Doing some major retail shopping was definitely medicine for Caroline Forbes. After all she'd been through so far, she was in desperate need of new heels and a nice blazer. While shopping, she heard a scuffle and a hiss of boots behind her, and she turned around to see the missing Stefan Salvatore.

"Hm, I thought you disappeared off the face of the planet." Caroline says easily, turning back to the rack of clothing and leafing through them.

"That was the initial plan." Stefan says, following her as she walks down the racks, "But I heard Klaus released you and I thought I'd owe you a visit."

Caroline grins slightly to herself, "You know it was because of you I got released, right?"

Stefan cracks a smile, something she hasn't seen him do in a while, "Of course I do. Exactly why I needed to disappear, Damon would have killed me."

Caroline scoffs, picking a shirt off the rack and assessing it, "He's your brother, he wouldn't even bother." She rolls her eyes.

"Well you don't know Damon."

She smiles in spite of herself, "Maybe you don't either. He couldn't kill you."

Stefan just tilts his head to the side for a moment, "Well. Damon does stupid things when he's mad."

Caroline laughs, "So are you officially back in town now? Or do we need to hang up 'missing vampire' posters everywhere?"

"I think I'll be staying a while. Just out of the eye, you know?" Stefan muses over the clothes, "Why are you shopping?"

"It's my emotional therapy." Caroline says defensively, "Being kidnapped by a psychotic Hybrid does tend to wear me down. Emotionally." She almost added physically, but thinking of anything physical made Caroline think of Klaus. She definitely didn't want to do that.

"I can definitely tell. You've been a bit off since you got back." Stefan glides after her as she picks up a handful of clothes.

"I have?" Caroline asks, her voice kicking up a notch, "I didn't notice."

"Well of course you wouldn't notice."

She pauses to shoot a glare at him.

He holds up his hands in defense, "No offense or anything. But you seem a bit high strung."

"Me? High strung? Never!" Her voice still rises on the never.

"You've never been a good liar." Stefan grimaces.

Caroline puts a handful of clothes in his hands, "Hold those." She averts the statement.

Stefan shakes his head, a smile creeping across his lips, "This is a lot of shopping. You'll max out your Mom's credit cards before the end of the day."

"That's the plan."

After a few outfits in, Stefan leaves, stammering about how he has to go and do something along the lines of drinking. Caroline stood in front of the mirror now in a short strapless black dress, she flushed when she saw herself though. She looked far too sexy to be Caroline Forbes.

"You look simply stunning." A voice says from behind her.

She turns to see Klaus with a smirk set on his lips.

Caroline blushes in spite of herself, "What are you doing here?"

"I just saw my golden boy, Stefan, leave, so I thought if he was here - you must be here. He doesn't walk into women's shops of his own accord." Klaus says, walking up to her, "Your dress looks absolutely ravishing on you." He says, a bit too close for Caroline.

Caroline turns away from him, letting a quick smile spread across her face before she wipes it completely off and turns to him.

"Your brother is quite the charmer." Caroline says sarcastically, "It's just amazing how he breaks into my house in the middle of the night."

"He's not sure how to act in the 21st century yet." Klaus looks down, smiling, "He apparently picked up one of the biggest challenges by challenging you."

Caroline looks up at him, "Challenging me?"

"Well, taking on the challenge of you."

"I'm a challenge?"

"You're definitely not easy."

Caroline rolls her eyes, turning away from him again and walking into the dressing room, taking off the black dress and putting it in the 'buy' pile.

She finds a dark green dress and throws that on, walking out and looking at herself in the mirror.

"We haven't had the chance to talk since I released you." Klaus says, his eyes skimming her body, as if undressing her with his eyes.

Caroline felt the tad-est bit uncomfortable under his gaze, but she didn't show it, "What is there to talk about? You kidnapped me then you released me when you got your coffins back, I didn't think we needed to talk about that."

Klaus grins, "You really know how to avoid things, don't you, love?"

There it was, he calling her love again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Caroline says stubbornly, adjusting the strap on the green dress.

"Perhaps I could show you." Klaus states.

Caroline looks over at him, "How on earth could you do that?"

She just had to ask.

Suddenly she was being pressed against the wall, his hands were on her face and his lips were intertwining with hers, his tongue forcing entry when Caroline opened her mouth to protest. His hands lowered to her hips, one of his hands hiking under her dress.

He was holding her there as they were kissing, Caroline fiercely kissed him back, she know she shouldn't have been.

But god, he was just so damn tempting to her.

Now she could see why she slept with him in her drunken haze.

Caroline couldn't lie, he was hot, not to mention he was a mind-blowing kisser, which was just a bonus. Not to mention the accent..

She was kissing the man who had held her hostage and threatened to kill her on multiple occasions, but that didn't stop her hormones from raging - no.

"Excuse me?" The Shopkeeper piped from behind them, "I really hope you'll buy that dress, hon. Your boyfriend seems ready to rip it off you."

Klaus pulls away from Caroline, shooting the Shopkeeper a dazzling smile, "Absolutely love."

Caroline feels her chest tighten and her face flush, embarrassed by being caught, he finally leans off of her and she adjusts her dress.

"We aren't-" Caroline begins to explain to the Shopkeeper.

"Don't worry, love." Klaus hangs a arm limply over her waist, "Just go change so we can leave and let this lady continue running her shop."

The Shopkeeper smiles gratefully at him and leaves.

"How could you do that to me?" Caroline protests, pushing his arm off her waist.

"It's more your fault than mine." Klaus winks at her and she scoffs and goes off into the dressing room to change back into her normal clothes.

Klaus insists on walking Caroline home with all of her bags, they walk in silence until they reach her doorstep.

"I don't know what this is, but this needs to stop." Caroline says to him defiantly.

Klaus looks confused for a moment, "What exactly is this?"

"Confusing." Caroline finishes lamely.

Klaus takes a step towards her, "I could make it much less confusing."

She can feel it in her veins that he's going to kiss her, but she can't let him, because then she won't be able to think straight.

"Caroline, you're finally home." Ms. Forbes opens the door to see Klaus and Caroline on her doorstep, "You didn't call I was worried - oh. Klaus."

Klaus gratefully smiles at Ms. Forbes, "Miss Forbes, how are you this evening?"

"Would be much better if the Originals didn't make nightly visits to my daughter." Caroline's Mother says.

"Sincerest apologies about Kol, he just woke up you see, so he's still getting used to the 21st century." Klaus is really charming her Mom, Caroline can see her Mom being lured into his trap.

So much for being a united Forbes front.

"Would you like to come in for some coffee?" Ms. Forbes asks.

"Would be delighted to." Klaus steps into her house and Caroline shoots her Mom a glare, her Mom just shrugs, still smiling drunkenly to herself.

They all walk into the house and Caroline's Mom turns to her.

"Would you mind starting the coffee, Caroline?" Her Mom asks.

Caroline nods and scurries off to the kitchen, not wanting to have to deal with Klaus and her Mother in the same room together. While she starts the coffee, she checks her phone to see she has a missed call from Elena and Stefan.

She texts them both the same thing.

Sorry I missed your call, what did you need?

Elena texts back immediately.

Ugh, crisis. I got some stupid invitation to go to the Mikaelson ball, can you believe it? All of the Originals are out of their coffins so apparently that means they can have a ball, WTF?

Caroline raises her eyebrows at this.

That's so weird. Be careful, kk?

Elena texts back.

You better come, invitation or not.

Caroline almost scoffs at the text message.

Trust me, I'll be coming.

Stefan, on the other hand, doesn't text her back so she just puts her phone in her back pocket as she begins to pour the coffee into three cups.

She puts sugar into hers and her Mother's, but she doesn't feel like asking Klaus how much sugar he wants, but apparently she can't get away with anything today.

"Your mother is quite the lovely lady." Klaus says from behind her.

Caroline whirls around, her chest constricting, "Why are you doing this?" She hisses.

Klaus reaches over her and puts sugar into his cup, "I thought it'd be nice to get to know your Mother better."

"You're doing this to annoy me." Caroline protests, folding her arms across her chest.

"That's just a added bonus, love." Klaus plants a kiss on her cheek, his arms circling her waist, "Besides, since we're dating, it'd be best if I met your Mom."

Caroline turns a bright red, and twists away from him, "We're not dating!"

"Your Mother thinks different." Klaus winks at her.

Caroline runs a hand through her hair as Klaus watches her, probably feeling victorious with himself.

"Is everything all right Caroline?" Her mother calls.

"Yes." Caroline calls brassily, picking up her cup and her Mother's cup and heading for the living room, Klaus on her heels.

Ms. Forbes takes her coffee and sips it slowly, "So when did you two start dating?"

Caroline opens her mouth to protest but Klaus cuts her off.

"A few weeks ago, actually. We wanted to keep it discreet, we figured her friends wouldn't approve."

"What about Tyler?" Ms. Forbes looks to Caroline.

Caroline looks down and tries to avert her question, "Oh, we're just friends."

Her Mother nods slowly.

"What about this ball you were talking to me about while Caroline was making coffee?" Her Mother instead, turns her attention to Klaus.

"Oh, yes. You see, my siblings and I are having a ball to celebrate the coming of our family. Our mother insisted on it, actually. I was hoping you'd allow me to take Caroline."

Caroline turns a bright red, but she bites her tongue.

"Of course you can." Her mother answers quickly.

Thanks for nothing, Mom. Caroline bitterly thinks.

After a long and awkward day, Caroline is just relieved to go to sleep. Today, she locks her windows and pulls the curtains over them, slamming her closet door shut and locking that also.

She didn't want to have any Originals visiting her tonight.

Or ever again, in that matter.

After Klaus had left, her Mother was excited and kept going on and on about the ball and how much fun she was going to have.

Klaus left with a chaste kiss on her cheek, which her Mother sucked up beaming.

When he left, Caroline had quickly retired to her room when her Mother was done talking about that stinkin' ball she was now being forced to go to.

Klaus hadn't left afterall.

He was strewn across her mattress when she turned around after locking the window.

"You've got to be kidding me." Caroline snaps.

Klaus sheepishly grins, sitting up on her bed, "You didn't think I wouldn't visit you tonight, did you?"

"Kind of the point of locking my windows." Caroline snaps, growing impatient and unlocking her window, throwing it open, "Come on. Out, now."

Klaus lays back down on her bed, kicking his shoes off, obvious with every intention that he was going to stay precisely in place.

"I never did get to properly ask you to come to my ball with me."

"Did I even have a choice?"

"Not in your Mother's eyes, no."

Caroline walks over to her makeup dresser and lets her hair out of its rubber band and wrapping it around her wrist. She's pleased to see her hair is now descending in powerful waves past her shoulders.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she feels uncomfortable.

Being in front of a Original with a tank top and shorts on is hardly how she wanted to spend her night.

She ignores this fact as she walks over to her bed, sitting across from him, "What do you want from me?"

Klaus grins to himself, "Entertainment."

Caroline flushes, "I'm not that kind of girl."

"I never said you were." Klaus says, "But you are quite the entertainment in your own way."

Caroline's eyes meet his, "Is that what you think?"

"Precisely."

They are staring at each other, and Caroline can feel her hormones beginning to rage.

Klaus can probably sense it too, maybe that's why he put a finger under her chin and tilted in to kiss her. The kiss was soft and not hard and husky like it usual was. Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck as his kisses slowly progressed into becoming more hungry and desperate.

Klaus slides his tongue through her lips, and she tastes like sickly honey and butterscotch.

Klaus on the other hand, tastes like mint and scotch, not that Caroline minds the combination.

"So I lost, brother?" A voice pipes from the window, Caroline quickly pulls away from Klaus to see Kol on the roof near her window.

Caroline flushes.

"Appears so." Klaus growls at Kol, "Now if you'd please leave."

"I'm not giving up yet, Niklaus. I'm not going to make it that easy, oh, and Caroline, tell your witchy friend I said hello." Kol suddenly drops from sight.

"Bonnie?" Caroline questions, turning to Klaus, "What does he want with Bonnie?"