Oh no.

He was here. In the flesh. Right behind her, and Caroline could not bring herself to turn around. She was frightened, angry, happy, worried. Emotions that she hadn't felt in a long time came rushing in at the sound of his voice. She wanted to run. But against every voice that was screaming in her head to go in the opposite direction, she found herself slowing turning towards him.

"Hello darling. It's been a long time."

Her voice caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was the same but different. His hair was shorter,slicked back to fir the dance, but everything else was the same. Klaus still had that 3 day old stubble on his face, his eyes still sparkled blue, and his smirk was the same. He was dressed in a jet black suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie.

"What are you doing here?" was all she could say.

He chuckled and said, "Really, Caroline? 500 years and not even a 'hello'?"

Caroline chose to ignore that comment and asked again, "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

"As I recall, I was promised a date in exchange for not killing that Alaric fellow."

"Well when you disappeared without a word of where you were going, that kind of conveyed to me that you weren't going to show up."

"I always keep my promises," Klaus replied. Caroline couldn't tell if he was joking or not. The tone in his voice was unreadable.

"Now," he said while extending his hand, "at dances, people dance."

She scoffed at him and said, "No way."

Klaus grinned and whispered, "Darling, you're standing in the middle of the dance floor and it's just one dance. I won't bite."

Caroline looked around and noticed that during her little tirade she had gotten the attention of quite a few people. So she reluctantly took Klaus' hand and danced with him.

Klaus drew her in and rested his hand on the small of her back. He felt her instantly tense up and try to keep a reasonable distance between them.

"Relax, Caroline."

Yeah, relax. You're dancing with a psychopath whose face you haven't seen in 500 years, but hey just relax.

"I'm perfectly relaxed. If I wasn't relaxed, I'd break your neck right about now."

"And that would raise suspicion."

"What do you want, Klaus?" Caroline was getting frustrated. The last thing she wanted to do was dance with him. She wanted to go home and crawl under a rock and never come out.

"Can't a man just dance with a woman without a hidden motive?"

"Sure, a normal man can. Not you though. So tell me what it is you want."

"You haven't changed a bit, you know that?"

Caroline looked up at Klaus and examined his face. He was the one who hadn't changed.

"The same can be said for you."

Klaus glanced down at Caroline then and was hit with a wave of emotions. He didn't realize it until now how much he missed her, even though he knew that all she wanted to do right now was strangle him. Shaking himself out of his trance he said, "fine. I'll get straight to the point. I believe you have something that I need. You see, my dear old brother wasn't saying anything, and I couldn't forget our little engagement tonight, so after that I-"

"What did you do to Elijah?", Caroline spat out, stopping their dance.

Klaus pulled her closer and continued moving with her and said, "Oh don't worry, darling, he's taking a little nap."

As Klaus said those last words, Caroline slowly made eye contact with him and understood. He daggered Elijah.

"If you're looking for Jenna-", she started.

"Oh no, sweetheart. Jenna was found long before I came here."

"Then what do you want?"

Klaus' eyes darkened and he whispered into her ear, saying, "Look around you. There are quite alot of people in this room. Many of whom can be killed faster than the human eye can blink. And yes I know there are Vampires here besides you and myself, but unlike us, they aren't indestructible, they are immortal, yet can still be killed. So, Caroline, I want the doppelganger. Now. Or blood will be shed."

He had done it. Given her a choice. Elena or everyone else. She couldn't let anyone be killed, but either way someone died.

Before she could answer, she saw Mason walk up behind Klaus, tap him on the shoulder and say, "Mind if I cut in?"

Mason had seen the entire display. He didn't want to butt in on Caroline, but when this stranger started whispering her ear, he had quite enough.

Klaus turned around, wondering who dared to interrupt him, "that depends, " he responded.

"On?"

"On if I decide you can or not," Klaus said to the dog in front of him.

Mason felt his anger seep through him, but decided to act like a gentleman and say, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Mason Lockwood."

"Nik Mikaelson, old friend of Caroline's" Klaus said taking Mason's extended hand and matching his grip.

Caroline watched as they both matched glares and looked like two possessive wolves. Which they were. It was then that she saw her opportunity.

"Why don't we go get some punch? I'm parched."

"Of course."

"Sounds great."

Both men answered her at the same time, eyes never faltering from one another.

As they made their way to the punch table, Caroline spotted Damon in the crowd. She nudged her head towards the back of the gym and he made his way there. She handed Mason and Klaus a glass and heard Mason say, "So, an 'old friend of Caroline's' huh? Funny she's never mentioned you."

"We haven't seen each other in a long time, right Caroline?" Klaus said, bringing her into the conversation.

"Yeah, it's been quite a while," she responded.

"How long have you two known each other?" Mason asked.

"Ever since we were children. Great memories," Klaus stated, eyeing Caroline all the while.

"Yeah, great ones," Caroline said, causing Klaus to break eye contact with her.

"So, Mason, how do you know Caroline?"

"We met while breaking up a fight between my nephew and a student of hers," Mason replied, smiling at the memory.

Caroline saw this as her chance, "Mason, Nik, would you please excuse me? I have to check on something really quick."

They both nodded, letting her leave. She only had two minutes before they noticed something was up, so Caroline needed to get Damon to do this fast.

Relief struck her when she saw him, waiting patiently by the exit to the gym.

"What's up, Mrs. Kennedy?" he asked with a smirk.

"No time for jokes, Damon. I need you to do something for me."

"Okay, what?" all humor gone from his voice.

"I need you to get Elena to her house. Now."

"Why?"

"I don't have time to explain, but you need to get her and Stefan out of here."

"Caroline, tell me why."

She thought back to what he had said earlier that day about trust. And how she should "find him when she was ready to trust him." This was it.

"Klaus is here, and he's looking for blood if he doesn't have her tonight."

"He's here?! In this room?!" Damon started to go into panic mode.

"Calm down! I have him distracted for a moment, but you need to get her out of here. I think I can stop him," for now.

"Caroline-"

"You told me that when I needed someone to trust, to find you. I'm trusting you now, Damon. Please."

It was then that Damon really looked at Caroline and understood. She was trusting him. She was willing to go into the mouth of Hell for everyone else, and he wanted nothing more than to fight with her.

"I'll tell Stefan," he said.

Caroline tried to protest, but Damon cut her off with, "I'm not letting you stand up to him alone. Stefan can get Elena out of here just as fast as I can."

Caroline saw the look that he gave her, a look that said, you're not alone.

She nodded and said, "Fine, but do it quickly."

As soon as Damon walked off, Caroline heard someone from behind say, "Caroline, is everything alright?"

She turned to see Klaus and said, "Yeah, everything's fine. Just had to deal with a chaperon. He wasn't doing proper chaperoning so I had to yell at him."

"I see," he responded. Caroline could tell he wasn't buying it, but she wouldn't press the issue. Right now her main concern was keeping him away from Elena.

"Why don't we get some more punch?" she said, trying to distract him.

"Or," Klaus responded, grabbing Caroline's arm, "why don't we stop this foolishness and you give me what I want."

"Caroline!"

Damon. For the first time, Caroline was thankful to Whoever it was that caused Damon to walk towards her that moment.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing that concerns you, sir, I can assure you."

"If it concerns Caroline, it concerns me."

"Another one? Caroline you've certainly done well snagging the hearts of not only that Lockwood fellow over there, but this one as well. Bravo."

Caroline tried to pull out of Klaus' grasp, but his grip just got tighter and tighter, to the point where he was causing her pain.

"Klaus, you're hurting me," she gasped.

As if her skin were on fire, he let her go. Klaus looked at her for a moment and felt that wave of emotions again. He hated causing her pain, sometimes it was unconsciously done. But now he had physically hurt her. Again. And he hated himself even more for it.

Caroline moved over by Damon as soon as Klaus let her go. She saw the expression on his face and felt a twinge of pity for him. Only a twinge. She knew what he was after and that trumped anything she could feel for him in this moment.

"Come on, Caroline," Damon said, placing his hand on the small of her back, guiding her away from Klaus.

"Time is running out, Caroline. And I always keep my promises," Klaus called out. He wasn't letting anything stop him this time.

"Trust me, I know all about you and promises," she said and walked away. Elena was at home now, safe. For now.

X

"So that's Klaus huh?," Damon said. He was surprised at what he found, he expected someone to look a lot more...scarier than that.

"Yep. In the flesh," Caroline responded.

"Don't worry. I'm here to help you when you need me."

"Thank you, Damon. About what he said back there-"

"Hey I know. Don't even worry about it. But you and Lockwood?"

"That's something I can't figure out. He cares about me. I know he does, but I just-"

"You don't want to hurt him if he finds out the truth about you."

"Yeah," Caroline shrugged.

Then she remembered, she hadn't seen Mason since she left him with Klaus, and he wasn't on the dance floor or in the gym at all.

"Have you seen him?" she asked.

"No, not since you two were dancing."

Oh no.

She remembered what Klaus said as she was leaving him. I always keep my promises.

"I think Klaus took him. Damon-"

"I'll go look outside. You look in the school. Don't worry, we'll find him."

And they split up.

Caroline covered almost all of the classrooms. She kept her eyes and ears open for anything and everything.

Then she caught it.

Blood.

It was coming from the Library.

No. No, no no no no no.

She ran in and cried, "Mason?!"

Caroline heard a groan come from the far right corner of the room. She knew it was him.

She found him hunched over, his hand clutching his side, bleeding everywhere.

"Caroline," he whispered.

She wanted to heal him, she wanted to bite into her wrist and ma,e him forget all if this. But she was afraid. Afraid of what he would do, what he would say, and she was torn.

"Ah, I see you've found our friend."

Klaus.

"Why would you do this to him?!" Caroline hollered.

"I told you Caroline, I always keep my promises. Someone was going to get hurt sooner or later, you knew that."

"Caroline, run!" Mason cried.

"Yes, Caroline. Run and tell your friends I'm here and what I'm looking for. And that this man will be the first of many deaths if I don't get what I'm after," Klaus said, taunting her.

"No! I won't let you do this!", she responded.

Klaus grinned his renowned grin and said, "Fine. Lets go in a different direction. Heal him."

Caroline glanced over at Mason. She could hear his heartbeat getting slower and slower.

"I know you want to. But you're scared. Afraid he will reject you because, because according to all that is righteous and true, he is supposed to hate you because of what you are."

He could always read her like a book, and she hated it.

"You know in your heart that you can't let him die."

Caroline glared at him, "Why do you want me to heal him? What will that prove?"

"That you are indeed powerless against me. That in the end, for the safety of one person, you'll risk giving me what I want and, try as you might to stop me, you will fail."

Caroline stared at him in bewilderment. He was right. She couldn't stop him this time. He was giving her a choice: Mason or Elena.

Mason, who had told her that he cared about her. That he wanted to share her burdens with her and help her when she needed him. He was someone who wanted to have a possible future with her.

Then there was Elena. A product of magic. A descendant of selfish beings that were constantly getting in Caroline's way. But she was different. She wasn't like the others.

She was torn.

So she went with her gut.

"Fine. I'll heal him."

She walked over to Mason, biting into her wrist, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Mason felt the warm liquid flow down his throat. He opened his eyes to see Caroline with a look of worry on her face. He started to remember what had happened. Nik. The punch. A pain in his side. Blood. Darkness. Now Caroline has her wrist in his mouth and he slowly felt his body start to heal. Realization struck. No. She cant be.

"I knew you'd see it my way, darling," Klaus said.

Caroline whipped her head around and said, "Go. I've given you what you want, now go!"

"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Caroline." And with that he left.

Caroline felt Mason's mouth leave her wrist and as she turned she witnessed the look of pure horror on masons face. He knows.

"Are you-" Mason started as he tried to stand, his strength returning to him.

"If you would just let me explain-"

"You are, aren't you? You're one of them?!"

Caroline watched as Mason fought for control. He didn't know whether to be angry or devastated.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"And do you know what I am?"

"Yes. You're a werewolf. And we are supposed to hate each other and be sworn enemies but if you would please just-"

"Stop, Caroline. Just stop," Mason said as he walked out of the library. He didn't care that he had blood all over his clothes and mouth. He had to get out of there. Away from her.

Caroline began to follow him, saying, "Mason, I'm not what you think I am. I don't kill people or cause destruction. I kept it a secret to protect you."

"No. It wasn't to protect me," he said turning towards her, "it was to protect you."

"No, you don't-"

"You LIED to me Caroline!",he hollered.

he wasn't angry, he was heartbroken. And Caroline knew she caused it, and it killed her inside.

"You lied to me," he said, his voice full of conviction and emotion no words could define.

"Would you have acted the way you are now if I'd have told you sooner?", she asked him.

Mason chuckled an exasperated laugh and said, "I guess we will never know, will we?"

And he turned to leave. Tonight was too much for him. He couldn't handle the truth he had just found out.

"I chose you, you know."

Mason turned and replied, "what?"

Caroline walked towards him till they were face to face, "He gave me an ultimatum, and I chose you."

Mason's eyes bore into hers as he said, "let's hope it was worth it."

And he walked away. Leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts. Alone to pick up the pieces of that night. The night when everything fell apart.

I HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR THIS LONG DELAY! Please review and leave me your thoughts...I hope this was worth the wait.

i wonder what will happen with Elena in the next chapter?

as always, leave your questions, comments, concerns.

thank you for your patience, my lovelies! ;)