Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long to update... I've been working like crazy, and not had anytime to figure out where the story was going.

Thanks again for the lovely reviews, it give me the confidence to keep going and to take the story in the direction I was planning.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, or any of it's characters. Also, all acknowledgment and rights to the song and lyrics of Ne Me Quitte Pas go to Jacques Brel and Warner-Chappell Publishing. I have chosen this translation of the lyrics, however am aware that there are many more.

The soft glow filling the house seemed out of keeping with the wreckage of the stairs and general feeling of being hunted. Coming downstairs, she had found Klaus in the living room, a fire roaring in the hearth, taking some of the damp out of the air. He was wearing a vintage suit, with waistcoat and cravat, and looked completely at home in the clothes. An old gramophone was playing Edith Piaf and the table was set with just glasses, one for blood, one for whiskey. She'd rooted through the wardrobe and found the most simple dress it held. A simple satin sheath, a delicate oyster colour, with a cowl neck and a dangerously low, plunging back. It plunged to the small of her back, and tiny covered side buttons pulled it close into her body, making it cling like a second skin. It was floor length and swept around her feet. She pulled her hair back to the nape of her neck and started downstairs. It seemed inappropriate to be playing dress up when she had such problems to stress over, but maybe that's exactly why it felt so good.

When she walked into the room, he given her a look of pure absorption, like an artist regarding his favourite painting. His eyes still drinking her in, he came over and over took her hand, led her to the table, he pulled out her seat and then moved round to his. Then, handing her his phone, they had called Bonnie.

Now, after explaining everything, Caroline sat listening to Bonnie flick through her grimoire

"It's because he is family, he has a strong connection to you. Though, it shouldn't be so strong. I think that werewolf just got lucky. Probably they have a rough location, and he didn't expect to actually find you."

"So... what should we do? Leave again?" Caroline asked nervously, watching Klaus pace in front of her, listening to both sides of the conversation.

"No, there's no point. I think it's best if you stay there just now. That place has a strong connection to Klaus, and I think I will try to block his location, and that house specifically. He's totally unrelated to your uncle, and if I can block him, then everything around him will be clouded, including you. That is... if Klaus let's me."

At that, he stopped pacing and looked at Caroline, taking the phone he spoke to Bonnie.

"You're asking my permission to do magic on me? Well, that's a first. What would you need?" he listened, his eyes moving over Caroline, and out to the dark night outside the window.
"Fine. I guess I'll just have to trust you one more time. Get it up and running as fast as you can."

handing the phone back, he murmured,

"I'm going to check the property, stay inside." and was gone. Putting the phone back to her ear, Caroline sighed.

"So, are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just so strange being here with him. And so scary, feeling like we are being watched all the time, not knowing when we will be attacked."

"I know, that's why I'm glad Klaus is with you. If anyone can protect you it's him" Bonnie reminded her,

"Yeah, but can he protect me from himself?" Caroline muttered, playing with her glass.

"About that, there is one other important part of the spell." Bonnie said, her voice already sounding apologetic.

"What?" Caroline asked warily.

"Well, since hiding your signal is only really a side effect of you being close to Klaus, you will have to... be close to him" Bonnie said, waiting for Caroline's reaction.

"What! How close is close?" Caroline asked nervously

"Well... you don't have to be touching or anything. Just being in the same room should be enough, if it's a small room..." Bonnie finished.

"so, how far are we taking, give me it in meters."

"A couple of meters I guess. Like 4m max, and then it shouldn't be for too long"

"Bonnie! Are you sure this is the only way?"

"No! I'm sure there are others, probably better ways, but it's all I can do right now, and time is kind of a factor here."

"Well, that's certainly going to make the sleeping arrangements interesting." A dry voice from the door made her turn. He was leaning on the frame, his features lit with amusement. He was definitely enjoying this too much. Saying goodbye to Bonnie, she hung up, and held the phone toward him,

"Do you need to call Elijah?" she asked, deciding to flat out ignore all the innuendo. Walking up to her he took his phone gently from her hands and turned it over, slipping the battery out.

"I've already spoke to him. They're making a little progress, and Rebekah is going to check on your mum tomorrow."

"That's nice of her..." Caroline felt overwhelmingly relieved that the original vampire was allowed in their house, and could protect her mother.

"Well... she likes you. She's not the only one, my brother likes you too." moving around her, he took his seat at the table and began pouring their liquid dinner.

"Well, I like them too. After all this time, they haven't lost their humanity completely. Elijah's sense of honour and duty, and Rebekah... she just wants to be liked, to have genuine relationships."

"And me?" he asked playfully raising an eyebrow at her,

"You?.. don't ask me. I have no idea." she muttered taking a gulp of her drink. He leaned back and smiled.

"Come on Caroline. You have such expansive warmth and compassion, you can even apply it to my siblings... why not me?"

"Because... I have no idea what you really want." she said, glancing up at him, their eyes colliding, his look made her heartbeat pick up,

"Don't you?" he said softly. She set down her glass, and stared back at him, deciding to get it all out in the open.
"Well, why don't you tell me. What do you want?" she asked, challenge strong in her tone. He smiled at her, so brazen, staring him down, daring him to confess his deepest darkest longings.

"If it isn't already obvious... I want you." he stated, matching her stare for stare.

"What do you want from me?" she pressed.

"Everything..." he said, and watched as her cheeks started to warm.

"Why do you have to speak in riddles? Just tell me straight, what exactly do you imagine happening between us? You said you fancied me? Is that some way of saying you want to sleep with me?" she demanded, growing frustrated.

He sighed, "You kids nowadays, you've gotten everything in the wrong order. Caroline, I'm not going to sit here and say I wouldn't like us to go to bed together after dinner. That I haven't though about it... that I don't... want you. Because we'd both know it was a lie. But the truth is, it's only a part of what I want from you."

She felt her cheeks flood with blood at the thought of following him upstairs in the candlelight, and she was glad he couldn't see what she was thinking.

His eyes held hers and she felt like they were fastened on, the pressure seemed to build, until she looked away, towards the gramophone, which had finished and was spinning on air. Standing, she walked over to it, willing her face to cool down, she started going through the records, reading the titles. Finding one in French, she tried to put it on, the needle kept slipping off, and she was just about to ask him how it worked when she felt his hand come down on hers, and gently guide the needle into place. A melancholy melody wound around them, as he turned and offered her his hand. The heartbreaking romance of the bittersweet song captured her and she took it, letting him pull her close to him, cradling her hand in his, his other on the bare small of her back. Gently swaying together, she let him lead her, feeling the fire warm against her skin, her dress swishing around her legs and his soft breath against her neck. The soft French words were completely foreign to her, but the raw emotion she felt from the singer touched her.

"It's called Ne me quitte pas. I once saw the original artist perform this, Jacques Brel. I stumbled upon the show, quite by accident one night in a tiny, smokey bar in Montmartre. It was just him on stage, with the microphone. The audience were noisy, drinking, not really paying when he started to sing, he..." Klaus hesitated, and Caroline sensed that the experience had meant something to him.

"His pain, was so visible, his vulnerability, he left an impression." he finished.

"What do the words mean?" she asked, as they continued to dance, he lead her effortlessly around the room, and began to gently murmur the meaning of the words in her ear.

"Please don't leave me.
We can forget
Everything can be forgotten
Look, it's gone already
Forget the times
And the misunderstandings
The lost time
The blows
The hours that robbed our hearts of joy

Don't leave me"

She felt goosebumps travel up her arms and she suddenly felt painfully aware of how close they were. Klaus slowly spun her out and when he brought her back, her eyes met his and couldn't seem to move. As she came closer to him again, she saw his gaze wander to her lips, and she thought about that moment upstairs, where the desire to kiss him had overrode all common sense. He was suddenly all she could think off, his face filled her vision, the smell of him, the feel of his hand on the skin of her back. She felt their faces drift closer, and she realised that her good intentions were going to be worthless if she couldn't get a grip. As they reached the peak of closeness, his face drifted again to the side and he resumed his translation of the lyrics,

"I have implored you
With my words
If you leave me, I will unbecome myself
And become the shadow of your shadow
So that I can watch you dance and smile
So that I can hear you sing and laugh
As the shadow of your shadow.

Please don't leave me."

The song scratched to an end, and when it finished, they stood still, unsure of what to do next, gathering herself, she stepped back and forced a carefree smile.

"Well, thank you for the dance. I'm going to get some sleep." and gathering her dress in one hand she made for the door, she was almost at the ruined stairs when his voice stopped her.

"So... are you a left side sleeper or right? I myself prefer the left side, but I'm willing to negotiate." turning, she felt nerves spring up again, as she asked,

"What are you talking about?" not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Why, Bonnie's warning about the spell... less than 4 meters I believe it was" he sounded positively chipper about it.

"You don't think that really matters do you?" she asked, trying to sound offhand

"I think it's best not to take any chances." he smiled, a wicked glint in his eye. She looked at him, unsure what to say, frustration at him and her own desire to spend more time with him, she burst out,

"But..."

"Let me keep you safe Caroline... please. I'll be the perfect gentleman" his face shed it's roguish expression, and he sounded sincere. She thought of lying in the dark, feeling afraid at every sound, and how him being there would take all that away.

"Fine" she said, over her shoulder as she picked her way up the stairs, her dress shimmering in the candlelight thrown from the candle he picked up, watching her for a moment, then following her silently up the stairs.

She was so vulnerable and scared,he was constantly fighting the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. It was too much, too soon. She wasn't ready for it, perhaps she would never be. This whole time with Caroline had certainly taught him patience, and for once, he wanted her happiness more than his own.

He thought back to that awful night after she'd just realised who she'd developed feelings for. He had realised in that moment, that if he was ever going to have her, really have her, he'd have to earn her. He'd also realised, that he wanted to make her life better, not worse. Therefore, it had to be her calling the shots.

He was relieved Bonnie had recommended them staying close together, he'd wanted to suggest it, but was sure it would come off as a desperate bid to sleep together. He worried about her, alone, in a house already breached once. This way he would be close, watching... waiting in the dark, for anyone foolish enough to try anything.

Slowly climbing the stairs, the French song played in his head, and he thought how apt the lyrics were. He could imagine all too well a life without her, and it was a lifeless one indeed. She brought such energy and enthusiasm for life into everything she did, he felt himself start to see it too. He though about what she'd said, so casually at the dinner table about sleeping together. As though that was the most he could possibly want, then felt ashamed of himself for wanting that very thing so much. But he'd have to be made of stone not to feel that way. He also wanted so much more from her, her heart,her loyalty... her love...even just thinking it, he shied away from the word. Love was too strong a word. He couldn't put that on her, that expectation, not after all he'd done, and who he was.

For who could ever learn to love a beast?

Couldn't resist that little reference at the end..)) please review and tell me what you think! That was a little shorter than normal, but I'm already working on the next part and should have it up much much faster.