A/N: AHHHH 500 reviews! You guys are so effing amazing! Your reviews are really a great motivator. My sooner than expected update has to be proof of that.
Honestly, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter so I really hope you enjoy it too. As usual, I didn't get to where I wanted to with it, but I do like where I ended it.
Please, I'm a huge review whore. I'm desperate to know what you think.
Oh yeah, happy New Year folks!
Enjoy.
Klaus dropped his messenger bag on the desk chair and pulled a few books and papers out.
"Class, it appears as though I'll be Alaric Saltzman's replacement until the end of the term," he proclaimed as he sifted through a few a notebook. "While I hold several doctorates, I never did like the title 'doctor,' so just call me Mr. Mikaelson," he stated, eyeing the class, but letting his sights linger on her a little too long.
He looked down and tried to contain a smirk, having obviously noticed her disdainful and confused expression.
"I suppose overbearing is an understatement," she growled under her breath to Stefan as she glared at Klaus who was now purposely ignoring her.
Reaching into his bag, Klaus completed his teacher-look with a set of black framed glasses.
She scoffed aloud at how ridiculous this was. Since when did he wear glasses? What was he getting at? This was obviously fun to him; a game to play. The amused look on his face said as much.
Rebekah mouthed a 'what the fuck?' in her direction, but she could only shrug.
Of course, this was another one of Klaus's spontaneous plans that he had not indulged her in. She was sure that had been intentional. If any planning had gone into this at all, she knew telling her had not been on his agenda. It wouldn't be hard to predict her reaction to something as senile as this.
She supposed that's what he meant when he said that he would see her sooner than later.
"What the hell is he doing?" Stefan whispered to her.
"I don't know," she said as she lowered her head and looked to Stefan anxiously.
Her attention returned to Klaus when she heard his throat clear. He was staring directly at her and Stefan, along with the rest of the class.
"Is your conversation finished? If you don't mind, I'd like to start the class by taking attendance," Klaus said to them sternly.
She eyed the rest of her classmates sheepishly before crossing her arms and glowering at Klaus. He was intentionally trying to push her buttons, she knew.
Satisfied by her silence, Klaus began to read down the class list of names.
As she waited for her name to be read, she glanced around the room for anything out of place or unusual. The only thing she noticed was the ogling and quiet giggling that the female half of the classroom was doing in lieu of their new teacher.
She scowled. No, she wasn't jealous. She had learned to keep that emotion in check when she turned. If anything she pitied them. If they only knew, she thought to herself.
Admittedly, the girls had a good point though. Despite efforts to channel all her emotion into a slow building rage to be unleashed on him later, as she watched and listened to him take attendance, some of her emotion was being pushed into a feeling she had fought so hard to resist with him: attraction.
While she had no intention of gratifying him with that admission, it couldn't hurt to admire him from afar.
His dark golden hair was mussed in a stylish sort of way, he had a five o'clock shadow going, but she liked that; it suited him. Even his choice of clothing was impeccable. A grey sports coat hung open over his shoulders, framing a white collared shirt and black tie, while the dark wash jeans he wore made him relatable and accessible to the student body. And the glasses...she may have scorned his overblown attempts to play the part, but they definitely completed the look and accentuated his face and eyes. Since when did she have a thing for guys who wore glasses? She groaned to herself. She supposed since Klaus Mikaelson had decided to wear a pair.
Sighing, she lost herself in a daydream of his charming looks, swearing not to get close to him since the scent of his cologne would surely do her in. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as a familiar heat began to warm her core with the sight of Klaus as he currently was, coupled with thoughts of their most recent tryst. Her mind quickly descended into the gutter as she thought about the panties Klaus had suggested she wear sometime and his threats to spank her. She clenched her legs together as she crossed them under her desk, trying hard to ignore the tingle she felt with the memories or with the mental image of her bent over Klaus's desk now that he decided he wanted to play teacher...wait...oh my god...she did not just think that did she? She was disgusting. This was Alaric's classroom.
"Caroline? Caroline Forbes?" his voice called her name in an unfamiliar way.
Snapping out of her trance, she quickly noticed everyone staring at her once more, including Klaus.
As though he was reading her mind, she could see a knowing glint in his eye.
Thoroughly embarrassed, she raised her hand and muttered a meek, "here."
"Glad you decided to join us," he remarked casually, as continued on through the list of names, pausing only slightly as he came across a missing Elena, and then Rebekah and Stefan.
She resorted to silence as she ruminated over how she would confront him when class was over. This whole thing was insane; she felt like she was part of a twisted dream. Her first question would definitely be why?
Until then, she would be cornered into playing respectful student, tortured by his erratic behaviour and his good looks, and forced to watch all the other girls – aside from maybe Rebekah – admire him.
"Now it's my understanding your last sub managed to cover the gilded age, industrialization, and progressivism, so we'll move on to one of my favourite topics; the First World War," he began as he paced to the far end of the blackboard. "Given that this is a senior advanced level course, I'll be treating it as such," he warned sternly. "The purpose of these courses is not only to provide you with extensive knowledge, but also to equip you with the skills needed to excel in a university environment. In lieu of that, the rest of the semester will be lecture and discussion-based. Since there is only a short time until the end of the term, and much of Mr. Saltzman's grading has been lost, a large portion of your grade will be determined by your time under me," he explained, his sharp gaze faltering for a moment as he looked in her direction.
She smirked slightly at his comment. "Under me," she laughed. Did his little statement have a double entendre only meant for her to understand?
"Is there something funny about that Miss. Forbes?" he retorted, prompting her to freeze like a deer in headlights.
Hiding a scowl under her best fake smile, she shook her head.
When he looked away she rolled her eyes. She didn't care how gorgeous he looked; she wanted to wipe that pompous smile off his face.
"The portion of your grade determined by me will be the result of a few small tests, mini-assignments based on assigned readings, a final paper, participation during class discussion, and your final examination," he revealed.
No longer were the girls looking at him with adoration. All her classmates appeared instantly stressed and intimidated.
That seemed like a lot of work for only a month left of class, she thought.
Klaus was obviously amused by the sudden lack of enthusiasm.
"Consider this excellent preparation for your post-secondary careers," he chimed, as he dragged a dusty old lectern from the corner of the room to the centre beside the main desk.
A few hands rose from the most over-achieving students, to which Klaus gestured them to put their hands down.
"We'll discuss the details of the assignments as they come about," he said, instantly causing the students to retreat with their questions.
However, before he could continue speaking, another girl, Jennifer Hastings – a loathed fellow member of the cheerleading squad - raised her hand to the chuckling encouragement of her friends seated around her.
Klaus nodded at her to continue.
"Before you start, Mr. Mikaelson, why don't you tell us about yourself," she said.
Her eyes narrowed at Jennifer's subtle flirtatious behaviour.
Of course, Klaus couldn't resist fabricating a tale about himself for them to believe.
He smirked and shrugged as though he was being modest. Klaus was never modest.
"Well...there's not much to tell. I grew up in Wales, and attended both Oxford and Cambridge. I've also lectured at both; mainly art history, but other areas as well," he stated.
Under her anger, she wondered briefly if perhaps there was a grain of truth in his information.
"Married?" Jennifer continued.
Her jaw went slack at Jennifer's bold question. What a whore, she thought instantly as she noticed Rebekah's eyes roll.
Klaus chuckled as though the question was some amusing joke.
"No, of course not," he said as though it should have been obvious. "No time or interest."
Jennifer gave a satisfied smirk and she scoffed under her breath in response.
She felt like throwing the girl off her chair and knocking some sense into her. No, he wasn't married, but he certainly was involved with someone; her. That would go over well. How many people would they have to compel to cover up a teacher/student sex scandal? She wondered. Oh well, she would let him do the dirty work since this was his brilliant idea in the first place.
"Anyways, I'm in the area on a sabbatical doing research and visiting family, and your principal offered me the job," he continued. "And yes, in case anyone was wondering, Rebekah is my baby sister."
Her ears had drowned him out at this point. She was too busy giving the stink eye to Jennifer Hastings. Folding her arms, she turned away, staring at a tiny spot on the blackboard to calm herself. Pfft. Jennifer was a mere mortal anyways in Klaus's eyes, right? She was much better she convinced herself.
He collected his notebook from the desk and set it open on the lectern before leaning himself against it.
Before he spoke again, he paused to look at all the expectant faces, including hers.
"Now would be the time to get out a pen and paper if you wish to have material to study from," he said. "There are no fancy power point presentations in my class," he informed them firmly.
He looked down and studied his notes briefly as he waited for everyone to ready themselves with a pen and a paper.
Reluctantly, she opened her binder to a few blank sheets of lined paper.
"Now, before delving into the details of the First World War, I suppose we should situate it in its proper context by examining the factors that caused one of the most deadliest armed conflicts in history," he began. "Can anyone tell me the immediate cause that sparked the war?" he questioned, glancing around the room, particularly at Stefan and Rebekah.
She could hear Rebekah groan under her breath as she put a hand forward.
"Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand and his wife, practically a common whore," Rebekah answered.
She laughed lightly under her breath as she assumed from Rebekah's interesting statements that she, and Klaus for that matter, knew more about these historical people than anyone else in the room, save for Stefan.
"That's correct Rebekah, although I think the last part of your statement is probably open for debate," he chuckled. "Gavrilo Princip was a Serbian nationalist who assassinated Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie while in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Long story short, Bosnia was a part of Austria-Hungary and this status was contested by neighbouring country Serbia. Thus, the assassination was largely done in protest to Austria-Hungary's control over Bosnia," he explained in further detail. "But this was only the spark that ignited the flame. If other factors had not been in place as they were, it's doubtful that the war would have taken place at all, or it would have at least unfolded very differently," he continued.
He stepped back from the lectern and turned to face the chalkboard.
"While we'll discuss the assassination in a little more detail, we need to examine these other factors first as they not only fuelled the larger war, but are present within the assassination itself," he explained as he reached for some chalk and began to write. "We're going to be focusing on the increasing militarism at the turn of the twentieth century, the strategic alliances formed between countries, the key players – including, but not limited to the Archduke and Gavrilo Princip, and the role of imperialism and nationalist sentiment," he said, writing the points he spoke down on the board.
She took a few notes as he wrote.
Surprisingly, she found herself listening to him intently as he carried on with his lecture on the main subtopics he had outlined. From the naval race between Britain and Germany to the tangled web of pre-war alliances, she maintained her interest. While his looks and educated accent acted as a strange aphrodisiac, she knew it was more than that. She was genuinely interested. If not, she would have just resorted to sexual daydreaming. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that she knew Klaus, Rebekah, and Stefan, had lived through the time Klaus was discussing. She made a mental note to ask Klaus specifically about his life at that time when they weren't in a classroom of twenty-something other humans who wouldn't understand, and when she wasn't still so angry at him.
In fact, she was so enthralled by what he was saying that by the time the bell rang signalling the end of class, she found herself disappointed; disappointed because despite her interest, she was still angry, and angry enough not to let things slide.
"It would sound as though class is over," Klaus announced. "Please don't forget to read the corresponding chapter in your text for tomorrow's class. In fact, if you'd truly like to come prepared, read the next one as well," he advised as the group of mostly uninterested students rushed towards the exit.
She, however, took her time gathering her things, hoping to get a brief moment alone with him after Rebekah, who appeared just as eager to confront him as she was.
Stefan lingered beside her as well.
"Are you going to talk to him?" Stefan asked curiously as they watched Klaus make a few notes in the margins of his lecture material while a few more students left the room – including a very annoying Jennifer Hastings who made sure to sing a 'see you tomorrow' to Klaus as she left.
"Of course I am," she said determinedly, making eye contact with Rebekah. "This whole thing is crazy," she lamented.
"Maybe you should wait until after school..." Stefan suggested, picking up how frazzled she was.
She huffed aloud and shook her head.
"I just want to know why he's here, and I want him to know how stupid this is," she muttered.
"Do you want me to stay?" Stefan offered.
His offer briefly refocused her attention away from Klaus. Stefan was lending her more support. It was another good sign, she thought.
She turned to Stefan and offered him an appreciative smile.
"I think Rebekah and I have it covered," she assured him noting that Rebekah was making her way to the front of the classroom behind a few slow students.
Stefan nodded.
"Alright; I'll let you know how Elena is doing when I find out," he told her, before cutting Rebekah off and leaving the room.
Despite the happy improvements she just made with Stefan, she quickly returned to her sour expression as Rebekah headed for the door and Klaus continued the whole teacher facade by brushing the chalk off the board.
She moved to the front of the room slowly, nearly jumping when Rebekah slammed the classroom door shut after the remaining students were gone.
"What is the meaning of this, Nik?!" Rebekah's voice bellowed.
He turned around to face the two of them, a wide smirk on his face.
"What? I'm not allowed to teach a class at the local high school?" he mused innocently.
Rebekah rolled her eyes.
"Nik, this is my class...and Caroline's. This wasn't just some random decision of yours," Rebekah accused. "You're doing this on purpose," she pointed out, folding her arms and looking to her for support.
To be honest, she was speechless at this point. The dynamic felt awkward. She didn't know how to confront him in front of Rebekah. Moreover, she didn't know how to confront him when he was supposed to be her teacher.
He shrugged at Rebekah's comments.
"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here or not?" Rebekah demanded.
"Something to do," he said simply.
Rebekah gritted her teeth and groaned impatiently.
"You're impossible," Rebekah complained. "Caroline, you have free period right now, you deal with him. I have to get to class," she sighed, glaring at Klaus one last time before disappearing through the door.
Rebekah didn't give her anytime to protest. While it had felt awkward, she certainly had more confidence in confronting Klaus with Rebekah. She supposed it was a strength in numbers thing, or that because Rebekah was Klaus's sister.
"How convenient," Klaus mused as he walked around what was now his desk and leaned in front of it, directly in front of her. "You have a free period and this is my prep time," he continued.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried desperately to maintain her unimpressed stare despite his allure.
"Shouldn't you be 'preparing' then Mr. Mikaelson?" she asked sarcastically, ignoring the quiver between her thighs provoked by the way his last name rolled of her tongue.
He chuckled.
"Well I seem to have a disgruntled student on my hands. Addressing student concerns is always my top priority," he stated.
She scoffed.
"Can you cut the teacher/student shit and just tell me what the hell you're up to?" she said finally.
He shrugged again.
"I was bored," he complained.
"So you decided to make yourself a history teacher...my history teacher?" she retorted.
"It's not completely out of the realm of possibility, love. I wasn't lying when I said I studied art history among other things," he defended. "Surely you can't blame me for wanting something to occupy my time with while you're off trying to win your friends back for who knows how long," he explained.
Her eyes widened.
"But you can blame me for this crazy idea?" she shot back. "If you wanted to teach, then go over to Whitmore College...why Mystic Falls High...why my class?" she interrogated. "I know there's more to it."
He looked away guiltily. She knew she was on the right track.
"Well with all your notions of independence, I needed some way to keep a better eye on you. We're not dealing with your average Alaric run of the mill vampire hunter here, sweetheart," he said, reaching a hand out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.
She shirked away slightly both from her anger and the fact that this now seemed highly inappropriate.
"I can protect myself," she said bitterly. "This seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to look out for me," she added.
"I know," he admitted. "I know you can protect yourself. Would you humour me for the sake of my peace of mind?" he wondered shyly.
"Humour you?" she asked in disbelief. "This whole thing is ridiculous. This is one big huge conflict of interest," she deplored. "You do realize that in this time it's illegal for teachers to be intimately involved with their students?" she reminded him.
He laughed.
"I'm aware of it, love," he said as he reached for her hands and began to fidget with them.
Her eyes widened.
"So? That's just no big deal to you then?" she asked.
"It doesn't have to be," he told her, pressing his lips to the back of her hand.
She recoiled and he smirked.
"There's barely a month of class left," he pointed out as he stepped closer to her.
Uncomfortable and reluctantly excited all at once, she traded him places.
"I won't pull the quid pro quo card," he continued turning to face her in the switched position, which ended up being a poor choice in hindsight since she now found herself trapped between him and the desk.
"Besides," he said as he leaned in. "You know I'm not one for rules," he said with a husky voice beside her very receptive left ear.
She whimpered under her breath as his tongue darted out against the sensitive skin of her lobe while his hands rested suggestively on her thighs.
"So if you're going to play my teacher, who is going to be my prom date then?" she questioned, trying hard to maintain her composure in the midst of his lips feathering kisses along her jaw.
He smirked against her skin, and she almost had to wonder if he hadn't decided to pull this stunt simply to absolve himself of the prom situation.
"What did I just say about rules, love? We're vampires," he reminded her. "Besides, as your teacher, I'm sure I could be your chaperone," he mused, before pressing his lips to hers.
She lost herself in the kiss despite the very real consequences of their actions; despite the fact that half of her was insanely annoyed with him. The half that was hungry for him was currently winning out.
"And will I have to refer to you as Mr. Mikaelson all the time now?" she asked both sardonically and teasingly.
He sucked on her bottom lip before answering.
"Only on school property Miss. Forbes, unless such formalities in the bedroom would please you as well?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes and bit her lip in an effort to suppress the chaste blush that had crept upon her cheeks. Of course her efforts were futile because he knew perfectly well that he was getting to her.
"It's a pity this isn't a catholic school," he murmured as his fingertips traced patterns on her pant covered legs. "A tartan skirt would be more practical for certain extra-curricular activities...and not to mention more delicious looking on you," he explained before capturing her lips for another kiss.
Her hands anxiously held him in place by his tie.
God she wanted him so badly. Perhaps it was the scenario...perhaps it was the risk of being caught...maybe both. The more wanton part of her wanted him to take her right on this desk regardless of who saw.
Logically though she knew better. She knew the dangers, and she knew she was still upset about this latest stunt of his.
The sound of the bell that signalled the beginning of next period startled them, causing him to step back and give her some space, as though he had a change of heart and decided to obey the rules for once.
That bell injected the missing rationality in to the situation.
She crossed her arms and let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'm still mad at you," she said quietly, focusing her attention both on him and on the voices outside the classroom. "We just got over having to hide our relationship from my friends. I'm tired of hiding," she complained.
He shrugged nonchalantly as though her statement was no big deal.
"Then I suppose I will have to make it up to you," he concluded suggestively before his lips brushed against her cheek.
Before he could tempt her with his lips once more, she slipped out from between his body and the desk.
She smiled at him with a false expression of contentment.
"Maybe you could start by quitting your new job," she mused sarcastically as she headed for the classroom door.
Shutting the door behind her she took a moment to collect her thoughts and breathe in the air of the real world.
She spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding the history classroom at all costs and when the day was done, she rushed to her car, completely blowing off friendly and curious glances from Stefan, Matt, and Rebekah.
They were all probably interested in knowing more about Klaus's appearance at the school, but it was the last topic of conversation she felt like discussing. She almost felt dirty for even acknowledging it. She felt like people were already suspicious about them. Perhaps she was paranoid at this point, but she needed to get home to give her paranoid mind a break.
It wasn't until she arrived home that she realized that in lieu of the chaos that was Klaus becoming the new history teacher she had forgotten to tell him of the tidbit of information Matt had gathered about the hunter.
Her first reaction was to pull out her cell phone and text Klaus about it, but as she began to type out a message, she erased what she had written and decided against it. Her annoyance with Klaus did not put her in a sharing mood with him. She wanted to sit on this information.
When she arrived home her mother was in the kitchen packing her dinner for another night shift.
"I don't know why you still take night shifts," she said. "You have enough seniority as sheriff not to," she added.
Her mother shrugged, seemingly absent-mindedly and distant as she cut up some fruit and vegetables for a snack later.
"You know we're permanently short-staffed," her mother complained. "Besides I get more paperwork done in the night time quietness of the station than during the day anyways. The shift premium is great incentive as well," her mom pointed out.
She sensed a tension beneath the surface of their polite conversation. She could only assume that it had something to do with Klaus.
"I guess Klaus and Elijah dealt with the Council," her mother said finally.
She only nodded in response, knowing her mother had more to say by the judgemental tone of her voice.
"He killed one of them; Jacob Stevens," her mom pointed out disappointedly, "I told him not to kill anyone," she said.
The guilty look on her mom's face tugged on her heart strings.
"Klaus said that he came at him with a stake," she said, hoping to ease her mother's guilty conscience.
"A plain wooden stake that would have had no effect on him," her mother retorted.
She sighed and conceded her mother's point.
"I'm not saying he deserved to die, but these people want me and every other vampire dead, mom," she reminded her mother. "If given the chance, I'm sure Mr. Stevens would have killed me without hesitation. Klaus is only trying to protect me," she defended.
Her mother nodded slowly while in thought; probably just as lost as she was in the muddy waters of morality.
"As far as the Council goes, I suppose Klaus's threats achieved just that," her mom acknowledged. "Now what about the hunter?" she wondered.
"Klaus had planned to capture the hunter last night at the Grill...but it didn't work. He convinced my friends to show up for help, but we didn't stay long enough. Elena had a bit of an episode last night so that drained everyone's enthusiasm for the hunter at that point. Matt said he showed up later on when all of us were gone," she explained, not bothering to point out to her mother that the whole reason the plan probably failed was that the hunter had caught her and Klaus getting hot and heavy in the alley beside the Grill.
"Elena's really having a hard time with her transition, isn't she?" her mother observed, packing some more food into her lunch bag.
"From what I know from Stefan she is. Elena really doesn't want anything to do with me still," she admitted to her mother.
Her mother flashed a sympathetic smile. If anyone knew how tough her falling out with Elena had been, it was her mom. She had been around since their friendship first began. It was her and Elena's mother who had first arranged play dates between the two.
"I'm sure with time she'll come around," her mother tried to reassure her. "What's next for the hunter?" her mother asked, clearly knowing when the subject needed to be changed.
She shrugged as she dragged her fingers loosely over the counter. Aware of the fact that her mother and Klaus had been talking, she decided against telling her mother on the latest lead about the hunter.
"Not sure yet," she said.
"Any plans tonight?" her mother asked as she began to put some things away in the fridge. "Seeing Klaus?" her mother wondered, eyeing her once she shut the fridge door.
"Probably not," she said decidedly, choosing to leave out the information about Klaus making himself the new history teacher at Mystic Falls High.
Her mother seemed a little surprised by her response.
"You two are still fighting? Sorry...I just assumed that since Klaus was helping you now...and the fact that his shoes were here this morning, that you two had made up," her mom said.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed at her mother's comment about Klaus's shoes.
"We did," she stammered, searching for the best way to address Klaus's impromptu sleepover. "Mom...I-I...I didn't mean for Klaus...to stay over last night. We fell asleep," she said innocently, even though she knew her mother would never buy the excuse.
She was smirking at her disapprovingly and disbelievingly.
"I know I can't really stop you from having sex," her mother said anxiously, "and even though being a vampire means you don't have to worry anymore about the consequences of sex...I'd still like for there to be some boundaries as long as you're living here with me, Caroline. The idea of my daughter sleeping with her boyfriend in her childhood bedroom while I'm in the other room just doesn't sit well with me," her mother said. "Just try to be more discreet about it," she said as she picked up her things.
She gave her mother a confused look, unsure by what she was getting at. Was her mother banning Klaus from her bedroom for good, or was she giving her subtle approval? She didn't bother to ask as her mother gave her a small kiss on the cheek good-bye before leaving for work; the conversation was already awkward enough.
When her mother was gone she covered her face with her hands and let out a small groan of agony. Talks about sex with either of her parents had always made her cringe and want to crawl into a small dark hole. She could remember the embarrassing talk she had to have with her father and Steven after she got her period while she stayed with them one summer. She didn't even want to let her mind wander back to the time she found her mom's vibrator when she had been snooping around her bedroom for Christmas presents. Jesus, she scowled as she desperately tried to cleanse her mind of the painful memories.
Of course her mom had noticed Klaus's shoes in the hallway, she thought. Clearly they sucked at being discreet. Just the thought of her mom knowing she was probably having sex made her want to pass out from embarrassment.
Sure, she didn't have to worry about the consequences of sex anymore – namely pregnancy – but she could still see how her mother would be uncomfortable; she herself was uncomfortable with the very notion that her mother knew she was sexually active.
It was kind of amusing to her though. If her mother wasn't condoning her sharing her bed with Klaus, would that change if she left with Klaus and returned for a visit? If they stayed here, would Klaus have to sleep on the couch? She laughed at the thought. Would it take a few rings and a piece of paper to make it acceptable? Klaus would never stand for that. They were beyond the trivial conventions and restraints of human life – even her mother had seemed to acknowledge as much.
After dwelling on the awkward conversation between her and her mother a bit too long, she opted to finally take a shower. When she was finished the lengthy hygiene routine she dressed again, deciding it wasn't late enough for pyjamas yet.
She distracted herself from her homework by exchanging a few texts with Stefan and Rebekah. Rebekah had made her a private appointment with her dressmaker in the coming days and they both swapped angry texts about Klaus's latest undertaking. In between, she looked up information on the resort outside of town Matt had mentioned in relation to the hunter and debated about what to do about the lead.
The ring of the doorbell nearly caused her to drop her phone.
She first believed it to be Klaus, but frowned when she stepped out into the hallway to see a mystery young man at her front door.
Placing her cell phone in her pocket, she headed for the door.
Opening it cautiously, she noticed him holding a bouquet of red tulips and a medium-sized pink bag.
"Hi..." she greeted the man nervously and confused. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Are you Caroline?" he asked simply, brushing his brown hair off his forehead.
She nodded reluctantly.
"I'm Dean."
He smiled and extended his hand with the bouquet and pink bag.
"These are from Klaus," he explained.
She frowned, despite her inner urge to beam a smile.
"I can't leave until you accept the gifts," he said.
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the flowers and bag; she should have known that this guy was one of Klaus's few remaining hybrids.
"Thanks," she muttered.
As she went to shut the door, the sired hybrid was still standing there.
"I thought you could leave now?" she inquired.
"I'm also supposed to wait until you are ready," he said cryptically.
She scowled, growing more annoyed by the second.
"Ready for what?" she asked.
"Your date; I'm to take you to Klaus once you're dressed," he informed her, looking down at the pink bag.
She quickly concluded that she was to wear whatever Klaus had sent in this bag.
"A date?" she asked bewildered as though she had no understanding of the concept when it came to Klaus. "And what if I decide not to go with you?" she challenged.
He gave her a horrified look.
"Klaus told me to call him and then to tear out one of my kidneys if you refuse," he told her.
She glared at him before scoffing.
"Fine; wait here, I'll be out when I'm ready," she said before slamming the front door.
While this seemed like classic Klaus, she was suspicious.
She set the bag in her room and took the flowers to the kitchen in search of a vase.
Admittedly, they were beautiful flowers; perfectly fitting for spring, she thought as she placed them in a glass vase and filled it with some water.
Noting a small card resting in the bouquet she opened it curiously.
"wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world
my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all the flowers." - E.E. Cummings
The writing on the card clearly belonged to Klaus, she concluded.
Just as she finished reading her phone began to vibrate against her hip.
It was a text from Klaus.
"Will I see you later? – wholly to be a fool"
Angry, she reminded herself. You're angry with him, remember that, she repeated.
"We'll see," she replied to him.
Back in her room she rummaged through the white tissue paper in the pink bag the hybrid Dean had also delivered to find a simple black taffeta cocktail dress.
She huffed at it as she held it out in front of her for inspection. She almost resented his sense of style.
He was well aware that a dress, or flowers for that matter, would win her over, she had to admit that they were working.
It wasn't the gifts themselves, but the thought he had put into them. There was always a subtle meaning behind everything.
Still reluctant, however, she tried the dress on.
She hated how perfectly it fit.
Caroline, you're supposed to be mad, remember? Klaus is being completely overbearing and paranoid with this teacher thing, she coached herself. You can take care of yourself. You're not incapable.
She straightened her hair and applied some makeup to darken her eyes and redden her lips.
After finding all the appropriate accessories to wear with the outfit – including jewellery, purse, shoes, coat, etc – she finally headed back to her front door.
It was dark now. The hybrid was still waiting dutifully; it was sad and pathetic.
The hybrid stood up from his sitting position on her porch stairs when she opened the door.
"You look lovely Caroline. Klaus will be very pleased," he complimented, as though Klaus had told him to say every word. "Are you ready to go?" he confirmed.
She nodded politely, before dropping her purse.
"Oh no," she cried as she went to bend down for her bag and the items that had fell out.
As she anticipated and hoped, the sired hybrid crouched down before she could to retrieve the dropped purse.
This would be too easy, she mused.
"Let me get that for you," he offered, as he gathered up the purse and began to put the spilt contents back inside.
With his attention diverted, she acted fast, grabbing him by the neck and snapping it in one swift motion. He fell back against the porch instantly. He was dead, but she knew it was only temporary. Without much time, she picked up her purse and dragged his body off the porch and concealed it behind some shrubbery.
She was ready to go, but first she had a lead to follow up on.