Caroline passed out almost immediately after she stopped speaking. Klaus was pleased she wasn't crying tonight, as she had been last night, but it pained him somewhat to see her so battered. For better or for worse, she was all he had for now. Maybe forever.

As she slept, Klaus decided he would explore the boundaries of the magic keeping him… wherever he was.

He'd never had to consider his own death before, or dying. He was arrogant enough to believe that was one night that would never come for him. But that didn't mean his curiosity wasn't piqued by the topic occasionally. Although, obviously the theories Klaus had collected over the years, were just that, theories.

He had always been an obscenely strong being, and as he said to Caroline, he knew a lot more about magic than he would ever be given credit for. He knew if he embraced the magic some more, pushed a little harder, concentrated deeply, he would likely be able to do something. Especially since he seemed to have regained control of his body.

He'd only had this form for the passed three days, as far as he could tell. Before that, he had his body, per se, but no control over it.

Klaus decided it was time to discover what would happen should he try and interact with the world around him.

He pushed himself up from where he was sitting on the table and tried to walk through the door of the cell. But he was stopped by the wall in the physical world.

Seemed he was not the walk-through-walls kind of ghost.

Next he moved on to messing with the lock on the cell door. If he couldn't walk through walls, maybe he could snap the lock off?

That was also no use, because even though he could grasp the lock, feel it in his hand, he was unable to physically interact with it. Apparently, while he had corporeal form on his side of the vail, he was merely an imprint on the physical world; bound to be constrained by the cause and effect rules of Caroline's side, with an inability to interact with it.

Yet.

He would not be discouraged, because before a couple of days ago, Klaus would have sworn he would be stuck calling to Caroline in her dreams for eternity, until he wasn't. So he would take all 'rules' he gleaned as about his situation as a dead man to be temporary.

That got him to thinking, why had he gone from her dreams to her waking hours?

And, hadn't she outlined a similar progression of things to him?

She said she felt his presence, then his energy – though he was fuzzy on the difference just yet – then the dreams. Then on the day he had become a permanent fixture in her realm, she had seemingly heard some of his interactions with her, but not all. He had been talking to her for days without her being any the wiser. Why the sudden change?

But he benched those questions for the moment – Caroline would likely be able to shed some light on all that when she woke.

Klaus decided he would make it his mission to get the blood bag to Caroline. Bill had left the bag in the cell that night, to tease and tempt his daughter while he wasn't there. And Klaus was determined, if there was a way for someone on the other side to interact with the physical world, he would find it. And help Caroline feed.

He walked up to it, and placed his hand on it. Much like the lock a few minutes earlier, he could feel the cool plastic beneath his hand, but was unable to squeeze it, move it, pierce it or do anything else with it for that matter.

Klaus caught himself wondering whether the bag could feel him, the way he could feel it, but quickly rolled his eyes at himself. It was a bag.

But this notion inspired him. When he'd touched Caroline the night before, she had recoiled from him. But not just him, from his touch specifically. She felt something but Klaus had been in too much of a rage at the time to discover what that something was.

But maybe the rage was part of the equation?

Testing a theory, Klaus placed his hand back on the blood bag, and began to feel.

He let every moment of displaced hatred toward Bill Forbes that had built in him over the past two days flow through his body. He channelled the wild anger felt watching the man continually torture his only daughter. Klaus imagined the hellfire he would rain upon the Bill for laying a hand on his daughter. He let the fury flow through his veins, tickle his skin.

And right as Klaus was quivering with unsatisfied ire, picturing his fist plunging into Bill's chest for even considering injuring his daughter out of a skewed sense of loyalty, his fingers contracted around the blood bag, and the blood bag squashed inward.

With great effort, using the momentum built from his fury, and the sudden rush of delight about unravelling one secret of this realm, Klaus seized the bag and flung it toward Caroline. Lucky for the young woman, Klaus had particularly good aim, and even with the extra force for his throw, the blood bag landed square in her lap.

Caroline woke with a squeal and a start, nearly dislodging the bag in her lap.

"Careful," he hissed, much more aggressively than he intended on being, still boiling with anger after all.

"What the hell, Klaus!" Caroline cried, indignantly. "I was trying to sleep!"

"Lap," Klaus barked, as he took deep breaths, attempting to calm himself.

Caroline looked down, her eyes bugged out, then she looked back at him, then back at the blood bag.

"How did you…" she asked, disbelievingly.

Caroline had enough give in her restraints that she could grasp the bag in her hand, and bend her torso forward to take a drink. Luckily her father had already popped the top, so she wouldn't have to.

Klaus watched as Caroline desperately began to drink from the bag, and was pleased with his efforts. She would be healed and back to full strength in no time.

So imagine his surprise when after only three sips, Caroline fought off her urge to down the whole bag, and stopped drinking.

"Caroline, you have to drink," he said, incredulously. "You need your strength."

"I know, I know," she said, heavily, her eyes still black, fighting her ravenous urge to finish her meal. "But we have to be smart about this, what's dad going to do if he comes back in here in a few hours and this bag is empty? I've had enough to heal from the past couple of days, and shake Carol's vervain. I will be stronger tomorrow. We have to take it day by day at the moment."

All traces of his pent up anger evaporated as Klaus watched her, stunned.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," she said, grateful for anything to distract her. "Nearly eighteen."

"How long have you been a vampire?"

"A few months, I guess," she said, shrugging. "What's it to you?"

Klaus shook his head and walked over to her, shaking his head, deeply impressed by her ability to control.

He placed his hand on the blood bag again, and using the sudden rush of emotion for Caroline, managed to pick up the bag, and place it back on the table.

"There," he said, proudly. "Bill will be none the wiser."

It required a lot less energy to move than the first time, and Klaus wondered whether it was an object-by-object thing? Maybe once you moved something once, had that physical connection with it, then it's easier to get to? Like flattening a path through thick brush in a wood – it's always easier to follow a path already made.

"Now, that's exciting," Caroline said, visibly intrigued by his work. "Two days ago you could barely whisper, now you're moving things and influencing people."

Caroline giggled at her own joke, feeling exceptionally grateful for the blood. She knew she wasn't at full strength, but she felt well enough to regain her good humour, and no longer felt and pain or exhaustion from the days of torture.

"What's impressive, love, is that you did not rip through that bag like an animal," Klaus said, sitting down on the table again. "I don't know if I've ever encountered control like that from one so young. It's remarkable."

Caroline felt quite chuffed with herself. Sure, getting praise from the devil was still getting praise from the devil – but it was still getting praise all the same. She knew she had good control, but never even considered maybe she was remarkable.

"Thank you," she said, a pleased smile on her lips. "Wait, how did you do it?"

Klaus explained the thought journey he embarked on once she fell asleep, about things he supposed and thought could be possible.

"I also have some questions for you, if you're up to it," he said.

"Shoot."

"You talked yesterday about how you had a similar progressive of symptoms – for want of a better term – as I did. Presence, energy, dreams, whispers, then I was here, is this correct?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Caroline replied, trying to sit as gracefully as she could while her arms were tied to a chair.

"Do you have any theories as to why the progression?" he asked. "Because I had been talking to your during daylight hours for a lot longer than the first time you noticed me at the poky tavern with that wolf-boy."

Caroline frowned, trying to think. Klaus couldn't help but be a little charmed by the expression on her face, she was so focussed, it was adorable.

"I don't know, I guess I was more worried about it," she said, as though questioning herself. "That morning, when I woke with the creepy stalker in my dreams, thank you for that, by the way."

"Not a problem, love," he interjected.

"I resolved that I'd keep a firmer eye out for strange happenings, and then I would tell Bonnie if it got too much worse."

Klaus nodded, mulling over her words in his head.

"And I was considering sharing what was happening with Tyler, because then at least I could talk about it with someone."

"Yes, you and the wolf were getting quiet close," Klaus said, disapprovingly. "Such a lap-dog, that one, always running around like you'd just stood on his tail."

"Hey!" Caroline exclaimed. "He's my friend."

"He's more than your friend, love," Klaus said, pompously. "I saw his attempts at ravishing you, don't forget, disappointment to the wolf kind."

Caroline balked.

"Oh my gosh, Klaus!" she shrieked, going bright red. "You watched us? Having… you know! How could you! Did you watch me in the shower!?"

Klaus couldn't help but laugh at her indignation. It was rather amusing to him how much she'd taken all the supernatural happenings in her sleepy home town in her stride, but was still scandalised by the implication of immodesty.

"Calm down, love," he chuckled. "I will have you know, I may be a murderous hybrid, but I was still raised a gentleman. I did not peak on you and the wolf, nor you in the shower, nor when your urges became too much and you needed to help yourself out. And I only peaked a little when you went swimming, and slept in those tiny pyjama shorts of yours."

"Some gentleman!" Caroline blushed.

"Gentleman, yes, love, but still a man."

"I can't believe this," she muttered. "What do you mean you didn't 'peak'?"

"I mean if you were in the shower, I faced the wall. When you were with the wolf, I was rolling my eyes too hard at his attempts to woo you, I couldn't see anything anyway."

Caroline rolled her own eyes at this, but couldn't help but smile at his joke. Though she would never ever admit it to him, or anyone else for that matter, she felt a little bit sexy at the thought of him ogling her… even if it was creepy on so many levels.

"Let's get back to the brainstorm," Caroline said, still a twinge of pink in her cheeks. "The only the I can think is that the whole thing was on my mind more the last few days."

"So the more you thought about it, the stronger the connection became," Klaus mused.

"But why me?" Caroline said, a little distressed.

"I believe that will be the million-dollar question," Klaus said.

"I guess also, at the party, when I saw you in the crowd, I was really wasted as well," Caroline said. "Inebriation makes a girl an easy target."

"Right you are, love," Klaus said, thinking his way to the next logical conclusion. "So, when you were hit with that vervain dart, it seems reasonable to assume you were weak enough for me to come to this side through your weak grip on your consciousness."

"Wow, that's a lot," Caroline said. "Adds up though, I was fighting you before then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was actively pushing you and the dreams from my mind whenever I could," Caroline pondered. "I would think about it at night before bed, but didn't let myself dwell too much, or else I scared myself."

"Well a theory it may be, but it's a solid one," Klaus said, resolutely.

Caroline nodded, and the two of them fell into silence, though it wasn't one of the tense silences they'd been tangled in before.

"Are you a hybrid over there?" Caroline asked, suddenly.

"What?" Klaus asked, sharply. It wasn't something he had considered before that moment.

"Well you died after completing all the steps of the sacrifice," Caroline said, a little wary of how aggressively he responded. "But you died during your first wolf transformation. I don't know if that first transformation is essential to the sacrifice."

"What has this got to do with anything?" Klaus said.

"I guess not much," Caroline replied. "I was just interested. We're stuck with each other for a while now, I think, I think that rates some interest in what's going on with you. Plus, I think we need to be as honest as possible with each other, or it's going to make existing real awkward."

"I suppose," he said. "But in answer to your question, I don't know if I'm a hybrid. I can't transform, but I also don't need to feed, nor can I harm myself. I'm not hungry, or thirsty. I just exist."

Caroline hummed in interest, filing the information away for contemplation at another time.

"Can you exist beyond me?" Caroline asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously dad can't see you, and you still exist on this side while I'm asleep, but," Caroline paused, trying to find what she wanted to say. "I guess I want to know how much your connection to this side is connected to me. If you weren't hanging around here just because you can interact with me, could you, I don't know, hang out in Italy, even if it is just to see the sights."

Klaus was, once again, a bit impressed with Caroline. It was the second times in as many minutes that she had posited an idea he was yet to consider. Klaus had been so focussed on making his connection with Caroline for the past few months, he never tried exploring elsewhere on his side.

"I'm not sure," Klaus said. "Maybe I should give it a go today? When your father arrives I slip beyond this cell and see if I can traipse the outside world of Mystic Falls."

"Oh, sure…"

Caroline looked nervously away from him, her fingers beginning to tap a soft, unsteady rhythm on the chair's arm.

"What's the matter?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know, nothing," Caroline said. "It's nothing."

"Caroline, it was you who implored some shared honesty."

Caroline thought for a moment, searching for how to articulate best what she felt.

"I would feel more comfortable if you were here," she said, tentatively, still not looking at him.

"What?" Klaus said.

"When my dad is… doing his thing…" she said, awkwardly. "I know you can't do anything, and I know it's so stupid, but having you there in the corner of my eye or whatever, makes me feel a bit more comfortable."

Klaus gaped blankly at her for a good long while. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

"I know, stupid. You're like a million years old, and Elena's murderer. And just a murderer. And my murderer, in fact. But I don't know, you being here right now, makes me feel like someone is in my corner."

Klaus still had not said a word, stunned by her admission.

"And obviously it wasn't misplaced," she said softly, smiling wanly at him. "You could have done anything with your experiments today. You could have used what you learned about the emotion channelling to hurt me, or get the door open and leave. But you used it to help me. I know I'm supposed to hate you, because of the murder, and the terrorising my town, and because you were a total jerk last night and the one before. But it's not like any of your murders stuck, and like for real now there are other people doing just as much terrorising, and I was kind of a jerk too. So… Anyway, you helping me, I think that kind of makes us buddies now."

Caroline knew she was rambling to fill to the silence, but she couldn't help herself, it was such an old habit.

"I'm not a million," Klaus said. "I'm just over a thousand."

"Right," Caroline drawled. "After everything I said, your takeaway was I exaggerated your age."

But Caroline smiled as she finished her sentence, and she was pleased to find he smiled back.

"I think we can be buddies," Klaus murmured, feeling possibly more vulnerable than he ever felt in his entire life.

"Buddies, or maybe I just have transferred my Stockholm syndrome from my dad to you," she teased him, with a wink.

But before Klaus could answer, there was a squealing of an unoiled hinge opening, signalling the beginning of another agonising day for Caroline.

"Good morning, Caroline," Bill said, as he unlocked the cell door. "Have you used your reprieve to think about what you can do better today?"

"Daddy, please," Caroline said, immediately forgetting entirely about Klaus and their conversation. "You don't have to do this, I don't kill, I don't even –"

But she was cut of by her instincts kicking in, as Bill opened the blood bag. Caroline's fangs dropped, and eyes changed. She knew what that particular bag tasted like, and it was oh so sweet.

"Oh, Caroline," Bill said, the picture of a father disappointed by a nothing more than a test score.

Without another word, Bill pulled the fateful chains, sunlight and his daughter's screaming filling the room once more.