A/N: To the Guest that asked why Stefan helps Caroline and Bonnie even though he's not homeless, I'm sorry I didn't make it clear, Stefan volunteers at the shelters and soup kitchens. He has a perfect life, but he has figured out that money can't buy happiness. He feels better by helping others less fortunate.

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"Well... that was quite amazing." Genevieve said pleased while drawing invisible circles on Klaus' chest with her head resting on his shoulder. Klaus didn't respond. He didn't understand this woman's need to cuddle after sex. "What do you say if I order some food, we have dinner and you spend the night?" the redhead suggested while sitting up on the bed.

"You know I don't do that." Klaus replied. For someone who agreed to be in no-strings-attached kind of relationship, Genevieve surely tried to act like Klaus' girlfriend. She was starting to get too needy, and he didn't like that.

"Oh come on!" She pleaded. "What's one night?"

'The beginning of the end' Klaus thought to himself.

"And then what? We keep cuddling and act all couple-like?" Klaus asked annoyed. "If I wanted someone to cuddle I would get a puppy. I'm here to blow some steam, Genevieve."

Genevieve hesitated, she knew she had to approach the subject carefully or he would leave.

"Maybe you can stay just for another round." She suggested sensually. At that, Klaus smirked.

"I could go for a second round." He replied. Just as he was about to move closer to her, his phone went off. He heard Genevieve huff annoyed while he turned to grab it from the bedside table and pick up.

"Hello." He greeted.

"Kl-Klaus?" A tiny voice asked on the other side. Klaus frowned.

"Who is this?"

"I'm C-Caroline. I—I don't know if you remember me."

Klaus sat on the bed and leaned on the headboard.

"Of course I do, sweetheart. Are you alright?"

There was a short silence.

"No, I'm not. Could you..." Klaus heard her sob. "Could you please help me? I have no one else to call."

This made Klaus throw the covers away and sit on the edge of the bed.

"What happened? Where are you?"

"I-I don't- I don't know. I just ran... I ran fast... I just ran." she repeated. Klaus got up and started picking up his clothes, completely ignoring Genevieve's curious -and angry- looks.

"Caroline. Breath." He said slowly holding his phone with his shoulder while he zipped his jeans. "Tell me where you're calling me from. What do you see?"

Caroline took a deep breath and then there was another short silence.

"A phone booth. I'm at a phone booth. I don't know the street, but it's across from a restaurant. Or at least I think it's a restaurant. It's called Vitto's..."

"I know where that is. Stay there, I'm on my way." He said as he finished getting dressed. Caroline was lucky that Vitto's was the best Italian restaurant in the city.

"Who was that?" Genevieve asked but Klaus was already out of the bedroom and rushing towards the door.

.

It was dark outside, but it still wasn't so late, and even if it was, there would still be too many cars to drive as fast as he'd like. It was the Fifth Avenue after all. When his GPS talked, he turned to the right and into a small, dark street.

He couldn't remember the last time he was so worried. He kept thinking Caroline was around Rebekah's age and if his sister ever found herself in a bad situation, he would hope for someone to help her. Didn't Caroline deserve to have someone to help her too? Yes she did. Besides, she sounded so scared on the phone, it upset him to the core.

Once he saw Vitto's big sign, he looked around for Caroline but he couldn't find her. He then decided to park the car and continue on foot and started by walking to the phone booth.

Inside the booth was Caroline. She was sitting on the floor, holding onto what Klaus guessed was a pillow or a blanket. She was shaking and her cheeks were wear because of the tears.

"Caroline?" Klaus called out softly from outside the booth. "What happened?"

She looked up at him and then looked around.

"Is it safe? Is there anyone else around?"

Klaus frowned and looked around too.

"I think we're alone. But why don't you come with me to the car and we talk there?" He suggested.

"What about Spots?"

Klaus tilted his head confused.

"Spots?"
At that, the "blanket" that she was holding started to move and Klaus realized then it wasn't a blanket. It was a dog, and it lifted its head from Caroline's shoulder to look back at him. He wanted to groan. Did she call him because of a dog? The last thing he needed was a dirty, sick dog in his car.

"You can bring Spots with you, as long as you clean after him."

Caroline nodded her head and started getting up. Klaus extended his arm to help her, but Spots quickly bared his teeth and growled at him.

"He doesn't like me." He commented.

"I don't think he likes men in general." Caroline replied.

He walked her to his car, opened the door for her, and then rushed to the driver side and got in as well. It was inside the car with the lights on that he realized Spots had blood around his mouth and Caroline had a cut on her lip and a bruise on her cheek.

This couldn't be good.

"Caroline, what happened? You sounded really scared on the phone."

Caroline's lower lip trembled and she looked down.

.

"There you are!" a voice said as Caroline walked into the alley one night. "Remember me, sweetheart?" The man said while stepping out of the shadows.

It was him, the man from the other night who attacked Klaus.

He walked towards her in a predatory manner and Caroline backed away until she was stopped by a wall.

"What do you want?" She asked with her chin held high.

"I want to teach you a lesson." He replied before slapping her. She hissed in pain and saw his hand coming at her once again. This time she stopped, using what her mom taught her. She defended herself but unlike the other night, this time the man was aware of her skills, he was prepared and she couldn't take him by surprise. Sadly, she took a few hits that left her seeing the stars.

Without them knowing, Spots crawled out of his hiding place and watched them.

Bark bark

Caroline lifted her hand to punch him in the nose with her palm, an easy way to break it without using much force, but the man gripped her arm in the air, twisted it and turned her around, pushing her front against the wall.

"There, there, my pretty."

He whispered against her ear.

She was trapped between the bricks and the man.

bark bark

growl

"Shut up!" He yelled at Stops before pressing himself between Caroline's thighs. She closed her eyes tight, scared for what she knew was about to happen.

Bark bark bark bark

"I'm going to teach you how to be a good girl." He whispered. "I'm going to-AAAAAHHHHHH!"

Caroline was released all the sudden and when she turned around she found the man trying to scape Spots' teeth.

"Get him off me! Get him off me!"

The brave dog attacked the man by biting him several times on his leg, giving Caroline a chance to defend herself. She took the lid of a trash can and hit the man hard on the head. The metallic sound of the lid echoed in the alley.

"Run!" Caroline yelled to Spots while the man laid on the floor groaning in pain.

The girl and the dog both ran and ran through the dark streets at night. They ran without destination, Spots just followed her while Caroline ran in panic and shock.

It was only when her legs finally gave up that she decided to stop and think.

She scooped Spots from the ground and hid inside the phone booth.

"It's okay, it's okay." She said, more to herself than to the dog. "I don't think he followed is." She then felt something wet on her cheek and realized that Spots was licking her face. That's when she snapped out of her shock and started crying.

.

"I found your business card and decided to give you a call." Caroline explained. Klaus looked at her from his side of the car and then looked at the dog. That little ball of fur and fleas saved her life. "I didn't know who else to call. Stefan is out of town, building houses for the homeless in God knows where, and Bonnie doesn't have a phone. I know I shouldn't have called, but I didn't know what else to do, I was scared."

Klaus frowned at that. He could understand that she needed help, he wasn't mad that she called. If anything, he was glad, even if the circumstances were so bad.

"You're staying with me." He said and then looked at Stops. "Both of you."

.

Once again she woke up inside a warm cocoon made of blankets and soft sheets. She hummed in pure bliss before the images of the night before appeared in her mind. Caroline whimpered and hid under the covers for a few minutes knowing she couldn't ignore the reality for too long.

Something moved on the foot of the bed and when she peeked over the covers she found Spots sitting by her legs, looking at her curiously.

"Did you stay here all night?" She asked softly. Spots made a noise and poked her leg with his nose. It's not like Caroline expected any sort of reply from the dog.

Eventually she got up from bed and walked out of the room. Once again she wore shorts and a shirt that Klaus lent to her while her clothes were in the washing machine. So it's not a surprise that she blushed when she found out Klaus had company. Sitting with Klaus on the couch was another man in a suit writing something on a notepad.

"Caroline." Klaus greeted while getting up from the couch and the other man did the same. "Let me introduce you Alaric Saltzman, he's the best lawyer we have in Mikaelson and sons. He'll be taking care of your care."

"My case?" Caroline asked confused.

"You were attacked last night, right? Same man that attacked Nicklaus here." Alaric asked and Caroline nodded. "That man should be behind bars."

Caroline looked from one man to the other.

"I-I can't afford a lawyer." She said shaking her head.

"You won't have to." Alaric reassured her. "This will be my free action of the year."

"You mean Pro Bono?" Caroline asked and Alaric looked at her impressed.

"Exactly." He replied with a nod.

"What do I have to do?"

"Just tell me everything that happened and I'll take care of everything else."

"I already alerted to police." Klaus commented. "There's a man in a hospital that matches the description. He was dumb enough to go there and get the bite wounds treated."

Caroline smiled softly. She wouldn't have to be scared and jumpy, watching over her shoulder all the time.

For the first time she felt safe.

"Thank you." She said to both of them.

.

"What do you mean you're stepping back?" Doctor Jonas Martin asked.

"I mean, we're not supporting your project anymore." Klaus replied from the other side of the desk. "It's just not a priority anymore and you can't afford paying our investment back."

Jonas looked pale and desperate. He ran his hands down his face.

"But I need this, the world needs this. This could save lives." He insisted.

"I don't care about that doctor, we're talking big numbers here." Klaus responded. Jonas sighed in defeat. "If you don't mind, I'd like to make a suggestion." Klaus continued and the doctor looked up at him interested. "Crowdfounding." He said simply.

"What's that?"

"It's a way of getting money for a specific project. All you gotta do is convince people to donate money for your cause. You'll get to finish it and pay back the loan you owe us."

Jonas frowned.

"I'm making a new kind of artificial heart valve, how am I going to convince people to care about that?"

"Tell them you'll save lives, thatpoor kids in Africa need it, reach out for their emotions. I don't know, I don't care." Klaus said coldly. "The 3D pen got over 2 million dollars, and it's a bloody pen! You'll figure it out."

After Martin left, Klaus poured two glasses of Bourbon -he had the glasses and a bottle hidden in a drawer- and walked to Elijah's office. The rest of the floor was pretty much empty. It was late and the others employees were already on their way home.

He knocked on the door and entered once Elijah allowed it.

"Niklaus." He greeted from his chair behind the desk.

"Brother, always so serious." Klaus joked before sitting on the big leather couch on the other side of the elegant office.

"I had a long day." He said while signing some papers. "Some of us make sure to come to work early."

Klaus rolled his eyes.

"I have a good reason for my delay."

"Is that the same reason why our lawyer was late too?" Elijah asked unaffected and Klaus smirked.

"Nothing gets past you." He commented. Elijah got up, snatched one of the glasses from his brother's hand and sat down too.

"Would you like to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"Not really." Klaus replied. "But I do need to ask you for a favor."

Elijah raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't happen very often..." After a moment of silence he continued. "I'm listening."