So... do you accept apologies in the form of this Klaroline filled chapter?

Also, this chapter is not beta'd since I wanted to get it out to you guys asap.

And this chapter being posted tonight has been made possible by the snow day and past two late arrival schedules due to the terrible weather we're having. So yay!

:)

Chapter Eleven: A Deal With The Devil

Every fiber of her being was screaming that this was a bad idea. Although, it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Her heart had been hammering in her chest the entire way there; however, it could have easily been due to the fact that she'd been running since she jumped out of the window.

She may have been able to manipulate some of the students into siding with her, but she had no power with the authoritative figures. And there was only one person she knew who had sway with them, who might be willing to make a temporary alliance with her.

Before she had time to talk herself out of it, her fist was frantically pounding against the glossy, oak surface. At this point, she couldn't tell if she was paranoid, or just alert, anymore. The sounds of sirens and threatening voice still rang in her ear, even as she shifted uncomfortably in the lonely hallway. She really hoped that he hadn't fallen asleep and if he was, he wasn't grouchy when he was rudely awoken.

She was just about ready to start kicking his door when the door swiftly swung open, revealing an irritated- and shirtless- Klaus.

Caroline froze, her fist still raised and her jaw dropped. She was so stunned that she hadn't realized that her eyes had roamed over his sculpted torso, staring him up and down and taking in his sexy appearance. His perfect curls were still tucked in place, his deep blue eyes still hypnotic pools, and the stubble surrounding his mouth were still cut to the perfect length. It wasn't until his lips curved into a slight cocky smile that it dawned on her that he could see what she was doing. Her cheeks heated when she snapped back to reality, her hands clutching back onto her arms.

Klaus's eyebrows furrowed into a concerned look. She could tell that he wanted to say something, just didn't know what it was. His eyes scanned her appearance, a million questions running through his head.

"Okay… I'm listening," she uttered.

His face twisted even further into confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

Caroline gulped and tightened her grip around her arms. "Can I come in?" She honestly didn't know what she would do if he turned her away.

Her heart lifted when she saw Klaus sweep his arm through the doorway and into his room with that flirtatious grin of his. She was so not in the mood for that, so she ignored it and brushed past him. Stopping in the middle of the room, her hands remained folded over her chest and she analyzed the room.

It had the same layout as the one she shared with Elena. The walls were coated in the school's signature navy color, pictures of Klaus and the other Mikaelson's lining the wall. The drapes were open and revealed the shadowy night outside. There was an impressive collection of books on a large shelf against the front wall. Klaus's bed was neat, aside from the slight fold of the comforter where he must have been just about to slip into bed.

Well, at least she didn't wake him up like she feared. That probably explains why he hadn't bit her head off on sight.

Caroline turned her head to the other side of the room, where she nearly jumped as she locked eyes with Kol who sat at his desk, an excited grin on his face. "Oh, my God," she panted. He was not there a second ago… was he?

Kol was on his feet and rushing to her before she could protest. "Kol Mikaelson." He offered his hand to her. "I don't believe we've yet met, Caroline Forbes." She looked down at his hand, unmoving. "Quite an honor, I must say. From what I've heard, you are all the rage around here."

"What?" She wasn't even aware that he knew her name. Granted, she did set out to make a name for herself around here and interacted with people he associated with, but she wasn't sure. Her entire brain was scattered from the recent events, and now simply attempting to process his words was giving her a migraine.

Caroline blinked a few times, focusing on his appearance instead of his cryptic words. His face was the same as she had seen him when Elena pointed him out on her first day, handsome with an air of mischief to it. Now that she was really looking at him, she came to realize that just like Klaus, Kol wasn't wearing a shirt either.

People seriously need to learn to sleep with clothes on.

Kol was suddenly yanked away from her as Klaus pulled on his shoulder, forcing Kol to face him instead. Caroline released a sigh of relief, because, although, Klaus and Kol were equally as dangerous, she didn't know a thing about Kol. Didn't know his weaknesses, his typical behavior, while she knew Klaus had some interest in keeping her alive. He hadn't made a move against her yet, and that was either a good thing or a bad thing. She chose to believe it was the former.

She wasn't entirely sure what the appropriate move would be in this situation. What were you supposed to do when your dangerous barely-even-acquaintance is threatening his brother to leave, so that he can be alone with you? Do you look away, stare, or jump out the window?

"Get out, Kol," Klaus ordered, his expression grave. When Kol simply responded with a cheeky smile, Klaus whipped Kol's body around, a hand behind his neck as he started shoving him out the door.

"Nik!" Kol planted his heels into the ground, just as he was about to cross the threshold. "This is my room. Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"Knock on Stefan and Rebekah's room and start pleading before Bekah breaks your face. Besides, it's not like they're using both beds."

"Well, it's not like Caroline will be using mine," Kol bit out. Klaus's crushing grip tightened around Kol's shoulder and he groaned. "Easy… Come on, Nik. I've been away all day, hard at work to find a solution to our little predicament. The perfect source of entertainment has shown up at my door. You can't just ask me to leave."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not asking." Klaus's hands firmly pushed Kol into the hallway, swinging the door shut and locking it behind him. He ran a hand through his still wet curls as he made his way back to her. There was a small, apologetic smile on his face as he stood back in front of her. "Don't mind Kol. More of an inconvenience than anything."

The way Klaus was able to brush off Kol's violent tendencies like he were a mosquito chilled her to the bone. Kol's hesitance to assault her could have something to do with Klaus's presence, but it didn't change who he was. Elena did lie to her about some things; however, she got the feeling Kol wasn't one of them.

Caroline couldn't place her finger on it, but the Mikaelsons were different from her, different from the other students at the school. They were… a different kind of evil.

"Right…" she stated, dubiously. His burning stare ran over her hardened features. It made her feel like she was under five different scorching spotlights and it drove her insane. It agitated her even more that she couldn't read his face. "What?" she spat, immediately regretting her outburst.

He rolled his tongue for a moment, his eyes never wavering. "Would you like to tell me why you felt the need to attempt to knock down my door at 3am?"

She swallowed harshly. Now confronted by him, she really wished that she had thought this plan all the way through. Normally she would have, but in her defense, she had about thirty seconds to plan it out in her head before she started running towards his dorm. "I… I- I need your help, okay?"

Klaus arched a brow and his lips spread into a pleased smile. "Is that so? How can I be of service to you, Caroline? I do recall that you said you would be willing to listen to me before you walked in." Folding his hands behind his back, he slowly circled her like a vulture, preparing to swoop down and capture its prey.

She narrowed her eyes at the arrogant bastard. "Look, I don't know how you do it, but you have a lot of control here. Not just on the students, but on the faculty too." She chewed on her bottom lip, attempting to delay the inevitable. Klaus cocked his head, curiosity peeking through his eyes. "I killed someone… and if you don't help me, I'm as good as dead."

Fear and regret settled into her belly, not because she killed the doctor, because she basically put her life into Klaus's hands. Klaus, someone who took pleasure in causing others pain, in watching their life drain from their eyes.

Just like her.

"Then you should take Kol's bed after all." Klaus gestured to the untouched bed behind her.

Caroline released the breath she had been unconsciously holding. She stared at him with a blank expression before her eyes drifted between his and the bed. "What?"

"My apologies, did you wish to share mine?" His lips widened into a lascivious grin and his eyes burned into her skin like he was imagining it.

Caroline responded with a tight-lipped smile. "Pass." Her heart thrummed at the idea and the fact that he was half-naked in front of her was not helping to keep her hormones in check at all. If she was anywhere else she might have considered it under different circumstances, but there was no way in hell she trusted Klaus enough to ever let the thought into her mind. "It's just that… that's it? You'll protect me?"

"Did I not make that clear?" He asked.

"No, actually, you didn't," she told him, exasperated. "You said I could use Kol's bed. Where in that statement did you say, 'Yes, Caroline, you have my protection?'"

Klaus let a small chuckle escape from his throat. "Yes, Caroline, you have my protection."

"Why?" She tensed. It probably wasn't the smartest move to ask your untrustworthy, dangerous last resort why he was protecting your ass. But she wasn't about to close her eyes, taking his word for it without knowing all the details. "You don't owe me anything. We're not friends, barely acquaintances. You didn't ask for anything in return."

"Perhaps I find it in my better interest to keep you alive," he admitted.

"Why do you need me alive?" Caroline felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach. She mentally berated herself for asking a question she already knew the answer to and would really prefer to not hear the answer from Klaus's mouth. But once she starts talking, there's no going back. "Because you want to fuck me, right?"

Klaus's blue eyes glazed over in lust and sent shivers across her skin. Before Caroline could process what was happening, Klaus had her trapped between his body and the night stand, one hand on either side of her on the table. "Do you want me to fuck you?" His nose dipped into her blonde curls while his breath lit her ear on fire. Her entire body shuddered and she knew that he felt it.

She forced herself to appear unaffected, staring him down. "No."

Klaus tightened his grip on the nightstand, the sound of splintering wood filling the air. Caroline flinched at the cacophonous noise. Not good. "I think you're lying."

"Then your ego really needs to learn to deal with setbacks like this." She tried to maneuver out of the cage he'd built around her, but Klaus refused to relent. "Klaus-"

"You're quite curious, Caroline." His eyes scanned her face with scrutiny. Beads of sweat began to line the back of her neck. She was terrified at what he would do if he found any deception, or what she would do. "You're clearly attracted to me, actually more than attracted. I believe crave is a better term." She scoffed. He was even more insane than she originally thought. "Yet… you deny yourself the ability to even enjoy yourself in my company, now why is that?"

It was then that she knew that she had lost her facade. Klaus looked at her like he was trying to drill his stare right into her very core. She didn't know how to react. She had never met anyone who had taken the time to analyze her so thoroughly. The rush that surged through her was making her even more conflicted. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't feel the sudden impulse to hop into bed with a sadistic monster who could kill me in my sleep. What's the plan, Klaus? Fuck them and then kill them?"

Caroline really wished she had bit her tongue then. If Klaus knew that she was onto him, she'd be dead in the next ten seconds, at least that's what she would have done. From the way he was gritting his teeth, she came to the conclusion her suspicions were right.

"Is that all you believe you're worth?" he asked solemnly.

Caroline was struck by his grave tone. Why did he sound like that? Why was he looking at her in that way that made her feel bare to his eyes? Klaus, like her, was a monster. Something that could never feel any real emotion, or so she heard. But stepping into this school was like stepping into a different dimension, the rules were different.

Shaking her head, she forced the thoughts from her head. "Are you going to help me or not?" At first, she didn't think he would let the question go so easily. His determined face indicated that he had no intention of forgetting it happened, but perhaps he stored it inside his mind for him to eventually return to.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to help you, love." His grin stayed firmly in place and he stilled his motions, pausing in front of her. "But first, I need your word that you will be completely honest with me. I'm serious, Caroline. No lies and no secrets." He placed his hands on her petite shoulders.

Caroline flinched slightly at their intense proximity. Holding her breath, she quickly nodded. "Okay… yes. No secrets. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." Klaus gestured for her to take a seat on his mostly made bed and she obliged.

"Start from the beginning." He perched himself right beside her, his thigh brushing hers. "And by that, I mean, where you were when you decided not to meet me at the library for the meeting we set up." He raised a brow at her expectantly, and Caroline gasped, realization written all over her features. "Let me be very clear: I don't get stood up, ever."

Caroline's hand clung to her cheek. Flashbacks of the earlier part of the day ran across her eyes. She knew that there was something she had forgotten about. "I was… I was on my way to see you. That's what I was doing when it happened…"

"What? What were you doing, Caroline?" Klaus prodded.

She calmly blinked her eyes, albeit there was a gradual explosion building inside her. "I was in my room and then… I was attacked. Elena attacked me." She stayed silent for a moment, waiting for Klaus to react but he never did. Turning her head, Klaus's express appeared to be stoic. She would have mistaken him for being indifferent if she hadn't noticed the slight tick of his jaw. He didn't actually care, did he? "Klaus?"

He motioned for her to continue on with the story, so she did.

Caroline gulped as she delved back into the dark parts of her mind. "Elena shot me up with some drugs. Apparently I was out for a while and ended up who knows where. I tried to leave and then the nurses sedated me… that's when I met this psychiatrist and killed her." Her skin tingled as she heard how easily the words spilled from her lips. Just a few months ago, she wouldn't think she would ever be able to act so nonchalant on such a dark topic ever again. Perhaps she should thank her mother for shipping her away afterall.

"Why?" Klaus questioned, and she gave him an obvious look. "No, really. Tell me why you did it."

She inhaled deeply. "The same reason why anyone here does anything: I wanted to. She was sitting there, calling me a monster. She wanted to fix me and I have no interest whatsoever to be fixed. I like who I am- what I am, and I haven't been able to say that in a long time… when I was in that room with her, I just felt this pull. Killing her just felt like instinct, you know?"

Klaus slowly nodded his head, like he knew exactly what she meant. From the ever changing expressions on his face, she could tell it was an experience he constantly relived and respected. Although, from the slight twitch of the corner of his mouth, she could tell that there was something agitating him about her answer. For someone so experienced and terrifying, he could probably sniff a lie from a mile away, or in her case, withholding of information.

"You have no idea," he confessed, a playful smile on his lips. Klaus rose up from the bed and Caroline released the breath she had been holding since he sat down. "You're free to get cleaned up in the bathroom." He gestured to the door to the left of Kol's bed. "I'll leave fresh clothes on your new bed for you to wear. I'm assuming you would prefer not to continue walking around in rags with such traumatic memories attached."

Caroline's eyes dropped down to the tattered clothes that reeked of the doctor she had killed. Nodding, a small, appreciative smile crept along her lips. She stood to her feet and headed towards the bathroom.

"Caroline," Klaus called back.

She turned. "Yeah?"

"You should know that when you're under my protection, there is nothing on this Earth that can touch you. I'm going to round up my siblings to inform them of their duties in ensuring you're kept safe. Elena is going to wish that Rebekah had killed her years ago."

Caroline was stunned by his words. A normal girl probably would have been shaken to her very core at his dark implications and would have started running… but she was no normal teenage girl. Instead, it made her feel powerful.

"Good," she uttered, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Klaus had laid his softest button down and sweat pants, folded, on the corner of Kol's bed. Pacing back and forth in the middle of the room, he ran through several procedures he could take to get Caroline out of this mess. There was a severe gnawing in his chest about why exactly he was so concerned over this girl, but he couldn't heed that thought at the moment.

He strode out of the room and started banging on the first few dorms straight across from his. He knew that he would probably get an ear full from all of them, especially his sister, not to mention the grievances from the rest of the teenagers living nearby, in the morning. It didn't matter, he could handle all of them, or those who dared to raise their tone with him.

Just as expected, Rebekah was the first to follow him back into his dorm, followed by Stefan, Kol, Elijah, and Katherine.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, I am going to roast you over a fire and carve your insides out with a fork!" Rebekah screamed, her half awake state making her resemble a witch from one of those childish movies they made in this day and age. "It is nearly 5AM." She was seething.

Katherine was next to try her luck with the hybrid. "What the fuck, Klaus? Do you see me banging on your door at ungodly hours at night? I mean, do you think that this just happens?" She waved a hand in front of her face, referring to her usually pretty face, but was now masked with sleep and distaste. From her unruly appearance, he could understand why she would be so upset for the disturbance.

"Oh, look who came crawling back," Kol drawled, pride mingling in his voice.

"Niklaus," Elijah yawned. "Would you like to inform us why you called us all here? Preferably in the morning, so I can properly chastise you."

Klaus could tell that Stefan still had plenty of sleep in his eyes, but his friend still attempted to glare at him the best he could in his fatigued state. It was quite amusing.

"Where are Finn and Sage?" Klaus peered over the group and lifted his eyes when they finally arrived. Both of them with murderous expressions as they joined the others. "Well, it took you long enough."

"What do you want?" Finn snapped.

A tight-lipped smile spread across Klaus's face. He swallowed the urge to rip out Finn's jugular, reminding himself that he had just woken them up from their slumber. "To give you your new assignments. Kol has deciphered the witch's words." Everyone in the room had their mouths hanging open, aside from Kol who was grinning like a child with a new toy. "Yes. That means we are closer to freedom than we've been in a long time, so I would cease your grumbling and listen to what I have to say."

"Are you joking?" Katherine asked suspiciously.

"Does it look like I'm anything but serious?" Klaus's face hardened even further. Everyone turned to each other, chattering amongst themselves in excitement. "Stefan and Rebekah will refresh on their biblical knowledge." He tossed a tan book with a velvety cover to Stefan, a bookmark saving a passage for them to find. "You'll find a passage listing how to violate the church in the worst possible ways. Memorize it.

"Finn and Sage will find three sins to revert to virtues. Katerina and Elijah will keep Collins and Edwards occupied while this is going on. Kol and I will focus on the twisted love story. On another note-"

"Wait, back up for a moment, Nik," Rebekah ordered. "Did you say a love story?"

Klaus sighed, grateful when Kol decided to take this one.

"Apparently a twisted love story starts the clock. We only have one window of opportunity to pull this off, so don't waste it."

"A twisted love story?" Rebekah set her teeth on edge. "What does that make me and Stefan?"

"It explicitly stated a love story that's one in a million. It doesn't happen every day. It's a miracle that these fools found love," Klaus clarified.

"And?" Rebekah spat, offended. "That still doesn't explain why you haven't thought to use Stefan and I."

"Your love story started years ago and the forces of the Universe didn't even blink," Klaus quipped. "If it had been you, we would have been out of this purgatory four years ago."

Rebekah huffed, pulling herself into Stefan's embrace. "Well then, where do you plan to get this perverted Cinderella story? If it isn't Stefan and I, it certainly isn't those lust-driven animals." She nudged her head in Elijah's and Katherine's, and Finn's and Sage's direction.

They gaped back at her, taking offense.

"It's none of you," Klaus dead-panned. Rubbing a hand across his face, he really wished that he was working with different people. "Figuring that out will be mine and Kol's job. You are only to concern yourselves with your own tasks. And one more thing… Caroline Forbes is the current target of a very vengeful Elena. She is to be protected at all cost and Elena is to be hunted down like the road-kill she is."

Everyone went silent, their curious gazes fixed on Klaus. It wasn't until the silence settled into the room in that moment that the sound of pressurized water was heard from inside the bathroom.

Klaus pressed his lips together and averted their judgemental eyes.

"For Christ's sake, Nik, you already fucked her," Rebekah lashed out. "What more do you want from her?"

Kol's eyebrows shot up. "I slept right through it… I can't believe I slept right through it. If she wasn't screaming loud enough for me to hear it, perhaps Nik wasn't up to par with her expectations." He smirked.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at his brother. His fists clenched tightly, imagining wrapping them around Kol's windpipe. He probably would have if he wasn't so aware that Caroline was just in the next room and would completely blow his cover as a human with one wrong move. "Believe me, Kol. When I bed a woman, you will know."

Kol shrugged at his promise, most likely anxious for Klaus to deliver.

Rebekah turned her irritated countenance back to Klaus. "If you think I'm going to protect Caroline Forbes over choosing to partake in more pleasurable activities, like watching my nails dry, you're mistaken."

"You will do as you are told, Little sister," Klaus said with conviction.

"Are you really going to go so far for a quick fuck?" Rebekah was raging. "I think you're forgetting something, Nik. She's human. Her life means nothing."

The words were out of his mouth before he could kill them. "But she could be more!" He panted and his eyes searched every single one of their faces. There was shock and slight fear filling the room.

Rebekah's eyes scanned his face for even a hint of mockery or deception. She tore out of the room when she'd found none, creating her own blazing path in the group of people towards the door. Stefan flashed a regretful look at his friend and followed Rebekah back to their room.

Ironically, Klaus felt the migraine begin to build once his sister had made her exit. He knew what the others were thinking of his little outburst. He couldn't stand to see their current faces and threw them all out. Elijah had implored him to allow him to talk with him about this. No doubt to try to talk reason into him. He would not allow his siblings to influence him on this.

He would do what he wanted and what he felt was necessary. He wasn't even entirely certain what Caroline Forbes meant to him, or if she did mean anything to him. He knew for sure that it wasn't what those foolish humans would rationalize it to be. The mere thought of such weakness had him shuddering.

From the moment they met, he knew one thing: there was greatness in her.

And he had every intention of taking her for himself.

After running the complimentary wide tooth comb, provided in each room, through her hair, Caroline curled her hand around the end of the cotton towel that hugged her body. The steam that had collected on the mirror was now dissipated completely. Staring back at her reflection, she watched the way her breathing had grown uneven.

Her eyes fell down to her hands, remembering the warm slickness of blood coating her fingers. The strength that had flowed past her wrists and seeped into the pores of her skin was no longer visible, but she still felt it. The blood was branded into her flesh. After a crime scene, you can get a mop and clean up the blood, but it still remains in some shape, or form.

The scent of blood seemed to slip out from under the window sill, because her nose was assaulted by the exact odor of the room that Caroline left the doctor's body in. It drew out the vivid memories, step by excruciating step.

Her eyes reconnected with the ones that had just been staring back at her. This time, her face had gone pale white, one she'd recognized far too often.

Oh, God.

Her body abruptly sprang over to the pristine toilet on instinct, dropping to her knees, before letting her insides burn a path through her throat. Stomach churning gags erupted from her throat as her stomach emptied out, like pouring a bucket of water into the sink.

She should have known she couldn't kill someone without at least some ramifications. The same thing happened on the night of prom. What would make her think that things would be any different?

Once her stomach had given her reprieve, she tilted her head slightly and grimaced at the repugnant taste in her mouth.

"Caroline," Klaus's voice sounded from the other side of the door as he pounded on it. "Caroline, what's going on in there?"

Caroline moaned. Her hands clutched her stomach more firmly. Bringing Klaus into this would just make things so much worse. She just wanted to be left alone in her humiliation. Just as Klaus's incessant pounding grew louder, Caroline felt her stomach lurch once more and thrust her head back into the bowl.

"Caroline, if you don't open this door in the next second, I'm breaking it down," he warned, his voice steely.

Caroline wanted to scream, to protest, anything, but she couldn't. Her body was against her and her mouth had Niagara Falls coming out of it.

She was paralyzed.

Just as promised, after a moment of hearing herself groan at the scorching sensations inside her mouth, a loud crash emitted behind her. Her back flinched subtlely and she wiped her mouth when her stomach settled for the moment. She turned her head precisely ninety degrees to meet Klaus's shocked gaze.

His mouth hung open and his eyes widened just a fraction of an inch. She certainly hoped that look wasn't for how horrible she probably looked, or the smell of her puke.

"Caroline…" he started as he came out of his shock. "What's wrong?" He crouched down in front of her and rubbed her still wet arms. "Is this Elena's doing?"

Fire shot across every inch of skin that Klaus's hands touched. She shivered under his hands, all too aware of how vulnerable she was in his presence. Not only was she trapped in a corner with him, alone, but she only had a towel that barely covered her still damp body.

Although, strangely enough, she wasn't as frightened as she would have predicted, not when his eyes were staring at her that way. It wasn't predatory like she would have expected; they had an air of curiosity more than anything.

"No." She shook her head. "This isn't because of the drugs."

"Then why is it happening?"

Caroline swallowed and grimaced at the acidic taste that traveled down her throat. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Caroline," Klaus said her in name in a grave tone. His face grew darker, a scowl marking it.

Caroline glowered back at him. He was trying to intimidate the answers out of her, and she was not having it, not about this. "It's none of your business, so drop it. I don't ask questions about your life." In her annoyance, she shot to her feet, quickly realizing she was moving a bit too fast. She lost her balance and fell forward until Klaus had her in his arms when he jumped back to his feet.

Her cheeks burned as if her mouth was still on fire. Her head was still spinning from her fast movements and being pressed against Klaus was not helping her come out of her daze at all. She focused her eyes on him and mentally rolled her eyes at the small smirk on his lips.

"Let's get you into bed," he whispered and his other arm swung her up into his arms from behind her knees. Caroline knew she shouldn't let herself relax in his arms, which she didn't- at least, not completely- but she couldn't ignore the way he held her. It wasn't threatening, it was possessive, not the same as safe, but a step up from the former.

She couldn't help but lean into his chest as her cheek pressed against it in a burning sear. Her arms had circled around his neck, even more of his exposed flesh heating her skin.

She was thinking of his hands the entire time she was in his arms. How close his hands were to the ache between her legs. They gripped onto the bare skin just above her knee and her ribcage covered by the towel. Her vulnerable state of mind allowed thoughts of Klaus into her head, dirty thoughts that involved him shoving that hand beneath the towel. These were dangerous thoughts to have in such a dangerous setting. If she allowed the thoughts to fester, she didn't know what would happen in between now and fixing the little situation she created for herself.

Caroline was no prude, she had indulged in all the seven sins, but doing any activity that exposed so much vulnerability with a person like Klaus was only asking for punishment.

Soft, sleep-inducing sheets met Caroline's bare skin as Klaus withdrew his arms from her. She nearly sighed at the loss of him.

Klaus caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, drawing her eyes back to him. Somehow he was able to relieve the throbbing pain of the headache her sickness always brought. Caroline stared up into his eyes, noticing the careful way he watched her. "I'm assuming you're going to want to brush your teeth now." She nodded silently. Her throat felt raw from the onslaught of fire that burned up her throat. "Then I will go fetch it for you while you change into more appropriate sleepwear." He placed a small pile of clothes in front of her that had been resting on the corner of the bed.

She exhaled deeply. She was grateful for everything Klaus was doing for her, even if his intentions were less than noble. She would have been suspicious if they seemed anything but unethical. However, that wasn't exactly a good thing either. Someone like Klaus was probably used to getting what he wanted, so what would happen if he didn't get what he wanted from her?

She quivered just thinking about it.

She took a deep breath before finally dropping her towel to slip into the button down shirt and sweat pants he had offered her to wear. There was a knotting in her stomach as she thought of the significance of her current situation. She was wearing his clothes in his room after using his shower. She certainly hoped that she wasn't sending him signals that she didn't mean to send. Besides, she made herself perfectly clear to him that she only wanted his alliance.

Tucking herself back underneath the covers, Klaus came out of the bathroom with her toothbrush, already covered in toothpaste, and a cup for her to rinse. Her lips lifted into an appreciative smile and popped the brush inside her mouth.

Once she was done, Caroline let her head fall back against the fluffy oversized pillow, her entire body unwinding on the heavenly mattress. She probably would have passed out by now if she wasn't aware that Klaus was still watching her.

"Good-night, sweetheart." He smiled down at her before heading to the other bed. "My offer still stands, just so you know." Caroline furrowed her brows in confusion at first, but quickly remembered his offer to share his bed when he flashed her a seductive grin.

She scoffed. "I'll keep that in mind." Not that she would ever penetrate that boundary. Turning on her side, Caroline watched Klaus close his eyes just as she did. There was no way in hell she was going to close her eyes in the same room as him without at least being able to peek at him within a moment's notice.

Just as she was about to succumb to her exhausted body's desire for sleep, her eyes shot open when the last image she saw flashed behind her eyes. The bathroom door looked exactly the same as it had just before she stepped into the shower. "Klaus…"

"Gave in to me already, sweetheart?" Klaus wore a cocky grin as his eyes remained closed.

She rolled her eyes that time. "Which side of the room is Kol's bed on?"

"The left."

"And… which side of the room are you sleeping on right now?" Her voice tensed with irritation.

"The left." His grin stretched from ear to ear as he responded.

Son of a bitch.

Running a hand across her sleep-filled eyes, Caroline's eyes languidly fluttered open. She slowly realized that trying to move too fast right now was about as good of an idea as it was last night. She groaned.

"Caroline." Klaus was sitting on the edge of the bed before she could even register that she was awake.

She flinched, knocking her back into the headboard. "Jesus Christ, Klaus!" She placed a hand over her chest and felt the rapid beating of her heart. "What are you doing?"

"Bringing you an elixir to alleviate that nasty headache of yours." He picked up a wine glass from the nightstand and brought it to her face. Caroline dropped her eyes down to the scarlet liquid inside and flashed him a dubious look. It's not like he could blame her for being skeptical of mysterious drinks that he presented to her in the morning, considering he's Klaus. "I think we both know that if I was going to kill you it wouldn't be through poison. Where's the fun in that?"

A small weight lifted from her chest, feeling confident that poison wasn't his weapon of choice. Although, poison wasn't the only way he could hurt her. "You first."

Klaus's eyebrows shot up at her demand and his lips quirked up in amusement. He clearly wasn't expecting her to say that. "Beautiful and clever." He threw the mixture down his throat and then handed it to her. "Not that I'm surprised."

She reluctantly brought the class to her lips, letting the rich liquid slide down her throat. Her tongue swirled around her mouth, tasting the dark flavor that coated her mouth. "Is this wine?"

"Very weak, recent wine," he clarified.

"You want me to drink wine to cure my headache?" Caroline raised a brow suspiciously. "Replace my headache with a hangover headache? Brilliant."

Klaus gave her a pointed look. "Well, don't drink the whole bottle." He took the glass away from her and set it back down on the nightstand.

Caroline had to giggle at his stern tone and he smiled back at her.

The blonde's eyes shifted over to the clock beside her and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God! Please tell me that clock is lying." Throwing the luxurious comforter off her body, she jumped out of bed, in a hurry to find something to where. But seriously, she's in a boy's dorm room, what the hell was she thinking?

"Caroline," he tried to appease her. "You're not going anywhere."

"What do you mean 'you're not going anywhere.'" She mocked his accent. "Homecoming is tonight. I don't know if you've been paying attention, but I'm running it with your sister, who loathes that fact, by the way. I have to be in school on the day of homecoming." In the midst of throwing all of Klaus's drawers open, it dawned on her that she would never find any clothes that didn't look like she started shopping in the men's section of Nordstrom. "Ugh. Forget it. I might as well start doing the walk of shame now when less people will see me."

Klaus chuckled as he blocked her exit. "Caroline, I think you need to think things through first. You can't just walk out of here, remember? You're wanted for killing a faculty member. If memory serves, the price is your head."

She huffed. He was right and she hated it. "Then what do you suggest? If I walk away from homecoming, then the doctor and Rebekah both win."

Klaus placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's just a dance, love."

"No," Caroline repudiated. "To you, it's just a dance. You don't understand. It's just that… forget it." She ran a hand across her face as she turned away from him.

Klaus sighed from behind her. "What is it?" Placing his hand back on her shoulder, he turned her around to face him. "No, really. Tell me."

Caroline pressed her lips into a tight line. She was more than certain he was just making fun of her, but there was this honest appearance to his face that made her relent. "Fine… you don't know what it's like to live in someone else's shadow. In my old school, my best friend was like this immortal being. She just walked into a room and everyone automatically hailed her. Nothing else existed when she was around… including me… so maybe it seems immature, or irrelevant to want this one night where I could have that. Because the way these people look at me, it makes me feel…"

"Invinsible."

Caroline's eyes shot back up to Klaus's, an inferno shooting through their gazes. "Yeah."

She found something in his all consuming eyes that struck her. It wasn't cruelty or amusement in the least. Instead, there was understanding that she never would have expected from Klaus Mikaelson. His eyes were magnetizing and she made no effort to resist being pulled into his vortex.

She couldn't tell if she was the one leaning forward, or it was him, or if it was mutual, but she felt an irresistible pull towards him. By some force, their bodies' had grown closer. She had nearly forgotten who they were, who he was. All that existed to her were Klaus's all-too-alluring eyes, in that moment.

Caroline quickly darted her eyes off to the side as reality set back in, breaking the spell between them. A sharp exhale escaped her mouth when she was given room to breathe again. She couldn't believe how reckless she just was. That was the end of that.

Taking a peek at Klaus's face, from the corner of her eye, his face twisted in irritation and she gulped. She may not have known him for long, but she had a feeling an irritated Klaus was a dangerous Klaus.

"Klaus?" She asked, anticipating his response.

He composed himself, before turning back to her. His face shifted from irritation to a calm, indifferent one, a skill of a true killer. "Yes, love?"

"I have to go to school." Her heart accelerated inside her chest.

"Then we shall ensure that everyone in this purgatory knows that you're untouchable." Klaus offered his arm out for her to take, a large smirk on his lips. Initially, Caroline hesitated, until she decided there was no harm in it, and slipped her hand inside his elbow. Klaus opened the door for them to depart.

"I believe it's time to show you what it truly means to be a queen."

Please do let me know what you thought of the chapter. Hopefully now that I have some room in my schedule to get some writing done I'll be able to update more (fingers crossed).

And I wish all of you a wonderful 2015.