Hello reader babes! Hope you enjoyed your holidays, I certainly did! And now I'm back to updating :)

Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little bit catch up for what has happened and a little bit set up for what is going to happen in the future. I'd like to think that we are now entering part 2 of our story, so things will shift a bit.

Enjoy!

"No I told you, city department messages go on the purple message paper. Council messages get an orange sticker, not a hot pink, and those get placed in the middle inbox," Caroline let out an exasperated sigh, "it's really not that difficult. A three year old could do it."

"I'm sorry," the young dark haired girl offered, her doe-like eyes expressing how apologetic and intimidated she was feeling.

"Really April, you've had all summer to learn this. What have you been doing the entire time?" The young girl stammered over her words, but Caroline held up a hand to stop her. "Just go double check the costumes for the Gone with the Wind showing tomorrow night."

"But I steamed them yesterday."

"Well steam them again," Caroline ordered, "This event will be perfect. If anything has fallen through the cracks while I've been gone I want to make sure that everyone knows I'm back now and picking up the summer slack." She almost burst out laughing when April curtsied—actually curtsied—and rushed off to her small desk to finish the morning tasks Caroline had assigned her.

"Trust me Caroline, it's only been a week and things have improved considerably since you've returned," said a voice behind her.

She turned and smiled politely at the compliment. "Thank you Mr. Mayor."

Richard Lockwood nodded and walked into his office as Caroline made her way to her own desk near the window. April Young, the intern the Mayor's office had hired over the summer, had been sad to let the work station go but there was no way Caroline would be giving it up. She had earned her place at the good desk with the view.

Through the door, Caroline could see Mayor Lockwood at his desk. The father of her former boyfriend caught her eye and offered her a smile, tipping his cup of coffee toward her. She smiled and raised her own, recalling how earlier in the week he had expressed gratitude that she was back because April severely lacked skills in the coffee making department.

Caroline had expected it to be awkward between herself and the Mayor upon returning. In fact, a small part of her had wondered if she would even have a job to return to at the end of summer. Things hadn't exactly ended in best way between her and Tyler. Their breakup had been quick and firm, but it hadn't been without heartache. However, when she had called the office before her return from Chicago, the Mayor was very pleased to hear that she would be returning to her old job.

It had been a busy week for her, reorganizing and triple checking all of the things that April seemed to have let lapse over the summer; but it was nice to feel needed. Caroline had gotten used to it over the latter half of the summer while she had been caring for her father after his heart attack. Aside from his recovery, she had enjoyed her summer in the city, which had been unexpected after she'd had her taste of Europe. When her father was feeling better they went to dinners and he took her to a couple of shows, she had time to explore some of the more unusual shopping corners of the city, and even stopped by one of the colleges that was downtown; although that part was her father and Stephen's idea more than hers.

"Just think about it honey," her dad had said, "you're so smart. Too smart to work as a secretary all your life."

Her eyes went down to her bag, where the brochure for Franklin University still sat since she had stopped by their offices to get her dad off of her case. She had ended up flipping through it on the plane, since she didn't have any other reading material, and looked over their different programs.

Caroline switched her focus back to work, waking up her computer and clicking over to the Internet. Her eyes shifted back and forth to see if anyone was watching her, but everyone seemed to already be out at lunch or otherwise occupied. April had enough to do that she shouldn't be bugging her again until well after lunch. Quickly, Caroline's fingers darted across the keys, typing a few words into an Internet search engine and waiting for the results to show.

It had become a bad habit. One she told herself that she wouldn't form and one she had been advise by Elena not to form. But then the first time she had done it she had promised herself once and never again. Then the second time she told herself it was only because she had done it the first time and then that would be the last. Now she was checking different sites everyday, searching for news.

Her mouse arrow hovered over the purple link, the tale-tell color that she had been frequenting this particular website. Clenching her teeth together she clicked on it.

Two pictures popped up on her screen. The first was of a familiar couple hand in hand on a beach in South France, the second was the male half of the couple alone at a restaurant, a candid shot obviously chosen because he looked particularly miserable. Next to the photos was the headline Trouble in Paradise?

Caroline pulled out her phone and typed out a text.

My condolences for your impending breakup. Should I send flowers?

Come now, you know I much prefer scotch when I'm feeling low. Or redheads.

Caroline frowned at the joke but let it slide as the next text came through.

Wish you were here love.

She smiled as her thumbs flew over the phone.

Yeah yeah. You're in amazing Europe and I'm stuck here. Rub it in.

The phone vibrated with a reply text.

In a week I'll be able to ;)

Caroline rolled her eyes and scoffed at the lame innuendo. She glanced up and started, noticing that someone was staring down at her. Her hand flew to her chest in surprise.

"Geez Bonnie. You scared me!"

"Sorry," the girl shrugged, "interesting text?"

"It's nothing, just…" Caroline let the sentence trail off with a meaningful look. Bonnie gave her a knowing nod and changed the subject.

"So," she said with a bright smile, "ready for lunch?"

"How long until the official break up?" Bonnie asked between bites of salad. She and Caroline were seated out on the patio of the Mystic Grill. It was a nice, sunny day and late enough in the lunch hour that no one was around to hear their conversation. It wasn't as if they were discussing government secrets, but in a town that was known to gossip, it was important that the subject of their conversation remain between the two of them. In fact, Bonnie had been careful to not bring it up when Matt lingered at their table before taking their orders.

"Rumors have already started," Caroline answered, pouring dressing over her Caesar salad.

"I read," Bonnie replied. "Both camps still refuse to make any official comments but sources close to the couple say that they have been spending less and less time together, which could mean trouble on set later this month when the couple begins filming their new movie."

Caroline threw Bonnie an incredulous look. "You sound like a gossip magazine."

The girl's brown shoulders bobbed up and down. "It's a guilty pleasure—I have to read something other than Med textbooks. And I have a photographic memory," she said, "I can't help it."

"Elijah said that Elena and Klaus should keep everything ambiguous until after filming otherwise, the gossip will be all that much worse."

"When is filming over?"

"Two months," Caroline sighed, "he starts the week after next. He's supposed to fly here next week before going to Portland and then LA."

Bonnie offered her a sympathetic smile. "At least you'll get to see him for a little bit. And hey! Maybe you can go visit him in LA."

"Yeah," Caroline said trying to sound brighter than she felt. "Maybe. We just have to be careful though, because even coming to Mystic Falls is risky. Elena has to come too just so they can at least have the excuse that he's visiting with her."

"Well that won't matter once they break up. Then he can do whatever he wants to right?"

Caroline wanted to laugh at the idea that anything or anyone could keep Klaus from doing what he wanted either way. But in this instance it was her own insistence that the relationship be kept quiet.

"I just don't want anyone to know about us for a while," she admitted, "gossip magazines don't bother me, but gossiping southern biddies do."

"Very true," Bonnie said, "these old ladies definitely know how to hold grudges."

"They still talk about the Miss Mystic Year that Chelsea Fell drank two glasses of wine to calm her nerves and then fell off stage because she accidentally got drunk."

"Miss Mystic, Falls. Yes I remember it well."

"Can you imagine what they would say about me dumping the Mayor's golden son for a disreputable rock star?" Caroline shuddered.

"Well by the time you two come out of the relationship closet no one will think that's what happened. Enough time will have passed."

"Exactly. That's why I want to wait."

"Want to wait for what?" Matt said coming up behind them and pulling a chair up to the table. He flipped it around so that he sat down in it backwards, folding his arms over the back of the seat.

Caroline's eyes went wide as she scrambled for a cover. Bonnie came to the rescue.

"Wait to order dessert," she said, "you know, in case we're not hungry for it."

"Whatever," Matt said, throwing them both a confused look as he snatched a discarded crouton from Bonnie's plate. Caroline mouthed a quick thank you to her while Matt was distracted and the conversation shifted as they continued eating their lunches.

The clock ticked by slowly the rest of the day. As Caroline went through the motions of making sure everything was ready for the movie in the park that was scheduled for the following night. The Gone With the Wind screening was something the town did every year at the end of the summer and one of their more important events. Not only did most of Mystic Falls attended, but so did people all over Virginia. She had even met a few families who had driven up from Georgia to experience the movie on the big screen, surrounded by people in costumes and enjoying the epic romance underneath the stars. It hadn't rained a single year since Caroline had taken charge of the event and she took personal credit for that.

The usual enthusiasm she held though was diminished by the fact that she couldn't help glancing at the clock every ten minutes.. She had forgotten the slow pace of being in Mystic Falls after her summer in Europe and Chicago. It was still six more days until Klaus would visit. The past four weeks had slugged by even slower than she thought they would. The two of them had kept in touch, calling each other every night, texting throughout the day. Klaus had even sent her flowers and presents from the different cities that he had been visiting. Her favorites were the sketches he drew.

Dating Klaus was a different sort of experience. Different because it was unexpected coming from him and different because he treated her unlike any other boy she had ever dated. In fact, she wasn't even sure she could call it dating. It felt more like courting. A term she wasn't familiar with, but she remembered reading about it in old books. It was what men used to do with women they liked. It was an old fashioned way of doing things, which made it seem even more out of character for Klaus. Perhaps though, it just seemed out of character with the Klaus that was presented to the rest of the world. It wasn't out of character for the man that Caroline knew. The man that she had come to know on sidewalk cafes over coffee and in private basement museums-talking about art and life-had an old worldliness about him. It sometimes seemed like he had lived a billion more lifetimes than she had; he was what she had once heard Bonnie's grandmother refer to as an 'old soul'.

"Caroline, you're still here. It's after five."

She perked up at the sound of the Mayor's wife, Carol, calling her out of her musings. A glance at the clock on her computer told her it was ten after. She blinked twice, moving to shut off her computer and gather her things.

"I guess time just got away from me," Caroline said, reaching for her purse. Carol gave her a tight-lipped smile. While the Mayor had been nice to her since her return, it was obvious that Mrs. Lockwood was not to happy with the girl who had broken up with her son. But Caroline knew that it was best to be polite in this situation.

"Caroline, you're still here? It's after five." The Mayor emerged from his office and dropped a quick kiss on his wife's cheek. "You're welcome to come to dinner with us at The Grill. Tyler will be meeting us. You two haven't seen each other since you came back right?"

Caroline opened her mouth to respond but Mrs. Lockwood cut her off. "I'm sure Caroline needs to get home. She's probably tired after her long day."

Caroline smiled at the two of them, noting their contrasting expressions. It was obvious to her by the Mayor's hopeful look that he was assuming she and Tyler would mend their relationship. Carol, however, was barely holding back a judgmental scowl. Even though she had been nice to Caroline while she and Tyler had been dating, it didn't seem as if Carol hoped for the same thing. Or maybe it was that she realized the two of them would not be reuniting.

"That's alright Mr. Lockwood, I do need to get home. I need to make dinner for my mom."

The Mayor accepted her excuse and told her goodnight, ushering his wife out of the office. Caroline's shoulders dropped once they were out of sight, the tension in her body dissipating after the awkward interaction. She wondered how much Tyler had told his parents about their breakup, although she assumed that Carol had gotten a more complete story about what happened than Richard had. Even though the Mayor was a nice man, he wasn't the most attentive father in the world.

After retrieving her civil war era costume for the movie night, Caroline walked out to her car, chirping it open and climbing inside. The gaudy southern belle garment rested in the back seat. Orange and pink streaked the sky, the sun still hanging around, the long summer days still in effect. It irritated her again, the idea of time stretching out. And like a vindictive bitch, it would go by all too fast the following week. She had fibbed when she said that she had to get home and cook for her mother. Liz would be working late that night so Caroline would be by herself with take away and whatever was on TV. The idea of sitting at home bored made her groan. It would only make the whole slow time thing even more painful.

She decided to call Bonnie, to see if she was up for a drink or something; although they couldn't go to The Grill if Tyler would be there. It wasn't that she was avoiding him exactly-she was a little bit-but she didn't want their first encounter to be in front of his parents and within earshot of the usual town gossips. Bonnie picked up her phone, but said she couldn't hang out because she was having dinner with her grams. Caroline scrolled through her other contacts, knowing Matt was at work, and realizing that she had lost touch with her other casual friends from high school over the summer. With another glance at the time and some quick mental math, she scrolled to Klaus's number and hit dial, waiting for him to answer.

"I didn't expect your call this early," he answered.

"I'm sorry," she said, "you busy?"

"Truthfully, I am. Sound check with a new guitarist."

Caroline's brow furrowed. "I thought you were finished with all of your shows."

"Elijah managed to squeeze another one in tomorrow before we leave. You know him, all work no play."

"How's Elena?" She inquired, the mention of Elijah reminding her about her friend's budding relationship as well. Elena and Elijah had been seeing each other almost as long as she and Klaus had been developing their whatever-it-was they were now. Only, Elena was fortunate in the sense that she actually got to be around her boyfriend.

"Ask her," Klaus muttered. Caroline could hear the uninterested shrug that came along with his answer. Even though things were less tense between Elena and Klaus now, they had still not bonded or become friends. "I really do need to go though. I'll call you tonight after."

Caroline pulled into her driveway, cradling the phone between her neck and shoulder and shutting off her ignition. "Okay," she said, waiting for Klaus to initiate the goodbye as she stepped out of the car.

"So, what are you wearing?"

She scoffed, grabbing her purse from where she had tossed it on the passenger side of the car. "I thought you said you had to go."

"I have a few minutes and you just got home right?"

Klaus must have heard the sound of her car over the phone. "Yes. But no. We are not playing that game." He had been trying like hell to get her to give in to phone sex the entire summer. She had given in once, and tried, but it hadn't gone over well. Caroline discovered that in her highly over articulated existence the one time that she couldn't find the ability to speak was during phone sex. Apparently there were times when babbling along wouldn't eventually lead you to the point you were trying to make.

"How about a deal then?" Klaus said. "If I can guess what you are wearing, or come reasonably close, then you'll play along."

Caroline considered as she walked toward her front door. "Okay. But, you have to be a little specific. You can't just tell me that I'm wearing a dress and shoes. You have to name colors and possibly style."

"You drive a hard bargain love," Klaus replied, "very well. So you are wearing a dress and shoes. Let's see…"he trailed off thoughtfully as Caroline mounted the steps of her front porch. "A white dress, with some sort of pattern on it."

She glanced down at her white sundress underneath her fuchsia cardigan, with it's green flower pattern, trying to remember if she had worn it in front of him while in Europe. "Lucky guess."

"Not good enough…well let's see over the dress you are wearing a sweater. Pink I would wager..." She stuck her key in the doorknob turned it, walking through the door, and setting her bag on the front table.

"Okay another lucky guess," she said pulling the phone away from her face to make sure she hadn't accidentally hit the button to video chat, "you have to get the shoes spot on. Or no deal."

"Flats. Green ones. To match the dress pattern." Caroline stopped and looked down at her feet. She did own mint green ballet flats, but she wasn't wearing them that day. Instead she had chosen a pair of golden gladiator sandals.

"So close," Caroline replied, "better luck next time." A smug smile stretched across her face at the victory, but she was a little disappointed that he hadn't guessed. Not that she would ever admit that to him. "No phone sex for you."

"Then I suppose I'll have to settle for the real thing."

Before Caroline could ask him what he meant someone stepped into the hallway in front of her. She was met with a pair of ocean blue eyes and a familiar wolf-like grin. Her mouth fell open in surprise.

"Klaus?"

His smirk grew even bigger. "The one and only."

Caroline ran forward and crashed into his open arms, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight. She felt his chest rumble with laughter against her own. "Easy love," he said disentangling her from around his neck and looking down at her.

"Sorry," she said, pulling back to look at him.

"Miss me?"

Caroline shrugged in a failed attempt to seem nonchalant. "Maybe just a little."

"A little?" Klaus cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers, his kiss nearly knocking her off her feet. He sucked at her bottom lip, the deep hum coming from his throat sending shockwaves from her lips all the way down to her toes. When he was satisfied that he had kissed her senseless, he pulled back to see her new reaction to his presence.

"A little more than a little," she admitted, hoping he couldn't hear the loud pounding of her heart.

Klaus chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Will you ever give in and admit the effect I have on you?"

"Never," she laughed and leaned up to kiss him again. Just as she reached his lips, she gave him a hard shove back, the shock at seeing him standing in her house taking over once again. "What are you doing here? How are you even here? Didn't you get caught? Does Elijah know about this?"

Klaus blanched at her rapid-fire line of questions. "My brother is not my keeper," he said.

"But I thought you were supposed to be in London again before you came back to the states." He shrugged and it was clear to Caroline that he had decided to blow off a second trip to his family home that summer. "I'm sure Rebekah will be pleased to hear that her brother blew her off to come see his girlfriend."

"She'll get over it," he replied.

Klaus watched Caroline flit around the kitchen, preparing a small dinner for the two of them. They were confined indoors, since Klaus was incognito for the time being; it would mean disaster if anyone saw him. He didn't mind though, he liked having Caroline all to himself. She had mentioned that her mother was working the night shift and would be gone, which meant they had the house to themselves.

"Sorry we don't have much food," Caroline said as she tossed some long spaghetti noodles into a pot of boiling water, "my mom and I sort of live the bachelorette life and she's not a great cook, so we eat a lot of take out."

Klaus waved it off, he'd much rather skip dinner altogether and get straight to the after dinner activities. Instead he listened to her chat about her day over the cheap noodles and sauce, paired with the only bottle of wine she could find in the house. Caroline went on about her day and her interactions with her boss's wife. Klaus soon learned that she was employed by the parents of her ex-boyfriend and had to deal with the ramifications of her break-up at work.

"I mean I know when I see Tyler again it will be awkward," Caroline said, "I just would rather it not be around his parents."

"I would rather it not happen at all," Klaus muttered into his wine glass.

"I have to see him eventually, he's still my friend."

"I've never understood the point of being friends with exes."

"That's because you don't have exes," Caroline retorted her mouth full of noodles, "one night stands don't count as relationships."

"I've had relationships," Klaus said.

Caroline scoffed, taking another sip of wine. "What relationships? Elena doesn't count. That was fake."

"They aren't relationships that you are going to read about on the internet," Klaus replied, "my first girlfriend was Tatia. When I was seventeen until I was twenty."

"Wow," Caroline said lowering her wine glass, "that's a long time." She gulped, trying to discern any possible information she could from Klaus's expression. However, he possessed a poker face of champions. If she wanted to know something, she would have to work at it. "What happened?"

"She was in love with me," Klaus said, "and I did not reciprocate her affections."

Caroline shook her head in disbelief. "How do you stay with someone for three years and not love them?"

"It was on and off for three years," Klaus said, "people stay together for many reasons other than love."

"Like what?"

"Attention. Convenience. Habit. Sex. The list is endless."

"So what was your reason?"

"A combination of those. Perhaps a few others thrown into the mix. But I eventually decided it wasn't worth it to put either of us through the pain any longer."

The coldness of his voice disturbed her. The way that he spoke of his ex-girlfriend with such indifference made her feel uneasy. She thought of the way Elena talked about Stefan. Even though she was with Elijah now—and had dated Damon in between-Elena still spoke of Stefan with a fond affection. Caroline knew that she would also feel that way about Tyler one day down the road. She backed her chair up from the kitchen table and stood, needing to be out of the room for a moment.

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked, returning his fork to his plate.

"I just, had a little too much wine," she said tossing her napkin onto the table, "I'll be right back."

Caroline stood up and passed the bathroom, going straight for her bedroom. She took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling twice, trying to gain perspective. It wasn't until that moment that she realized that most of her relationship with Klaus had been built up in her head. As much time as they had spent talking, they had spent most of their time together apart, when they should have been spending that time getting to know one another face to face. It was what people did when they were in brand new relationships.

She walked over to her dresser, looking up at the mirror. Stuffed in the corner, was an old picture of her and Tyler. It was taken a few months after they started dating, at a fundraising event in the town square. One of the photographers had snapped a picture of them together; Tyler with his arms wrapped around her and Caroline looking at him laughing. Their relationship had been brand new then, so full of possibility, and Caroline remembered thinking that she was so in love with him and would never love anyone else. That was probably how every relationship worked. They were good until they weren't and then they ended. Or sometimes they didn't, she realized. If she hadn't gone to Europe, her relationship with Tyler would have continued on, even though she had fallen out of love with him. They would have stayed together out of habit. Just like Klaus had said.

"You're upset."

Caroline gasped in surprise and turned to see Klaus, leaning up against the doorway, watching her. "You scared me."

Klaus crossed to her, coming close, studying her face in the dim light of the room. "What's the matter love?"

"It's not you it's me," she said, "I know people don't mean it when they say that, but it's true."

"Breaking up with me already?" He smirked, brushing a strand of her hair from her face.

She laughed once. "No," she answered, lifting up on her toes and giving him a kiss for effect. "It's just…how can you be so cold about Tatia? Wasn't she your first love?"

"I've never been in love," he admitted, "with any woman."

"Oh," Caroline responded, feeling a strange sense of rejection. Although it was much to early in their relationship for the "L" word it still stung. The way he said it didn't sound like he didn't have any intention of ever trying to fall in love…with anyone.

"I can see the wheels turning," he said reaching up and brushing a thumb across her cheek. "What are you thinking?"

Caroline looked up into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his touch on her face. Klaus could be cold, he could put up walls, but he had also shown that he could let them down and let her in from time to time. She wouldn't push it, not that night, not when they had so little time together. She didn't want to spend it feeling bad or fighting. So instead, she shook her head and slipped her arms around his waist.

"Nothing," she said tilting her head back and indicating that she would like to be kissed.

Klaus lowered his mouth to hers, hesitating only for a second to gauge the shift in her mood, before allowing their lips to meet. He slid one hand around to the small of her back, and the other behind her neck, pressing her closer to his body. The mood of their evening had turned from flirtatious to serious for a moment just then. As Klaus kissed her, he couldn't help but feeling a bit put-off by the argument he was sure had been about to happen. However all of the blood from his brain was begin to rush to other parts of his body, as he felt Caroline's finger flutter across the skin under his shirt.

Klaus had never been one for delayed gratification when it came to sex. Maybe that was why his desire for her was so strong at that moment; coupled with the fact that he had been celibate for an entire month. Caroline was always making him wait for it, making him work for it, so on the occasions she did give into him he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass. He was used to the path of least resistance when it came to women, but when it came to Caroline, he found that he liked putting in the extra effort to win her affections. He liked the push and pull that still existed even though they were now together.

He pulled away from her, cutting a glance over his shoulder at Caroline's bed, when he looked back he saw a mischievous twinkle in her eye that made his cock harden. He took a step backwards, maintaining eye contact, mirroring her grin. She followed him, her hands going to her shirt and pulling over her head. As they walked toward the bed together, articles of clothing were removed with each step, Caroline licked her lips as she stood there in her bra and underwear, Klaus now down to his briefs.

Her hands went behind her back to unclasp her bra but Klaus stopped her. "Wait," he said, "close your eyes."

Caroline gave him a confused pout, but did as he said. Klaus smiled, walking around and standing behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders, trailing his palms down the warm skin of her arms.

"Keep still," he instructed again. His finger dragged the straps of her bra down and he used one hand to open the clasp, letting the garment fall down her arms and away from her body, freeing her breasts. He placed a kiss onto her bare shoulder, his lips trailing down her back, to her spine. Klaus wasn't entirely certain where his patience was coming from, but he wanted to take his time with her, to savor every inch of her body. They had spent so little time together, but he saw no reason to rush things. He hooked his fingers around her underwear and dragged the material away from her and down her legs, leaving kisses along her outer thigh as he made her naked.

Her legs rubbed together impatiently and Klaus smirked as he stood up again. The little reaction told him he was achieving exactly what he wanted. He was getting her worked up.

"Keep your eyes closed love."

Still standing behind her, Klaus reached for her stomach, pulling her back flush against his front. His hands cupped her breasts, circling over and under them, his thumbs flicking over her hard nipples. Caroline moaned again, his cock pressing against her back, he knew she could feel his hardness through the material. As he massaged her, he lowered his mouth to her neck, sucking on the skin at the curve of her shoulder. Caroline tilted her head to one side allowing him better access. He enjoyed feeling her body's reactions to him, the way she would move and adjust herself, or lean into him. They were small, very subtle reactions, that she probably didn't even realize she was having, but Klaus enjoyed every one of them. They were little secrets meant only for him.

"Spread your legs," he whispered into her ear. Again she complied, adjusting herself. Klaus removed one hand from her breast and trailed it down her stomach, feeling her muscles clench in anticipation. He reached down, feeling her moist heat, the tips of his fingers teasing her before sinking two fingers inside of her.

Caroline's mouth formed a small O-her eyes still closed-as Klaus began pumping his fingers in and out of her. As he continued to suck at her neck and work his fingers within her, Caroline's hand stretched back and her fingers threaded through his curls. His hands were everywhere at once, overloading her with sensations and she knew that if he wasn't standing behind her and supporting her, she would have fallen to the ground.

Like lightening, her orgasm hit hard. She cried out and fell forward, Klaus holding onto her as the waves rolled over her. Her body pulsed and she gasped for breath as he pulled his fingers from her and settled her on the bed. As she recovered, Klaus removed his briefs and pulled out a condom. When he turned back, Caroline lay there, propped up on her shoulders, waiting for him to return to her. He kissed her smile, brushing a hand through her hair, and settled on top of her.

Just like that, none of their time apart seemed to matter any more, it was as if not even a day had gone by. Klaus felt like they were back in Europe, that first night together in his bed, and he had felt so lucky to have her near him; to finally have her attention and approval. He pulled away and looked down at her. She was breathtaking. Her skin glowed with a fine sheen of sweat and her hooded blue eyes sparkled, even in the darkness of her bedroom.

"You're beautiful," Klaus said, "do you know that?"

Caroline smiled, touched by the compliment, and Klaus kissed her again. She wrapped her legs around him and he entered her going slow. Her mouth opened against his as he filled her, lips brushing together as their bodies united.

"Yes," Caroline gasped as he rotated his hips against hers. Klaus smiled at the encouragement, increasing his pace, watching her face as he thrust into her. "Klaus."

Soon, his rhythm became more frantic, more hurried as lust began to take over and Klaus gave into his body's demands. Caroline gripped his back, her fingers digging into his skin, her little moans and whimpers of pleasure driving him further and further to the edge. He held himself off until he heard her cry out, signaling her orgasm, and he finished, grunting out his climax as she gasped for breath next to his ear. His body shook over hers and he place a loving kiss to her temple, delighting in her satisfied hum.

After a few moments, Klaus rolled away from her and headed toward the bathroom down the hall. He came back and found her sitting up in bed, her yellow bed sheet covering her body and her knees hugged to her chest. Klaus sat back next to her in bed, lacking the post-coital modesty she seemed to have now developed.

"Feel better love?"

Caroline nodded. "Much better." Klaus smiled and sat back against her headboard and pillows, gathering her against his chest. "So since you showed up early does that mean you'll have to leave again early?"

"Actually love I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Klaus said. Caroline shifted over so that she could look up at him. "Elena and I came up with a plan."

"Those words don't sound like they go together," Caroline teased, "you and Elena came up with a plan? Elena Gilbert? My Elena?"

"Yes love," Klaus continued, "it turns out your friend is quite homesick for this tiny town and since it would be beneficial for me to also be near you, we talked it over and talked to the producers of the movie and convinced them to move their location from Portland to Mystic Falls."

"You mean you'll be filming here instead?"

Klaus nodded. "That's correct. It seems I'll be here a bit longer than we originally thought."

Caroline stared at him, not believing what he was telling her. "How did you get them to change their minds?"

"Clout sweetheart. When you have two stars as big as we are working on a film and we say jump, the studios ask how high?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "So humble."

"Humility is overrated," Klaus smiled, "so, are you happy?"

Caroline's mouth twisted to the side, holding back a giant smile. "If I said no?"

"You've never been a good liar," Klaus said leaning forward to capture her lips. Caroline kissed him back, already fantasizing about their coming weeks as a normal couple. Going to dinners, introducing him to her mom, holding hands in public…but just like that the rubber band on her fantasy snapped and she pulled back.

"Wait," she said, "what about Elena? The fake relationship? Isn't that supposed to last until the end of shooting?"

"The media has already begun spinning rumors about our breakup, it won't matter soon one way or another," Klaus said, "however, Elijah suggested that it might be wise to wait until we leave Mystic Falls to make any formal announcements."

"So then we'll still be in the closet?"

"For now," Klaus said, "this is as much for your protection as it is for mine."

Caroline nodded, letting to goodness of the news come back to the forefront of her mind. "Well you've just thought of everything haven't you?"

Klaus smirked. "I've been in this business a long time. And so has Elijah. Always one step ahead."

"Okay there is not enough room in this bed for both of us and your huge ego," Caroline said sitting up. But Klaus grabbed her arm and she yelped as he pulled her back and pinned her to the mattress.

"You weren't complaining about my ego a few minutes ago love," Klaus said brushing his nose against hers, a cocky smirk stretched across his face.

"Well I—" But Klaus cut her off and Caroline forgot her response as their lips joined in a heated kiss.

So what'd you think? Miss Mystic puns anyone? Sorry they're lame...but I love a good pun.

Apologies for any spelling and grammar errors. I can be quite lazy when it comes to that.

Let me know all your thoughts, theories, comments in the reviews :)

follow me on Tumblr at Hybridlovelies