Caroline gasped at her surroundings as Elijah led her through the dimly lit building. Witches and vampires were gathered together in the strange place. It was like a fancy club with red velvet couches in alcoves that could be made private from the hallway simply by drawing the thick curtain across the opening. She wasn't sure how many couches there along the hallway, but she could see into some of them. In some, witches smoked something that looked like Hookah, but judging by the bitter smell of the herbs, it was something else.

Stefan had wanted to come with them, but Elijah insisted that someone needed to say and keep tabs of Bonnie and Jeremy. Though, Caroline thought it had more to do with the fact that seeing Caroline and Stefan together was likely to further provoke Klaus. Caroline was glad that Elijah had taken the stand. She didn't want to be with Stefan at the moment. He'd rejected her softly this time, but it still reminded her of the time at the bonfire when he'd shot her down in a far less kind way.

She didn't really think that Stefan's feelings for her had changed, but she had to ask. Partly for Klaus's benefit so he could hear her shot down once again, and partly because there was a little part of her that flickered with a hope that Stefan would like her. It wasn't that she had feelings for him, at least not serious ones, but she had developed a crush on him when they first met and it had never fully dissipated. She knew he'd never see her as anything other than the silly, vapid blonde she'd been when they met, but she still needed to remind herself that he didn't love her. He would never love her.

She needed to hear it, but it still hurt.

As they continued down the hallway, Caroline caught the scent of fresh blood, so strong that she could feel her fangs descending. She took slow breaths until she could feel herself regaining control. She glanced into one of the alcoves and saw two vampires feeding on a beautiful young woman. She looked like she was enjoying herself, but Caroline was sure that she'd been impressed.

"What is this place?" Caroline asked, making sure to stay right at Elijah's elbow.

"This is the seedier side of vampirism." Elijah said, "You could call it a brothel. Humans are paid to allow vampires to feed on them and other services."

He didn't elaborate on those other services, but judging from the sounds coming from behind the closed curtains, Caroline could guess.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"They are paid handsomely," Elijah said.

Caroline could tell that Elijah was just as repelled by the place as she was.

"Does Klaus come to these places frequently?" Caroline asked, feeling nauseous at the thought. She had been foolish enough to think that she was starting to know Klaus, but a place like this rocked all of her preconceptions.

"Not frequently," Elijah said, "Kol is the one who is prone to indulge in debauchery."

"Thank you, walking thesaurus." Caroline said.

Elijah gave her a confused look.

"Do you ever try not to sound like a Jane Austen hero?" Caroline asked. "I mean who says debauchery?"

"What would you have preferred I say?" Elijah asked.

"Call it like it is," Caroline said with a shrug, "Kol's a man-whore."

Elijah's expression twisted into what she thought might have been a smirk. Caroline felt a thrill of pride, there was something rewarding about amusing someone who remained so carefully aloof. She had spent so much time believing the Elijah was the Original to fear, but she was starting to think that he was the one Original with whom she had a real shot at a friendship.

A tall, muscled man with dark skin and light green eyes stopped them.

"May I help you?" He said, "We have several blood types available as well as a multitude of options for couples to enjoy together."

Caroline stared at the man, her eyes wide. She had the distinct impression that she'd just been offered a threesome.

"We are looking for someone," Elijah said, ignoring man's offer.

"I'm sorry," The man said, "But we consider our clients privacy of the utmost importance. I assure you, we will afford you the same courtesy. "

A look passed between Elijah and Caroline, and she was surprised to find that she knew exactly what he wanted her to do. Elijah grabbed the man and pinned him against the wall and Caroline ran down the hall.

"Klaus," She called as she hurried down the passage, "Klaus!"

"Caroline?"

She turned around and found Klaus stepping out of one of the alcoves, pulling his Henley back on, his mouth and chin covered in blood.

"What are you doing here?" Klaus demand, he looked down the hall and saw Elijah pinning the host to the wall, "Elijah, let the poor bastard go, he's just doing his job."

Through the split in the curtain, Caroline could see a woman in lingerie wrapping a bandage around her bleeding wrist. She felt a sting of betrayal, it must have shown in her eyes, because when Klaus looked at her, his expression softened.

"Caroline?" He asked, sounding concerned.

"Stay the hell away from me," She said and whooshed away.

She heard him calling for her, but he didn't catch her until they were in the alley behind the brothel.

"Caroline, stop," He demanded, catching her arm and jerking her to a stop.

"No," she snapped, "You stop."

He went silent. Caroline took a step toward him gazing up at him.

"Why do you always do things like this?" She demanded, "Every time I start to think that maybe I'm wrong about you, you do something else to try to make me hate you."

"Do you hate me?" Klaus asked.

"I want to," She spat out, angrily, "Just tell me this, did you sleep with her?"

"Her?"

"That girl," Caroline huffed, feeling played with, "the one you were having some couch time with."

Klaus chuckled, "Hardly, I'm not so desperate that I feel the need to pay for companionship. She was a snack, nothing more." He paused, "Besides, I figured you'd be too distracted by Stefan to notice I was gone."

"Would you stop it?" She snapped, "If you hadn't taken off, you would have heard Stefan tell me straight to my face that he has no interest in me whatsoever."

"Stefan can say whatever he wants," Klaus said, "doesn't mean it true."

"Stefan isn't the liar here." Caroline snapped.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Klaus said, his temper obviously kindling at the accusation.

"I know that you're in love with me," Caroline blurted it out.

"You don't know that." Klaus said. Caroline felt herself losing her cool, maybe he didn't lie to her, but he sure as hell withheld the truth from her at every turn.

"But I do," she protested, catching his face in her hands, "because I know you, Klaus. That isn't you. You may do terrible things, but you're not evil."

"Maybe you're wrong," Klaus snarled, too angered by her accusation to be aware that she was touching him, "Maybe I am evil."

"No," Caroline shook her head, drawing a step closer. She could remember only four times when they'd been this close. Once when they danced at the Michaelson Manor, again at the decade dance, then when he'd rescued her from Alaric, and then almost twenty-four hours ago in his bedroom.

"You don't know anything," Klaus said. "You're just a stupid, vapid child."

His words stung, but she ignored them, he lashed out when hurt like a wounded animal. She knew that about him now.

"Stop this," she whispered, "Stop pretending you can't be loved just because you're afraid you won't be loved."

"I'm not afraid." Klaus said.

He seemed suddenly aware of her hands on his face, her thumb stroking soothing lines across his cheekbones. She was the snake charmer and he her docile viper.

"Of course you are." She said, "We're both afraid. So let's stop pretending and just be honest with each other, for once."

Klaus's eyes flicked over her face, trying to decipher her thoughts. He nodded, permitting her to go on.

"You're afraid that I'll reject you and I'm afraid of what will happen if I don't." She said. Klaus tilted his head in a silent question, so she continued, "If I let something happen between us, I'll end up broken."

He grabbed her waist with his bloody hands leaving dark stains on her floral blouse. He drew her slowly to him, and she offered no resistance. He caught her lips lightly, testing the waters. She didn't protest, didn't pull away. Instead she found herself kissing him back.

He pushed her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her deeply, his hands exploring parts of her body he'd never touch before. Her skin felt on fire everywhere his fingers touched. She felt fresh blood pulsing through his veins. She knew that she should push him away, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to want him, but all she could think of was the last time his blood flowed through her veins.

She dragged her teeth across the sensitive skin of his neck. She felt him inhale sharply. She sank her fangs into his neck, his blood was hot and fresh unlike the bagged blood she'd been strictly on since her unfortunate first feeding. His fingers wound through her hair as he held her to his throat. She drank, greedily, until he pulled her away.

"I'd never hurt you, Caroline." He murmured against her throat, before his fangs sank into her.

She felt a thrill of excitement, knowing that his venomous fangs held no danger to her while his blood ran through her. She wanted this, wanted him. And he wanted her.

For now.

The thought stopped her in her tracks. She was making a mistake. She could feel it in her bones. He said he would never hurt her, but it was a lie. Maybe he believed it, but it didn't make it any less of a lie.

"But you will," She said as a delayed response.

"What?" He asked, his eye dazed with lust.

"Hurt me." She said, lowering herself to the ground, "You will. It's what you do. You break things. Your family, Katherine, Stefan, even Elena. You play with people's lives and leave them in pieces."

"Not you," Klaus protested. "You're…"

"Special?" Caroline offered, "I'm not special. I'm just a girl who's daddy didn't love her, forever afraid that no one else will either. I'm not special, and eventually you will see it. And when that happens I don't want to become just another one of your broken toys."

"That won't happen," Klaus promised.

Caroline put her hand on his chest and pushing her away.

"I don't believe you," Caroline said, and with that she ran away.


Klaus stared at the space where Caroline had stood just moments before. He could have caught her, forced her to stay, but that wasn't the way to win her over. She reminded him of the hummingbird that had flown up to him in the Andes. She was fragile and breakable, vampire or not she worked hard to survive every day, her own insecurities convincing her that no one would love her, no one would want to. Even if he came before her on bent knee, groveling, he doubted if she would believe even his most arduous profession of love.

He did not know what it would take to convince Caroline not only to love him but to let him love her in return, but he would find a way. He could see now that his greatest opponent in his quest for her heart wasn't a suitor. The fortress she'd built around her heart to protect herself was the real thing hedging up his way. Klaus doubted if even the unworthy mutt Tyler had made it past her walls, perhaps that was why the idiot boy had strayed. Perhaps he realized that there would always be a part of Caroline out of his reach and gave up, whereas Klaus was quite decided to rise to the challenge. He'd find a way through her walls even if it took another thousand years. He was capable of pursuing any goal to the ends of the earth and when he chose to be he was incredibly patient. He had worked for a thousand years to unleash his werewolf side and Caroline was worth at least as much effort.

"And I thought she looked good walking away from you," Kol said, "I think I like it even better when she runs."

Klaus looked back and saw his younger brother leaning against the back door of the brothel, his face and clothes a bloody mess.

"Just give me time," Klaus said.

"Ah, well time is the one thing you're running out of, brother," Kol said and without warning, he snapped Klaus's neck.


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