The sound of barely audible murmurs filled her ears.

Her normally lithe body felt like it was paralyzed under the weight of a freight train. Her face twisted in pain, the feeling of a hammer pounded against her skull. She didn't want to cry, but didn't have the will to fight the tears.

Her petite body was splayed out against the ground, feeling cool steel bars press against her. The last thing she could recall was her parents screaming at each other, for reasons that were a mystery to her. She didn't know what to do, so she ran to her room and hugged the teddy bear her daddy had gotten her for her eighth birthday just a few months ago.

She just wanted the noise to stop and it did. Now she was alone in the dark, only wishing for her parents to come take her home and kiss her and live happily ever after the way her favorite books would always end.

Even as a child whose head was still filled with fairy tales, she knew in her gut that her story didn't have a happy ending.

Goosebumps spiked across her small arms. Her eyelids were slightly ajar, as she was too exhausted to lift them any higher. Nonetheless, she was certain there was only one light source in the room and it was hanging right above the cage she was contained in, shining a blinding spotlight right on her.

Beads of sweat began to line the soft skin on her forehead as her heart pounded so hard she could feel her hot blood pump against her ears, the erratic beats sounding louder than a car horn.

She wasn't sure if she felt more like a caged animal from the zoo, or a science experiment. Whoever had taken her was watching, waiting- for what, she had no idea. In all her favorite stories and movies, the princess would always be saved just in the nick of time before the villain was able to harm her, but no one came for her.

Caroline had always been a glib person. Never having any problem stating her opinion on all topics, people had always expected her to be the life of the entire room, but now it felt like she had lost her voice. She wanted to scream for help, for anybody, but her throat ran dry each time she opened her mouth.

All she wanted was her parents. Wanted to tell them that she loved them and to hear it back. She wanted to see Matt and Nadia and play with them across the neighborhood until the neighbors called the cops on them for playing tag in the streets past midnight.

Now she was alone, and she had no one.

Her body involuntarily flinched, hearing footsteps emerge from the darkness. This was it. She was going to find out what happens to the princess when she doesn't get rescued.

She held her breath, anticipating the sight of the villain, with terror.

As soon as the face came into view, Caroline released the heaviest sigh of relief she thought was possible, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. "Daddy?"

She was so ecstatic that she sounded hysterical from her laughter. She had prayed to see her parents again and here was her father being her knight in shining armor. After this moment, she promised never to lock herself in her room when they forced her to eat vegetables, never throw another tantrum for grounding her, and would always tell them she loved them before she left the house.

She was so excited that she hadn't noticed until after a while that he made no move to help her. He was just crouched down in front of her cage with a sympathetic smile on his usually comforting face. "Daddy..." Caroline's tender hand managed to reach up to one of the cold bars, wrapping it around to pull herself into a sitting position. Her heart sank when she saw the passive look on her father's face. She whimpered as her other hand coiled around a second bar, futilely trying to shake the bars. Her tiny, blonde curls bounced violently with every yank on the bars. "Daddy, please! Help me!"

Bill gently shushed her, slipping a hand inside the cage to caress her face. "I know you're scared, pumpkin, but it's going to be okay. You were brought here for a reason."

Hot tears forming in her ears blurred her vision as they ran down her still damp cheeks. She couldn't believe her own father, her best friend, the one person she trusted the most in this world had done this to her. How could he? "But... don't you love me, Daddy?" Her voice broke.

"Of course I love you, Carebear," he softly replied, "which is why I have to do this. Mommy tried to hurt Daddy, so we're going to hurt her even worse. You hate me now, but in time you'll understand. This is the only way we'll be together. You don't wanna say goodbye to Daddy, do you?"

Caroline felt her stomach churn. Her entire surroundings made her want to vomit. The cage, the darkness, and her father- it all felt so wrong. But when her mind flashed back to all the memories she share with her father- their trips to the ice cream parlor, when he taught her how to ride a bike, when he allowed her to watch him 'work,' the thought of losing that terrified her. However, the look in her father's eyes at the moment scared her even more. Despite her current predicament, he was still her father and without him she was simply left with a workaholic mother who barely noticed if she was in bed past midnight. "No."

"Things are going to get better, Caroline, you'll see."

"Caroline...? Caroline!"

Caroline's body jerked, straightening her back as she was pulled from her musings. Ignoring the boisterous laughter emanating from the rest of the class, she lifted her gaze to her annoyed History teacher. Her heart rate still accelerated from the vivid memory, but it was no match from the rate it beated before, even with Collins's irritated glare. "Sorry, Mr. Collins, could you repeat the question?"

"History project. You and Klaus. What topic have the two of you agreed upon?"

Shit.

She had been avoiding her 'partner' all week, weaving in and out of students, and even knocking over a lunch lady when he tried to track her down the hall. She had been doing so much running this week people probably thought she was in track. She certainly trained enough this week for it. "Oh, right... um... we've decided that-"

"World War II." Klaus smirked.

Caroline snapped her head in his direction, gritting her teeth at his smug expression. That bastard. She had an answer and would've gotten to it if he'd given her a few more seconds. God, she just hated how easily she fell into his hands, but his face was just so damn easy to despise.

"Excellent choice," Collins praised them. "Also, a very fitting choice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked.

"It means I think you'll do well," Collins told her. "Class dismissed." With that, the bell rang and every student rushed out the door.

After Caroline got out of the crowded room and into the hall, she left her mind wander while Taylor started to ramble on about how furious Rebekah was to being demoted to co-captain of the cheerleaders. Apparently, she was so angry she had to unleash half her wrath on Sarah and the other half on the baseball team, but Caroline didn't hear a word Taylor said past that.

She was occupied, mentally organizing a way for her to ace this project without having to interact with Klaus face to face. She couldn't stand that guy. The way he talked and carried himself made it seem as if every word out of his mouth was God's will. Every time she talked to him, she felt daggers mentally stabbing her in the back by every female in the vicinity. The way he stared at her reminded her of that educated video they forced her to watch in Bio when the lion was stalking the baby elephant, just before it tore into it and ate its insides.

What terrified her even more was the other thing she saw in his eyes. He looked into her like he was waiting... testing her, trying to lure out her demons and it was working. He barely even tried and she would just react to all his ploys.

She could feel her control slip within just seconds of hearing his taunts. She loathed him for that. Queens do not lose control; they strip it from others. If she didn't find a solution to her Klaus problem, she wouldn't leave room for him in the kingdom she was building, nor any other threat.

"Caroline!" that dreaded accented voice called.

Caroline's shoulders went stiff before she swiftly ducked into a corner, turning back to make sure she wasn't followed. Releasing a sigh of relief, she held her head up high and strided down the hall until her chest knocked into a hard one. "Watch it, asshole!"

The color drained from her face when she looked up to see those devious blue eyes. The scent of his familiar, enticing cologne filled her senses, making her knees grow weak.

"Although, I did enjoy our little cat and mouse games during the week, it's imperative that I speak with my partner face to face for this project." Klaus grinned, letting his eyes rake over her toned body that filled out that uniform in a tempting offer. Just the way the way her faded navy button up clung to her torso, highlighting her perky breasts and the hem of the plaid, pleated skirt rested on her mid-thigh, drawing his attention to her long, satin legs time and again, caused his cock to twitch in his pants.

Surely, she had to know exactly what she was doing to him, just standing there, whether she was looking up at him like a deer to a wolf, or when she was screaming at him until she was completely red in the face. It was as if every move she made was deliberately made to amuse him.

"Oh, yeah, about that, partner." Caroline grabbed his wrist in a bruising grip while her other hand reached into her bag for a pen. Trying to ignore the tingling sensation that shot through her fingers when her skin came in contact with his warm, large hand, she began scribbling something onto his palm.

"If you wanted to exchange numbers, all you had to do was ask, love." Klaus's voice took on that lascivious tone that simultaneously infuriated her and caused her to take a sharp intake of breath. He thought that he was so smooth. God, some days she could just punch him. The only thing stopping her was her own instinct for survival. Sure, he flashed her a few deceivingly cute smiles to get into her pants, but she had no idea who he really was. She didn't know his breaking point and had no intention of being the one to push him off the brink. She found herself digging the pen into his skin, far deeper than necessary, to the point where she almost broke through his skin.

Klaus hissed under the sharp point, struggling to keep the gold out of his blue eyes. "Careful, love. Wouldn't want to do anything we'd regret later. I may not be in such a forgiving mood."

The underlying threats made a shiver run down her spine. Caroline was no fool; there was a reason why the sickest adolescents in London craved the Mikaelsons' approval and it wasn't just because they had really nice hair. Apparently, Klaus had been in a good mood when he was punishing Jared, then again, she was the one to take his hand.

She had her own level of malice, there was no doubt, but she wasn't delusional. He would overpower her in strength and numbers if she openly crossed him, especially since the school deprived the students of any and all weapons. Although, she would bet her trust fund that the Mikaelsons' had more than two kitchen knives at their disposal.

Caroline's hand paused, quivering at the sound of Klaus's dangerously low voice. She tried her best not to let him know how aware she was that he was in the perfect position to just snap her neck right there, or stab her in the back, or push her head first into the wall. The list of things he could do to her were endless. They both knew that, but she forced herself to maintain her composure. She was not some scared little victim walking down the street- she was like him- a monster, an abomination of humanity. She'd heard it all. She wasn't about to back down now.

Her hand continued to firmly glide across Klaus's, only pressing hard enough to clearly show the ink. She dropped his hand and tossed the pen back into her bag. The way he grinned down at his hand made her grimace and cross her arms over her chest.

"Although, your name does make a lovely email address, I would much prefer your number," Klaus drawled. "For the project, of course. Besides, who emails anymore these days?"

Caroline feigned a smile. "It's called Google docs. It means that we can do a project together without ever having to be in the same room or hearing each other talk. So I would write that email address down somewhere because it's going to be your life line for the next two weeks." She turned on her heel and began to strut away from him.

Klaus caught her by the arm and twirled her back around to face him. His face leaned in, close enough to feel his breath set the nerves on her lips on fire. "Let me be very clear, Caroline. I won't lift a finger for this project until you're sitting beside me while we have a nice little chat about World War II."

She shouldn't have been surprised by his demand. Perhaps it was just hopeful thinking that he would just agree to her terms without a ruckus. She really had no desire to be alone with Klaus for hours on end. She already had a big enough target on her back, challenging Rebekah's authority, and now her older brother wanted one on one time with her. For what? So he could help Rebekah lure her into some trap where she will inevitably be ruthlessly slaughtered, or he could have his own fun with her...

"I will meet you in the library after school where we will have a brief discussion on what topics you will cover and which ones I will cover. After that, we will continue to email each other on our progress, daily. Clear enough for you?" Caroline spoke through gritted teeth.

Klaus pretended to ponder over her words. "No. I will meet you in the library after school to have a detailed discussion about our plans for this project. Afterward, you will continue to come to my room after school for at least one hour to work beside me. Am I understood?"

Caroline gaped at him. "That's not necessary and completely ridiculous. I'm not going to seek you out every day for two fucking weeks."

"On the contrary, love. It is imperative," Klaus told her. "I don't believe my memory on history is as sharp as yours."

She scoffed. "Shut the fuck up." That sentence was so full of bullshit, she could practically see the words falling from his lips. The entire class knew just how good he was at history, among other things, not that he would let them forget. "You mean to tell me that those extremely detailed insights on those controversial events in history you give multiple times a day were... rehearsed?"

"Perhaps," he answered coyly.

This guy was unbelievable.

"Somehow, I think you'll manage." She tried to bypass him once again, until he pressed a hand against her shoulder.

"Maybe, but until I see you in person. I won't be doing any work."

Caroline felt her anger slowly build inside her, imagining this was what a volcano felt just before it erupted. She kept imagining the sweet satisfaction of being able to wipe that annoying, smug look off his face. She could walk away and not have to deal with him for the next two weeks, but there was no way in hell she would let him off the hook and give his grade a gigantic boost for not doing shit.

She stabbed a finger into his hard chest, bringing her face closer to his, her eyes burning into his deep blues ones. "Meet me at the library. 3PM. Sharp. Don't be late." She tore out of there before he even had the chance to reply with a witty response.

Caroline strode down the hall, smiling wickedly when the crowd would part to create a path for her. She would never get tired of seeing that. Continuing to bark the new reforms to this year's Homecoming, Taylor struggled to keep up with her as she scribbled the new changes on a yellow notepad- Caroline specifically ordered yellow. "We're doing a masquerade. I don't care what you have to do- get the alcohol- and get lots of it. Opt out the silver balloons for gold ones."

"Rebekah already ordered the silver ones..." Taylor nervously informed the blonde.

"Did I ask about what Rebekah ordered?" Caroline snapped, causing Taylor to frantically shake her head. "Then don't waste my time by telling me irrelevant information." She flipped her hair, her angry eyes looking anywhere except the short brunette. "What the hell is that?" Caroline began to approach a set of double doors, adorned with colored glass paned windows.

"It's the church," Taylor responded hesitantly. "No one really goes in there, but the church has been here since the day the school opened, from what I've heard. I guess the people who built the place thought there should be at least one redeeming quality."

Caroline pressed the pad of her fingers onto the colored panels. The familiar scent of holy water seeped out of the sacred room and filled her nose, causing her heart to clench and several memories to dance across her eyes. "That'll be all. Now leave."

After she heard Taylor scurry away without another sound, she pulled the wooden door open, slipping inside. The air immediately shifted once she stepped in; the temperature dropped at least twenty degrees and she was immersed in the scent of holy air.

The place probably hadn't been used in decades, but the sight was absolutely breathtaking. The rest of the school seemed to have a dark cloud looming over every ceiling, and in this room, the heavens seemed to be filtering through the glass panels.

The ceiling formed into colossal, neutral archways that led up to a brightly lit platform where the priest would have carried out the mass. Bronze chandeliers hung from these archways, illuminating the church even further. The click of her heels against the smooth floors echoed throughout the room as she walked down the aisle, passing each row of mahogany benches.

She came to a halt once she reached the the bench in the very first row. Caroline smoothed down her skirt before taking a seat on the chilly surface. It was exactly as she remembered. Well, not exactly since this hadn't been her church growing up and it was always packed at her old one, but the feeling evoked in her remained the same.

Her heart warmed, but she felt a constriction in her chest. God was supposed to guide you down the right path, save you from yourself, protect you, but how can that be true after what she lived through? After he let all these kids turn into what they are...

A loud crash sounded from the far left corner of the room, causing Caroline's head to snap to the side.

"Who's there?" She rose to her feet. She highly doubted any of these kids had any reservations about killing someone in a church. They probably would have seen it as the biggest 'FU' to the man upstairs.

Caroline's shoulders relaxed and immediately tightened again once said laid eyes on the intruder. The sight of those familiar dimples set every nerve in her body on edge. "Seriously? Are you stalking me now?"

"Would you be flattered if I said yes?" Klaus crossed the bench, that arrogant smile in place as he stood toe to toe with her.

"I would file a restraining order if I still had rights," Caroline quipped, trying to increase the distance between them.

"Relax," Klaus chuckled. "It's usually empty in here, so I visit on occasion."

Caroline furrowed her brows as she folded her arms. "I never took you for the religious type."

"I'm not... anymore," Klaus admitted. "Sometimes we need the peace to prevent us from going mad, sometimes we need someone to blame, instead of ourselves, for our problems, and other times we seek answers from other people who have no reason to help us."

Caroline studied his face intently while he leaned his hands against the bench in front of him. Most monsters she'd met were shallow and cold, but Klaus, Klaus had a depth that haunted her. He didn't say much, but he didn't need to for her to sense the rich story inside him. She also knew that the real monsters were the ones who kept their story under lock and key. "How come?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"What made you stop believing?" Caroline asked. She knew the vague answer to her question, but she needed to know more. For her sake.

"My parents... it was forced on me and my siblings growing up. When I came to the conclusion that no force such as the lord would have blessed me with the honor of having the parents I was given, I turned my back on the church."

She cast her eyes down. She could almost laugh at how stereotypical they were. Not getting enough love from mommy and daddy growing up, so they rebelled and became unapologetic killers. Their psychiatrists probably threw a ball after each session.

Caroline gazed into his darkened blue eyes. There were decades- centuries even- worth of resentment and anger. She wanted more than anything to be able to say that she didn't have a thing in common with Klaus Mikaelson, but she saw more in those deep blue pools than her own reflection.

She should have walked away- fled- a long time ago, but she couldn't find the strength to tear her eyes away from him, nor did she want to. She was terrified, calm, and shocked all at once. For the first time since they met, she caught a glimpse of a real person inside that supercilious killer. He might have been twisted and broken, but so was she.

"What about you?" Klaus asked, just barely a whisper. Caroline's body went rigid when his eyes shifted into an inquisitive stare. "Something tells me you didn't stroll into the church for the holy water."

Caroline began to shake her head, attempting to repudiate his question. She really didn't want to think about or remember those people. Just the thought made her stomach churn. But the way he was looking at her right now pulled on her heart strings. Klaus didn't seem like the type of guy who started singing his life story down the street... unless he was just manipulating her. She would be damned if she fell right into his trap and allowed him to use her own words against her. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Curiosity." Klaus slid his hand along the back of a bench, leaning further into her until their chests nearly touched. "Or perhaps, the same reason you wanted to know about me."

Caroline's breathing grew heavier with every second that passed. She searched his burning eyes for any malignant intent and only found his desire to know, like he was on the verge of discovering the secrets of the universe. "My mother was a religious woman too..."

She took a seat on the bench, her eyes fixated straight ahead, while Klaus joined her, sitting closer than necessary. Her thigh quivered when she felt his pressed against her and she gulped when Klaus brought his face closer than she was comfortable. "Every Sunday, my mom would force me to go to mass, rain or shine, through a blizzard or a hurricane. There was no excuse for missing an appointment with Him. The nuns taught us that we would be saved if we continued to believe." Caroline laughed like she had completely lost her sanity. "I believed for years! I remained loyal until I couldn't take it anymore. Everything out of those people's mouths is a joke. They should be the ones deemed mentally unfit. Not us. They make promises about being saved when in reality, there is no one watching out for you and no one who cares. We're all alone in this world... I come here to mock the prayers, mock those who praise the church, and I wish for its destruction."

Klaus's lips curved up into a nefarious smirk. His eyes roamed over the malicious countenance displayed on Caroline's face, with intrigue. He slid one arm across the back of the bench, feeling her body heat radiate from her back. "Have I mentioned how much I like you, Caroline?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Why? Because I make all your masochistic fantasies come alive?" She hadn't intended for her mocking tone to take on a sultry one, but the way his eyes glazed over told her the entire atmosphere had shifted. She couldn't take it back now and the temperature in the room seemed to be rapidly increasing.

"Yes," he admitted, "but that's only part of it. You're beautiful, you were born for greatness, and you're more complex than the Da Vinci code."

Caroline was at a loss of words- which does not happen, period. Was this guy serious? Or was this just part of his procedure to seduce girls into his bed? "Why are you telling me this?" She sprang to her feet, hovering over him.

"I fancy myself as a man who speaks his mind," Klaus told her. "And you asked me to, love." He flashed her that cherubic smile that had every other girl in the school swooning.

Caroline tried to ignore the way her body would react to every slight movement he made. "You can stop wasting your breath because I'm not interested."

Klaus stood from his seat, causing Caroline to take a few steps back. He followed her until he was just a breath away from her, a devilish grin on his red lips. "Of course. I can tell that by the way your heart vigorously pounds against your chest every time you come near me."

Caroline's lips parted slightly and the sound of her heart beat drumming against her ears became even more obvious to her. "How would you know?"

Klaus brought his hand up to her smooth, creamy neck. Caroline panicked, grabbing his wrist to twist it, but he was far too strong. "Shhh..." He gently calmed her with his soothing voice. "I don't want to kill you, Caroline."

"Then what the hell are you doing?" Caroline snapped. She used all her strength to shove his hand away from herself, and then shifted her weight onto the bench for balance. She panted, looking at him apprehensively.

"Relax," he assured her, "if I was going to kill you, there wouldn't be the slightest doubt in your mind and you would either be dead or crippled by now."

Caroline wasn't sure if that was meant to be comforting or terrifying, but strangely enough, she felt a bit of both. She saw him bring his hand up again and flinched. "Then what the hell are you doing?" she repeated.

"Answering your question," Klaus replied as he slid his thumb across her collarbone to push her hair behind her shoulder, leaving behind a trail of nerves set ablaze from the brief contact. Caroline involuntarily held her breath to prevent a sigh from falling from her pink lips. Klaus's grin widened further, noticing how tense her body became under his touch. His fingers trailed up the soft column of her neck until he felt a light throbbing motion under his middle finger. "Your pulse point."

"What?" Caroline's hand flew to her neck and quickly returned it to her side when she felt her hand land on his, sending electricity straight up her arm. Ugh. He must've just loved how she would squirm under him. She had to stop reacting to him.

"Your pulse beats rapidly when you're nervous," Klaus elucidated. "The pulse point is a very interesting aspect of the human body. It can tell you a lot about a person's emotions, their prognosis, and... makes for a very erotic location if you know where to suck."

Caroline tried not to show how affected she was by his salacious words. Her mouth was agape, watching his large tongue and enticing lips emphasize that last word. The dirty images forming in her mind had a mind of their own, filling her head with several situations with Klaus doing sinful things to her body. Her body temperature rose until it felt like the air in the room had thickened, causing her to take even more shallow breaths.

She wanted to say something to him to brush off his words, as if his words had simply gone over her head, but the words got caught in her throat. Damn him and that cocky expression that was growing even wider on his annoying face.

Suddenly, a loud burst of gospel music filled the room, nearly setting Caroline off balance. Klaus growled at the inconvenient interruption.

"What the hell is that?" Caroline whipped her head in several directions, trying to find the source of the music.

"Gospel music."

"Well, obviously," Caroline retorted. "Where's it coming from?"

"The back. Some twits probably hit something while they were looking for a quick shag." He reached his hand out for her. "The peace and quiet has passed. Perhaps we should leave."

Caroline turned her attention to the direction the music was emitting from. "I think I wanna stay for another minute." Smoothing her skirt, she sat back down on the glossy bench, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin against her knuckles. Her eyes didn't focus on anything in particular; it was her ears that concentrated on the music.

The high pitched melodies caused her muscles to release the tension built up, her shoulders to relax. She was so enveloped in bliss, she hardly noticed Klaus standing there, watching her absorb the music, with fascination.

After ten minutes of her listening intently to the music had gone by, Caroline pulled herself back to her feet, meeting Klaus's captivated eyes. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, just by the way he was looking at her. His eyes bore into her like he was trying to stare into her soul, like she was the greatest enigma he had come across in several lifetimes.

He'd seen too much. He knows too much.

Caroline bolted out of there without a single warning or a word.

"Caroline!" Klaus called, but all that was left was the sound of the door closing behind her.

Klaus couldn't focus on anything besides Caroline Forbes. He had no idea what he witnessed, but he knew he wouldn't sleep until he figured it out. He knew there was something different about her since they met. Although, he just figured it was a minor detail about her that made her standout, not a mystery that required him to go sleuthing.

Still, why did it matter to him? She was human, which meant that her life was worthless. He was an all-powerful immortal, who only cared for his own survival, but there was something about her... Something about her intrigued him. He didn't understand it, but he would eventually. He always did.

Klaus pushed the door open to reveal a full head of soft brown hair, his face buried into a blonde girl's neck. The girl had clearly been compelled not to scream. Blood dripped down her pale skin from the spot where the vampire was ruthlessly drinking from her.

The hybrid's eyes flicked over to the corner of the room, where a handful of female students were sitting in a row of chairs, either pressing a white cloth against their gushing wounds, or anxiously awaiting their turn. Tears rimmed their eyes as they suppressed their whimpers.

He moved to turn off the gospel music, allowing the silence to settle into the room once more.

The dark-haired vampire threw his head back, releasing a sigh of relief. Feeling sated for the time being, he let the girl fall to the ground, her heart beat going out like a light. "I'm surprised you came back at all. I thought I would have to eat all these lovely meals all by myself." He gestured to the compelled girls, whose faces were soaked in tears and running mascara.

"Fret not, Kol." Klaus nudged the blonde's corpse to the side. "I always finish my meals."

"What happened with Caroline?" Kol smirked. Klaus's body went rigid at the sound of her name on his brother's tongue. "I would've thought she'd be your meal for the day. She looks like she would be... delicious."

"Caroline is none of your concern," Klaus warned. He knew his brother, which meant he wasn't getting near her.

Kol's lips spread into a mischievous smile. "I'm not the one you should be worried about, brother. Rebekah wants her pretty little head impaled. I suggest you get what you want from her before she meets her impending doom."

Klaus gnarled his hands into a raven-haired girl's medium length locks, dragging her across the room until he sank down into the wooden chair he had previously occupied. His eyes glowed a golden yellow and pierced his large fangs into the vein in her neck. He ripped through the delicate tissue of her skin, taking out his rage on the human. Sweet, warm blood filled his mouth, doing little to quell his bloodlust.

His thoughts were consumed by images of the inscrutable blonde. He longed to know what her blood tasted like. The blood entering his mouth was sub par; it was nothing compared to her. He knew that just one drop from her would make him insatiable. He wished to sample everything she had to offer. From the taste of her blood, all the way down to how she screams from pleasure. He wanted to find out just how high he could bring her while she was covered in her victim's blood, already suffering from a high from a fresh kill. His mouth watered imagining how glorious she would be.

Rebekah would not get in the way of his plans, and he always got what he wanted.

Klaus sprang to his feet, letting the bloodless, limp body tumble to the ground. "I appreciate your concern, Kol, but it's not necessary." He reached for the next frightened girl and brought himself back to his seat. He drank greedily from her, similar to the other one.

Kol wiped his mouth clean with a silk handkerchief. "As much fun as it is to pluck these not so innocent humans from the halls, I want out of this wretched, juvenile purgatory, today."

Klaus released the half dead girl in his arms. A puddle of blood spilled over his fangs and hit the floor when he flashed an evil grin at her, watching her desperately crawl back to her seat. He turned to Kol with an amused grin on his face. "Then instead of providing useless advice to others, why don't you use your time more efficiently by finding a way to break this curse?"

"Nik, I speak British, not riddles," Kol countered.

Klaus appeared in front of Kol's chair, both hands gripping the arms of the chair as he leaned his face down a few inches from Kol's. "Then I suggest you take up riddles as your next foreign language. We only have eternity and I have no plans to spend it here. Do not come to me with grievances if you have no intent to do anything about it. Study the riddle again, and again, and again. Return when you've found something of use." Klaus stormed out, leaving Kol to finish his meal.

Caroline yawned as she pushed her dorm room door open. After the day she had, she was mentally exhausted, but she still had to meet Klaus at the library because of that stupid history project. She really didn't feel like going after their little run in at the church, but he would never negotiate with her reasonably if she didn't show up.

She just had to change out of her uniform and grab a few books she left in her room this morning. She'd been dreading seeing him again since ninth period started. Her stomach had been doing somersaults while she watched the clock tick by during AP Calculus. This was just going to be professional. She wouldn't answer any personal questions nor ask any of her own.

She flipped on the lights, her eyes glancing over a tidy room with two beds that were already made. It was weird coming in here. Ever since her little incident with Jared it seemed as if she barely even came in here except to sleep, but Elena was already knocked out by the time she came in. Although, Caroline wasn't complaining.

Caroline went through her drawers and picked out a light blue pair of denim shorts and a ruffled peach blouse. She didn't really consider her outfit as dressy attire, but she wondered what kind of impression it would give Klaus- because she would never, in a million years, do anything to impress him. It was better for him not to get his hopes up, especially for her.

Tossing the clothes on top of her bed, she sunk down to her knees and reached underneath her bed for the textbook she came for. Once her hand grasped onto the sleek, hard cover, she slid it into her arms and grabbed her clothes. She spun around to leave and screamed when she saw the person standing behind her, dropping everything in her hands.

"Hi, Caroline."

"Elena..." Caroline was breathless. It wasn't like she never thought she'd see her roommate again up and about, but she was hoping they'd meet on a less eerie note. "I- I didn't hear you come in..."

"That's not surprising considering you completely disregard anything I say anyway," Elena said through a tight-lipped smile. "Was it everything you imagined? Climbing to the top? Falling in bed with one of the Mikaelsons? Does it feel good to be Klaus's new whore?" The brunette struck Caroline across the cheek in a bruising blow.

Caroline's cool hand flew to her burning, red cheek. That bitch. Her eyes found Elena's angry, crazed ones. She's lost it. Elena has completely lost any sanity she pretended to have before. Caroline's rage began to build inside. She was done tip-toeing around fragile Elena. She had trusted her when she first arrived and all she got in return was lie after lie.

The blonde speared the petite girl to the ground, using her knees to pin Elena's wrists down as the girl thrashed underneath her. Caroline repeatedly punch Elena in the face, leaving a new bruise after each impact. Her other hand pushed down on Elena's throat, causing Elena to struggle to breath under the assault. "It's my turn to tell you a few things, you psychotic bitch! You told me that your sister, Katherine, was the one to betray you- that was a lie. You told me that if I came near the Mikaelsons I was as good as dead- I'm still here. You didn't tell me about Stefan because you didn't wanna give away your own secrets. Who the fuck are you?"

Elena's mind started getting fuzzy from Caroline's brutal beating. She could only act on instinct, and swung her legs up, curling her ankles around Caroline's throat to throw her off. With Caroline's back against the floor, Elena tried to pin the blonde's hands above her head, but she refused. "Everything I did was to protect you. I love you, Caroline. I would die for you."

Caroline's eyes widened, completely taken aback by Elena's declaration. What the hell was she on? This was just really fucked up. She stared at her for a moment before head butting her. Elena stumbled toward the ground on the other side of the room. "That is complete bullshit." Caroline used the desk to pull herself back to her feet.

Elena let her head fall into her hand, gripping the spot where she could feel a giant, aching bruise forming. "Why? Because we've only known each other for a few weeks, or because the Mikaelsons filled your head up with nonsense?"

"This right here." Caroline gestured to their predicament. "This is not love. I don't care how far you twist it. You're completely insane. I didn't understand before why Stefan would dump you for Rebekah before, but now it's all falling into place."

Elena shot to her feet and raced over to Caroline's side of the room, only leaving an arm's length of distance between them. Keeping her eyes carefully trained on Caroline's intense blue ones, she stalked towards her, causing the two girls to circle each other. "I want to forgive you, Caroline, I do, but you continually put your foot in your mouth. Don't you see? We need each other more than ever. I understand your thirst for power, but drawing attention to yourself only puts you in danger. I can help you quell that thirst while still keeping you safe."

"What?"

"You don't need the others. All you need is me. I'll be your only loyal subject. All I ask is for you to never leave me again. We'll walk out of this hell together in one piece," Elena proposed. "I need you, Caroline. I'm the only friend you need. No one else would make the sacrifices I would to protect you. I'm all you have, so give in."

Caroline scoffed. "I don't take orders from anyone, especially not you. You obviously have other serious issues, so I suggest you walk away before it's too late. I'm done fucking around, Elena. Come near me again and the inquisition will seem like Disneyland."

"Oh, yeah?" Elena taunted. "Where'd you learn that? Over pillow talk with Klaus Mikaelson? You really do need help."

"This isn't about Klaus. This is about you finding a new obsession!" Caroline snapped. "But I just realized... I have the biggest urge to kill someone right now." She eyed Elena with a malicious glint in her eye. "And I couldn't think of a better way to get back on the saddle..." Spontaneously, Caroline encased Elena's throat between her hands, slamming Elena's back straight into the wall. She could feel it- power- gradually being stolen from Elena and seeping into her through her skin. It was like a chemical being released inside her body; it was euphoric. Just one taste and it became an addiction, but there were no drugs or amount of meetings that could kick it.

A wide, satisfied smile continued to grow across Caroline's face as she watched life slowly slip out of Elena, her face turning blue. She knew that this was only the beginning. Despite the resistant part of her that fought her natural urges, she knew which one would ultimately win out now that her guard had begun to crumble.

She didn't blink for a second while she stared into Elena's weakened brown eyes. This was one of her favorite parts- seeing the flicker of life in their eyes, waiting for it to go out like a candle. When Caroline felt a sharp pain in her arm, she quickly withdrew her hands and staggered. Her hand flew to the location of the prick and pulled out a white syringe halfway filled with clear liquid.

Caroline hissed, immediately feeling the drugs start to take affect. "What did you do to me?" Her hand grabbed her head while her vision started to go a bit blurry. This was not happening. This could not happen.

Elena was coughing violently as if she were on death's doorstep. Her face turned bright red while oxygen was allowed back into her lungs. She looked terrible, but Caroline could spot the elated look in her eyes. Elena knew that she had won.

Caroline knew she should've stabbed that girl in her sleep when she still had the chance. Well, she wouldn't make that mistake twice. The blonde used all the strength she could muster up and stabbed the syringe into Elena's neck in her vulnerable state, filling her neck with all that remained inside the syringe.

Elena's back slid down the wall until she was slumped over, her eyes slowly fluttering shut.

Caroline rapidly blinked her eyes, which did nothing to heal her double vision. Her hand somehow found the doorknob beside her and turned it, allowing her body to collapse into the hallway through the ajar door.

Her eyelids felt like tombstones were weighing down on them. She couldn't find the strength to lift them and succumbed to the clear liquid running through her veins.

A/N: Hey, guys, so I know this isn't really a comedic fic, but I just wanted to take the time to thank anyone who might've nominated me for Best Comedy Author in the Klaroline Awards and anyone who has enjoyed this fic. You guys are the best!

Also, I should tell you that I have a little more than a week before I go back to school :(

I really love writing this fic so you don't have to worry about me not continuing it. I don't want to say that I'll be going on hiatus because I want to write when I find some free time, but updates won't be as frequent as they were the last couple weeks :(

Anyways, let me know what you thought of this chapter?

And yes, I know. I feel horrible just leaving you with that cliffhanger, but I'd love to hear your thoughts

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