This chapter is shorter than I intended, but I wanted to get it up for you all! Hope you enjoy!
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! I TRULY APPRECIATE IT!
Please remember to review at the end! :)
Caroline ran until she made to her hotel, and walked quickly to the elevator, and pushed the button for up. She bowed her head, and entered the elevator. She heard her name being called, and she pushed the button to close the doors. She shook her head as she saw Klaus race to the doors, just as they closed.
She had to get away. The doors dinged, and she walked quickly out towards her room. She heard the elevator ding, but she didn't look behind her. She didn't have to.
"Caroline!"
She closed her eyes, and tried to fish her keys out of her pockets. She groaned as she searched for them, until she found them.
Hands touched hers, and she stiffened underneath them, but not from fear. No, not from fear, but from the passion she had never felt before.
She lifted her gaze reluctantly, and caught his. "That should never have happened." She whispered, shaking her head, her voice weak and shaky.
Klaus smiled, and stepped closer to her. "I don't regret it, love, and neither should you." He whispered, firmly.
Caroline shook her head. She wanted to believe him, but so many times she had believed in men, and they had failed her. She jerked her hands away from his, and moved her card key through the lock. "I didn't say I did." She whispered, regretting her words for a moment, but found them to be true.
Klaus smiled, and watched as she opened the door, and entered her room. He shook his head, and followed her inside the room.
Caroline whirled around. "I didn't say you could come in!" She nearly shouted, knowing the walls of the hotel were thin.
Klaus shrugged. "You didn't say I couldn't." He stated, approaching her.
Caroline lifted her chin higher in defiance. "Well, I'm telling you now." She stated, crossing her arms over her chest, though not convincingly.
He chuckled, and shook his head. "It's a little late for that now." He stated, walking up to her, closer to her than he had ever dared.
Caroline swallowed hard, but didn't move. "Why must you be so hard headed?" She asked, though her voice was shaking.
He smirked, and reached up to touch her face, tenderly. "I'm always that, love, especially when I'm after something special." He whispered, searching her eyes.
She bit her bottom lip, and closed her eyes. "I'm not special." She whispered, stepping back from him.
He dropped his hand, and stared at her. "What happened to you, to make you believe that you are not?" He asked, more to himself, but she heard his question.
She lifted her gaze to his, and her eyes displayed the pain of years past, and spoke volumes. "Life happened." She whispered, turning away from him.
He sighed. "You know, you call me hard headed, but you won't even open up." He stated, pointing at her.
She shook her head, and whirled around to face him once more. "My past is my business, and I don't see why it is any of your concern, Klaus!" She shouted, glaring at him.
He glared back at her. "Because I want to know you, Caroline!" He shouted back at her.
She shook her head. "You can't, Klaus." She stated, firmly.
He closed his eyes, and stepped closer to her. "Why can't I?" He asked, in a demanding tone. "Confound it, Caroline! You are the first woman, I have ever met, who drives me completely crazy, and I don't' know whether I like it or not, but I want to find out why." He stated, in a frustrating tone.
Caroline closed her eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to have feelings for the man she was investigating, but she did. It had only been a week and a half, but that was all it took. She felt tears burning behind her eyelids, and she turned her head before he could see them fall down her face.
"This wasn't supposed to happen." She whispered, shaking her head, and wiping her face with her right hand.
Klaus approached her carefully. "Why not?" He asked, carefully.
Caroline opened her mouth to say that it was an assignment, but she couldn't say that. "This was just a job." She whispered, finally.
Klaus smiled, and ached to touch her. "Is it still, Caroline?" He asked, leaning towards her ear, as her back was to him.
She wanted to say yes, but she couldn't. She didn't know why, but she couldn't. "I don't know." She whispered, feeling his body heat against her.
He smiled and turned his face to hers. "Well, then, that's a start." He whispered, lowly.
Caroline closed her eyes, and resisted the urge to shiver against him.
Klaus smiled, and placed his lips softly on her cheek. "I'll leave you alone, Caroline." He whispered, moving back from her.
Caroline reached up with her left hand and touched her left cheek where his lips had just graced her skin. She turned around, and shook her head.
Biting her bottom lip, she felt her body move forward, until she stopped him as he reached for the door.
"I want to try." She stated, shockingly. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I want to trust you. I don't know why, but…" She whispered, lowering her gaze from his, as he turned from the door. "You're the first man, that I've…" She cleared her throat, and crossed her arms over her chest. "No one has ever taken the time…" She paused again, the words getting stuck the more she tried to speak.
Klaus smiled, and stepped towards her. "Well, then, allow me to take the time, Caroline." He whispered, holding her eyes with his.
Caroline couldn't resist the smile on her lips at his request. "I can't promise anything." She stated with her spirit lacing her words.
He nodded as his lips pursed. "Well, then, where do we start?" He asked, softly.
She closed her eyes. "With this." She stated, grasping his face and placed a tender, quick kiss on his lips, before pulling back with a smile.
He smiled in return. "I'd say that's a very start." He whispered, licking his lips carefully.
She smiled, and stroked his face gently. "Yes, it is." She whispered, in return, lowering her head a fraction, before stepping back. "No, go, before I change my mind." She stated, with a sly smile.
Klaus chuckled, and nodded carefully. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, Caroline." He responded, reaching for the door. "Oh, before I forget, the Hybrid wanted to let you know that he's accepted your proposal, for the time being." He added, carefully, with a dark gleam in his eyes.
Caroline nodded, and her smile dropped a fraction. "I understand." She stated, in a business like tone.
Klaus nodded, and opened the door. "You should know that what we've done today, it doesn't affect our business deal." He stated, holding on to the door.
Caroline smiled, and nodded. "I can deal with that." She stated, though her mind was screaming that she couldn't, but her heart was telling her she could.
Klaus smiled, and searched her eyes. "Good, good night, Caroline." He whispered, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Caroline stared at the door for a moment longer. "Good night, Niklaus." She whispered, not knowing why she whispered his full name, but loving the sound of it on her lips. She smiled, and turned around after locking the door.
Picking up her cell phone, she unlocked the screen, and checked her messages. She smiled, and dialed the number she knew so well.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!"
Caroline held the phone away from her ear, and rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to take my hearing too?" She asked, her friend.
Katherine sighed on the other end, and Caroline could just see her eyes rolling. "I could kill you for taking this job, Caroline." She stated, harshly.
"Why?" Caroline asked, sitting on her bed.
"Because this family is not the kind of family you should mess around with." She answered as-a-matter of fact.
Caroline crossed her legs in front of her, and leaned her head back against the headboard. "How do know them?" She asked, absently.
Katherine sighed. "I've had dealings with them in the past, and though I've never done anything to incur their wrath, I have seen others that have." She answered, with a hint of vagueness.
"Yeah, well, this was not really my choice." She replied, knowing they were probably listening to her.
"Bullshit." Katherine spat on the other end. "I know you, Caroline Forbes, and you requested this." She stated, firmly. "What if they find out the truth?" She asked, seriously. "What if Klaus finds out?"
Caroline swallowed hard. "You know him?" She asked, trying to hide her nervousness.
Katherine scoffed. "Damn straight I know him. He's the worst of them." She answered, firmly. "Why would you even think about doing this?" She asked, urgently. "What do hope to accomplish with this? You can't correct the past, nor can you try to change what he did." She replied, in a motherly tone.
Caroline bit her bottom lip. "The more good I do, the more he seems to fade. It makes me better than him, Kat." She replied, in a low tone.
Katherine sighed. "You are already better than him, Caroline. You didn't need to become a Marshal to do that. You were better than him when you saved your mother." She stated, softly.
Caroline felt the tears fall once more. "But it wasn't enough, was it?" She asked, touching her locket around her neck.
"You can't change what happened, Caroline." Katherine replied, sighing. "Listen, I've got to get off. I've got some business to tend to. I'll talk to you soon, Caroline." She replied, softly.
Caroline smiled. "Okay, soon." She responded, sighing.
"Stay safe, Care." Katherine demanded, before ending the call.
Caroline nodded, and lowered the phone. "Tell that to my heart." She whispered, in the stillness.
~XXX~
Klaus entered the mansion with a smile on his face, but the smile was wiped off when he saw a man standing in his parlor with a drink in his hand.
"I don't believe I invited you in here." He replied in a stiff tone, entering the parlor.
The man turned around, and sipped his drink. "I came because you have avoiding my calls, Klaus." He responded, setting the glass on the table.
Klaus shook his head. "That's because there is nothing to discuss, Marcel." He replied, pouring himself a glass of scotch before turning to his guest. "There are no business transactions happening in my city without my sign off or the Hybrid's." He stated, coldly, but with a hint of satisfaction.
Marcel glowered at him. "It's just a few shipments, Klaus, and once they are delivered, that will be all." He stated, stepping closer to Klaus.
Klaus shook his head with a smirk on his face. "A few shipments," He stated, with a scoff, sipping his drink. "And after they are delivered, there will be more and more coming in." He replied, setting his glass down.
Marcel shook his head. "I gave my word that that shipment could come into the city, Klaus, and I intend to see them delivered, with or without your say so." He stated, harshly.
Klaus pursed his lips. "Hmm." He hummed, turning to Marcel. Lifting his right hand, he curled it up into a fist, and collided it with Marcel's jaw. Marcel staggered back a step, and cradled his jaw, before Klaus lifted his right leg, and slammed it against Marcel's chest, causing him to land on the floor.
He looked up at Klaus, who held a gun, which he got from the drawer of his liquor cabinet, and held to Marcel's head, as he knelt down beside him.
"I will say this one more time, so that you will understand." Klaus stated, in a cold tone. "Nothing, I repeat nothing, enters this city without my say so." He replied, cocking the gun. "Are we clear?" He asked, coldly with a cold smirk on his face.
Marcel wiped the blood off his face, and nodded. "Crystal," He whispered, glaring.
Klaus smirked and stood up. "Fantastic." He stated, pushing the cock of the gun up. "I believe you know your way out." He stated, leaving the room.
Marcel stood up slowly, and touched his jaw tenderly. "Oh, I know the way, Klaus, and soon, so will you." He remarked, leaving the house, quickly.
He still had his ace up his sleeve, one Klaus didn't know about, and soon he was going to show the entire Mikaelson family just what he could do, by taking over the city of New Orleans.
PLEASE NO HARSH COMMENTS!
Okay, even though Klaus is sweet with Caroline, it's nice to show that he is still the dark Klaus we all know and love! And let's face it, if he wasn't bad, he wouldn't be fun or right for Caroline!
Anyway, next chapter will be up soon! I have another exam this week, in Botany, so the next chapter won't be up until this weekend!
Until Next Time...