I've established that aside from this fic taking off after 6x16 of TVD it also coincides with the timeline in between 2x15-2x16 of TO – but, Dahlia has not appeared yet and Eva Sinclair has not kidnapped any children. Aside from all that, most of 2x16 has happened before this chapter, including Gia and Elijah getting together, Eva Sinclair proving to be Vincent's wife, the 24h ceasefire from the Tremé coven having just passed, Klaus leaving Elijah to figure Freya out… And then, here we are!

Chapter 2: Brand new me

Present day
New York City, New York

Incredible buildings rose in the sky, covering the daylight from the sidewalks. The neon signs shone and spread bright hues over the pedestrians. The air was thick with pollution from the heavy traffic… This was nothing like Mystic Falls, and Caroline couldn't wipe the pleased smile off her face.

It was all so incredible, filled with life and movement and color… She was already in love with it, and she would be damned if the realtor didn't agree to lease her the loft which had such a gorgeous and wide view of it all.

"Any questions, Ms. Forbes?" they asked, bringing her to turn back and study their short black hair and designer suit.

"No, Agent Beck. I'm very happy with what I've seen so far." she smirked, earning a pleased smile in response.

"Call me Kim." they chimed politely, nodding to her before continuing. "So, then… Are we ready to sign the papers?"

"Yeah, about that…" she grimaced, flashing up to the real-estate agent swiftly and locking in those dark eyes with hers. "You are going to keep this property on the market a little longer, but you won't be accepting any offers. In the meantime, I will be living here, rent-free." she ordered them with a leveled voice. Giving Kim a slow once-over as she added. "Oh, and make sure to pay for the utilities out of your own pocket. I'm sure you can afford it."

Kim blinked shortly before nodding in agreement. "Excellent." they quipped happily, bringing the papers for her to sign. "I will ensure that everything is in order for your entry by the end of the week."

"That won't work." she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Looking up to compel them further as she narrowed her eyes firmly. "I will be moving in this afternoon."

"Of course." Kim complied, taking the signed documents and stretching out a hand for her. "Pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Forbes."

"Please, call me Caroline." she crooned, squeezing the warm hand a little longer as she scanned the soft contours of Kim's body and sharp jawline. The mix enticing as she moved in closer. "How about we get a celebratory drink tonight?" she asked seductively.

"Certainly." they replied with a playful wink, giving her a copy of the lease and quickly jotting their number on the back. "Let me know when you're free."

"Sure will." she purred while accepting the papers and cocking her head to the side. "You know, there is one more thing you can do for me before you go…"

"What's that, Ms- Caroline?" Kim smirked as they quickly corrected their words.

She pressed into their body and looked up through her eyelashes as she licked her lower-lip slowly. "Don't scream." she whispered, dazing the agent as she swiftly grabbed the back of Kim's head and dug her fangs into their neck. Feeding eagerly as she kept their arms from flailing about, moaning as she took in the sweet blood. Wondering if perhaps people tasted better outside of Virginia…

As she pulled back and performed her perfectly rehearsed routine of compel-heal-send off their way, she turned back to the wide windows and felt a pang to her chest. A lack of the enthusiast she knew she would normally feel about being in this place… it bothered her, but she didn't dwell on it for too long.

Because she knew the deal she'd made with herself as well as her friends, and being free from those awful and soul-wrenching emotions meant that she no longer felt the good ones in the same way either. It was the gift and curse of being free of her humanity. But then again, she just had to find some other way to get her rush – that's all. And as she spied the tell-tale sign of Broadway far down the neighborhood, she smiled in determination as she headed out to make another one of her dreams come true.

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

The brushstrokes slowly shaped the paint on the canvas, quick motions bringing harsh lines and deep contours as he tried to empty his mind. Having found it far too filled as of late… First with Rebekah's dilemma of being tied to the body of a French Quarter witch, one who was apparently trying to regain control of her physical shape and repress Rebekah's consciousness altogether in the process.

Then there was Freya, whom he still wasn't sure whether he could trust. Whom he still didn't know what to make of… And with the mystery that was their long-lost older sister, it appeared she also brought along an entirely new threat to their family. One with the name of Dahlia.

Were there not enough dangers circling his child already? Did he need more Viking family members returning from their supposed graves to haunt them all? He already had trouble whipping the werewolves in shape, especially now that Hayley refused to force her husband's hand in any and all matters regarding the pack. On top of that, Marcel seemed to be building his very own vampire army, Elijah was fully bent out of shape still after their mother's most recent attempts of derailing his mental state and now this?

He could have gone a century or two without giving her another thought. He could have focused on his life in New Orleans, on his family, on his daughter… But then came the call. And he had cursed everything in sight ever since receiving it.

At first, he had questioned the reasons prompting his old friend to reach out to him. Since, from what he had gathered with his distanced check-ins on the town, albeit somewhat few and far apart in time, his former home was perfectly safe. Or as safe as that little group of threat-seekers could possibly keep it. He even understood that Damon had somehow returned to life along with Bonnie Bennett…

Everything should have been well in the small town of Mystic Falls. Little did he know that in the midst of his scattered concentration and busy life – Sheriff Forbes had passed away from cancer.

Cancer, the mere thought was too cruel and unfortunate to even think of. In a city, or even in an entire state, filled with supernatural monsters and demons hiding in every shadow… The bright, strong woman had met such a human end. One he could not have foreseen, and he was certain her daughter hadn't either.

So, he had expected to hear from the elusive blonde next. To hear her side of the story. To find out what he could do to help, if anything at all. But she never called, nor wrote, or visited… No, it appeared that Caroline Forbes really had disappeared altogether. And it was the very last thing he needed as it acted as yet another item for him to add to the infinite list of troubles already crippling his peace of mind.

Stefan's words were still seared to his brain; "Caroline turned it off. We thought we could help her but… she has forced us to stay away until she decides to come back on her own."

Caroline Forbes, humanity-less?

No, that couldn't be. Surely it was some mistake…

But his friend assured him that it was not some haphazard attempt at luring him out of Louisiana just so he could get stuffed into a coffin with a dagger to his heart… Nor was it a scheme to go after his family. It was true, Caroline had been grieving and felt so lost that she chose to push it all away.

Truthfully, he had no interest in seeing her in such a state. Free of emotion, lacking that fire and light that was so uniquely hers… No, he would rather they solved the issue themselves. But there was a part of him, however minuscule, that was tempted to find her. To see for himself how the daring baby-vampire was holding herself now. How she was doing without that incessant fear of disappointing others. Without guilt for her feelings or actions. Without shame for how her friends would perceive her.

Oh, it was such a tantalizing thought. To picture her completely free, to imagine her completely herself… Only for it all to be sullied by the reality of such connotation. Because if Caroline was out there in the world, without her emotions, there was no telling what she could do. So, he was torn. Torn between going after her to sate that enticing flicker of curiosity in his soul that begged to see her now… and the fear of what she would do if he did.

Caroline Forbes was highly intelligent, strikingly intuitive and dangerously quick-witted with her humanity. Meaning that the evident threat that she already posed as having slithered into his heart after all these years had now likely tripled. He had no idea how impulsive she would be, how vengeful or conniving… And if he took one misstep, said the wrong thing, provoked her just a little too much – she could ruin him entirely.

What if she found out about Hope and chose to use her in some kind of scheme? What if she hurt his family in attempt to force him to follow her demands? What if she decided that his presence was too much for her to handle, leading to her joining the majority of people already conspiring against him at every turn?

What if she became his enemy? A danger? Someone he needed to take out of the equation for good? What if he was forced to hurt her? Kill her?

So, no. In the end, he reached the same conclusion as Stefan had; Caroline needed to turn her humanity back on. But not for the safety of her friends' or even for the risk of what her conscious would do to her once she returned to normal again… No, because of what she could do to him.

Hell, she already had a disproportionate abundance of power over the Original hybrid as it was. But now? He couldn't help but fear what the brilliant creature was capable of doing.

"No one is to approach her without my permission. Is that understood?" he had gritted out to Stefan firmly before making a promise which he had already begun to regret. "I will take care of it."

Yet, despite the confidence of his voice when speaking to the Salvatore yesterday – he had no idea what to do. He couldn't seem to even think properly now that he knew that she was out there… Possibly in danger, especially if anyone were to figure out who she was to him. Not only could she cause him hurt through his family, but through her own state of wellbeing as well.

It was too much; he had given her too much of himself. He shared his life and inner-most thoughts with the vampire and now she could bring doom to everything he had built…

Love is a vampire's greatest weakness.

He should have fought harder against his affections for her. He should have done something to push her away for good, to make sure she would never give herself to him. And he definitely shouldn't have given in that day in the woods nearly a year ago. Because now it was too late; now he knew how she felt under his touch, how she tasted against his lips, how she looked when she kissed him, how she sounded when he kissed her back…

The loud cracking of wood followed his frustrated growl as he ripped the canvas apart. Throwing the pieces around the room in anger, feeling helpless, having lost all control with just those few words.

"Caroline turned it off."

"What is the problem now?" she pressed bitterly as she watched Vincent's frown. His eyes closed and hands raised over her body as he tried to assess her magically. Her anxious scowl turning to Marcel as he gave her a tiny smirk in reassurance.

"Give him a second, Rebekah. I'm sure he'll be done soon." he told her, clearly not understanding the gravity of their issues. Eva Sinclair was fighting back, trying to take control of her body again and smother her own consciousness to death in the process.

Her fingers drummed against the leather couch beneath her, growing impatient by the tiny twitches of the witch's face. It being the only thing for her to focus on at the moment. "Talk to me." she implored Marcel then. "About anything, just get my mind off the fact that I may slip away into unconsciousness at any moment and become possessed by a crazy, black-magic practicing witch."

"Okay, okay…" he chuckled lowly, raising a palm to stop her from talking further as he considered his words shortly. "Hey, you don't happen to have an idea as to why Elijah has taken such an extra interest in one of my recent transitioners?"

"Whom in particular?"

"Gia." he replied. "Apparently, Elijah brought her with him to a meeting at Josephine's. I hear she played a piece on the violin that blew everyone away."

"Really?" she scoffed with a raised eyebrow at that. "Let me guess; dark hair, dark eyes, looks like a rebel in head-to-toe leather?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" he snickered in amusement as she shook her head back.

"I think I've learned my brother's type by now." she quipped. "Although, I wouldn't worry about it. I am certain she is only something temporary for Elijah to rest his heart with after the disaster that was his infatuations with Hayley." she added with a shrug. "And hell, if anyone of us deserves a break from the mess that is this family; it would surely be my noble and selfless older brother."

"Wait, when did we start talking about Klaus?" he muttered with a furrowed frown, causing her to widen her eyes at him before erupting in a fit of laughter together.

"Oh, right. Him." she chuckled under her breath. "Now, that is someone I would keep an eye on."

"No need." a voice countered, bringing both vampires to turn their heads in surprise as none other than the hybrid himself stepped into the loft with a strange look in his eyes. "Any news?" he asked, nodding to Vincent where he was still deep in his own head, whispering barely audible chants to himself.

"What happened?" she asked, quickly identifying the weight that seemed to have latched itself onto her brother's shoulders. "Is it Hope?"

"No, no. Hope is fine." he assured her with a nod, but his eyes were still not quite right. "She's with her mother. I overheard her trying to convince our littlest wolf to finish her strained peas on my way out."

The thought made Rebekah smile warmly before her heart tugged in fear, realizing all too well the threat that Eva Sinclair posed to her dearest niece. "What's wrong then?" she pushed on as Klaus poured himself a drink and came to join them by the sofa.

"What makes you think anything is?" he quipped with an empty smirk, swallowing the liquid in his glass in one swift motion.

"Okay, now I'm officially worried too." Marcel scoffed as he assessed his mentor closely. "Are you going to tell us, or do you want to keep acting like some squirmy kid?"

That caused a grin to cover the hybrid's mouth as he pointed a finger at him in entertainment. "I don't particularly care for that analogy, Marcellus." he snickered. "Especially considering the vast age-difference between us and all."

"Well, out with it, Nik." Rebekah pushed on then, watching the humor drain from his eyes as he studied her shortly.

"Are there any developments on your state yet?" he asked. "Is it possible to push the witch back from your mind a little longer? Perhaps with some sort of magically imbued amulet? I am sure we have an abundance of those lying about in the attic at home."

She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "You need something from me." she concluded. "What?"

He visibly gulped, looking more nervous than Rebekah could remember ever having seen him really. "A favor." he admitted silently, a defeated sigh escaping him. "I want you to go to New York and check on someone for me."

"Why the bloody hell would I go to New York in the middle of, not one, but two family crises?" she spat out in disbelief. "Have you forgotten the fact that I am gradually being suppressed by the body I'm inhabiting?"

"Surely, Ms. Sinclair cannot perform magic outside of the French Quarter. Correct?" he countered, glancing at Vincent just as he looked up to meet the Original's eyes.

"There's no guarantee that Eva doesn't find other sources for her powers." he explained with a shrug. "I feel her presence within you, Rebekah, and I fear it is strong due to some recent power-enhancing act on her part."

"So, she's already trying to get strong enough to push her out?" Marcel asked, prompting a nod from the witch.

"See, brother." she scoffed then, sitting up from the couch and fixing her hair quickly. "I'm not going anywhere until I have dealt with this problem. Especially not to the East Coast to run you some errand. Surely, you must have minions for that."

"I don't trust anyone else with this, Rebekah." he hissed, looking so serious then that she winced back in surprise. Trying to read the thoughts off his face as she analyzed him closely.

"Who, Nik?" she asked slowly. "Who's in New York?"

Klaus visibly struggled with himself, shifting the weight on his feet as he glanced around the room. Running a hand through his hair as he put the empty glass away and turned back to her again. "Caroline."

Her eyes must have left their respective sockets in response as she spat out a sound that was a mix of a laughter and scoff. "Are you bloody joking?"

"Who's Caroline?" Marcel asked with a curious tilt of his head that bothered her then.

"Don't ask." she immediately told him with a raised palm before looking at her brother again. "You cannot be serious…"

"Rebekah, please." he murmured gently in reply, the pain evident in his eyes and working to thaw her heart. Damn her human body…

"Look, even if you did manage to somehow convince me to go check in on that empty-headed twit-"

"Rebekah…" he growled, but she ignored him and continued.

"-… it still doesn't change the fact that I am compromised. And hell, as much as I would absolutely love to accidentally rip the baby-vamp apart; I don't suppose that is something you wish to see happen?"

"You're the only one who can do this." he protested through his teeth.

"Uhm, what about you?" she drawled in annoyance.

"I-I…" he stuttered in an uncharacteristic grimace. "I cannot leave Hope."

"Sure, you can." she challenged, shrugging as she continued. "Or, hell, if not you then send Elijah."

"Elijah is… not ideal."

"Well, I'm not risking my life for her, Nik. So, I suggest you find someone else!"

She could see her outburst drawing out his anger, straightening her back and preparing for a bashing as she waited for a reply. Only it didn't come from the man she had expected it to.

"I'll go."

Both Mikaelson's whipped their heads to Marcel in shock as he shrugged at them in response. "What?" she breathed out incredulously.

"Yeah. Give me a photo to go on and I'll make sure that she's safe." he offered.

"Marcel… You cannot leave me to deal with this issue by myself just to help some stranger on my brother's behalf." she stuttered. "And trust me; if you knew her like I do, you would not want to."

"What, it won't take me more than a day to just check in on someone." he snickered.

"What if you were to go together?" Klaus countered, surprising her again as she gaped at him. He shrugged slowly, a frown on his pleading face. "Something happened to her, and I just need someone to make sure that she isn't bringing about unnecessary pain on herself."

"And why are you suddenly so concerned about her wellbeing?" she scoffed, studying him as he gave her a pointed look and shook her head in disbelief. "No… No, she didn't. That's not possible."

"She did." he replied flatly, a twitch of a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he continued. "Stefan called me."

Oh, that's just great…

"Well, why don't you go chase after her and force her to fix this on her own?" she offered with a leisure shrug. "Make her behave herself or compel her not to kill anyone. Whatever suits your fancy."

"Rebekah-" he began to plead again, causing her to jump up from her seat with clenched fists as she scowled at him.

"No!" she bit out. "You cannot order me to put my life on the line for this, Nik. You say you're worried about Hope's safety if you leave; well, consider what might happen if Eva Sinclair takes me over? Sharing all of our memories, our secrets… What do you think will be her first step of action towards us?"

He gritted his teeth angrily, glaring at her as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "Fine." he spat out bitterly and turned away in a swift move. Muttering darkly under his breath as he stormed out of the apartment. "I'll handle it myself."

As the door slammed behind him, both Marcel and Vincent looked up at her expectantly. Bringing her to groan as she shook her head in frustration. "Don't even ask." she gritted. "Now, let's get back to fixing me."

The men nodded as Vincent quickly flipped through a journal in search for something else for them to try. She sat down again with a sigh as that stupid human empathy kept twisting in her chest.

It'll be fine, she convinced herself. Worst case scenario; Nik kills her.

The thought made her wince as she shook her head to herself, deciding to focus on her own life for now. If Caroline Forbes was still relevant after all this Eva Sinclair-business was handled with – then she might consider doing something to help the baby-vampire find her way back home.

A sigh fell heavily off Klaus' lips as he found Elijah and Hayley returning from their visit to Josephine LaRue's, raising an eyebrow when noticing the woman standing by his brother's side.

"There you are." Klaus quickly chided as he met the Original's gaze. "Well, do tell me the negotiations went according to plan and that Josephine will allow for us to solve the Eva Sinclair issue on our own."

Elijah scoffed lightly at that. "You know I cannot do that, brother." he replied with a slow nod, turning to the woman next to him as Hayley made her way over to the other Mikaelson. Something clear in the air as Klaus couldn't help but notice the female hybrid carrying some strange tension with her. "Gia, would you please allow us a moment to converse?" he told the woman kindly, a hand pressed to her lower-back.

"Sure." she responded with a shrug, leaning in to murmur as she turned away. "I'll se you later." she said as she headed out of the building with confident steps.

Klaus could barely resist the chuckle leaving him as he shook his head in surprise, glancing over to find Hayley wearing such a stiff frown on her face that it merely aggravated his amusement. "Well, this is all very unexpected." he quipped. "I hope this does not make for any awkward family dinners."

"Klaus…" Hayley muttered in warning, causing him to roll his eyes before turning serious again.

"I have to leave you lot to handle the Tremé coven for now." he announced, giving a pointed look at her in response. "Will you consider asking the pack to keep the compound secure until I return?"

"Return from where?" she pressed, her arms folded over her chest as she assessed him closely.

"I need to deal with something out of state." he said curtly, nodding to his brother then. "Will Freya aid Vincent in sealing his wife away before she takes over Rebekah's vices for good?"

"I didn't even need to ask her." Elijah shrugged, as much as the proper and straightened man could shrug. "She offered her assistance the moment I approached her about it. It is my understanding that she already has a spell in mind for breaking the link between Eva Sinclair's body and mind."

"Very good." Klaus agreed, not having the time to press him on further details for now. He turned to Hayley as she stood with a pointed scowl, one that would typically be accompanied by a stamping foot of impatience. The entertaining sight brought him to sigh as he decided he would need to be more convincing if he wanted her to do as he asked.

"So?" she drawled with a firm tone. "Are you planning on telling me why you're endangering Hope's safety by leaving town just hours after accusing every person on the world for not being adequate enough to keep her alive?"

"Remind me, love, was it I who stood up on that altar, declaring my allegiance and companionship to you for the rest of my existence?" he snickered, narrowing his eyes as he tried to make it clear just how little he wished to speak of this.

"Har-de-har." she mocked in a scoff. "Where are you even going?"

"East." he replied.

"East?" she echoed, looking over at both Mikaelson's with a shaking head. "You both really need to get better at communicating if you're serious about working together here."

"Well, I would gladly take Hope with me-" he began, a drawled filled with feigned innocence as her eyes flashed amber in threat. "That's what I thought." he smirked, grabbing the bag by his feet then as he started across the room. "Call me if anything – and I do mean anything – happens. I may not be able to kill anyone from afar but I can always use my distance to display rather significant threats to any prospecting fiends who wish to cause my daughter harm."

He stopped as he heard the sound of his guest entering the compound, smiling a little to himself as he turned back to throw them both a glance. "Oh, and I asked Camille to baby-sit whilst you occupy yourselves with tending to this incessant witch matter."

"I don't think that's-" Hayley began in protest but he cut her off with the wave of a hand.

"Come now, little wolf. Surely you cannot be so threatened by this new development in my brother's affections that you refuse to work with him?" he taunted, earning scowls all around. "Gia – was it? Very fetching, Elijah…" he added with a shrug before turning away and calling out over his shoulder. "You know, as far as distractions go."

Present day
New York City, New York

Caroline was getting a hang of this whole humanity-free life of hers as she glanced across the busy apartment with a pleased smile. The place having been filled by partying people from all around; some compelled guests and others friends brought over by Kim. Having already started feeling the strange effects of being away from everyone she's ever known, even after only a few days. Out of all the emotions she had expected to have to worry about, loneliness hadn't been one of them. And the young vampire discovered, to her disarray, that it wasn't something that disappeared along with the rest of her humanity.

The blonde supposed that even after everything, she was still a social creature. A creature in need of people around her, despite wanting to drain them all of blood most of the time.

Her phone had been bothering her as of late, texts and calls from Enzo and Bonnie as they were informed of her plans. The latter had even tried to goad her into some reaction by spewing all kinds of nonsense about Damon having found his mother still alive… About the witch Kai being back to the land of the living and trying to get the young Bennett on his side…

It was all giving her a headache really, so she got rid of it. Destroying her SIM-card and erasing everything on her phone before starting over with an entirely new number. And as the night progressed, she had already begun to fill it up with new contacts from the people at her housewarming party.

"Hey." a voice purred from behind her, prompting the blonde to turn towards a tall man with a gorgeous smirk and eyes framed by freckles. "I hear you're the new girl."

"I am." she confirmed with a smile, studying him slowly as she moved closer. "Here to welcome me to the building?"

"Well, I'm just being a good neighbor." he quipped with a playful wink before nodding at her pointedly. "I caught your performance earlier…"

She followed his eyes to the karaoke machine in the corner of the living area, grinning brightly as she met his dazzling expression again. "Did you, now?" she beamed.

"Yeah, you were really good." he crooned. "Ever considered a career in singing?"

"Oh, hundreds of times." she shrugged. "But I can't really be a famous, successful artist now… Not with all the social media and paparazzi and advanced camera technology. No, people would catch on way too fast and burn me at the stake for not aging like the rest of them."

He looked at her in a short second of silence before chuckling, seeming to determine her words as a joke as he nudged her shoulder. "With talent like yours, they'd find other reasons to bury you anyway." he teased, bringing her to smirk as she joined in with a light giggle.

"Yeah, you're probably right." she added with a snicker as he fidgeted with something in his pocket, soon revealing a pack of cigarettes as he nodded at her.

"There any place I can smoke these?" he asked, giving her an idea as she looked around the room swiftly.

"Why don't I join you and get some air? I could show you to the roof-top terrace." she suggested. "Agent Beck tells me my apartment has exclusive access."

"Really?" he crooned, beaming widely as he tilted his head. "Lead the way."

She smirked at that, grabbing his hand as she tugged him after her. Walking through the crowd and passing the apartment with easy strides, stepping out onto one of the wide balconies and reaching the set of stairs leading to the roof from there. "After you." she said with a gesturing hand, earning a chuckle as he shook his head in reply.

"No, no. Don't rob me of the view." he protested, receiving a raised eyebrow of disbelief before she shrugged and walked ahead of him. Climbing the stairs and adding an unnecessary sway to her hips that she knew he would appreciate.

Once reaching the top, she smiled as she took in the gorgeous oasis before them. Agent Beck hadn't done it any justice… They described it as a rooftop garden, but this was much more like an intimate park. String lights and greenery matching perfectly, creating a vision of something sacred and hidden away from the craziness of the streets below. She walked over to the ledge and admired the sight as she watched the city stretch out in front of her. The lit-up windows on the buildings around them a great contrast to the dark evening and the traffic barely audible with human hearing from this height.

"This is incredible…" the voice made her blink as she realized that she had forgotten about the guy behind her. He joined her side with an awestruck smile as he put a hand on the ledge across from her, his arm circling her waist in result.

"Yeah." she said silently, sensing some disappointment about not being able to really feel it. The view, the night, the guy. It was all…

Numb.

The realization was bittersweet as she named the hollow in her that had followed all the way from Virginia. Having hoped to be able to fill herself up with something else, with freedom and adventure and vampirism… Instead, she started to wonder if perhaps it had been a mistake to leave Mystic Falls after all. At least there she had a life, a routine to follow, friends to surround her. Here, she was invisible. Anonymous. Nobody.

She was alone, for better or worse.

The feeling of a hand traveling over her hip made her snap out of her mind as she found her companion suddenly way too forward for her taste. "Alright, let's keep it PG for now, buddy." she chided, grabbing his wrist and moving away from his proximity.

He clearly didn't agree with that as his predatory smirk caused a frozen shiver to rush down her spine. "Come on… Don't be like that." he purred, suddenly breaking out of her grip and circling his arms around her swiftly. Caging her against his chest with such strength that she quickly stiffened in understanding.

Vampire.

"I think the party's over for you now." she gritted firmly, pushing at his torso in attempt to back away but finding him much stronger than her.

"Oh, but I think it has only just begun." he countered cheekily, leaning down to nuzzle at her neck as she hit his chest.

"Hey!" she bit out, rage flaring up as her alarm spread through her body. Managing to kick him away, she turned around and headed for the stairs again. His arm stopping her as it slithered around her wait once more, pushing her back against him.

"Mmm, feisty." he hummed in appreciation, the sleezy voice making her stomach flip in disgust as she tried to cause him pain. Pushing her elbow into his body, digging her heel firmly into his foot… Nothing was helping.

"I'm warning you." she hissed as his hips rubbed against her, his face burying in her hair. All of it making her sick as she spun around and punched her hand straight through his chest.

He gaped at her in surprise and pain as she squeezed his heart tightly. "What the-" he coughed out.

"What? Surprised?" she spat. "Did you think I was some vulnerable, defenseless little human that you could use up?"

"I-I'm sorry…" he whispered through gritted teeth, causing her to let out a cold chuckle.

"Yeah, see; I don't think you are." she mused with a shrug. Narrowing her eyes as she glared at him closely. "I would be more careful if I were you, you never know what kind of monsters you might accidentally piss off…"

There was a look on his face, one filled with fear and understanding. Knowledge that he was going to die, terror directed at the being holding his life in her hands… And it made her feel something she hadn't ever since turning her humanity off; joy.

Before she could kill him, the body was pulled away from her grip. Leaving her with a blood-stained hand as she stared at the shadow before her, the silhouette moving swiftly as an arm flew across the man's face. The head suddenly falling from the rest of him as she looked up at the back in front of her in shock.

"Truer words have never been spoken." the shadow crooned softly, dangerously. The voice making the blood drain from her face as her eyes widened in recognition, her heart stopping as the man turned around to meet her gaze with a wide smirk. "Hello, love."

Her feet moved on pure instinct as she sprinted in the opposite direction, only to slam right into a hard chest as he blocked her path. Forcing her to take him in as his scent attempted to knock her down, his eyes shining as they watched her with mirth and flames to match that devilish smile on his lips.

"Well, that wasn't quite the reaction I had hoped for." he snickered, the voice digging into her chest as it tried to grip something that was no longer there. Something guarded, locked away and hidden on the other side of a brick wall behind her humanity-free state.

Thinking fast, she took a step back and gave her best effort at schooling her features into one filled with fear. "Wh-who are you?" she stuttered. "What do you want?"

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief at her words, the smirk as strong as ever as he scanned her from top to toe. "Really, sweetheart?" he pressed with amusement in his tone.

But she wasn't giving up yet. Hell, this was the only lifeline she had. "I… Do I know you?" she stammered on, sighing as she shook her head and feigned a grimace. "I should probably tell you; I was in a car accident not too long ago. Got a severe case of amnesia and haven't been able to remember anything since then."

"Oh, is that right?" he pushed with a chuckle, his hands latching behind him as he directed a piercing look her way.

"Yup." she quickly said, ignoring the coiling in her gut as her body threatened her determination.

"So, you are claiming not to be Caroline Forbes?" he asked in a slow drawl.

"Who?" she snickered nervously, receiving only a bright grin as he closed the space between them.

"There are very few things on this earth which does not become you, love." he said with a low voice, leaning in as he brushed her hair back and grazed her ear with his touch. The heat it elicited impossible to resist as she gritted her teeth in defeat. "Lying being the first of them… You were always so terrible at it." he murmured, his breath hitting her cheek and forcing her to close her eyes in a sigh as she tried to regain her posture. "Second; pretending not to be affected by my presence." he whispered, his lips hovering over her skin. "And last; acting oblivious to my advances."

She was sure she had lost the ability to breathe until he finally pulled back to meet her flustered scowl. "You really shouldn't be here, Klaus." she muttered as she quickly let out a heavy breath, ignoring his eyes with all of her willpower. "Did Stefan call you?"

"Why would he?" the hybrid asked, sounding so innocent that she almost bought it… if she didn't know the Original already.

"Don't act like you don't know." she scoffed. "If you think my acting isn't believable, then yours is abysmal."

He shrugged at that, nodding to the body on the ground beside them. "Well, even if I didn't already know, this would have tipped me off." he noted. "Not to mention the fact that you refuse to properly look at me."

That made her grit her teeth tightly as she gulped hard and crossed her arms over her chest, taking another step away from him as she made sure to keep her eyes averted. "Well, I'm not going to risk you manipulating or otherwise tricking me into flipping it back on again." she pointed out with a scoff. "So, are you going to listen to my reasoning, or did you just come to lock me up and dry me out until I'm back to normal?"

"Contrary to what you believe… The humanity switch cannot be forced back on by compulsion." he said, bringing her to look at him in surprise. A little smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he continued. "Something about the conscious and the mind not being fully intact and all that… Not that I'm complaining, I never did feel the need to make anyone turn their emotions on. I much rather prefer they remain as impulsive and unfeeling as the rest of us."

What? she thought to herself, remembering that night at the school when Klaus had forced Stefan to turn his humanity off… The night when he ran off with the Salvatore, trying and failing to make every werewolf they encountered into hybrids.

But then again, Elena had been sired to Damon until he made her turn her emotions off. From then on, she wasn't receptive to her feelings for him anymore. He couldn't get her to turn her humanity back on because of it…

"Why should I trust anything you say?" she finally said, realizing he was spending way too much attention studying her every feature as he waited for her to break the silence.

"By all means, don't." he chimed. "So, how are you, Caroline? Caught the travel-bug, have you? Or did you perhaps move here for some student-exchange program? I wasn't aware Whitmore College had collaborations with any universities this far north."

She ran a hand over her face exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of her nose as she spoke. "How did you know where to find me?" she asked slowly, glancing at his smirk as she sensed an itch inside of her. Something clawing and trying to break through that wall once more. The realization of which filled her with anger.

"Actually, don't answer that." she chuckled coldly, shaking her head as she scowled at him. "Why did you come here?"

"To check up on you." he replied casually, stepping away and leaning back against a pillar with a nonchalant face. "It seems you have made yourself a target by leaving Mystic Falls. If I could find you, others can as well."

"You don't scare me, Klaus." she scoffed, walking closer as she furrowed her eyebrows and squinted at him analytically. "I can go wherever I want. That's the upside of being an immortal orphan, something you should know all too well yourself."

He straightened at that, frowning as he watched her with a painful sympathy in his eyes. "I was sorry to hear of your mother's passing, Caroline." he proclaimed genuinely, moving closer and taking one of her hands in his as he squeezed it affectionately. "I am sure it must have been difficult for you to come to terms with her end… However, this hardly seems like the appropriate response."

"Why? Because you don't like me this way?" she pressed, pulling her hand away from his grip swiftly. "I'm getting sick of having people tell me how I should be and what I should do… You didn't care about your mother the way I cared about mine, so how the hell are you supposed to understand how I feel?"

"By understanding you." he chimed softly. "I didn't come here to convince you that your method of working through your grief is wrong. I came to make sure that you are safe."

"From what?" she pushed on. "From you? Your enemies?"

"Yourself." he corrected with a pointed nod, his eyes scanning her face slowly and prompting her to gulp as she forced herself to stand her ground. "What will happen when your humanity turns back on, Caroline?" he asked, looking more curious than judging as he did. "Will you look back on this time and shrug? Cross it off as some necessary evil, one which you needed to endure until you were ready to let yourself feel the pain that you have stored away?"

"What does any of that have to do with you?" she countered, closing the distance as she glared at him. Listening to the steady pulse of his heart that seemed to stumble lightly at her proximity, his eyes quickly falling to her lips as they neared his. "Heard that…" she murmured lowly, meeting his glance with a smirk as she caught the hints of sparks in his irises. "Saw that." she noted, reaching forward and tugging at the necklaces around his neck. Fiddling with them absentmindedly as she continued.

"You know, out of all people… I never expected you to disapprove of me like this." she mused. "I mean, isn't this what you always wanted? For me to be more like you?"

"Quite the opposite, love." he replied in a low snicker. "All this does is further hindering any chance I have of winning you over in the end. Why would I want you to push your feelings away, knowing that they would also include the ones you have for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Klaus." she snarled. "I couldn't possibly lose something that I never had."

A wide grin spread over his lips in response, confusing her as he beamed at her and leaned in to whisper against her ear. "Heard that." he murmured, his fingertips tapping over her chest as he gestured to her heart. Moving back as he nodded to her, his thumb brushing over her suddenly heated face as he cupped her cheek in his hand. "Saw that."

She swallowed down any further reaction and cleared her throat, spinning around and walking away from him with a shrug. "Well, that doesn't matter now." she concluded, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow of interest. "Unless, of course, you wanted to do something about it."

He shook his head in a low chuckle, scratching at his jaw as he spoke. "Oh, as tempting as that may be – it would hardly be as enjoyable knowing you'd come to regret it the moment you emerge from this uncaring façade…" he crooned. "Not to mention that it isn't what I came here for in the first place."

"Then why did you?" she retorted, kicking at the corpse on the ground before turning to the hybrid again. "Hell, if you're not gonna make yourself useful… Why not get out of my way and let me find someone else to occupy my time with?"

"Well, perhaps you should come with me to New Orleans?" he suggested with a playful smile that threatened to draw her in. "There, you could walk about freely, enjoy yourself openly. The supernatural population is rather sufficient, and vampires live with no fear of exposure to speak of." he explained, nodding at the corpse. "You wouldn't need to worry about leaving behind any traces for your friends to follow." he added with a smirk. "Is that not why you left? To keep them from breathing down your neck at every turn and decision you make?"

"Maybe." she drawled, folding her arms over her chest as she eyed him in suspicion. "But why would I ever follow you anywhere? What, so that I can become your prisoner, forced to follow your rules? Or worse, I'd be another one of your lackeys. Someone for you to keep under your thumb, someone to reel back in whenever they crossed the line…"

"I would merely wish to keep an eye on you." he clarified. "Nothing more."

She blinked as she ignored the whisper of a thought in her heart, the echo of an emotion. "Why?" she asked, taking a step back when he tried to close the distance between them once more.

"I just want to be there for you, Caroline." he sighed, sounding genuine and pained as he watched her with pleading eyes. "And I don't want you to commit acts during this time that makes it impossible for you to forgive yourself in the end."

"And I should believe you because…?" she pressed incredulously.

"Because, despite the fact that you cannot feel it now, you are a dangerous being with impulses which put, not only your surroundings, but you at risk as well." he countered. "And you know that I can keep you safe, even if it is from yourself."

"No, there's something else." she realized as she studied him. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked, walking over to the hybrid with narrowed eyes. "You should have known that I would never agree to any offer you make me, no matter where in the world you wanted to send me off to… So, does that mean that this is reverse psychology?" she mused, assessing him as she spoke. "Is there something in New Orleans that you don't want me to find? Something that you're worried I'll destroy? What are you hiding, Klaus?"

"Nothing." he replied with a steady voice, smirking as he continued. "Although, you are more than welcome to pat me down for assurance."

She stopped just a breath away from his body, scanning his features as she tried to read it off his face. "It must have something to do with your family, right?" she guessed. "Maybe there are some enemies there that you don't want me to bump into? But then again, you would probably just tell me that... So, there's something else. Something you're trying to keep from me, not because of what it could do to me… or you. So, Klaus; who are you protecting?"

The bright smile on his lips made her cock an eyebrow in question, earning a short chuckle from him before he spoke. "I just don't believe I realized how much I've missed you until this very moment, love." he relayed, his voice so warm and smooth that it nearly wrapped itself around her heart and squeezed it tight.

"Don't try to sweet-talk me, Mikaelson." she snickered, shaking her head as she continued. "I'm onto something, aren't I? Maybe… another woman? You don't want me to find out how quickly you got me out of your system before moving onto the next blonde challenge – is that it?" she pressed, gesturing between them with a cold sneer. "I mean, you've obviously gotten what you wanted from this already so it would make sense."

"Ah, I see." he grinned, something hard in his eyes as he nodded at her. "We are back to pretending that all you ever felt for me was some resentful lust that you squashed once and for all. Does that lie bring you comfort, Caroline? To convince yourself that our connection was something so shallow and meaningless?"

"Hey, you're the one who doesn't want to admit that you're hiding away some southern belle down in Louisiana." she retorted with a shrug. "Wow, who would've thought that some time together in the woods was all it took for you to finally stop going after me? Don't tell me it was that lousy?"

He scoffed bitterly in reply. "I will not dignify any of that with a response." he muttered darkly.

"So, tell me the truth, then." she countered. "If there really is something so awful that you don't want me to find out about on my own; tell me. I mean, I'm guessing that it would work to finally push me away for good - and isn't that what you really want? To finally stop worrying about disappointing me? To get me to understand that you can't be anything more than what you already are? Unless you're worried about what I could do to this secret girl of yours?"

She caught the flicker of fear in his eyes and grinned in triumph. "Thought so." she quipped, stepping back and putting some distance between them as she nodded at him pointedly. "I have a clear plan set here, Klaus; one year of no humanity. And the last thing I'm going to do during that time is make you my enemy." she announced surely. "I know how you treat those you feel threatened by - which is like just a fraction worse than how you treat the people you love. So, either way, really; I don't want anything to do with you. Not now, and definitely not after my year is up."

Turning away from him, she headed for the stairs with a last look on the dead body left on the roof. Deciding she couldn't leave it there, she walked towards it and picked it up, throwing the man over her shoulder as she chose to take him with her.

However, the hybrid's voice stopped her as he spoke. "What if I told you that I have a way of ensuring that you stay this way for the entirety of your set timeline?"

She froze in her step but felt apprehension set into her gut as she kept her back turned to him. "What?" she called in disbelief.

"I can make sure that no one forces that switch back over." he explained, bringing her to spin around and face him in surprise. "That you remain fully in control of your humanity moving forward."

"How do I know you're not trying to trick me into coming with you just so you can flip the switch yourself?" she pressed incredulously.

"Well, even if I did hope to do so… you have made it abundantly clear that I will not be able to bring any sort of emotional reaction out of you whatsoever. So, what do you have to lose, really?" he taunted.

"Uhm, my freedom? My life?" she pointed out, shaking her head as she stared at him with a scoff. "I can't trust you."

"Why not?" he asked, the words far more loaded than she had expected as he walked towards her. "Do you genuinely believe that I would willingly cause you harm? Do you really think that I would let anything happen to you?"

She studied him in silence as he grabbed the corpse from her hold and carried it over his shoulder instead. Nodding at her as he spoke again. "Why don't you take a few days and think about it? Let me know what you decide." he suggested, walking past her as he moved to the stairs. Leaving her dumfounded as she stuttered in surprise.

"Wait… y-you're staying?" she stammered as she called out, watching him walk down the steps with an easy shrug as he called back over his shoulder.

"Sure, why not?" he quipped cheekily as he stepped out of her sight. His voice leaving her frozen as he snickered in amusement. "I always adored New York."