A/N: Sorry that it's been awhile. Spring break is over, and it's back to work. This chapter hasn't been fully edited yet, but I felt it's been too long.

I also just wanted to let you guys know that I really do not want to revolve this story around The Original's baby plot, but instead replace it with what I see fit. I'm personally not a fan of that plot. At all. And can think of other interesting things to focus on. Since it's one of the main reason's for their show, I will mention it, but after that there will be little concerning it. Therefore, there will NOT be much of Hayley...sorry, don't hate me. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4: The Bridge Between Us

Don't believe, the bridge from you to me
could somehow ever be washed away.
Don't give in.
Don't start listening to voices
whispering things I'd never say.
You're never too lost to know where the road is.
It could be dark, you could be hopeless
but I'll wait 'til you find your way.

"Hello, love."

"Klaus," Caroline whispered his name. In that instant, she sprung up from the bench and began to walk away from him. He couldn't be here right now, she thought. Just by getting a quick glance at his immaculate face along with its well-defined features caused her to reminiscence back to when his lips were upon hers.

Klaus laughed and trailed behind her. "Are we repeating my last visit to Mystic Falls then?"

Caroline closed her eyes and turned around with her vampire speed to face him closely. "Look, I don't know what sick, twisted thing you have going on here, but you better let me leave or so help me," She demanded, pointing a finger at his chest.

He wittily raised his hands up, arching an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't understand, love. It appears you have come here on your own accord."

"No -" She drew out the word and continued. "Half an hour ago I was in Georgia, and now I'm magically here in New Orleans, where you are of all…things. You have some serious explaining to do." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him, waiting for his response.

Klaus's eyebrows furrowed. He took a step closer to her. "Please, enlighten me."

"Oh, don't act all innocent. I know you have something to do with this crazy mess!" She turned away from him and continued on down the street, unsure of where she was heading. She did know that she was not going to stand around while Klaus lied to her. But would he? She wrestled the notion in her mind and thought back on Stefan's words.

Klaus caught up by her side and, tightly, grabbed hold her elbow, speaking in a much lower tone. "Tell me what's going on, Caroline. How is it that you're here?"

She met his eyes, and he truly seemed perplexed. The look did not suite Klaus. She cursed Stefan at that point.

"You really don't know?"

"Quite honestly, I couldn't mind either way."

Caroline rolled her eyes.

"But you're here now, whether on your own or not, and that's all that matters. Let me help you."

She tried to ignore the way a simple sentence as such coming from him could sound so charming; however, all she could feel was the warmth in her cheeks begin to steadily rise.

"Well, I'm not supposed to be here," Caroline said, coming back to reality. "In fact, I don't even want to be here now."

Klaus faintly flinched at her words, but Caroline ignored the gesture.

"Stefan and Elena are in danger! I'm supposed to be with Enzo to help save everyone, but how am I supposed to do that while I'm stranded in this place?" She threw her hands up, feeling too overwhelmed, forgetting the fact that Klaus doesn't even know who Enzo is. "I didn't even have a choice in any of this. But if you are telling the truth and really have no idea, then…let me show you what I'm talking about."

Caroline lead Klaus back to the location where she first encountered the boundary spell.

"Do you know anything about this?" Caroline motioned ahead of them.

Klaus looked in the direction she pointed, but there was nothing visible to the eye besides civilians and the busy street ahead. She then raised her hand in a fist and struck at the invisible wall next to her for demonstration, disregarding any pain it caused.

She knew that Klaus could hear the dull hum that emitted from the contact her fist made with the supernatural wall. Klaus stepped forward, feeling the wall with one hand to examine the magic force for himself. His nostrils began to flare as he stepped away and brought out his cell phone.

"Well?" Caroline asked, impatiently. "I don't know what's going on, but I was at some coffee house and then miraculously woke up at the café just south of here. When I tried to leave, this freaking wall was in the way! And it goes around the whole Quarter, by the way. Please tell me you know what this all means." She pleaded with him, hoping to finally get some answers.

However, Klaus did not answer her. He attempted to call someone, but there was no answer from the other end. He then threw the phone back in his pocket and began walking away from Caroline.

To say that she was shocked was an understatement. "Hey, wait up!" Caroline called after him. "Where are you going? What am I supposed to do?"

Klaus turned back without stopping his stride. "Well, you may come and join me. Or you may stay here. But don't let me influence your decision."

"Seriously?" She muttered.

Caroline, reluctantly, followed Klaus to an ancient, large house in the middle of the Quarter. Caroline waited as Klaus opened two arching doors on the building's side before stepping in. Inside was a short tunnel that lead to an inner-courtyard at the center of the building. Looking around, the first thing Caroline noticed was an average water fountain at the center of the courtyard. Water poured calmly into the next stone tier, and a mass of green shrub grew around the fountain's base. Walking further in, Caroline spotted green vines sprouted up the sides of the courtyard's wall, nearly reaching the top. There were also tables and couches spread about the space. She had a feeling that many people lived here.

But her sightseeing was cut short. Klaus suddenly stopped in the center of the courtyard and turned around to face her, his expression solemn. He sighed before speaking, running a hand through his hair. "There is something you should know, love, before you step another foot into my home."

"And what's that?"

"I'm highly doubtful that Tyler has mentioned any of the details to you," Klaus said. Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, but he continued on anyway. "However, I am here, in this city, because Hayley… is with my child."

Caroline's mouth hung open slightly. The calm, trickling sound of water in the background suddenly became much louder. Could this day get anymore strange? She didn't even think vampires could reproduce!

"I-I don't understand," she stammered.

"Oh, it was nothing more than me wanting information, which lead to another thing, and this is where we are." Klaus then continued to explain the minor details of the appalling witches in New Orleans who had threatened him, and the quarrel between the witches, vampires, werewolves and now even the humans. Even his sister, Rebekah, who he drove out of the city not too long ago.

Just because she didn't think that her day could not get much worse than it already had, Caroline couldn't properly process the information Klaus was presenting to her. The whole ordeal with the factions made little to no sense. Actually, she didn't even care to know about them. But Hayley…being pregnant?! Now that took the cake.

However, before Caroline could give it any more thought, Klaus was leading her up the stairs to the home's living areas.

Caroline cleared her throat. "So, onto other less ridiculous things…how did you even know that I was here?" Caroline asked as they entered one of the suites on the upper level. She quickly took in the dark, disconsolate scenery. The first room was a living room area, which was crowded with what Caroline assumed to be Klaus's paintings. She then continued her question. "Do you have some newly made little minions out roaming the streets, searching for helpless victims to devour?"

Klaus shook his head. "Oh, Sweetheart, you flatter me. But I just so happened to be out for a casual stroll and simply came across the sound of a familiar, yet distressed voice. I merely had to see it to believe it for myself."

"Uh huh, sure," she muttered.

Caroline watched then as Klaus grabbed something from a drawer in the room next over. He returned to her within seconds, moving to the front door.

"Now where are you going?" Caroline asked, moving in between him and the door.

"There is clearly a witch involved with the barrier spell. I'm going to ask them, politely, to take it down for you. Now please move, love."

"Wait, you can't just go rushing in alone."

Klaus's eyes began to narrow at Caroline. "If you know what's best for you, you'll let me pass. This person shall not go unpunished."

His words suddenly sparked a thought in Caroline's mind. Caroline thought back to Enzo's statement about their 'new witchy friend' finding out about the location of the Travelers. She hadn't told Klaus about the Travelers yet.

"What if it's more than a witch?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I should mention the Travelers…"

Klaus tensed, and he took a step back from her. "What about them?" He asked, lowly.

"Well," Caroline began. "They sort of, like, sent me and another vampire, Enzo – the guy who I mentioned before - on a road trip to kill Stefan's remaining doppelganger. I'll explain later. But what if a witch trapped me here to prevent me from doing just that? You know, because of their weird, rivalry thing with the Travelers."

Klaus seemed to consider the idea for a moment before scoffing. "I would say that they were one vampire short in their little plan as your friend does not seem to be present. And why would they want to prevent you from killing the abomination that is the doppelganger?"

Caroline had to refrain herself from defending Stefan and Elena, finding no point in arguing with Klaus over the matter. "Ugh, I'm not even sure. We were only doing it for the Travelers because they were going to give us the cure for Damon and Elena."

An expression that Caroline deciphered as concern appeared on Klaus's face for no longer than a second before he chuckled. "Well, well, it wouldn't be the first time your friends required assistance. And the Travelers don't pose a threat to me anymore with Silas dead. Regardless, I am still convinced that a witch is the cause of the barrier. I will find them and put an end to this."

"Shouldn't we just, I don't know, see who is behind it first?

"In case you may have forgotten, love, I tend to ask questions after I've dealt with any obstacles foolish enough to stand in my way." With that, Klaus quickly side-stepped Caroline.

"And do you honestly think the witch would be dumb enough to stick around in the barrier to be torn apart by you or some other pissed off vampire?"

With that remark, Klaus halted in the doorway. Caroline could sense the anger building in him but knew her words had made her point. There was another way to deal with this problem.

"Fine, Caroline. Have it your way."

Klaus closed the front door and walked away. She assumed that he was going to call someone, so she let him be.

Caroline began to explore the suite, but her short heels thudded loudly against the aged, wooden floor as she stepped further in. Annoyed, she kicked off both shoes by the door and resumed to walk around barefoot. She inspected around the living room and the paintings that took up most of the space. His paintings all seemed darker compared to the others she's seen from Klaus, from what she could remember.

Only after a few minutes, Caroline soon found Klaus pouring himself a drink at one of the side tables in the dining room. Caroline vamped in front of his face and snatched the glass of amber liquid from his hands. If she didn't know any better, he appeared scandalized.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, lifting the glass away from him. "I need you to help me figure out what's going on so I can leave!"

"Now, why would I want you to leave?" He opposed, setting the glass bottle back down on the silver tray.

Her jaw dropped slightly. "Hello! Didn't you just listen to a word I said? And I thought that you were just as upset about the barrier as I was!"

Klaus kept his eyes fixed on hers for a moment longer before turning away. Caroline watched as he opened the doors to the balcony. He then stepped out into the bright, afternoon sun. He looked down to the streets below as he rested both hands up on the railings.

"Believe me, I am. But, you're right…I left a message for Elijah. With the peace treaty brewing about, he's bound to know more."

"Great. And where is Elijah now?"

"I'm not sure."

Caroline sighed and set the glass of what she assumed to be expensive scotch down on the dining table. She walked out onto the balcony beside Klaus.

"I suppose waiting is all I can do then, since I literally have no idea where anything is here."

Klaus glanced over at her. She couldn't pinpoint the expression on his face, but knew he had something important to say to her.

"Much to your doubts, I have been carefully considering your situation, Caroline." Klaus surveyed back down to the streets. "I have been arranging a plan to finally rid this town of its current disarray for quite some time now. However, I'm beginning to suspect that you have been brought here to be exploited against me in some fashion before I get the opportunity to do so. With the Travelers involved, it may be much worse than that." He paused for a brief moment. "I may not have the solutions at this moment, but I promise to you that I will get to the bottom of this, one way or another."

Caroline watched him intently. His words made her wonder…will she not be leaving New Orleans today? What did that mean about Stefan and Elena? Caroline was about to speak, but Klaus spoke before she could so much as utter a word.

"You mustn't speak to anyone else about this matter you come into contact with here." Klaus warned in a hushed tone. He stopped leaning on the railing and turned to face her. "It could mean your very life."

Caroline gulped and took in the gravity and seriousness of his expression. The old Klaus she knew from his early days back in Mystic Falls was peering through.

"Fine," she answered.

"Then it's mended," he said as if a weight was lifted off his chest. He took a step closer to her, their faces only inches apart as he whispered, "Best to get settled in, then. I can help you with that." As his breath hit her face, he was already walking away from her and back into the shadowy room.

"Urgh, you can't just do that!"

"Do what, love?"

"I think you know exactly what. And it wouldn't be the first time you've done it, either."

Klaus chuckled, darkly. "What, distract you? Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean! You know, my friends are in danger, once again. I can't just be 'settling in'."

"I believe it is you who has come to me, at least, that's the way it appears now. Don't worry, Elijah will make an appearance eventually. And, besides, those feelings from the past are behind us now, are they not?"

Caroline opened her mouth to yell, but couldn't find the words. She sighed. "Yeah, well, just don't get any ideas in the meantime. Got it?"

Klaus continued to laugh and moved into the dark room where Caroline could no longer see his face. Caroline also hadn't realized that her newly acquired cell phone in her pocket had been buzzing. She reached in to read the message from Enzo. He did it. He took care of Stefan's doppelganger, who Caroline was secretly eager to meet but now never will. Enzo also had sent a more recent message after three missed calls.

"It appears that the travelers are more reluctant to hand Stefan back over. It's your call. I can come to you, or go to him." Enzo's message read.

Caroline winced from his message and cursed under her breath. She knew all too well that Stefan's safety was far more important than her trivial situation. Yet, this only established grounds that she would not be leaving today.

"Get Stefan." She replied and slipped the phone back into her back pocket. She had thought about contacting her other friends of her whereabouts, but decided not to, thinking that they already had enough to deal with given Damon and Elena's condition. They needed a break. If a break was even possible in Mystic Falls.

She walked back over to the table and picked up the glass of scotch and brought it to the edges of her mouth, inhaling its mellow scent. She quickly downed the smooth, silky liquid in one swig and set the glass back down on the table. She may be staying here for a while it seemed, and a drink was exactly what the doctor ordered to fix the misfortune she was feeling.

Klaus walked back over to her with a slight smirk on his face.

"So glad that you're finally letting go."

She ignored his prudence. "Well, I'm here. In New Orleans. What is there to do?"

"I'm not quite certain it is safe to be roaming 'out and about' with the state this city is in," he said simply, quoting the phrase.

She exhaled, "The point is, is that you can't expect to keep me locked away in here all day. Besides, you'll be around for safety. We should go investigate or find a witch or someone who can help us while Elijah is who knows where," She groaned, knowing all too well that every witch in the general vicinity probably hated them and their family. "And that doesn't seem to be in here," She mumbled.

Klaus kept quiet and moved to look through the many books on the shelf near the back of the room. Caroline, on the other hand, began to walk back into the living room area by his paintings.

She went and leisurely pieced through the lose sketches on one of the high tables in the middle of the room. Most of these sketches were of people, stills of buildings, and city skylines - undoubtedly of the Quarter, Caroline guessed.

After going through the majority of them, she did not find a single portrait of her. She knew he had drawn her in the past, yet she could not find a single drawing among the many in the pile. Then she remembered she had shredded one he previously gave to her as a gift not too long ago. Who's not to say that he has done the same thing to the rest?

"Looking for something?"

Caroline snapped from her thoughts. Klaus was looking up at her from a book he held in his hands.

"No, no. Just giving myself something to do, I guess." She said, feeling slightly melancholy. Even though she had already discarded the drawing he gave to her, she didn't think he would rid himself of his. It didn't matter, she quickly thought.

Caroline then walked away from the table and moved to another door that led to a long hall. Down the hall were several more rooms. However, she was only able to make it a foot into the hallway as she began to feel uncomfortable snooping around his space. She backed away only to meet Klaus standing directly behind her, preventing her from moving. The look in his eyes was fierce. She froze in place, a perception of tension filling her body. When had he moved from across the room?

She had then gradually turned to face him. All those feelings and thoughts of him that she had been futilely shoving to the back of her mind for the longest time were now just tiptoeing at the surface, ready to surge forth and overwhelm her. It was like the woods all over again - this feeling of desire for him. At that moment, all Caroline could think about were his lips. With her senses heightened, she decided that she couldn't take it any longer.

To hell with it.

With a single movement, her lips were upon his.

Unlike their first real kiss, she felt how this one caught him off-guard, and felt how he had to repossess himself for control. The kiss started off slowly, their lips moving over each other's in various patterns. Then, he kissed her back. Hungrily.

Their rhythm began to speed up in an instant as Klaus wrapped an arm around her back, picking her body up and suddenly Caroline found herself on a bed. With Caroline's back to the bed, Klaus lifted himself over her arching body. He brought his arm to the back of her head, bringing her closer to deepen their kiss.

Not too long after, Klaus released himself from the kiss and moved down her neck, softly caressing her skin. His lips slowly made their way down to the base of her neckline, where he felt her pulse racing just below the surface…

"Niklaus, that little chat of ours about chased off demons still has y – "

Caroline's eyes shot at the bedroom doorway, finding a stunned Elijah standing there, dangling a pair of heels – her heels - in his fingers. Elijah couldn't even finish his sentence.

Caroline rushed to properly sit up.

"Hi, Elijah," She choked out, trying not to sound too eccentric.

"There are such things as doors and knocking, brother," Klaus snarled.

Klaus left the bed and marched down the hall, muttering curses under his breath and battering shoulders with Elijah as he walked past. Klaus's actions only made the puzzled look on Elijah's face grow.

After recomposing himself and gently brushing off Klaus's contact, Elijah set the heels down on top of a nearby dresser.

"Caroline Forbes. What an unexpected surprise."

A/N: Ah, that dang Elijah! Anyway, PLEASE let me know what you think! Since both shows are on hiatus for another week, I'm probably just going to wing it and go on my own path.

I already have a mindset on where I plan on taking this story - most of it will be in New Orleans. With that being said, is there anyone else from Mystic Falls who you want to see more of to potentially join the fun in NOLA? Obviously, Stefan and Enzo are in the picture, but anyone else? I.E. Damon, Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy, Matt...Tyler? OR, anyone from NOLA who you would like to see more (Marcel, Davina, Cami...idk) I may or may not maneuver the story to Mystic Falls as well in the future. But who knows! Now, please go and review. It helps me out a ton. I promise :)

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