I apologize for keeping you waiting for over a week. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! I AM STILL AMAZED BY THE RECEPTION TO THIS STORY!

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Caroline entered her hotel room, and nearly collapsed against the door. Her heart was racing like the Indy 500, and her adrenaline was pumping like an oil rig. Slowly taking out her phone, she pressed the button for the app, and scanned once more for bugs and cameras.

She shook her head when she discovered two, one under her lampshade, next to her bed, and the other was in the bathroom. No cameras were detected, of that she was very grateful.

Turning her phone to the crypt text, she sent a message to her handler. She waited for the phone to vibrate letting her know that it had been received and to proceed with her assignment. She dropped her phone on the nightstand and shook her head.

Dropping her head back, she headed to her suitcase, and placed it on her bed. Unzipping the case, she brought out her nightclothes, which consisted of a pair of shorts and a tank.

Taking off her ankle boots, she smiled in relief when her feet hit the carpet. Quickly changing clothes, she took out her toothbrush and paste and headed into the bathroom. Lifting her toothbrush to her mouth, she paused and looked at herself.

Her hair was uncurled. Her makeup had worn off to the only thing that remained were her eyes. Her eyes held a tired gaze. Shaking her head, she brushed her teeth, carefully avoiding the gaze of her reflection.

After she had finished brushing her teeth and cleaning the rest of her makeup off her face, she brushed her hair while she walked back to her bed.

Pulling back the covers, she settled in-between the white sheets, and propped the pillow up, so she would be sitting up. Leaning her head back, she replayed the events of the afternoon.

She still couldn't believe how amateur she had been. Running her fingers through her hair, she lightly groaned. She let her guard down with the enemy. How could she do that? She shook her head once more, and closed her eyes.

Images of Klaus and the afternoon played through her mind. How was she going to get through this mission if she was attracted to a bad guy? This was one of those situations where she really wished she could talk to someone, but… she shook her head at the thought. No, she didn't need to think of that. She had to stay focused, and not dwell on the past.

The past was something she never wanted to relive. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She knew when she decided to go into law enforcement, she would have to live with it all, but this was not a good time.

She just had to keep telling herself that Klaus would lead her to the Hybrid, and then she could do her job. She needed to stay focused, and unattached. She had to let go of her attraction for Klaus that was the only way she was going to complete her mission.

She nodded firmly at the thought. Her mind was right. She needed to get the job done and not focus on the blue-eyed attractive man invading her thoughts.

Reaching beside her, she turned off the lamp, and scooted further into her bed. Maybe a good night's rest would clear her mind, and help her focus on her assignment. She only hoped it would at least.

~X~

Klaus fiddled with the card in his fingers, and maintained a serious expression on his face. He couldn't believe it. He still couldn't believe it. The one woman he wanted to never see again was the woman who was asking for a business deal.

He should turn her down. He should tell her the Hybrid is not interested in moving anything she had to offer.

He stood up from his office chair, and walked to the elongated window in his office. The window had the view of the city in the night, and Klaus loved gazing into the city. Of all the cities he had visited, New Orleans was his favorite.

But tonight, the city held little comfort. Klaus' mind filled with unanswered questions. The main one being, who was Caroline? She didn't seem like a gun runner to him, and he knew enough to know what gunrunners looked like and how they acted. Caroline didn't act like one. In fact, she acted nervous with false bravado.

His eyes narrowed when he recalled how Stefan padded her down, and the slight fear that flashed in her eyes as well as the stiffness of her body. He remembered the words she had spoken to Kol when he had touched her. Nobody touches her.

Just who was this woman, really? He wondered, glancing down at the card. Her name was embossed in the center with a website and phone number. The code she had mentioned was on the back. He shook his head as he dropped his arm to his side.

Why should he even bother? She was nothing, but a seemingly expert gun runner, but still he couldn't be too careful.

He needed to get to know her, but how could he when he didn't want to see her again? Closing his eyes, he envisioned her face, eyes, and smile. Her attitude spoke volumes, and captured his attention. He wanted to know more about her, and why she got into the business.

Shaking his head, he turned from the window. He had to focus. Someone in his organization was leaking information, and he needed to know who. He had spent six years running guns and weapons. He wasn't about to let it all go up in flames, because the U.S Marshals or Interpol was leaning on a member of his organization.

Perhaps he needed the new business, true, but he didn't know about the attractive supposed gun runner. His instincts told him to ask check her out, and to delve deeper. He had contacts; no one knew about, even contacts in the government, who could tell him about this Caroline Dobbs.

He smiled at the thought, and turned to pick up his phone, lying on his desk. Scrolling through the names, he touched the name of a contact, and put the phone to his ear.

"There's someone down here, I want you to check out for me." He replied, in a serious tone. "Caroline Dobbs. Let me know when you find something." He added, before ending the call.

He lowered the phone, and sighed. In the meantime, he needed to know the woman, before he could do business. After all, the Hybrid didn't do business with people he didn't know.

~Next Morning~

Caroline opened her eyes slowly with the alarm blowing from her phone. She groaned and rolled over to stop the blaring of Katy Perry's Roar coming from her phone. She sighed, and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. Sitting up, she stretched her arms in front of her, and yawned.

Climbing groggily out of her bed, she walked to the bathroom, to throw some cold water over her face. Walking back to her suitcase, she pulled out her jogging clothes, and quickly slipped them on. After pulling her hair back, grabbing her phone, and key, she headed out the room.

It was 5 o'clock in the morning, and the sun had yet to rise. It seemed crazy to go for a run, but she could take care of herself, if the need arose. Stretching slightly outside the building, she put her mp3 in the slot on her arm, and the earphones in her ears, and she began to run.

To the onlooker, it was just a regular run for a woman who wished to remain in shape, for Caroline it was a time to think. With each step she took, her mind became clearer, and more focused. She had to stay focused.

She ran until she made it to a cemetery, and she slowed down to a jog. Her eyes drifted over the headstones, and she took a deep breathe. Painful memories invaded her mind, and she shook her head, trying to get rid of them. Turning on her heel, she started back towards her hotel. She glanced at her watch, and realized she had been running for almost two hours. In between, her running and jogging, at some places, she had lost track of time, but it didn't seem to bother her, for running was the only thing that helped her mind focus.

Smiling at her accomplishment, she slowed down to a powerwalk, when the hotel came into view. She slowed her heart rate, and entered the hotel lobby. She smiled at the desk clerk, and hit the elevator button.

She took a deep breathe, when she entered the elevator, and gripped the steel railing as the elevator started upwards. As long as she lived, she would never get used to these things.

When it came to a stop, she let out the breathe she was holding, and exited quickly out of the car. She paused a few feet from her door, and stretched her muscles, unaware someone was watching her, until she straightened up.

Her eyes met his, as her back straightened for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, almost breathlessly.

Klaus smiled, and his eyes ran over her sweat covered body. "Taking in the sights." He remarked, seductively.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and hid the shivers running down her spine at his words. "At 7 in the morning?" She asked, walking towards her door.

He shrugged. "What better time?" He asked, with a humor gleam in his eyes.

She shook her head. "How about later in the day or better yet… never?" She asked, stopping in front of him.

He chuckled, and shook his head. "Now how are we to do business if we don't at least get to know each other?" He asked, with a pouting look on his face.

She shook her head. "If we do business, it will be during normal working hours, and not showing up at my door at 7 in the morning." She stated, with a firm smile on her lips.

He smirked, showing his dimples in an arrogant way. "There is nothing normal about our hours, Caroline. Surely you know that." He replied, in a low whisper.

"You know what I meant. Don't be twisting my words around." She stated, pointing her finger at him.

He shrugged his shoulders in an innocent way, and watched her move next to him to her door.

Unfortunately he was leaning against the wall beside her door, and she could smell the cologne and shampoo he used this morning. She tried to focus on getting the door open, when she realized she needed the key.

"I believe you need your key, sweetheart." Klaus remarked, with a laugh, pointing at the door.

She sent him a glare, and tried to resist the smile on her face. She reached for her card key in her pocket, and paused, when she saw a cup in her line of vision.

"What's this?" She asked, lifting her gaze to his.

Klaus gazed at the cup in wonderment. "Why I believe it's a cup of coffee." He replied, with a smile on his face.

She bit back a chuckle, and shook her head. "I can see it's a cup of coffee. What I meant was, what are you doing giving it to me?" She asked, looking at the coffee cup and then at him.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I thought you might want a cup." He replied, gently waving the cup in front of her.

"How do I know it's not poisoned?" She asked, lifting her brow.

Klaus smiled at the comment. "Now why would I poison a potential client?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Besides, I got a cup of my own, and I figured I could get you one too." He remarked, lifting his cup in front of him.

She pursed her lips, and took the cup he handed her, and took a small sip. Klaus shook his head at her action, and smiled, leaning his right shoulder on the wall next to the door.

"Satisfied?" He asked, lifting his own cup to his lips.

She gave him a mocking look, and opened the door to her hotel room. "As long as I don't keel over, I will be." She remarked with a smile.

Klaus chuckled at her comment, and remained in the hall as she entered her room.

"Are you just going to stand out there, or are you going to come in?" She asked, holding the door open.

"I thought you didn't trust me." He remarked, pushing away from the wall, and entered the room.

She shrugged, and closed the door behind her. "Well, if you try anything, I can defend myself, so…" She trailed off, taking another sip of coffee.

He smiled in amusement, as he turned to face her in the center of her room. "Yeah, I noticed how you beat up my brother last night." He remarked, sipping the rest of his coffee, and dumped the cup into the trash can next to her table.

She smiled in fond remembrance, but it faded slightly when she remembered the reason behind it. "He shouldn't have touched me." She whispered, setting the coffee on the table.

Klaus studied her actions when she leaned against the dividing wall of her hotel room. He took in her defensive stature, and firm gaze, even though he could tell it wasn't directed at him. "Well, he's nursing a bruised ego, and wrist, thanks to you." He remarked, pointing at her.

She smiled, lightly, and bowed her head for a moment. "He's lucky that's all I gave him." She remarked with a stern look.

Klaus smiled, and silently laughed at her words. "He's had worse than what you gave him, I assure you." He replied, with a certainty.

Caroline nodded, and cleared her throat. "So what exactly are you doing here?" She asked, pushing herself from the wall.

"I came because I wanted to see you again." He answered, walking to the cushioned chair, next to the table, and sat down.

Caroline studied him with trained eyes. "Well, if we are going to be working together, we're going to be seeing each other again." She said, as-matter-of-factly.

He nodded, and propped his left hand up on the table. "True, but before we do business, there are a few things that the Hybrid wishes to know, so…" He trailed off, moving his hand around.

Caroline sighed, and moved to the chair on the other side of the table. "What exactly does he want to know?" She asked, crossing her legs underneath table.

Klaus turned his head, and smiled at her in a calculating way. "For starters, he wants to know why you don't like to be touched." He replied, in a serious tone.

"He does or you do?" She asked, harshly with pain flashing in her eyes.

Klaus narrowed his eyes and turned in the chair, to place both arms on the table, clasping his hands together. "Does it matter?" He asked, softly.

Caroline straightened in her chair. "First off, I don't see why it makes any difference about my personal preferences when I can get the job done. Second, it's none of your business." She stated, in a firm, leave it there tone, lifting her brows at the last sentence.

Klaus tilted his head to the side, and narrowed his eyes. "Very defensive, aren't we, love?" He asked, watching her.

"I told you on the plane. I don't discuss my personal life, my past, or anything of that nature to strangers." She stated, shaking and nodding her head with her words.

"Well, the Hybrid doesn't do business with people he doesn't trust, at least a little bit, and if you are being uncooperative, then there might not be any business between us." He replied, with a stiff smile.

Caroline swallowed, and held his eyes in hers. "Well, you can tell him, the only reason I prefer not to be touched is personal, and I would rather not talk about it, and if he doesn't want to do business over something so trivial, then maybe I don't want to do business with him." She stated, harshly, knowing she might have just screwed up her first mission. All because of a little tick she had.

Klaus smiled at her answer, and realized that it was wrong to pressure her to reveal something from her past. He came to the conclusion at that moment; he would have to earn her trust, to even get the story behind her action.

"Fair enough." He replied, with a nod. "I'll let him know." He added, softly in a business tone.

Caroline relaxed in her chair, and lowered her gaze, nodding at his words. "You do that." She stated.

He smiled, and glanced at his watch. "Well, it's almost eight, and I have a meeting to go to." He replied, standing up, with a regretful look.

Caroline stood up with him, and tried to bite back the sadness she was feeling.

He paused as reached the door, and turned to face her. "Why don't you freshen up? I'll come back and pick you up at eleven for lunch, and if you wish, I can show you around the city." He replied, moving his right hand around, before dropping it to his side.

Caroline tilted her head. "What does that have to do with business?" She asked, folding her arms over her chest.

He smiled. "It doesn't. I just want to get to know you." He replied, dipping his head slightly, but his eyes remained fixed on hers.

Caroline wanted to say no, but he was the only connection to the Hybrid at the moment, and he said he talked directly to him. If she said yes, then she would be one step closer to getting the Hybrid.

Taking a deep breathe, she closed her eyes, as she exhaled with a loud sigh. "Fine." She stated with forced aggravation.

Klaus smiled, and nodded. "Fantastic, I'll see you at eleven then." He replied, opening the door, and finally leaving her there in the room by herself.

~Downtown~

Klaus shook his head, as he entered his office, and moved to his desk. Sitting down in the brown leather chair, he picked up his cell phone, and dialed the number.

"What did you find out?" He asked, coldly, when the other end picked up.

The voice sighed on the other end. "Nothing much, Caroline Dobbs seems to be off the radar. It's like she doesn't really exist. With the exception of a few busts, for the past five years, she has moved in thin air, it seems. Some of the busts took place overseas, and there is a warrant for her arrest in five different countries including this one."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. "Is that all?" He asked in aggravation.

"Look, Klaus, I had to pull a lot of strings, just to get this far. I placed a call to one of my buddies in the intelligence firm, but he hasn't called back. When he does, I'll let you know, but for now that's all."

"You better or else your family won't have a body to bury." He stated, ending the call before slamming the phone on the desk.

"Bad news from Washington, I take it." Elijah remarked entering the office.

Klaus glared, and slammed his hands on the desk. Pushing himself out of the chair, he walked to the window of his office, and gazed at the city below.

"She's a ghost in the system. My contact can't find much about her, only that she's wanted and had a few busts." He stated, absently with annoyance.

Elijah nodded. "What's really bothering you, Niklaus?" He asked, watching Klaus' back stiffen. "You never were this cautious with our other suppliers. What's different about this one?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Klaus stared absently out the window. "There is something about her that I can't quite figure out." He replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Perhaps it's because you are attracted to her." Elijah remarked, remembering Klaus' reaction to her just last night.

Klaus scoffed, and turned around to face his brother. "That's ridiculous, Elijah." He stated, shaking his head.

"Then what else would you call it?" Elijah asked, leaning against the desk.

"Being careful." Klaus answered, coldly. "She doesn't seem like she should be in the business. She's…" He trailed off with a distant look in his eyes.

"She's what, Niklaus?" Elijah asked, watching him carefully.

Klaus clamped his mouth shut, and swallowed with a hard gaze at his brother. He didn't say a word, as he turned on his heel, and left the office. He didn't know the answer, or he did, he just didn't want to know.

Elijah watched him leave with a soft gaze in his eyes. He suspected the answer, but he knew it would be pointless to tell Klaus. This was something he had to figure out for himself.

~Eleven O'clock~

Klaus closed his eyes, when he stood in the elevator in the hotel. His head leaned back against the wall, and jolted only a moment, when it stopped.

With a sigh, he exited the elevator, and headed towards the room. After their meeting last night, he had Stefan plant a few bugs in her room, and listen to see if she made any calls. He knew she probably found them, but he wanted her to know that he didn't trust her, not yet, maybe never.

He knocked on the door, and had to hold his breathe, when she opened the door, wearing black leggings, a long white tunic, which reached down to her knees, and black boots. Her hair was curled and fell down her shoulders. She was breathtaking.

She was doing her own appraisal. He was wearing the same outfit as this morning, jeans, a dark grey Henley shirt, and black combat boots. He was handsome, and she knew she had to be careful around him.

"Ready, love?" He asked, stepping to the side.

Caroline nodded, and placed the key card in the pocket of her leggings, along with a wad of cash. "I suppose." She replied, though she smiled at him.

Klaus returned her smile, and followed her down the hall to the elevators. When the doors opened, he watched her take a deep breath before entering the box.

"Don't like elevators?" He asked, softly.

She shook her head. "So many things could happen in them. Did you know you are more likely to die in an elevator than any other death?" She asked, heading towards the silver bars on the wall of the elevator.

Klaus shook his head. "Actually, I didn't." He replied, leaning next to her, after pushing the button to the ground floor.

Caroline nodded. "I got stuck in an elevator one time, and it wouldn't move for three hours, after that, I hate them." She replied, absently.

Klaus glanced at her, and studied her quietly. "Sometimes the best way to overcome fear is to face it, Caroline." He whispered, softly.

She scoffed. "Yeah, I face these things every day, and it doesn't help. I avoid them as much as I can." She replied, glancing at him.

"Well, then I'll have to remember that for future references." He replied with a smile.

She returned the smile, and nodded. "Thank you."

"Any time, love." He replied, feeling the elevator jolt to a stop.

Caroline clenched her jaw, and waited impatiently for the doors to open, before rushing out.

Klaus smiled at her manner, and shook his head.

"Where are we going?" She asked, waiting on him to follow her.

"Wherever you wish to go." He answered, stopping beside her.

Caroline smiled, and shrugged. "Well, I'm hungry." She began, watching him smile. "Know any good places to eat?" She asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"As a matter of fact, I do." He answered, lifting his left arm for her to start walking.

Caroline started walking, and watched as Klaus opened the door for her. When they made it to the street, she turned to him, and smiled. "Where are we going?" She asked, as they headed down Bourbon Street.

Klaus only smiled, and led the way. "To get something to eat." He answered, watching her sigh.

"You wouldn't be trying to get me alone, would you?" She asked, glaring at him.

Klaus chuckled. "If you mean, get you alone to kill you," He paused, glancing at her with her eyes widening. "Then no, I meant what I said this morning. I just want to get to know you, to see if you were all you claim to be." He replied, with a hint of cold in his tone.

Caroline nodded, and hid the fear and nervousness from his searching eyes. She didn't reply to his comment as they continued walking, for she thought if she did, he would certainly hear the nervous crack she was sure would be in her voice.

Get a grip, Caroline. You're a Marshal, start acting like one! She told herself in her mind. "You still haven't told me where we're going." She stated, lifting her head higher.

Klaus chuckled. "You'll see. Can't you be surprised?" He asked, turning to look at her.

Caroline shook her head. "Nope." She stated, firmly.

Klaus shook his head. "Well, then, you'll just have to be this time." He replied, with a coy smile.

She laughed, and shook her head. She glanced at him, and sighed. "Just this once." She replied, but it sounded more to herself, than to him.

Klaus nodded, and they continued walking, both trying to focus on what they needed to accomplish. One was trying to earn the other's trust, and the other was trying to find the truth.

PLEASE NO HARSH COMMENTS! If you don't like it, that's fine, but I'm not forcing you to read it.

I know this was a long chapter, but I couldn't get myself to stop writing, and I hope it all turned out good.

Next Chapter will be up soon!

Until Next Time...