing body plus brooding artist? It was like the Hallmark Channel had grown him in a secret lab. "Color me impressed and a little jealous — I always wished I had some sort of artistic talent, but the closest I ever came was the time I turned some old tactical vests into tote bags for a charity auction."

Visibly perking up, he told her, "You're the one with the fascinating career, sweetheart. What made you decide to go into law enforcement?"

Well, I needed a career that would let me use a portion of my supernatural strength and let me gain access to blood banks and hospitals without raising suspicion. "I've just always liked helping people," she said with a shrug, doing her best to quell the brief flash of anger when she thought of the more malevolent vampires she occasionally came across who only saw humanity as food. It was lonely sometimes, knowing that her dating pool was limited to vampires with questionable morals or easily breakable humans.

Speaking of breakable humans, Caroline inwardly groaned as their waitress stopped by to take their order, smelling far more delicious than she should have. Caroline's blue eyes widened in alarm as she realized her strength was somewhat depleted from her hasty compulsion earlier and she needed to feed soon.

"It must be very rewarding," Klaus commented, ordering the largest ribeye on the menu along with enough side dishes to make her briefly wonder if he was planning to share with the family of five across the aisle.

Doing her best to breathe through her mouth to keep from pouncing on the delectable waitress, she clenched a fist in her lap as she quickly ordered an extremely rare tenderloin and a large glass of merlot to help fight her cravings. As the waitress left, Caroline tried to focus on Klaus' words so she didn't accidentally eat him. "It can be," she acknowledged hesitantly, recalling that in between the monotony of long night shifts and aggravating traffic stops, there also were the satisfying arrests on domestic violence calls or child abuse cases. "Sometimes you catch a case that really makes you feel like you made a difference for someone, that you changed their lives for the better."

Klaus reached for her hand, squeezing it slightly as he studied her intently with his gray eyes. "You certainly made a difference for me when you saved me from being staked."

Rolling her eyes, she answered, "I still can't believe your neighbor thought you were a vampire."

"Honestly, of all the foolish notions," he chuckled, "Vampires? What utter nonsense."

Taking a generous gulp of her merlot, she said in an overly casual tone, "You'd be amazed at some of the bizarre calls I get sent out to answer while on a shift." Flicking her gaze down to where their hands were still joined, she exclaimed, "You have a dog?! I love dogs!"

His handsome face registered momentary confusion, but as he followed her nail to where she pointed to a long, silver-gray hair clinging to his white henley, he blurted, "Wolf! Uh, he's a wolf-dog mix."

"Really? Wow," she said excitedly, "what's he look like?"

Pausing to take a sip of his beer, he finally answered, "I guess...kind of like a husky but considerably larger."

Practically squealing in delight, Caroline told him, "Big dogs are my favorite! All that fluffy fur on a giant, slobbery monster. I love to wrestle and play-fight and I give the best belly rubs!"

Klaus flushed slightly, shifting awkwardly in the booth. "Yes, well, dogs are certainly...mischievous creatures, sweetheart."

"They are," she agreed, making room for the waitress to serve their food. "I bet you have all kinds of cute stories about him," she added, savoring her rare tenderloin, despite her monster being irritated that it wasn't more bloody.

"Of course, love. That rascal keeps me quite amused," he replied in between hasty bites, adding, "there's just so...so many stories. Like the time he...uh, came through the window and tracked muddy paw prints all through the kitchen."

Taken aback by his voracious appetite, she decided he must not have eaten lunch. "Seriously?! The window — was he ok?!"

Gray eyes widening as though he was quickly replaying his words, he explained, "Yes, well, I'd stored some...exotic jerky in the pantry. You know how dogs can be, sweetheart."

"I wish," she answered wistfully, "My HOA has really strict rules about pet size and there's no way they'd let me get the kind of gentle, slobbery giant I really want." And I can't use compulsion since the world's most uptight vampire, Elena Gilbert, was on the board. "Maybe sometime I could play with him," she asked in an overly casual way — or so she hoped.

Klaus coughed a bit as he drank his beer, hurriedly setting down the bottle as he replied, "Of course — that would be, uh, I'd really like you to stop by and play. With my dog, I mean." His phone dinged with a message, and Klaus scowled, briefly telling her, "Sorry, love. My extended family is having a get together next month and there's some sort of bollocks disagreement regarding the venue. Do you mind if I step out to make a quick call?"

"Go ahead," she nodded, mildly relieved when he disappeared to the entrance as she covertly whipped out a small flask of blood she kept for emergencies and took a large gulp, breathing through the mouthwatering B+ so the black veins underneath her eyes disappeared quickly. Feeling more like herself, she hardly noticed the intoxicating bite of Klaus' cologne when he returned. Although she still wanted to bite him. A little. Or possibly a lot from the way his gaze darkened as she pushed the narrow strap of her dress back to the top of her shoulder.

Nostrils flaring slightly, Klaus asked in a concerned voice, "I smell blood — did something happen?"

Mildly surprised that he could smell her snack, she discreetly sliced open the tip of one finger with her nail, explaining, "I accidentally nicked myself with the tip of my steak knife." Klaus must be an exceptional human, she thought to herself, flushing slightly as she traced the smooth line of muscle along his forearms. Very exceptional. "You must have a nose like a bloodhound, Klaus," she said with a giggle.

He quickly laughed, offering her an elbow as they left the restaurant. She found the gesture oddly sweet as she snuggled a bit closer than strictly necessary. As she sank into his cheerful warmth, she finally gave into the connection she felt, pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss that rapidly turned from sweet to sensual.

Klaus let out a sexy growl and took her by surprise when he whirled her around until she was pressed against the side of his sleek silver sports car. He deepened their kiss, tightly gripping her blonde curls in a rough manner that made Caroline purr. She had to remind herself not to forget her strength and accidentally hurt him, but his primal reaction to her was a huge turn on.

She was so lost in their passion, Caroline didn't hear the footsteps behind Klaus until it was almost too late. Quickly pushing him to the side, she took the full brunt of the assailant's switchblade to the side of her neck. She gasped painfully as blood poured out of the gaping wound, glaring at her attacker who immediately started grappling with her, while Klaus shouted her name and joined the scuffle.

Worried that Klaus would be hurt, she quickly swept her leg in a wide arc, easily toppling the mugger, who let out a wheezing protest. There was something about hearing his voice that triggered her fury, and Caroline forgot all about protecting her supernatural secret as she flashed on top of her attacker. Operating on pure instinct, Caroline dug her razor-sharp fangs into his meaty neck, taking her fill until she felt her wound properly heal.

She came to her senses as she heard his rattling breath, realizing she'd need to make a decision about whether to compel or kill. Shit. Klaus. Caroline realized she was still straddling their assailant's chest, and she prepared herself for the worst as she cautiously flicked her gaze up to Klaus to gauge his reaction to her monster. She wasn't sure what she expected — hysterical screaming, disgust — but his perfectly blank expression was completely unexpected.

As the awkward silence stretched between them, she swiped at the stray bit of sticky blood she could feel smeared across one cheek. Neatly tucking away her vampire's visage, Caroline finally said, "So, I guess we should talk."

Klaus knelt on the ground nearby, picking up her bracelet that had been torn off during the struggle. As he handed it to her, he hissed in surprise, and Caroline tried to make sense of the wisps of smoke she saw curling from his reddened skin. From her silver bracelet. "I guess we should," he rumbled, his grey eyes flashing a feral gold.