Hey guys, I know the last chapter was a tad of a bore, but I think it set this one up well! Thanks for reading, it's been a blast to write this as my NaNo project.

| Desperate Measures |

"I can't believe he said that," Elena said surprised when Caroline told her about what had taken place in the hotel room. It would definitely push their plan back a bit if Klaus had convinced Caroline that he didn't think love existed at all. "And I can't believe that you stood up for true love. Something is changing in you, Care."

"Don't get your hopes too high about it though," Caroline told her friend as she threw a throw blanket over herself and cuddled into the couch. "The only reasonable prospect that I have had in months ended up being Klaus in a mask, so that's not saying a lot."

Elena frowned. It was a step in the right direction, even if the conversation was in fact two steps back. Elena had to admit that she was glad for Rebekah's plan, maybe putting the two of them in front of art could make them move past the conversation as a whole. "I'm sure Klaus was just caught off guard having to talk about Tatia like that. You get the same way when you have to talk about Jake, all pessimism and no light."

Caroline tilted her head, "I just don't understand how the man that was so passionate and saw the beauty in the smallest things in earth could be the same man that said those awful things. He just makes me so angry…"

Elena just laughed, "I can tell. Did you ever think there might be a reason for that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, just that there might be something below the surface of your annoyance," Elena mentioned.

"Not you too," Caroline said with a sigh. "Drunken Kol was trying to tell me that his brother was in love with me before I had that lovely chat with Klaus."

Elena sighed; of course it would be Kol that would let something like that slip too early. She had told Stefan not to let Kol into the plan, but he had insisted that the man would help. "All I am saying is that I may have noticed there being some… tension between the two of you. He gets under your skin for a particular reason, that's all."

Caroline took off the blanket and stood up, grabbing her books. "I'm not discussing this with you, Elena. He is just annoying, that's all there is to it."

Rebekah headed into the office with her head held high, knowing that she could face Kol now that she had Tyler on her side. She stomped into Klaus's office and slammed the door behind her.

"What is it now Rebekah?" Klaus asked as he hung up the phone.

"Because we did not find anything the other day, you and I are heading to the gallery this afternoon and I am bringing reinforcements," she told him. "I already checked your schedule with Meredith, you're clear for the entire afternoon. So we are going to grab lunch and then off to the Modern Gallery over on Lexington."

Klaus scowled. "I have no interest in helping you Rebekah. You seem to hate everything that I point out for you, I just don't see the point."

"Hence the third opinion. You are coming, I already cleared it with Elijah."

"Fine," Klaus muttered. "Heard about your date with Lockwood. You need to be careful with that one, love."

Rebekah shook her head. "After Kol I think I can figure out a bad one when I see him. Tyler was more than polite on our date, and he is much more of a gentleman than your brother will ever be."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Klaus told her as she headed out of the office.

Caroline was taken off guard when Rebekah called her and asked her to lunch and an art gallery. She was so shocked by the invitation that she accepted without thinking much about it. Driving away from campus she headed towards the restaurant that Rebekah had chosen. She pulled up to the high-end steakhouse and parked the car, leaving her textbook and notes in the passenger's seat.

Walking into the restaurant she saw the blonde sitting at a table with a man who was facing away from the entrance. Walking up she sat down next to Rebekah and looked at the man who was seated across from her. Klaus.

"Rebekah, you didn't tell me that we were going to have Klaus grace us with his presence this afternoon," Caroline said trying not to sound too harsh.

Klaus on the other hand was close enough with Rebekah to let his harsh tone shine through. "You told me that you wanted a second opinion, you did not tell me that it was Caroline's opinion that you wanted, Rebekah. You should have told me that you were bringing her with us, I would have had a different reaction to our afternoon."

"Are you saying that you wouldn't have come if you knew I was going to be here?"

"Aren't you?" Klaus fired back.

"No, but I would have liked to know that you were coming so I could prepare myself emotionally for your constant criticism," Caroline snapped.

"I wouldn't call it constant," Klaus replied. He could already feel his heart pounding and his face becoming stressed.

Caroline rolled her eyes. It was already starting and she hadn't even been there for three minutes. She turned her focus on Rebekah who seemed to be quite disturbed by the interaction between them. "I'm sorry, Rebekah, but Klaus and I don't always see things eye to eye. Maybe we aren't the best people to have working together to help you."

"That's exactly why you are the right people for this. I know that if the two of you agree on a piece than I have to have it. Elena told me about your little quarrels, and I don't mind them as long as I get a new piece for my bedroom," Rebekah told her standing firm. She was starting to see what Elena had told her about the chemistry between the two. Despite their assurances that they didn't like each other she had a feeling they would rip each other's clothes off before long. All the rest of them had to do was push the couple in the right direction.

Klaus shot her a look but kept his mouth closed. He knew when to push Rebekah and when it was time to just give up. The woman was set on having them help her with her apartment, and he would give in to her this time. Over the years she had done more than plenty favors on his behalf, it was time he returned them.

The lunch went fairly calmly, with Rebekah taking over much of the conversation and keeping Caroline and Klaus from harming one another. Finally it was time to head to the gallery. "Caroline, can you take Klaus over? I forgot that I have loads of shopping bags in the passenger's seat and my car is only a two-seater. It's just over on Lexington and Jefferson," she said as she walked away from them, leaving them with no choice.

Caroline sighed and stood up, putting her leather jacket on and putting her purse over her shoulder. At least she got a free meal from all this mess. When she looked over she saw Klaus was standing there waiting for her. "Let's go then," she told him as she started to walk away.

Walking up to her car she wondered what he was going to think of her beat up jeep. Unlike the Mikaelsons and the Gilberts, Caroline didn't come from money. She worked hard for every cent she had and the rent on their apartment alone kept her working more than she wanted to. That meant that updating her wheels had to take a metaphorical backseat.

"This is your car?" Klaus asked as Caroline unlocked the driver's side door.

"Yes, got a problem with it?" she asked as she stepped in, leaning over to unlock the passengers side and placing the books in the backseat.

Klaus didn't say anything as he stepped into the car and took his seat, fastening his seat belt. He made a mental note to remind Elijah to give the girl a nice stipend at the end of her internship so she could replace her mode of transportation.

Caroline started the car and headed towards the gallery. It was a quiet ride over, and each time she looked over at her passenger she could see him shifting uncomfortably as if he was worried that he was in danger. "The car is completely safe, Klaus," she told him after five minutes of his fidgeting.

"It's older than you are probably, so for some reason I don't trust you on that one," he said as he looked over at her, his hand firmly gripped to the door handle.

Caroline rolled her eyes, thankfully they were close to the gallery and she parked the car and hopped out. Rebekah was waiting outside with her hand on her hip and a phone to her ear. She gave a quick goodbye to whomever she was talking to and welcomed them. "Took you long enough," she told them as she opened the door into the gallery.

They were welcomed by Lamar, the gallery's owner and collector and were made coffee before they were given freedom to roam through the art. Most of the current collection consisted of photography, but there were a few sculptures and paintings also taking up residence.

Caroline instantly found herself drawn to a large photograph, a blowup of a classic music establishment in the city. She stood in front of it; taking in it's off focus tilt and black and white exposure. It was a club that she had visited often, especially when she was in elementary school.

Caroline didn't notice Klaus as he stepped up behind her and took in the photo. "A little amateur, don't you think? The shot would have been much better if he had made the background of the marquee the focus, blurring the night's performance instead of the other way around," he commented.

Caroline thought over the comment and looked at the photo again, "Actually, I agree, now that you've said it. I have a lot of memories of this place."

"Such as?"

"My dad used to take me there to see jazz concerts when I was little," she told him. "There was this local group, a bunch of old guys that played shows every few months there. It was our thing, dad and daughter date night, he called it."

"The photo is captivating to you because of the memories that it represents. That's what all good photography is, essentially. It's about capturing a moment that other people can connect to emotionally," Klaus explained. "Although it doesn't take the time or patience that traditional art requires, it does take a fine eye and skill to find the right shot. It's nice but it's not for Rebekah, she would have no connection to this particular place."

Caroline nodded and started to walk away from the painting. She noticed that Klaus looked at it for a moment before following her. It was comments like those that she saw a different side to Klaus, someone that was so much more real than the man she met in the hotel suite a few days before. He was a man of contradictions, someone that could be both harsh and cold but also passionate and able to see beyond the every day.

When Caroline met up with Rebekah she saw the woman in front of a painting that to Caroline looked like red and black streaks on canvas. "Do you love it? I love this," she told Caroline.

Caroline gave a fake smile. "I wouldn't say that."

Klaus walked up to the girls and took one glance at the painting before telling her the truth. "That is simple and idiotic, Rebekah. There is no deep meaning in that just someone that wants to make a couple thousand dollars off someone who knows nothing about art."

Rebekah gave him a nasty look but nodded, knowing that he was probably right. She followed him to his selection, a photograph of a little girl in a field holding a poppy. Caroline had to admit there was something beautiful about it's innocence but she couldn't figure out what Rebekah would like about this girl.

"Oh, Niklaus," Rebekah sighed. "It's like the poppies at my gran's house in Oxfordshire."

Caroline had never heard anyone use Klaus's full name before and she was surprised to see how calm he was about her using it. For some reason Caroline had assumed that there was a reason that he didn't use his full name, some story of anger or resentment having to do with their father but Rebekah used it without even a flinch from him.

"That's exactly what I thought of as well," Klaus told her. "I remember how our parents always left us there when they had business in London and how you used to pick them and Camilla would string them into your braids."

"You have to get it," Caroline said with a nod after hearing the story. She could picture the children running through the fields of England and smiled. Klaus had told her good photography was about connecting to past experience. This photograph did that for them. "The long blonde hair even reminds me of you."

Rebekah agreed and bought the painting without a second thought. She had a friend to meet up with so she hurried out of the gallery, leaving Klaus and Caroline to their own devices.

"Do you want me to drive you back to the office or the hotel?" Caroline asked. After his obvious discomfort with the first trip she doubted he would say yes, but it seemed rude not to ask.

"I think I'd rather call a car, I don't want you to have to go out of the way," he told her as if it was only for her convenience. "Before you go though…" Klaus called Lamar over and took the owner and Caroline back to the photograph that had captured Caroline's attention. "I would like to purchase this piece and have it delivered to her apartment."

Lamar nodded and took the credit card from Klaus's hand, leaving the two in front of the photo. "You didn't have to do that," Caroline told him. She would have never been able to purchase the piece, that much she knew.

"After everything you have done for Kol, it's the least I can do," Klaus told her honestly. "Plus, the look in your eyes when you saw it, I knew you had to own it."

"It's really not that big a deal really, just a few memories of a father that bailed."

"I had a feeling that was the end of the story. As someone that also has father troubles, I could tell. With fathers like ours, we have to hold onto the good memories we do have," he said to her looking at the floor. "For you it's jazz concerts and for me it was going to see Shakespeare in the park. You deserve to have something to remind you of all the times that he didn't fail you."

Caroline was taken aback by his honesty and ability to be vulnerable. She thanked him and found herself walking out of the gallery with her head held high and a new perspective on Klaus entirely. Starting her car she jumped when she saw someone at her passenger side door.

Klaus was standing next to the car, gesturing for her to unlock the vehicle. Caroline once again reached over and unlocked the door. In his hand was the photograph wrapped in brown paper. "The car service didn't have anyone available for another hour," he informed her. "I had Lamar wrap it up now, instead of paying to have it delivered."

"Where do you want me to take you?" Caroline asked as she started to pull out of the parking space.

"To your place, Stefan is already there," Klaus told her as if it was no big deal. Caroline didn't like the idea of him in her apartment, seeing where she lived and possibly judging her. It was bad enough to have two millionaires in her place, adding another just seemed like criticism waiting to happen.

"Sure," she said as she headed back to her place. Klaus told her about what Lamar had said about the artist that took the photograph and she asked polite questions about photography and what Klaus knew about the subject.

"It's not my medium, though, so I would hardly say that I'm an expert," Klaus informed her. "I would much rather paint than walk around with a bulky camera hanging around my neck."

"You painted the one in Rebekah's living room, right? The castle ruins in the field?"

"Yes, I did. It's a place we used to wander off to when we were in Oxfordshire, we would play in the ruins for hours, the seven of us."

"Seven?" Caroline asked.

"Rebekah is an only child, then the three Salvatores and myself and my brothers."

"Three Salvatores?"

"They had a little sister, Camilla. She was the one that put the poppies in Rebekah's hair. She was younger than the rest of us but she drowned when I was a senior," Klaus explained.

Caroline hadn't heard the story before, and was curious about who the girl might have been. They pulled up to her building and headed up the stairs to her apartment. Unlocking the door she pushed inside to find Stefan and Elena half naked on her couch. "Ew!" she screamed, dropping her purse.

Klaus followed her in and just smiled at the couple that was now scrambling for clothes. "Couldn't even make it to the bedroom?" he asked Stefan with a wink.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, I didn't know you would be back so soon. Really…" Elena said as she threw her shirt over her head. "What are you doing here?" she asked Klaus.

"That's my fault. I told Klaus that I was here and that we could just get a car back to the hotel together," Stefan explained. "I was about to say something but then we got a little distracted."

"Just a little," Klaus finished. "I am going to call for the car while you lot sort out this mess."

Klaus handed the photograph to Caroline before walking out of the apartment, dialing his phone. Caroline shook her head at her best friend before starting to unwrap Klaus's gift. She knew just the perfect place to hang it in her room, above her bookshelf.

"What's that?" Elena asked once she had composed herself.

"Klaus bought it for me," Caroline told her as she removed the brown paper and flipped it over. She handed the frame to Elena who looked it over. "I told him about how my dad used to take me there."

"That was really nice of him," Elena said as she handed the photo back to Caroline.

Stefan stood up from the couch and started to gather the rest of his things. "He must think highly of you to buy you art," he told her offhandedly. "Klaus takes that kind of stuff very seriously."

"What buying people things? He's a millionaire I doubt that's a problem."

"No, art. I don't remember the last time he did that for someone. He thinks that the art a person showcases reflects not only the artist and the owner but also the person that gave it to them. Something like that, he rambled too much about it when I asked him why he wouldn't help me decorate my house."

Stefan gave Elena a quick kiss and headed out the door before Elena turned to face Caroline. "What do you think it means? That he bought that for you?"

Caroline remembered what he had said about trying to hold onto the good memories that people have with their parents. "I think he's saying that all people have good and bad parts of themselves," she said finally.

"What?" Elena asked, not understanding.

"You would have had to be there," Caroline said as she took the photograph and headed into her room. As she stared at her new piece of art she thought about what she had said. Klaus was starting to show her that even though people have bad sides they also have good ones. Despite all his flaws, Klaus was able to see past the fact that her father had left her and see that he was once a loving and kind man. Maybe she was wrong to judge him so harshly and to believe that he wasn't capable of understanding real emotions, maybe he understood them too well instead.

So Caroline is starting to realize that there's good and bad in all people, what do you think that will do to change her feelings about Klaus? Their friends are up to a lot of trouble in the coming chapters, first up the boys will be speaking to Klaus... Till next time you can find me here or at my blog on tumblr, riverssongs.