Klaus wiped furiously at his hands as he crossed his studio moving away from the canvas that had monopolized him most of the day and into the evening. The mobile phone that Elijah had shoved at him the day he left rang obnoxiously nearly vibrating itself off the oak shelf. He had been painting with an oil base that night, so the color smeared on his palms was being stubborn. Deciding he was clean enough, he picked up the black cell and answered it not bothering to look at the screen.

"Yes?" he greeted annoyed that he had been interrupted.

"Hello to you too, Grumpy."

A short smirk slid up half of the Hybrids features as he leaned a shoulder into the shelf lackadaisically. "Caroline. You're late, Love. I believe you were planning to introduce me to one Robin Hood this evening."

"Yeah," she mumbled hesitantly. "How are you? Are you ok?"

Something was bothering the blonde. He could tell. "I'm painting. What's wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows coming together suspiciously.

"Nothing," Caroline chirped. Her disgruntled tone was obvious over the phone, "I . . . uh . . . am going to be later than I thought."

"Problems?" Klaus asked trying to mask the disappointment he felt. He hadn't seen the vampire since that morning at breakfast; he missed her, missed their routine. "Already," he thought, internally berating himself for being so pathetic. Every day with her, and this is what happened. She was all he knew in Mystic Falls, and, as much as it grieved him to admit it, he was slightly dependent on her company.

"No . . . well, kinda. You know how I was telling you about the light displays?"

Wracking his brain, Klaus vaguely remembered a dinnertime rant concerning a twinkle light display, whatever that was, for the town square. "I believe so."

"It's all messed up! No one seems to know what's going on, so I need to stay passed dark to make sure that the display is up to par."

"My condolences to your team, Love. Your standards are lofty to say the least," Klaus chortled bouncing himself up off the shelf and wandering back over toward his painting easeled near the window.

"Yeah, well, I demand perfection." He could practically hear her flip her hair as she spoke those words.

"Should I wait up?" the Hybrid asked; his voice suddenly low and unsure.

A long sigh sounded through the receiver. Her voice was small when she grumbled, "Probably not."

Silence infiltrated the conversation then. Peering at his work, he drifted down to sit on a nearby chair; its wooden legs creaking beneath him.

"But!" she voiced suddenly. "I have good news! Except for a brief meeting tomorrow at The Grill with the florist, I'm all free for the day." Caroline's tone hinted at genuine excitement causing Klaus' cheeks to lift and his dimples to deepen as he grinned; her happiness was catching.

"I look forward to it," he replied truthfully as his eyes glided over the pale yellow paint that swirled in thin strands across the blushed cheek gloriously replicated on the canvas before him. His first attempts in his studio were rough to say the least, but Klaus found that when he stopped over-thinking about how to make the next stroke, the names of the colors, and what exactly he was trying to paint, his hands would take over. Caroline had called it muscle memory.

"Are you sure?" she asked not needing to elaborate.

"I feel perfectly stable, Caroline," he lied flawlessly, his eyes flicking to a hole he had punched in the wall earlier that evening. "No need to coddle me."

The blonde whined defensively, "Hey! I'm not coddling!"

"Whatever you say," he sighed jokingly.

There was a laugh hidden in her scoff, "Whatever."

"Caroline?"

"What?" she asked sweetly.

"I'll see you in the morning, Love."

Sighing yet again, she replied with a nervous energy marring her words, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he hummed.

The phone beeped as he ended the call. Setting it down on the table, Klaus picked up his worn brushes preparing for a late night of painting, detailing out every laugh line, every change in color hidden within the irises of her eyes, the shine of her lips.

Caroline.

Had it been any other day, a smile would have shone across his features as his thoughts wandered onto his beautiful blonde companion, but just now, he couldn't help but feel dejected. What was he doing? He was acting like a lovesick fool. He had seen her that morning, and here he was painting and pining for her all day. This wasn't him. He was a hunter, a fighter. What was it about the vampire that turned him into a simpering pup?

Klaus couldn't deny the flash of bitterness that slashed through him as his mind dwelled on that final thought. His hand shot out to the side and buried a wide brush in the darkest paint in his palette. Raising his hand up with a grimace, he had every intention of striking out the painting in front of him and thinking of new subject material. He was getting too attached; Caroline wasn't even part of his life in New Orleans. There was something there, but his other self had left. He hadn't deemed her important enough to stay; obviously, there was a reason he left without her. He would certainly get his memories back and leave her again.

Something in his train of thought made him pause, and the brush stayed hovering over the canvas. His hand wouldn't move, wouldn't jump out to mar the painting and erase its contents behind blackish-brown hues.

Dropping his arm, he looked up into the lusciously detailed eyes staring at him from his painting, then as if having a mind of their own, his blue orbs fell to those perfect, rosey lips enticing with a hidden smirk. He had almost tasted them that morning. It occurred to him then, a thought rang clear: Even if he got his memories back, he would remember this. Remember her like this. There was no going back. He'd get his memories back, but he'd remember the feelings he knew were forming while they were gone. With these memories, would he ever be like he was before? Could he leave her again?

A deep sigh seethed out his nostrils as he dropped his sight to the floor in resignation. Shoving the wide brush to the side, Klaus picked up the proper brushes and continued to fill in the palest of yellow highlights in her hair.

Only tomorrow will tell.

He didn't recognize the room he was in. Half was filled with plush furniture while the other was a kitchen, in the center divide stood a large dining table. Klaus turned fully toward the kitchen observing a disfigured form lying under a green blanket. He bent down to try and discern what he was looking at, but hearing a sigh, he spun. There, standing with a distraught expression on his face, was himself. There, in the sitting room, was another Klaus.

There was a shift. It was as if he were both himself and the other Klaus for a split second before a scuffle across the room shifted his attention to the kitchen; suddenly he was just himself again and peering into the other room from the sitting room.

There on the opposing side of the table was Caroline. Her long, blonde waves cascaded over her shoulders contrasting against a purple cardigan. A dark featured boy stood on the far end, an arrogant sheen to his eyes.

"Call Bonnie," he heard himself say, his throat feeling thick as his eyes rolled around the room. "Get her to let me out of here." His own words were disarming to him. Not having control of himself, his eyes took in Caroline's reaction; she shook her head and her eyes lit maliciously.

"I will never ever help you," she bit out, her nose crinkling in her anger before she turned shunning him.

Seeing her turn her back on him made his blood boil and the muscles in his shoulders grow taut. He was obviously trapped here, asking for her aid, and she was nearly snarling at him.

"How quickly you forget," he heard himself say, "the part where I saved Tyler from the misery of being a werewolf." Lifting his hand, he gestured to the unfamiliar man in the room. Tyler, apparently.

An incredulous expression crossed Caroline's face.

He continued, "Or the night your mother invited me into her home to save the life of her precious daughter."

"God, how delusional are you? You killed his mother." The blonde's words were distinct from each other, spelling it out for him. "And let's not forget that we're standing in a house where Elena's Aunt Jenna used to live." Stepping closer to him, she asked, "Or did you think that your charm would make us forget that you killed her too?"

He was beyond confused, and he hated it. This was not the Caroline he knew. Her movements dripped with hostility as she spat certain words at him. Feeling attacked, his jaw tensed beneath his cheeks and his hands balled up beside him.

"You know what? No," Caroline said in a calmer tone bringing her palms together in front of her face. "I am not going to engage in this." A short sardonic giggle puffed out of her mouth. Then scoffing, she shook her head.

Was she laughing at him?!

"You are not even worth the calories I burn talking to you."

It was a split second, a second of trying to understand the hurt that bloomed in his chest, a second of rage sweeping up through his body triggering an ache in his gums and a sharpening in his vision, a second to feel himself grab the nearby lamp and stab it into her small belly, swing her into the room, and bury himself in the crook of her neck where he bit in roughly. Vaguely he heard the boy yell out, but the moment Caroline's blood invaded his mouth, he had no care to concentrate on anything else in the room. Time seemed to slow.

Her blood was warm and crisp as it pumped into his mouth with the quickened beat of her heart. The floral scent of her hair was a heady ambrosia that had his mind spinning. Klaus held her tighter against himself and clamped down deeper into her neck. The ire he felt before making him lose care in minimizing the damage to her porcelain skin. Maybe he wanted to punish her.

Her hand squeezed into his shoulder then. That small bit of contact made his mind deviate from his anger to revel in his physical enjoyment of her in his arms. There was a part of him that was cognizant of the fact that it was hardly a second that had passed, but in this one moment time stretched into nonexistence. He pressed his finger pads against her body. On one hand he felt the soft, delicate curls of her hair grasped tightly against his palm and on the other the firm ridges of ribs along her back through the thin cotton cardigan. A wave of warmth spread through him, and he pulled her in even closer. So close, her hard, fearful breaths blew hot against his ear. Drinking from her was exquisite; enjoying her feel, her scent, and her sound was intoxicating.

Her venomous words were still fresh in his ears, but he couldn't help the intimacy this situation afforded him. He loosened his bite and gently brought her body fully flush against his. The desire to have her like this without the animosity was overwhelming. How he wished she would enjoy him as he enjoyed her. He—

The dark bird cawed from outside his window waking him with a start. Nearly jumping out of his bedding, Klaus took in his surroundings. His heart beat hard in his chest, and he could almost still taste her blood in his mouth. His fingers unconsciously lifted to drift over his mouth.

By the smell in the air drifting over from his partially opened window the Hybrid could tell it was the very early hours of the morning. Realizing his breath was slightly labored Klaus stood up out of bed and paced the room trying to shake off the dream.

It had been a dream, hadn't it? Everything had been so vivid. It had felt real, but disconnected at the same time. It had been like opening a book in the middle, reading the words without the context of the beginning of the story to guide you. There was an undeniable impotence in being ignorant to his own life's context.

Frustration had crept up on him, and lifting a heavy wooden knick-knack from the side table, he threw it violently across the room where it crashed into a tall lamp and tipped the brass fixture over to the floor. Klaus raked his hands up into his hair and gripped tightly. He couldn't breathe.

Abruptly turning, he left the room. There was no obvious destination in his mind until he descended the stairwell and spied the night peaking out through the french doors situated near the back of his home.

Klaus practically burst through the double doors onto the veranda behind the house. He took ten quick paces out into the night before stilling and drawing the cool air deeply into his lungs. The mild breeze prickled against the exposed arms his T-shirt did little to cover.

The night was sobering, the waning crescent shining down from the star strewn sky.

Focusing on his breathing, he tried to force his shoulders to relax. Crickets chirped around him; a sound he could recognize. There was something calming about the timelessness of their night-time serenade.

A breath nearly fell from his lungs as his eyes drifted closed and his head tilted back. He almost had a moment of peace before a sharp, gamey smell spiked the air. His ears acted of their own accord, focusing in on the heartbeat pattering away off on the grounds.

The Hybrid's eyes shot open and zeroed in on the shape of a lonely doe poking at the grassy ground a few hundred yards out. Her head lifted swiftly as if she knew a predator was near. Her heart was a deep drum he could feel in his skin and the thought of running for her, grasping her elegant form, and sinking his teeth into her had his mind reeling with memories of the dream he had been trying so hard to forget.

He struggled, gasping lightly as he silently rebuked himself for not feeding that day. It was stupid of him. He normally fed in the morning, but it had been overlooked during the unexpected breakfast, and the rest of the day had been spent wrapped up in the studio. Making a sudden decision, he spun to head into the house for a blood bag but froze.

Caroline stood in the french doors observing him.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked oblivious to his reasons for standing alone in the night. Her hair was braided messily and hanging down over one shoulder while her body was covered in a white, cotton pajama set. Her face was clean of make-up and held the expression and blush of having been caught spying.

Klaus hesitated for a moment. Bits of dream flashed in his mind – her blood, her scent– so he kept his distance. He couldn't believe his bad luck. He was thirsty and needed to feed, but he had to pass her to get to the kitchen; at least the space between them saved him from becoming overwhelmed by the need to feel her again. Taking a shallow breath, he responded, "Dreams. You?"

"Just can't. My brain won't turn off. I'm on overload thinking about the parade," she nonchalantly said stepping out towards him as her eyes peered around the grounds; they only caught for a moment on the doe off in the distance. "I'm sorry, by the way. About missing our evening routine . . ."

At first he took a step back, but the wind caught her once she left the shelter of the house and delivered to him a heavenly scent. The young vampire had showered before bed. Her braid was still damp and the clean perfume radiating off her skin was alluring to say the least. Stilling, he awaited her approach both wanting her closer and hoping she would have mercy on him and halt where she was.

Her steps continued until she stood just in front of him. Klaus refused to breathe, to breathe her in, so he didn't respond to her apology.

Caroline finally raised her sight to meet his and had to make an effort not to react to look in his eyes. Klaus was an attractive man. This was something she allowed herself easily to admit, but she had always been able to resist his charms swearing to be too smart to be seduced by the dimpled devil. When they had spent time together, there was always a chaperone; an elephant in the room; his misdeeds; her distrust. There was always something keeping her from indulging in the physical attraction. But, their friendship, while safe from a distance, was beginning to break down the walls as the emotional element began to creep into that attraction.

Klaus looked at her like he wanted to slowly devour her, and it triggered a deep color on Caroline's cheeks. "What were you dreaming about?" She asked awkwardly trying to shift his attention to something other than her.

His eyes closed briefly, and he exhaled sharply. When his eyelids slid back open, he answered, "You."

The vampire's eyes popped open wide and an embarrassed smile tried to show itself. Attempting to keep the grin from her face, she bit into her bottom lip to keep it still. Turning back towards the grounds, she nodded, "Oh."

Silence stretched between them.

Caroline fought fruitlessly to not take notice of her companion. She couldn't help but be smitten with the way his dark, blonde curls stood up a bit on the side showing an uncharacteristic amount of bed head. And, it was nearly impossible not to hear how his heart and breathing were quicker than normal. The sound alone sent goosebumps up her arms. Why was this so much harder now? Why couldn't she ignore him like she did before? She knew the answer, but now was not the time for an internal debate.

The darkness of the night had Klaus' senses in an uproar. How was he ever able to be around her before? He took an involuntary step towards her, and her head rotated softly to the side to observe him.

Caroline wasn't frightened when she looked over at him, but a tensing in her was inevitable when she witnessed a familiar pulsing in the veins beneath his eyes. She didn't move though. His eyes were still that stormy blue and his teeth still flat and hiding behind dark lips.

Curiosity bloomed within her. Many times she had stood in front of the mirror and examined her own vampiric features, but there was a beauty in seeing his. Reaching forward, she ran her fingers along the top of his pronounced cheek bone feeling the soft ridges of the veins that rushed blood beneath his skin.

He hadn't anticipated this. It was too much. Slamming his eyes shut he took a step back from her.

"I'm sorry," she yelped, lowly berating herself for invading his space like that.

With a shake of his head, he mumbled, "No, I . . . I'm just going to . . . " he pointed slightly to the house avoiding eye contact and began to pace toward the French doors.

He could feel his control slipping and truly feared himself. Every inch of him physically ached to take her. Take everything he could from her.

Klaus strode to the house still hanging on to the hope that a blood bag was all he needed when he felt her smooth hand curl around his wrist gently from behind effectively stopping him. "Caroline," he pleaded hoping, praying, she understood.

She didn't.

Caroline's brows had come together when he seemed distressed. To her, he was more sensitive than the situation dictated. Feeling an overbearing need to comfort him she had reached for his hand. It wasn't like him to stumble over words, and the fear that had saturated his eyes as he turned to escape had been disconcerting to her. When he uttered her name, she didn't see how his body seemed to both crumble and jump to attention; didn't see how he struggled with himself. All she heard was Klaus being Klaus. Running away from a conversation he didn't want to have; she was convinced he was doing what he always did: avoiding any kind of intimacy. Apparently, his fear of connection wasn't born of his immortal life, she thought; It had been there, within him, from the beginning. Her heart hurt for him, and all she wanted was to make his discomfort and loneliness blow away. "What is it?" she asked softly taking a light step towards him.

"Don't," he commanded more firmly still facing away from her.

Frustrated, she sighed trying to pull his wrist until he faced her. He would open up to her about what was bugging him if she had to pry the answer from his cold, dessicated fingers.

Klaus' body urged him to comply, but he couldn't give in. He would hurt her. Rougher than he anticipated, he reached down with his unencumbered hand to free himself from her grip, but the act created a short scuffle of Caroline grabbing at him further. In the midst of this, the Hybrid's temper flared, and his control nearly snapped. It was as if his control was a frayed rope and only had one thread left holding it together. The scuffle ended when, with a growl he didn't know he could produce, he grasped both of her arms tightly and manhandled her around to the nearest surface: one of the four two story columns that connected to the balconies above.

Caroline's back hit the column sharply and her eyes tightly shut while she lost the air from her lungs. When she was able to pull in a few gasps, her lids slid open to peer up at him. It was then that she realized that she was pegged between the column and Klaus. He didn't merely stand in front of her; he stood against her. Her breaths pushed her chest against his. His long fingers wrapped tightly around her biceps pressing them firmly against the cool marble behind her. Fevered breaths blew in puffs against her jaw, and his hip was hard against her belly. She knew that she should be frightened, but her body had other plans as it tuned into the heat coming from his skin.

Klaus held on desperately to that last thread. Why did she have to fight him? He was about to fall off the edge of a very high cliff, and he felt impotent to stop it. The Hybrid tried, dear God he tried, but she was so close. He only had to drop his head a few inches to claim her lips or nestle his mouth into the crook of her neck to taste the blood that haunted his dreams. His breathing grew jagged. Swallowing thickly, he nearly groaned between his teeth, "Don't move."

The blonde's eyes widened as a realization crashed down over her like a frigid wave. He was losing his control! When did that happen?! Her breathing quickened as she struggled not to fight him. The fight only made it worse, she knew. Caroline had made a mistake pushing him when he had tried to flee: the vampire understood that now.

Her eyes locked with his and a shiver ran down her spine. His golden eyes were trained on her. Fear should have been predominant in her in that moment, but instead the charged air between them beckoned the vampire in her to come out and play. She maintained a firm hold on her vampiric features but couldn't help how her body ached to instigate the change in him and push him over the edge. The way Klaus pressed into her, the way his eyes would stare down at her mouth before shooting back up to her eyes, and the strong wanton energy radiating from him gave her no doubt as to how his bloodlust was predominantly manifesting.

Her brain railed against her. What was she doing? She was supposed be helping him. Mentally shaking herself, she tried to prioritize.

Klaus could practically smell the arousal coming off her, and it didn't help. For a moment she relaxed and he thought she might have a way out of this, but how wrong he was.

In attempt of resetting her emotional and hormonal flutter, the blonde vampire unwittingly flicked out her pink tongue to wet her lips and . . .

She could almost hear the thread snap within him.

In less than a moment, a gruff groan rumbled out of his chest and Caroline felt his succulent lips smash against hers as he fought to snatch a taste of her traitorous tongue. She couldn't stop herself from responding just as fervently; there was something so undeniably exciting about how his body curled around her, making her feel like he surrounded and enveloped her.

Her heart pounded an intense score for the moment as Klaus tugged and pressed the blonde. He had kissed women before, more so than kissing even, but the heat and desperation of this moment could not be compared to the other times, the other women. She was intoxicating. Her lips were decadent and soft as they danced with his in a euphoric battle. Caroline tasted of mint and sugar and smelled of honeyed flowers. Unable to resist touching her, his hands left her arms to wrap around her narrow waist and into the base of her cool braid.

Feeling his hands on her sparked a consuming fire beneath her skin. With her newly liberated hands, Caroline reached up fisting the shirt on either side of his chest pulling the Hybrid steadfastly against her. A part of her felt the failure. The point of her staying with him was to show him control, but he felt too good. So good that she easily convinced herself that encouraging a lustful reaction instead of a deadly one couldn't be the worst idea. Could it?

A small moan elicited from her parted lips when Klaus squeezed his fingers into her side gripping her with a harsh breath that puffed hotly across her face.

Caroline's heart beat wildly in his ears; her blood rushed faster and faster the more excited she became. He could feel her pulse thrumming against his hand and became dizzy with the idea of feeling that same pulse against his mouth. Klaus' lips pulled away from hers to press deliciously to her jaw, earlobe, and then down to her soft, tender throat.

The blonde released a hummed moan. Her body tingled as he sucked the heated flesh into his mouth, his tongue languidly savoring the flavor of her skin. When she shifted to allow him better access, she noticed something off; Klaus had tightened his grip on her, so much so that movement was difficult. Experimentally she tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but his hold was unrelenting and only became firmer with her action.

Caroline's eyes popped open in shock. Her voice was firm when she said, "Klaus, stop." A low growl came from his mouth, and Caroline started to feel the sharp edges of his teeth rub against her skin. "Klaus, No! Stop!"

It was as if her words were lost upon the air. Klaus was immersed in a haze that seized all rational thought. There was now only her. His dream had been tainted by her animosity towards him, but here and now, she wanted him. He heard it in her breath, smelled it on her skin, and felt it in her pulse. As the night circled around him, he could only think of how deeply he wanted to taste her now. The sharp ache in his gums was all the encouragement he needed. Pulling back his lips, Klaus bit slowly into her milky flesh. Her blood flooded his mouth in a thick pool. It was overwhelming and everything he remembered it to be: warm and crisp.

A cry caught in Caroline's throat. This was bad. Her first reaction was to grasp a handful of his dirty blonde curls and attempt to yank his head back from her neck, but that only seemed to make him latch on harder. Cringing, she felt the first sting of venom.

She struggled to think. In this state, Klaus would be excited by her resistance. The blonde took a deep breath and willed herself to relax. One by one her muscles went slack, and as they did, Caroline released a sigh of relief, for the looser her body became, so did his grip on her grow loose.

There was a brief moment when her body was jelly in his arms and his lips softened against her throat that Caroline felt . . . connected?

Internally shaking herself, the vampire knew what she had to do. Klaus was new to vampirism. Even though he was faster, she felt confident that if she moved at vamp-speed, she had a chance of getting away. "Run," Katherine had told her, and run she would.

Slowly, she caressed her palm across his arm until it met the hand spun in her hair. Curling her fingers around his, she sighed suggestively and coerced his hand to trail down from her hair to her side and rest lightly on her hip. "So far so good," she thought. Caroline could tell the venom and blood loss were starting to affect her as a cool sweat broke out on her forehead and nose. She had to hurry.

With a sudden movement, too quick for the eye to track, the blonde crashed her forearms down over his wrists effectively ridding her waist and hip of his hands, and simultaneous wrenched herself from his grip.

Caroline pulling away from him was jarring. While part of him was aware of his irrational behavior, he couldn't help the aggressive need to have her back in his hold. The blonde attempted to speed away, and the predator in him acted on its own. Racing after her, his hand shot out and fingers curled around her elbow. He felt elation when he yanked her back into him, her back pressed firmly to his chest, but it was short lived when the vampire grabbed his arms and whipped him around, using his weight against him. Klaus struggled to find footing in that split second, so when the blonde pushed him into a short retaining wall that separated the veranda from a grassed area, he fell back. Landing harshly on his back, The Hybrid growled in anger, his eyes bright. Before he could push himself up all the way though, her lithe form appeared over him shoving his shoulders down into the earth where his head cracked against one of the large rocks bordering a bed of Gladioli. His head numbed for a brief moment.

"Klaus stop!" She yelled firmly.

The sound of her voice was like a bucket of icy water. Blinking a few times, Klaus took stock of the situation. What had just happened? It felt like he was just waking up as he rested his head back, avoiding the rocks this time. Peering up, his body froze.

Caroline was on top of him in a straddle with one hand braced across his breastbone. What was more engaging was that she was featured in all of her vampiric glory. Dark red veins stood taut under dark eyes that once blue were now near black with blood. Her white teeth were fiendishly pointed and perfectly visible with her lip lifted in a snarl. She looked positively dangerous.

Releasing a breath, Klaus uttered, "Caroline?"

Her shoulders slumped and a breath escaped her mouth when she heard him say her name. His Hybrid features were now tucked away where they belonged, and she felt a surge of relief. Closing her eyes, the blonde tilted her head back taking a moment to calm.

After a few seconds, her eyes flicked down to him again, her face having returned to normal.

Klaus didn't know what to expect, but the sharp sting of her pretty little hand colliding with his face was not on the list of possibilities. He let out an abrupt grunt upon impact.

"You bit me, Jackass!" She harped.

His cheek burned for only a second, but he rubbed it out of habit. Pulling up into a sitting position, he studied her appearance closely. There on her neck was a deep, brutally executed bite. His bite. He lifted a hand, but not wanting to cause her more pain by touching it, he merely hovered his fingers over the area.

"I'm sorry, Love. I don't know what happened. I," he swallowed hard. "I lost control."

"I noticed," she huffed with a sarcastic smirk.

Gazing up into her eyes, he saw forgiveness there, but that wasn't all. She looked tired, ill even. His sight shifted back to the bite. "Why aren't you healing?"

Air fell from her mouth as she sighed. "Your bite poisons vampires, remember?"

His eyes grew large while concern painted them.

"But your blood is the antidote," she explained.

"Right." He lightly nodded to himself.

There are a few different ways Caroline could have handled this situation. Nicer ways. But, the blonde was feeling playfully bitter. "So. . ." she cooed darkly.

Her tone had Klaus' eyebrows pulling together in curiosity. When her eyes darkened again, he opened his mouth to protest, but he was too slow. Caroline shot forward, her teeth sinking into his neck painfully. Had it not been for the lingering feelings from before and the way her weight shifted over him triggering a low, aroused ache, he would not have enjoyed the experience at all. As it was, there were worse ways to be attacked. Trying to find something to stabilize himself as she drank, Klaus gripped onto the thighs that encompassed his waist.

He never thought it'd be true, but being fed on was strangely empowering. The Hybrid could feel her strength amplify as she took from him. He was doing that. A surge of strength and power bloomed within him at the thought. His hold on her slid up to her hips and tightened, pulling her more snugly against his own. She felt amazing like this. A shuttered breath escaped his lips as he thought about how different it all felt now. He could feel everything tenfold. Sense everything tenfold, and he loved it. Sadly, though, she pulled away before he could get fully caught up in the sensation of her pulling precious blood from the skin of his throat.

Caroline stared down at him. Despite the harsh bite, she had drunk neatly. The only evidence of her short feast was a bright red sheen across her lips.

Klaus peered back at her. The vampire truly was magnificent with her flaxen hair, stained mouth, and bright eyes. Raising his arm, he guided her head to the side to watch the skin on her neck finish knitting back to its original, unblemished state.

"I am sorry," he uttered.

That was the second time he had apologized. It was so unlike him. Klaus never apologized. Caroline searched his face with her eyes. He was the same and yet so different.

What was she doing? She had practically thrown herself at him, had gotten so caught up, and she didn't even know if she truly knew him as he was. Was it fair to say that this was the same Klaus? Was she supposed to think of them as two people or one and the same? What if this new version had been the tipping point for the feelings that were creeping in? What then would happen when his memory came back? –And, what if the memories never returned, would she still want Klaus? The unworldly Klaus; the openly caring Klaus; her playful friend, Klaus.

"What is it?" The Hybrid asked softly noticing how her sculpted eyebrows had drawn together over the last few moments.

"I . . . " she started with a slight shake of her head. "It's just . . . " Caroline dropped her sight to where her hands were pressed against his chest. Oh, how she wanted to run her hands over him, but instead, pushing back from him softly, she stood. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. You should come inside or the next thing I know," she puffed distractedly, "you'll be ravaging the squirrels."

He meant to respond to her, but before he could say anything, before he could even get up, she sped into the house and upstairs.

The young vampire shut her door solidly behind her and flopped down on the bed. How had things become so confused. She just kissed Klaus! Caroline couldn't help but grasp at the idea that it was because he was different now. He didn't know about his misdeeds, so was it so unreasonable for her to thaw a bit and forgive him for crimes he wouldn't commit now, crimes she had always held against him?

"Ugh!" she groaned pulling a pillow over her face.

Was that it? Was it his new innocence?—his new hope which shined from within him in unguarded moments?

Pulling the pillow down, she peered up through the above canopy.

Klaus.

Shaking her head her eyes closed. To say she only kissed him because of his recent change would have been a lie. His name created a swirl of brilliant memories within her—

" . . . genuine beauty."

"I fancy you."

"You're . . . perfect."

"However long it takes."

"I know you're in love with me."

"Goodnight, Love."

—and the most radiant were from before two weeks ago.

It was then that a thought occurred to her. It was an epiphanic thought, something that had been a long time coming but never truly realized. The amnesiac Klaus she left downstairs was beautiful. He had hope, smiles, and his hands were clean of blood, but . . . Caroline wanted all of him. She wanted Klaus. The good and the bad. She missed the Klaus that had pursued her relentlessly even when she shut down his every attempt to melt her icy countenance. The Klaus that had talked with her on the phone and had wished her goodnight in that dark, seductive, British purr at the end of every call. The one that always made her feel beautiful and intelligent and desired. She wanted the complete works. She wanted him back. The wise and eloquent Klaus; the passionate Klaus; her dirty little secret Klaus.

"Shit."

Please review! Getting reviews over the last couple days has really pushed me to find the time to write more.

I wish I could tell you when the next chapter will be posted, but I feel like it would be a lie to give you a date. :( I will try my hardest to find the time for you guys!