Hello lovelies, sorry it took so long for me to get this updated, excuses are at the end of the part. I hope this part isn't too boring, I'm not completely satisfied with it. Thanks to klovec for her support and betaing with this part as well as klarolineepiclove.

Part Two

A few hours later just as the sky was darkening, Caroline made her way out into the woods behind her house to the clearing where the pack always met for hunts or other gatherings. After her run in with Klaus, she decided to stay close to the house until nightfall. The decision that ended up being a good one since her uncle and cousins came over to see her and have dinner. The meal was enjoyable... well if you didn't include the parts when Damon was badgering her with questions about the 'hot college' girls on campus. It had been good to see them. However, now it was time to be reunited with the pack, the rest of her family.

"Nervous?" Stefan asked.

Caroline continued to stare at the group of gathering wolves as she shook her head, which seemed to amuse Stefan if his laugh was any indication. "You're still a terrible liar."

Huffing in exasperation, Caroline turned to argue with Stefan but before she could get a word out, a mass of blonde hair attacked her, almost knocking her over as she hugged her tight. "Lexi, I'm happy to see you too but I can't breathe."

"Sorry Care," Lexi apologized as she pulled back and released the other blonde, only for Caroline to be pulled into another hug by her friend Bonnie. "Please, she can handle it. It's payback for not visiting sooner."

"Guys, I…" Caroline started to make excuses but Lexi interrupted by grabbing her hand. "Come on, everyone is waiting to see you."

She allowed Lexi to pull her along to join the pack, Caroline' appearance causing a stir in the crowd, just as she always had given her standing. Her wolf enjoyed being surrounded by other wolves, soaking it in like a thirsty man after trekking the desert, while the other side of her smiled through all of the hugs.

Since she had been a young girl, Caroline felt like she was two people in one; the wolf side and the human side. She embraced her wolf, but also wanted to have a normal teenage girl's life and she did everything she could to have it. But of course, like everything else in her life, Caroline had to go above and beyond. Instead of simply being a good student, a cheerleader, or a member of the dance committee, she was one of the top students of her class, cheer team captain and head of almost every social committee there was at school. And whereas others in the pack who had wanted to go to college went to nearby Whitmore, she had chosen one on the border of her father's territory instead. She wanted to be her own person and figure out who she was before she became completely trapped by her birthright as the next Alpha female. Everything she planned had gone perfectly, until the summer of her senior year when a certain motorcycle riding wrench was thrown into her plan.

"Have you talked to him?" Bonnie whispered to her once they had made the rounds.

Snapping her gaze away from the wolf in question, Caroline couldn't help but blush a bit at being caught staring at Klaus. She nodded. "Just for a moment, I ran into him outside of the house."

"And?" Bonnie asked, eyebrow raised as she waited for Caroline to explain more.

"And nothing. We spoke for all of about five minutes at most." She explained.

"That's it? I expected more." Bonnie replied, obviously disappointed by Caroline's answer. "Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised,. If there had been more time, I'm sure the whole town would have heard the two of you."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that Greta interrupted us; she was more than happy to interrupt us." Caroline declared as her gaze drifted to where said she-wolf was waiting, not surprisingly near Klaus. Granted in this case, it wasn't just the two of them. Damon was with them, as were a few other wolves that had been a few years ahead of her in school. "So how long have…I mean, has it…"

Getting what her friend was struggling to ask, Bonnie smiled sympathetically. "I'm not really sure, not long, a few months maybe. Everyone was surprised; they just showed up together one night at the Grille. I don't think it is serious though, Care, Luka hasn't told me anything."

"Bonnie, it's okay; I'm the one that left." Caroline stammered through the lie. It wasn't okay, not really, it hurt knowing he was with someone and the wolf in her scratched to come out and rage but she couldn't blame him. Like she told Bonnie, she left him. She deserted her mate; it was natural for him to seek out comfort, no matter how hollow it was. Wolves could be intimate with those who were not their mate, though it was a very poor substitute for the connection mates felt. Even those whose mating was still somewhat new.

Her father's deep voice rumbled across the clearing addressing the pack, but Caroline wasn't paying attention despite the fact that he was talking about her; she was still watching Klaus and his group. It wasn't until she felt Bonnie elbow her that she came back to herself. "What?"

Bonnie just grinned at her wolfishly. "Time to run."

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Flashback

Caroline was having a horrible day, beyond horrible. It had been storming for the last two days, and the night before the storm had gotten so violent that it had knocked out the power. Her phone had not charged. This had meant her alarm had not gone off causing her to be late, and her day had snowballed. She had been driving home when rabbit had darted across the road, which she had swerved to avoid hitting, and her tires had gotten stuck in the mud. Now she was stuck on the side of the road with no phone to call for help; which left her with two options, flag down anyone that came along or turn and run home on four legs, with a side trip to hunt the little furry nuisance that got her into this mess.

Deciding that the latter option would be the quickest, Caroline quickly kicked off her muddy sandals and was about to undress when the sound of an engine approaching broke the silence, making her pause. A few moments later, the vehicle appeared and Caroline cursed her repetitive bad luck.

"Need some assistance sweetheart?" Klaus asked after killing the engine on his bike and removing his helmet.

"Actually, my car thought that it needed a mud bath." Caroline retorted but winced internally at the harshness in her voice. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm just having a really bad day."

"Seems like you must have a lot of them then." He replied, and she knew he referring to how she had acted the last time they had seen each other, a week before. She had not crossed paths with him since, despite the size of the town, and she had a feeling that him being the first one to come to her aid was a bit of karma. "I assume you have already rung for aid or a tow company?"

"Actually, no." She answered before holding her phone up. "It's dead. I was about to head for home for some help when you came along. Hey, what are you doing?"

Klaus looked up at her from where he was squatting down next to her tires. "Looking to see what kind of mess you have here."

"You don't have to, if I could just use your phone, I can call for a tow." Caroline declared but her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as he continued to move around the car before gathering some nearby brush. She watched as he worked, shoving branches and such under her back tires for a few minutes before standing again. "Okay love, try it now."

Caroline bit her lip as she slid behind the wheel of her car. She didn't think it would work but at this point she would try anything to get out of having to go to her house and explain that she had gotten into this mess after avoiding a bunny. Nevertheless when she pressed on the gas, and her car lurched forward seconds later, she was proven wrong. Once she steered the car so that all four tires were firmly on concrete, Caroline got out of the car to thank Klaus for his help but it died on her lips as soon as she saw him.

Klaus' gray t-shirt and jeans not to mention his face was covered in mud, splattered she guessed from her tires. As she looked over the damage, she couldn't help but notice how his soaked shirt clung to his chest like a second skin, highlighting the very nice body underneath. She felt a surge of desire rush through her, and her wolf clawing to the surface, wanting to touch, to taste the skin that the clothes covered. Wolves were used to nudity, it was natural but there was something when it was hidden from them that made it more alluring.

Realizing she was staring at him, Caroline snapped herself out of her daze. "I am so sorry."

Wiping some mud off of his face, Klaus shook his head. "It's just a bit of mud, sweetheart. At least it worked and your car is no longer trapped."

"Thank you for that," She said gratefully. "I thought there was no way that I'd be able to get out of there without some major help."

"You are welcome. And you'd be surprised at what you pick up on the road when you are on your own." He stated as he began to try and wipe away some of the mud sticking to his skin.

"Send me the bill for your clothes, it is the least I can do."

"No need for all of that, it is nothing that won't rinse off easily enough in the wash." Klaus declared.

"I am trying to repay you for your help but you're not letting me." Caroline grumbled at his stubbornness. "There has to be something."

She regretted the words as soon as she saw the grin on his face. "What?"

"The laundry facilities are broken at the boarding house so for me to do the wash, I will need to use the one in town, which sounds quite dull and boring. Instead as a thank you, you can keep me company." Klaus explained. "As a way to repay the debt you owe me."

Thinking about her reaction to Klaus a few minutes ago, Caroline thought his proposal was a really bad idea. Maybe she could convince him to let her give him the cash or maybe a gift basket of some kind. One with laundry supplies, gift card to the Laundromat, and some snacks, perhaps? However Klaus interrupted her thoughts before she could brainstorm more.

"Oh, come on. Take a chance, Caroline. Talk to me, spend some time with me to get to know me." Klaus pushed before his lips turned up in a smirk and his eyes took on a look of mischief. "I dare you." Despite herself, Caroline couldn't help but laugh. "What are you twelve? Do you really think that will work?" His smirk grew as he shrugged, "It worked enough that you haven't rejected my proposition yet." "You really just want me to sit with you while you do laundry?" She asked, eyebrow arching in question. "I said keep me company, not take up the seat next to me." Klaus declared. "You said that I have to earn the possibility of being with you, I can't do that if I am never around you. I would much rather try to woo you properly, however since you snubbed my offer of dinner before, I am willing to take advantage of any opportunity I can." It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, it was actually what she had planned to say but her brain seemed to forget to tell her mouth that. "Fine." "Fine?" Klaus repeated.

"Yes, fine. I'll keep you company while you wash your clothes." Caroline stated. "But I am paying for it, no arguments."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Klaus said as he held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Now I assume you would like to return home and retrieve your charger so I should expect you at the Boarding House shortly?"

Caroline's eyes widened comically. "You want to go now?"

"There is no time like the present. I assume you have nothing pending at the moment?" Klaus asked.

"Well, not really."

"Fantastic." Klaus called out as he walked back over to his bike.

Caroline watched as he started it up, trying not to think about how good he looked on it, before she went back to her car. Thirty minutes later after grabbing her charger and freshening up, because she too had gotten some mud on her and not because she was meeting Klaus, Caroline picked Klaus up from the Boarding House to head back into town. They rode in silence, which had her on edge. She wasn't used to silence; and this one was more unnerving because of the male wolf in her car. The close proximity to him was doing a number on her, of course it didn't help that he was watching her the whole time, to where she turned off the AC to roll down the window to allow some fresh air. Thankfully the drive wasn't too long and she practically jumped out of the car once she rolled to a stop while Klaus unloaded his clothes, chuckling openly as he did.

The Laundromat was empty except for the attendant, a human who nodded before Klaus led them to some machines on the opposite side of store. As she watched him begin to work, her agitation shifted its focus until she couldn't stay silent. "Stop, you're doing it wrong."

"Pardon you love, but I know what I am doing," Klaus countered. "I have been responsible for my laundry for quite some time."

"That may be but it doesn't mean you've been doing it right." Caroline argued as she grabbed the clothes away from him and took over, leaving Klaus no option but to take a step back and let her take over. He watched on, an amused smile on his face as she worked. It didn't take her long, he didn't have much to wash, which made sense given that he would have to fit it on his bike.

Caroline thought that the idea of traveling all over the country, the potential to be in a different place every night, seeing new things, meeting new people, sounded like a little slice of heaven to her. All she had known was her pack, her father's territory and the humans who lived there. The only new people were a few lone wolves here and there much to her chagrin, which was why she had had such a bad reaction to Klaus when she first met him.

"I must say, I'm surprised that you know what you're doing there." Klaus commented, earning a glare from her. "I mean no offense; I just know that my sister would rather be caught dead doing laundry."

"I wish I had the choice. I've been doing my own laundry since I first turned. In the beginning I wasn't always careful with my clothes and mom said I had to learn." Caroline huffed but the mention of his family made her curious. "So you have a sister?"

She watched as his jaw tensed, and something flicker across his eyes before he answered. "Yes, one."

"Is she older or younger than you?" Caroline asked.

"Younger, she's the…baby of the family."

"So she isn't your only sibling? How many do you have?" She pushed.

"Five total."

"Wow." Caroline replied. According to her father Ansel had been gone from the pack for several years before Caroline was born, traveling the world to meet with other packs on orders from his alpha. With the arrival of Klaus, it was obvious that he had been quite busy in his absence not relating to business if he met a she wolf and had so many offspring. She found it odd that he had left them when he returned to the pack or hadn't relocated. "You guys practically have your own pack."

"Perhaps, except for the fact that none of them are wolves." Klaus explained. "My mother, who is human, had an affair with Ansel, and I was a product of that liaison."

"Oh." She replied in surprise. "Do they know? About..."

"That I am a wolf?" he finished for her and she nodded. "Yes. They found out the same night that I did, the night of my first turn. It wasn't long after, I set out on my own."

It wasn't hard for Caroline to read between the lines, his family had not accepted what he was and he had either been shunned or felt like he did not belong with them anymore. Either one had resulted in him being alone, without family nor pack. "That sounds very lonely."

Klaus only shrugged before catching her eye. "People think being alone makes you lonely, but that's not true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world."

Heat blossomed on Caroline's cheeks at his words. There was no doubt in her mind about the meaning behind his words.

Love it? Hate it? Just so you know I won't be showing every interaction between Klaus and Caroline from the beginning, the next will actually skip a little bit ahead in time.