It was easy to ignore the hurt in her heart when she fell back into her school schedule. Caroline hadn't blocked Tyler's number, but he didn't text or call. Instead she threw herself back into the busying extra-curricular activities and SAT prep which took her mind off the sting of another failed relationship. Elena and Bonnie kept her well entertained too, from mid-week sleepovers to lunch-time gossip sessions.

They were obviously trying to avoid bringing up Klaus at every interval, and she appreciated that. When Bonnie mentioned that she couldn't find anything in the grimoires beyond a basic definition of a mate, Caroline had decided that she wouldn't bring it up either. It felt private and Caroline couldn't trust herself to not blurt out the finer details of their time in the woods. She really didn't need anyone to know about that. Instead she'd turned to Google, finding a few sites with mostly accurate supernatural information and relying on them. Very few mentioned werewolf mating and the ones that did were clearly inspired by the Twilight franchise. She'd bided her time, quietly stockpiling what she wanted to know in anticipation of having the time to ask.

Meanwhile Klaus had stopped showing up at inopportune times, but had appeared almost every morning with a lazy smile and his blood on offer. Caroline tried not to linger on how it felt when he held her as she fed, nor how his refusal to give her hard details on their impending date was driving her crazy.

She'd rushed home from school to change, and as she pressed a dangling earring through her lobe the door was knocked.

"Caroline." Klaus grinned at her from the porch.

She let her eyes trail along his button up - no tie - and suit jacket, and was content that she wasn't overdressed. "You're early." She replied, stepping back into the house to grab her purse.

Locking the door, she turned to him and was pleased to catch his gaze lingering on the tight fit of her jeans. While she'd had to lay down some hard boundaries - no gifts, no international travel and nowhere that I can't wear jeans - the organisation of their date had fallen solely to him.

"You look ravishing." He said, offering her his arm.

Slotting hers through, Caroline let him lead her the short stroll to where his car was pulled up. "Uh, thanks?" She squeaked as he moved to open the door for her. After swithering for a second on whether his chivalry was endearing or insufferable, she let a gentle smile sneak onto her face and slid into the passenger seat.

It was some time later as she watched the fields fly past that her curiosity got the better of her. "So where are we going?" She asked. She'd asked twice during the week, each time met with a wide grin and silence.

Klaus drove with one hand, the other resting on the centre console. Caroline yearned to roll up the sleeve of his jacket and study the mark up close, to trace her fingers over the skin and feel the tingling energy sizzle.

"Roanoke." He replied, stealing a glance, "I thought you'd appreciate being out of town."

Caroline eyed him for a second, before focussing on the road once again. It had crossed her mind that going out on a Friday night in Mystic Falls was sure to invite gossip and very possibly the attention of the Salvatore's, the council or worse. "I do."

It was easy to relax then, to close her eyes and let the gentle hum of the engine quiet her thoughts.

"So how was today?" Klaus asked politely.

Caroline let the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. As though the only hybrid on earth would want to know about the trivial goings on at Mystic Falls High. "You don't want to hear about it."

"But I do."

Studying the gentle angles of his profile, Caroline relented with a sighed 'fine,' before diving into a full on, word-vomit run down of her day.

Klaus didn't interrupt, but kept her going with equal measures of agreeable and questioning hums. It wasn't until she was towards the end of her Geometry class summary that Klaus raised a hand to cut in. "We're almost there, love."

Caroline peered out the window, recognising the parking lot they pulled into. "Fisherman's Wharf? I used to come here with my dad years ago."

Parking quickly, Klaus turned to her to gauge whether that was a misstep. Her wide eyes caught him off guard, as did her, "Ready?"

With a fleeting smile, he got out of the car and opened the door for her. Caroline looped her arm through his, falling into step as he led her through the strip.

On either side of the brick covered path, rows of shops displayed their wares in wide glass windows. Above them charming coloured apartment doors were dotted behind a painted white balustrade. It'd been a long time since she'd been at the Wharf - well over a decade - and while it'd had a lick of paint and the stench of dead fish had been banished from the air, some of the quaint storefronts felt familiar.

As they reached the end of the strip, they approached a sleek restaurant which opened onto the harbour. Klaus slid a hand down to curl his fingers around hers, weaving through the tables easily to one right on the waterfront with a handwritten 'reserved' card. The last of the day's sun stretched out along the water, turning the sky shades of red and orange.

"This is beautiful." Caroline breathed, looking out at the water. Mystic Falls could be beautiful on warm spring nights too, but there was nothing like the ocean at sunset.

As she slid into her seat, Klaus chuckled quietly, shrugging off his jacket before taking his own. "You limited my imagination a bit, but if I'm only guaranteed one date I thought I'd better make the most of it."

Enthralled by the fluttering in her stomach, Caroline quickly decided her order and used the time to watch him. She noticed the tousled curls and the lean of his torso towards her. The way he reached out to straighten a knife while perusing the menu in front of him. How polite he was to the waitress as she took their order, courteous and sincere. How his gaze never lingered on the other woman for more than a second before coming back to her.

When the waitress had left, Klaus realised in no uncertain terms that she was staring. As the smile widened on his face, she looked out on the water. He enjoyed the flush rising on her cheeks but thought better than to draw attention to it. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

Caroline opened her mouth before shutting it again and starting over. "I don't know where to start. I don't know you." In truth she'd been researching, curating and practicing the long list of questions she wanted to ask all week, but under his gaze she chickened out quickly. There was just so much to know and her attempts at finessing it into a logical order weren't successful. "I suppose I know your name, your family, I know you're old. I know you're an artist. You keep horses." She decided that the 'hybrid, building an army based on fear, force and torture' was to go unspoken so early on in the night.

He looked at ease, arms spread out along the rests of his chair and his face unreadable.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" She finally decided.

Klaus gave a soft nod of recognition, allowing the waitress to place their drinks down and leave once more before he spoke. "I meant it when I said that your perception of time has to change when you're a vampire. I was born in what is now Norway. About 1030 years ago."

"1030." Caroline repeated.

"Give or take."

"You never got to meet Jesus?"

"Pity that."

They smiled then, just a little shy exchange while Caroline sipped her coke. "You've lived so long. How do you keep going? All that time waiting to break a curse. Through wars and plague. How did you stand it?"

"Music. Art. Pretty girls." He said with a smirk, but before Caroline could roll her eyes he continued, "You can't stay in any one place too long, else the humans will notice and try to burn you at the stake. So you keep moving. Spend a few years here or there and then move on. Eventually you're back where you started, but it's not the same place anymore. Humans have invented gunpowder, machines or aeroplanes. And there is always something new to see. Even Mystic Falls isn't the same place I left it."

Caroline was taken aback by how honest he was, how open. It wasn't often that their morning exchanges went further than a few sleepy words. Her curiosity bubbled inside. "Where was your favourite?"

"There are many beautiful places in the world, all of them worth decades. Greece, maybe. I like the sun."

"Funny, for a vampire."

She watched the dimples appear as he gazed out on the horizon. "I didn't choose this life."

"Did anyone?"

"Many." He replied. "Many have over the years. I find myself quite partial to it, anyway."

Caroline nodded softly, "Hmm, I don't know many 1030 year olds who look like you."

That got a low chuckle and the raise of his eyebrows. "Yes, well. I can't say it's an inconvenience. The bloodlust can be a pain, but the compulsion is rather useful."

She stilled for a second. Yes, the compulsion was sometimes useful, but also sometimes horrific. Caroline knew that better than most. "The bloodlust is inconvenient." She agreed.

If he noticed her hesitation, he didn't comment on it. "But you wouldn't change it, would you? You like who you are now. Powerful. Strong. Fierce."

Swirling a finger around the rim of her glass, she shrugged. The gentle tunes from the speakers settled in the air, broken by the chattering of the other patrons.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Isn't that the point of a date?"

Klaus gave an amused hum, lowering his voice. "Why won't you drink from humans, love? They can't feel it."

"Yes they can." Caroline affirmed, but not unkindly. It wasn't a subject that she really wanted to linger on with him after the considerable amount of time she'd devoted to trying to forget how easily violence tangled with his existence.

She knew she'd made a misstep there, when Klaus' fascination had him raising a questioning eyebrow. "Not unless you want them to."

Shifting in her seat, Caroline's stomach turned. While her human memories were foggy, there was no forgetting the feeling. There was no erasing the pain or panic from her memory whenever Damon drank from her. She diverted as best she could, straightening up and masking her features to some kind of unbothered expression.

But Klaus didn't move, didn't adapt the intensity with which he observed her. Klaus - as peaked as his interest was by her reluctance to talk about compulsion - could tell when she wanted to avoid a topic. In the interests of keeping her onside for the night, he let it go with a hum.

With her chin up, she spoke. "No. I wouldn't change it. When I was human I was so… worried. About everything. School and my friends and stupid pageants and I was so scared of getting older and dying. This is better."

At her admission, he fought the wide grin from his face, but couldn't argue with his wolf's preening. Her acceptance of her own immortality was quite delightful. "And how do you see your death now?"

"I don't."

"Not even when the sun explodes and encompasses our little universe?"

"As if humans will last that long. We'll be starved and desiccated long before that happens." Caroline didn't linger on the phrase, but Klaus thoroughly enjoyed her use of 'we.' "I just mean I don't think about it anymore. I've already died. There isn't much to be afraid of anymore."

Klaus spared a glance at the waitress as she set hot plates in front of them before moving off again.

It wasn't until Caroline was two mouthfuls deep in her pasta that she spoke again. "How do you see your death?"

"I don't." Klaus said immediately. "I'm immortal, despite whatever little plots your friends may try to hatch."

"Oh dammit, this was all a long con to find the secret to your demise."

"Sorry to disappoint." He chuckled. It had been playing on his mind all week, that he hadn't been entirely honest with her. Not that honesty was a glowing trait of his, but because he had failed to emphasise the magnitude of what a slip-up could mean. Sitting across from his mate as the sun set brought his guilt to the fore. He made sure to keep his tone light, slicing tender meat from the bone on his plate. "One of the reasons I would advise against telling your friends is that wolf mates traditionally have an unfortunate habit of dying together."

Caroline met his gaze with a furrowed brow, stilling her movements. "As in…"

"In theory, all it'd take to kill me is a stake through your heart."

"In theory?"

Klaus shrugged, sipping from his glass with nonchalance and pretending that he wasn't trying to gauge her every reaction. He couldn't feel any strong emotion from her, no fear, no hurt, and so he continued. "Most werewolves are human enough to kill. I'm already dead."

"That's why you've given me a guard." Caroline said, thinking of the hybrid who so frequently tailed her in school and hid in the trees by the Forbes house.

"Do you like her? I picked her out especially for you."

"No, I don't like the bodyguard you picked out for me. You think my friends would kill me? Seriously Klaus?!" She hissed incredulously.

"I wouldn't take the risk."

"They're not like that." Caroline snapped, stabbing her fork into her pasta. Klaus snorted. "They're not. There are good people in the world. Ones who care about loyalty and friendship."

Of course his mate would be stubborn as all hell. She was audacious too, staring back with her lips shut tight. Klaus ground his teeth together. While she remained fragile enough to be killed, anyone knowing about their mating was a threat. While her so-called-friends posed little risk, loose lips could give rise to bigger threats. And yet for fear of ruining what was so far a successful night, Klaus relented once again.

With a sigh, he looked out at the horizon and noticed the darkening of the sky. Above them the bar had turned on charming yellow fairy lights. They fell into silence, just the musical melody from the restaurant for company.

There were so many questions buzzing around in her head. So many things that were overwhelming, and she took some time to try and compartmentalise. After quiet minutes of eating, Caroline spoke with a soft tone. "I have a question."

"By all means." Klaus gave her a smile and was grateful to see it returned, albeit tentatively.

"I don't understand how it can be me. I'm not a werewolf."

"Do you know that for sure? Did you kill before you were turned?" He asked.

Caroline shook her head.

"I'm not saying that you are, but I've seen untriggered wolves transition before. No matter. Wolves often mate outsiders to bring fresh genes into their packs. As far as I know, you're the first vampire to be involved."

"Can I see it?" She said, eyes flickering to where his forearm rested on the table.

His wolf was lively and interested, making its presence known in his chest with excited keening. Klaus swallowed the sounds, moving quickly to unbutton the cuff of his shirt and pull up his sleeve to offer it to her. Caroline held his hand and forearm, drawing his arm across the table to study.

She didn't know what her teeth looked like and the shape of the scarring told her nothing. However she knew inside - without a shadow of a doubt - that that was her mark, exactly where she'd bit, curving over the inside of his wrist. Without thinking she brushed over it with her fingertips, tracing the raised skin.

The sudden tingling made her gasp, but neither made a move to pull away from where she touched the mark. Klaus growled lowly, chest rumbling as quietly as he could muster. Every instinct was telling him to grab and take and mate . Only Caroline's breathy tone broke his focus.

"Can you mark me anywhere?"

With misty eyes, he stared at where her fingers lingered on his skin dumbly. "What do you mean?"

"Like, it could be really hard to cover up. It sucks that yours is on your wrist."

"No, it doesn't." He growled, covering her hand with his own. "Were it not going to put your life in danger, I'd never have it covered."

Caroline froze, muscles tense as her eyes widened. She was half-expecting him to grow fur at any second, but instead with a shake of his head Klaus sighed, "Yes, marks can be anywhere."

"So where would you want to put it?"

"I haven't thought about it." He absolutely had. In detail, with his hand wrapped around his cock and his wolf preening. It was the one subject that they were both happy to linger on - the idea of her baring his mark. He pressed the thought away quickly, but the echoing arousal was not so easily dismissed. "Traditionally wolves like the neck, but I suppose in the 21st century it is no longer practical."

"Right." She pressed with an impatient tone. "So where?"

Klaus sat back and a slow smirk spread over his face. He eyed the tint of her cheeks, the neckline of her shirt and the curve of her parted lips. The game she was playing was quite delicious, and Klaus was all too happy to play if it meant she felt what he did.

"Something wrong?" She asked with a pageant smile.

"Minx." He accused.

With a knowing grin, Caroline turned back to her food. "So, tell me about the coolest person you've met."

And it went on like that long after their plates had been cleared. Gentle flirting and tall tales. Klaus found himself enthralled, hanging on every smile he drew from her. She was magnificent, all dry-humour and sarcasm. Caroline found herself… well, she found herself having fun. He was good company, with stories and passions and anecdotes galore. He asked about her too, listening intently until her tired eyes cued their departure.

When he reached over and took her hand in the car, Caroline didn't protest. It felt private, far away from Mystic Falls, from her normal life and from everyone in it. When she pulled his hand to her lap and slipped her fingers down his cuff to stroke at the mark, she felt more content than she had in a long time.

As they pulled up in front of her house, she released his arm reluctantly.

"So what are my chances for a second date?" He asked as he opened the door for her.

They walked shoulder to shoulder to the porch, and Caroline grinned, rolling her eyes with a fondness that surprised them both.

"Goodnight." She said pointedly.

Klaus' grin was wide. He moved slowly, pressing soft lips to her cheek. "Goodnight, love."

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Caroline was awoken with an incessant, frantic banging outside. She sat up in confusion, stripping back the covers and flashed to the door.

As she flung it open, she was met with Damon's frantic gaze, fist raised to bang it again. "Caroline?! Caroline you need to come. Now. It's Elena." He choked out.

Caroline stepped outside without hesitation, shoving her feet into slip-ons. "What?!" But Damon was already off the porch, hardly waiting for her in his haste. "Damon, what's happening?!"

He called back with a sharp look to make sure she was ready to follow. "Klaus. Klaus has Elena."