The delectable scent of pancakes cooking wafted up from the kitchen and into the bedroom, nudging Caroline awake and greeting her in the most pleasant way possible. Her heart swelled a little as she indulged in the moment. Mom's making me breakfast, she thought excitedly. She's never made me anything.

Then, she remembered.

The calm of the house was pierced as though it was glass, and had had a fist taken to it. Caroline sat bolt upright, her chest heaving as her eyes darted wildly about the room. There was nobody standing in the doorway, waiting for her. She was still fully clothed, and there was no blood in the room. There wasn't a particular vampire with gorgeous blonde curls and mesmerizing blue eyes sleeping next to her in her bed.

It couldn't have possibly been just a dream. It had all been too real. She felt as though the ghost of his grip lingered on her arms, and she shivered, skin prickling at the thought. Stop! She scolded herself mentally. He's a monster, Caroline. He's killed people. He's killed actual living, breathing, innocent people with families and futures and hopes and dreams. He is not attractive! He is disgusting!

Still, even with all the strength of her willpower she could muster, she couldn't shake the ominous, eerie feeling that he was all around her, that he was covering her in a blanket of himself. The thoughts that went through her head were overwhelming at that moment, and she was on the verge of panic. Taking several deep, calming breaths she had learned from a yoga class she'd taken a few years back, she twisted her body towards the window.

The tree looked just as it always did. A bird's nest – probably abandoned by now – was perched delicately in between two twisting branches. The leaves fell in the same places, or at least she thought they did. It was raining, and soft, soothing patters came as the raindrops battered her window pane. She could only see her car in the driveway.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. She was alone. She was safe; she was…Wait. Horror-induced adrenaline burst into her bloodstream, setting off like fireworks in her nerves. If my car is the only one out there…then who's in here, cooking in my kitchen?

She couldn't just hide in the closet. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Her childhood blanket and stuffed animals were packed away in the attic, as well as her baby books. To her surprise, her mother had insisted on keeping them. Liz Forbes wasn't the nostalgic, motherly type by any stretch. However, when Caroline had started to donate her old childhood stuff to charity, Liz had intervened. Caroline hadn't just been giving those books away to be charitable. A part of her ached, missing her human life, and those books were just a reminder of what she'd never have again. But Liz was hell bent on Caroline keeping those books, and the sheriff herself had packed them away for safe keeping, for reasons Caroline would never quite understand.

She shook her head, blonde curls whipping about. She steeled herself for whatever would be waiting for her downstairs in the kitchen – though she had a feeling she already knew.

She fought off her inner musings, and slipped out of her bedroom. The wooden staircase seemed imposing and threatening, but she took a step anyway, then another, and another after that. She had almost reached the bottom; the front door in clear sight. All she needed was to slip outside without being detected, and she'd be golden. Her small fist closed around the doorknob, and in her excitement, she pushed a little too hard. The wooden door creaked and sent a loud groan reverberating through the house.

Before Caroline even had the chance to identify the panic that washed over her, two warm, strong arms encircled her waist, roughly yanking her back. "Leaving so soon, love?" She heard, and her shoulders tensed.

He may have had a teasing, lighthearted undertone to his voice, but his face was anything but. She caught sight of his terrifying features in the mirror hanging on the wall. He looked so, so infuriated. His fists were clenched, and his eyes darkened several shades.

"I thought we were clear," He hissed in her ear. "I was under the impression that you weren't so foolish, and you understood that for your life, you needed to cooperate."

"Klaus!" She gasped desperately, frantically clawing at his arms as they rose to around her throat. "Klaus, you're hurting me!"

A nerve was struck there, and the hybrid seemed to relax, his grip loosening. "Ah, I see now," He mused, a curious tone to his voice. "You're afraid. And your fear has led you to be irrational. Perhaps, if that is truly the case, I can forgive your audacity."

Under normal circumstances, Caroline would've resisted him, told him that she would never fear him. However, in the moment, she truly was afraid. "Yes!" She stuttered quickly. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Hmm, well then," He said, mumbling something else afterwards that she couldn't quite catch. He whipped her around to face him, his eyes meeting hers. With a rough jerk, Klaus pulled her head back by a fistful of her hair, laughing sadistically. "This never happens again, sweetheart. If you weren't so precious, I would have half a mind to end your life here. Do you think you can cooperate from here on out? Do you know your place, Caroline?"

No. "Yes! Yes! Just…please…stop hurting me," She pleaded, gasping in relief as he let her body fall to the tiled floors.

"A punishment is still in order, though. You need to learn the difference between saying something, and actually committing to it, Caroline."

"What are you planning to do with me?"

"For now, I am removing you from this drab little town, taking you somewhere where I can fully indulge in you and you in me."

"Where are you planning to take me?" Caroline's hopes plummeted – it seemed that she hadn't escaped his control even in the slightest.

A smirk played on Klaus's lips. "Out of the country, maybe even out of the continent. Europe, Caroline. You'll love it. Didn't you want to see Paris? Rome? Tokyo?"

Defiance shot right back into her. "What makes you think I'll agree to go anywhere with you?" She snapped.

"You don't really have a choice in the matter. I'm not asking you anymore, remember, Caroline? I'm telling you, that tonight, you will be sitting beside me on your way to Europe. Maybe, if you'd be a slight bit more rational, this experience would be much more pleasant for you. You could enjoy the excitement of traveling, on your own free will." He yanked her to her feet, watching her with a hungry gaze. "You still have a chance, love. All you have to do is tell me you will consent to this, and make a good faith effort to enjoy yourself…to get know me, and to enjoy me." He clasped her hands in his, falling to his knees, with adoration clear in his expression. "Caroline, if you'd just let me, I'd worship you. Show you things you've never seen before. Make you feel things you've never felt before – things you'll love, and grow to crave. You are beautiful, magnificent, and I have wanted you for so long. So this is your last chance, Caroline. Are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

"No. Never! You will never have me, ever! You can go die in a hole for all I care!" Caroline spat, striking him across the cheek. However, to her shock, he smiled.

"The hard way, then, it seems," He said, coming to stand at his full stature. He could easily overwhelm her if he so pleased. "I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't almost looking forward to this. I will make you love me. Even if it's the last thing I do."

"Seems you have a conscience after all, if you didn't lie to me," She snapped, her morale severely weakened. He completely ignored her insult.

"Come, love. I've already packed for you. We're leaving tonight."

A/N: I'm still so shocked at the response this has gotten! I hope this chapter is up to par with the others. Don't worry; Klaus will eventually show her some compassion. I also wanted to apologize for those that checked my Tumblr and expected chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 to be up this weekend. I was going through some emotional trauma, and I was just so down that I really couldn't muster the stamina to write. But I truly do love sharing my writing with you guys. I know it's been a little slow to start, but I really wanted to emphasize Caroline's hatred for him. Or maybe it's just her funny way of showing affection? ;) Anyways, the part about Sheriff Forbes and Caroline's kiddie stuff will be important soon. Trust me; it'll start heating up more and more with each chapter. Even mercury eventually has to boil, right?

Follow me on Tumblr at themagicalgirlnextdoor. I will be posting news and such there about this story. And, again, thank you all so much! Your support is so appreciated; I love you guys!