This is a birthday gift for the amazing Brynne (natssoldier), just one of the many prompts she has filled my inbox with. *shakes fist*

She requested: Klaus likes to collect rare things. When he comes across Caroline, who is a shapeshifter (you can choose what animal), he is intrigued by her and wishes to add her to his 'collection'. Unfortunately for him, Caroline isn't too keen on this idea.

I chose the animal for Caroline based off of the symbolism associated with it and made this more romantic than dark. Enjoy!

Klaus walked through the darkened woods, the low light barely fazing him as his hybrid senses compensated for the lack of light. He was on a mission, searching for something, or perhaps someone.

Being the only one of his kind gave Klaus a certain appreciation for other similarly rare creatures. He had taken to seeking them out over the centuries, hunting them down for his collection. Most were little more than exotic animals, basilisks, griffins, abaias, and so on. He would capture them and keep them in what his family liked to refer to as the Supernatural Zoo. In fact, Klaus was quite certain some of the creatures he kept were the only ones of their kind left in the world.

Less frequently he would seek out humanoid creatures. They were usually harder to come by and when he did find them they were less than thrilled with the idea of leaving their lives to be his latest prize, often becoming more trouble than they were worth. So Klaus refrained from seeking out these types of beings unless he needed them, or a part of them, for a spell or for information only they possessed. Still, if he learned of a particularly rare specimen, he would occasionally take the time to seek them out, his wolf side reveling in the thrill of the hunt.

Which is what brought him to the thick forests of northern Virginia. He had heard about sightings of a deer-like creature roaming the woods at night, campers reporting strange glimpses of something between the trees. No one report said the same thing, which intrigued Klaus even more. Some claimed to have seen a human-like figure roaming around while others claimed it was pure animal, though unlike any normal deer they'd ever seen before. He was determined to figure out what it was.

He searched for an out of place scent, roaming the area where the reports generally came from. It was nearly midnight and he had been there since dusk, prowling the woods in hopes of catching whatever it was. Klaus was not usually one to give up, but this was beginning to try his patience. How difficult could it be to find a deer in the woods?

Growling lowly in frustration he removed his jacket, tossing it to the forest floor in annoyance before pulling off his shirt. If he couldn't locate the creature in his human form, he would just have to shift and use his heightened werewolf senses.

The rest of his clothing soon joined the pile on the forest floor and Klaus knelt on the ground, preparing himself for the change. As the excruciating pain washed over him he wondered if finding a new addition to his collection was really worth all this trouble. It's not like he had even confirmed what this creature was. For all he knew it could just be a run of the mill deer mistaken by drunken campers. Still, he hadn't found a new species in so long, the idea of discovering one excited him.

The hybrid quickly pushed through the pain, his bones shifting and reforming until he was once again a wolf. He shook himself, black fur falling into place as he rose, enjoying the invigorating feeling that always came over him when he changed. The pain had lessened some over the 500 years he had spent shifting and he had learned to speed up the process, but the sense of freedom he felt as a wolf had never dimmed.

Klaus looked around, noting the area so he could return for his clothes later before he took off through the woods, searching for any unusual scent. It took him only twenty minutes this time before he stumbled upon what he was looking for.

The scent was like a deer, but also not. It had a heavy human undertone to it, but it was different than that of an animal that spent a lot of time around people. It was almost as if the two scents were connected, as if they belonged together.

The hybrid gave a snort when he realized what he was smelling.

A shapeshifter.

Shapeshifters were not exactly rare. There were about as many of them out there as there were werewolves, perhaps more since vampires generally had no qualms with them. From what he knew of them most were only able to shift into one animal form, similar to werewolves, but were not bound by the moon. They were able to change at will, choosing when to become something else or to just remain living as a human.

Normally Klaus wouldn't bother with such a common creature. But he was already there and his wolf was itching to hunt; why not kill two birds with one stone?

So he continued to track the scent, stalking the woods silently, every bit the predator. After a few more minutes he finally found his quarry. There was the deer, laying in a small clearing. It just lounged there, seemingly enjoying the cool night air and the freedom of the forest.

Klaus couldn't understand the wild reports he had heard. This deer looked just like any other, tawny coat camouflaging it in the underbrush, a few fading white spots on its flank, indicating it was just reaching adulthood. From what he knew of shapeshifters, he surmised that its human form was at the end of the teenaged years, given how the juvenile markings of the animal it took the shape of were dwindling. Overall, nothing special.

But then the leaves above shifted in the wind, moonlight filtering down through the gaps, illuminating the deer. His eyes widened as a faint glow seemed to emanate from the creature. It wasn't exactly a physical light, more like a sense of radiance, like the animal was different from normal ones, that it was special. Which he supposed it was, being a shapeshifter and all. But still, it was glorious to behold.

While he was admiring the creature, its head suddenly turned, staring right at him. When the wind had shifted it had sent his scent right in its direction, giving away his presence. From the way the creature's eyes widened he could tell it could sense he was no ordinary wolf either.

There was a brief moment where they remained in a stalemate, staring at each other as if time had stood still. Then the deer leapt up, bounding off into the woods, and the chase was on.

Crap, Caroline thought as she raced through the night, dodging rocks and fallen logs, why do I always find myself in these situations?

She had no time to reflect on her past experiences, however, as she could sense the werewolf closing in on her. Which was of course ridiculous since there was no full moon out. Yet her nose didn't lie, that had not been a regular wolf staring her down. Caroline had no idea how it was possible, or why it was after her. She only knew she had to run.

As she rounded a large rock, trying to lose the wolf, it suddenly leapt at her, knocking her off her feet. Her legs sprawled out as she fell, wind knocked out of her. She quickly regained her footing as the wolf circled her, making sure to keep turning with it. When it made a jump to tackle her again she kicked out with her hind legs, catching it in the jaw and sending it flying. But before she could make her escape it was back in front of her. She cursed herself for forgetting how fast werewolves could be.

Caroline now found herself locked in another stare down, both waiting for the other to make a move. Her nerves were on edge, the deer half of her brain screaming at her to run from this predator, while her human side cautioned against it. Going for a compromise, she tried to fake the wolf out, feigning left before taking off right, hoping to catch it off guard.

It was a good effort, but unfortunately for her, this wolf had more experience hunting than she could have known. It easily figured out her maneuver, wrestling her quickly to the forest floor. Try as she might, her attempts at kicking the wolf off were futile. She did however manage to get in a good bite on its left front leg before it essentially pinned her down with a growl.

She was unsure what it would do next, try to eat her or just kill her maybe, though she had no idea why. Caroline was no vampire and had never had any trouble with werewolves before, even with having the shifter form of a regular wolf's prey. What she didn't expect was for it, or apparently him, to start shifting back on top of her.

In less than a minute she no longer had a shaggy black wolf holding her down. Now in its place was a very naked, albeit handsome, man.

"As much as I enjoyed our little tussle, I think it's time for you to change back, sweetheart," the man said in a British accent.

He made no move to get off of her, however, and Caroline glared at him; as much as a deer can glare, at least. The man only chuckled, raising an expectant brow as he waited.

Seeing no way out, she huffed, finally giving in to his demands. It only took her a matter of seconds to change back into a human, the change almost seamless. She could tell he was impressed, as she had found most weres to be, with the ease at which she could shift.

Caroline retained her glare as she finished shifting, keeping it fixed on the man pinning her down. To his credit his eyes did not wander down her also nude body, remaining fixated on her face. And as much as she was thankful for that, it was not enough to make her any less displeased about her current situation.

"And as much as I enjoy having some dirty wolf attack me in the middle of the night and hold me down against my will, I think it's time for you to get the hell off of me!" she growled, giving him a shove.

She was mildly surprised when he easily complied, rolling off of her and allowing her to sit up, only chuckling at her response.

"Well aren't you a feisty one?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, not at all in the mood for this. "Mind telling me why you're here, you know, attacking people who are just minding their own business?" she snapped at him, crossing her arms over her chest, in annoyance rather than an attempt to cover herself. Having been shifting all her life, she was quite comfortable being naked, though she didn't have much experience being nude with another person; not in this context, anyway.

He chuckled, examining the quickly fading bite mark she had left on his arm, one that healed much faster than any werewolf she had even known to heal, before leaning back on his hands as he regarded her, seeming as unfazed with his nudity as she was. "I was just following up on some rumors I heard about a strange deer roaming these parts," he said matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at her. "Rumors about you, apparently."

She felt her cheeks heating up. She had thought she had been less conspicuous than that. "Well, that still doesn't explain why you attacked me," she tried, attempting to ignore the embarrassment she felt at being seen; again. "Or how," she added, frowning at him before glancing up to the sky, looking for the moon. Just as she thought, not even a quarter of the way full.

"Ah, well, that is a long story, love," he drawled, looking at the moon himself for a moment and smirking. "But as to why I chased you, you should know better than to act like prey in front of a wolf."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, not at all satisfied with his explanations. "Do you really expect me to buy that?" she bit out, ignoring his jibe.

The man looked over at her in surprise, clearly not expecting that from her. "Excuse me, sweetheart?"

"First of all, I'm not your sweetheart. And second of all, I don't believe anything you're saying. Why are you really here?" she demanded loudly, not backing down one bit. "And who the hell are you, anyway?"

He looked at her, a strange mixture of impressed and annoyed. "Alright, you caught me," he chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Allow me to begin by introducing myself. My name is Klaus," he said, holding out his hand.

She looked at him skeptically, raising a brow at his proffered hand. When he merely grinned at her she sighed, reaching out to shake his hand. Instead, he brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it like in an old movie. Caroline felt herself blushing despite herself at the odd gesture, quickly pulling her hand back and clutching it against her chest.

"Caroline," she slowly supplied when he made no move to continue.

"Caroline," he repeated, the name rolling off of his tongue in a sinful way. She shivered involuntarily at the sound.

"So, Klaus, why did you track me down?" she asked persistently, beginning to feel unnerved by their mutual state of undress.

Klaus grinned slyly, as if he could sense her discomfort. "I wasn't lying about hearing the rumors. Though I can't say I understand them all, even after seeing you in the moonlight," he began, looking at her curiously as he recalled the way she had seemed to shine in an otherworldly way.

"What did they say?" she asked curiously, unsure why she felt so oddly at ease talking with the man who had just attacked her.

"Something about seeing a strange deer, which I can appreciate. But there were also reports of a more mythical looking creature, one more humanoid than a simple deer. That's the one I don't quite understand," Klaus said, brow furrowing in thought.

"Oh," Caroline said softly, looking down at her toes. When she looked back up he was staring at her expectantly, as if he knew she had more to say. "Um, well, I think I know where those rumors came from," she admitted sheepishly, looking away from his intent gaze.

"Really?" he asked, intrigued. "Please elaborate, love."

She pursed her lips in thought for a moment before she had an idea. "I'll tell you, after you tell me what I want to know," she declared, looking him in the eye.

Klaus gave her an amused look, as if she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. "Alright, you have a deal."

Caroline grinned, pleased to have gained the upper hand. "Good. So how about you tell me how you can shift outside the full moon?"

"You don't pull any punches, do you, sweetheart?" he chuckled, leaning back on his hands again as he got comfortable. "I'm a hybrid; half werewolf, half vampire."

She frowned. "How is that possible?"

"The short answer is magic," he said, not really wanting to get into the whole involved story at the moment. "I was born a werewolf and was turned into a vampire by magic; the first vampire actually."

Caroline's eyes widened in fear. "You're- you're an Original?" she asked, her voice tentative for the first time that night.

"Ah, so you have heard of me?" Klaus chuckled, amused by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Nothing good," she muttered, head shooting up as she realized she had spoken aloud, meeting his eyes nervously.

He only smirked at her, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, well, I suppose after a thousand years the only things people remember are the massacres and sacrifices."

"Are you saying those things aren't true?" she asked skeptically.

"No, they are," he conceded, holding her gaze. "Though I'm sure they've become a bit exaggerated over the centuries. Not even I have enough time or desire to slaughter an entire country," he mused, remembering a particularly ridiculous rumor about himself.

"I'd hope not," she said, looking at him warily, entirely unsure of what to think of him. "But why would an Original be interested in me?"

"I'm not, or I wasn't," he admitted, amused by the looks of annoyance and then one of self-consciousness that crossed her face. "I was looking for the creature in the rumors. I collect rare creatures, you see."

Caroline looked at him with complete disgust at those words. "You wanted to, what, put me in some sort of creepy supernatural museum?" she spat irately, glaring at him.

"It's more of a zoo," he said offhandedly, quickly continuing when he saw her nostrils flare in anger. "And I thought you were some sort of beast, Caroline, not just a shapeshifter," he continued, ignoring her indignant noise at his description of her. "I rarely collect humanoid creatures; too much trouble."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she sputtered in anger. "What if I had been some rare thing, able to do something no one else could?" she demanded, gesturing wildly.

Klaus paused to consider her question, finding himself not wishing to lie to her. "If it could be of use to me, perhaps," he admitted, frowning at her scoff. "But I wouldn't do that to you, love."

Caroline snorted. "And why the hell not? Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because you intrigue me, Caroline," he confessed. "You're beautiful, strong, full of light. I fancy you."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, unsure what to say to that. "You… what?"

"I fancy you, sweetheart. I've never met anyone like you before," Klaus told her, willing her to believe him, but not knowing why he needed her to. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes." she told him, completely serious.

Caroline knew better than to believe a man when he whispered sweet nothings to her. Because that's what they always turned out to be; nothing. They would take what they wanted from her and leave. She knew she shouldn't listen to a word he said, especially since he was an Original. Nothing good could come from this. Yet she found herself longing to listen, to believe his words. And that scared her.

Klaus frowned as he watched the internal struggle she was having with herself show across her features. "We're the same, Caroline," he said, trying to assuage her fears.

"What?" she asked in shock, staring at him incredulously. "I've heard the stories about you and your family. I am nothing like you!"

"Aren't you though?" Klaus asked, not missing a beat. "We both enjoy the feeling of running through the trees in our other forms, forms which go quite well together, wouldn't you say?"

Caroline just rolled her eyes, refusing to answer.

"We both are slow to trust others," he continued, watching her face and seeing the uncomfortable look that told him he was right in his assertion. "And had things that have happened in our past define us, whether we wish them to or not. We're more alike than you would like to admit, and you know it."

The blonde's gaze fell to the ground, refusing to look at him as her mind raced, trying to find ways to deny the truth she knew he was saying.

"I don't know what has happened to you in the past, Caroline, and I know you don't have any reason to trust me other than my word. But I hope you will at least believe me when I tell you that you deserve the world," he said honestly, willing her to listen. "And it would be my pleasure to show it to you."

Her head shot up, confusion clouding her eyes. "What?"

"There's a whole world out there waiting for you," he said, shifting closer to her, pleased when she didn't move away. "I could take you. Rome, Paris… Tokyo?" he offered, drawing a small smile from the blonde. "Come on, take a chance. I dare you."

Caroline met his eyes, searching for a clue to tell her if he was being serious. Everything about him screamed it; his words, his voice, the pleading look he was giving her. "This is crazy," she breathed out, shaking her head. "I don't even know you."

"What better way to get to know someone than traveling the world with them?" he asked, only half teasing.

She was speechless, not knowing what to say. "Promise me," she said suddenly, finding her voice. "Promise me you'll never put me in your zoo."

Caroline didn't know what she was thinking, basically agreeing to go with a man, an Original, that she didn't even know. But there was just something about him that drew her in, made her feel… safe. And that was something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Klaus looked at her in surprise, trying to figure her out. "I promise."

Caroline bit her lip, still unsure. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I will swear on whatever you like," he said quickly, trying to convince her.

She thought for a moment, trying to remember everything she had ever heard about the Originals. "Swear on the lives of your family," she said suddenly, remembering the strange bond the siblings were supposed to have.

Klaus met her eyes. "I swear on the lives of Rebekah, Elijah, and Kol. Finn too if you like, though I don't much care whether he lives or dies."

She gave him a small smile, accepting his oath. "Okay. I'll go with you," she agreed. It's not like I have anything left here anyway, she thought sadly, quickly pushing those thoughts from her mind.

"Wonderful," he said with a smile, standing and brushing the debris from the forest floor from his body.

Caroline averted her eyes, trying her best not to stare when his hand entered her field of vision, offering to help her rise.

When they were both standing, he watched her as she finger combed a few leaves from her long blonde curls before he spoke. "I believe you have something to tell me, love."

"Hmm?" she wondered, looking up at him curiously before she remembered their earlier deal. "Oh, right, um, sure," she mumbled, taking a deep breath. "I think this is what those people saw."

Klaus watched intently as she closed her eyes, concentrating hard as her body began to change. Or more accurately, half of her body did. It was astonishing how quickly and seemingly easily the lower half of her body transformed. One moment there was silky pale skin and the next soft tan fur seemed to ripple down from her hips, covering her legs. His mouth hung open in awe as her knee joints reversed, her legs taking on the appearance of a deer's hind legs, feet shrinking and changing into black cloven hooves.

He stared at her legs for a moment more before his eyes swept back up her body, shocked to find everything above the waistline had remained the same; remained human.

"How…?" he wondered aloud, too stunned to form a complete sentence. She reminded him of a faun, though much more regal than a half-goat could ever appear. Her long blonde curls cascading over her shoulders, covering her breasts in a way that demanded to be sketched as she stood tall before him seemed to sear itself into his mind.

"I'm not really sure," Caroline said, hands wringing together nervously. "Apparently I'm a bit of a mystery among shifters. My mother used to say I was special, the only one she'd ever heard of who could control the change as well as I could. A- a rare breed, if you will," she said softly, biting her lip as she met his eyes.

"You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen, Caroline," he said softly, smiling at her. Klaus held out his hand, hoping she would take it. "And you deserve to see all the world has to offer. Where would you like to start?"

Caroline let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, smiling in relief as she slowly took his hand. She let her body shift back fully, wiggling her legs to get used to the different bend in her knee. "I've always wanted to see New York," she said with a grin as they began to walk hand in hand.

"As you wish," Klaus said, sweeping his free hand out in front of them in a slight bow.

"But first, I'd like to get dressed," she added, blushing when he chuckled in reply.