Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.

Note: Previously, in "In the Lion's Den," Author Caroline Forbes buys some herbs from Sophie Deveraux and is rescued by a Good Samaritan when she is attacked in the alley.

No spoilers, just read on!

Garden District – After the Rescue…

Elijah Mikaelson stood out on the porch of the Mikaelson family mansion. He liked this time of day, especially since the air was sweet and relaxing. He also liked it because his wife, Amelia, was tending to their daughter, Evelyn, and it allowed him some time to himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with his family, he just enjoyed some alone time every now and then. However, the peace was short-lived, because he sensed a familiar presence and looked to see his brother, Klaus, approach, with what looked like the unconscious body of a woman.

"What on earth do you think you're doing bringing a human here, Niklaus?"

"I wasn't about to leave her in the alley," the hybrid replied. "The poor thing was attacked, most likely by one of Marcel's men. I rescued her and she fainted, so I thought that this was the safest place to bring her."

He didn't allow Elijah to reply as he then made his way into the house and then carried his guest upstairs to the guest room, laying her down onto the bed. Elijah followed after his brother and watched from the doorway. While he admired the fact that Klaus was able to save the woman from being killed, he wasn't exactly happy that he brought her to a house inhabited by vampires. Well, vampires, a witch, a baby, and a vampire/werewolf hybrid to be exact, but he had his reservations about a human in their home.

Klaus then went to the adjacent bathroom and got a basin, filled it with water, and brought it back into the room, along with a washcloth. He then placed the washcloth into the basin and wrung it out before placing it on the woman's forehead. It made him sick knowing that this innocent human was nearly killed and her only crime was walking down the street after stopping at the shop run by Sophie Deveraux.

Elijah was still watching when he looked over to see Amelia standing there, cradling Evelyn in her arms. "What's going on, Eli?"

"Niklaus saved a woman from being killed," he replied. "I don't know her name, but..."

Amelia looked inside the room and immediately recognized their guest. "Oh my God, it's her. It's Caroline Forbes, the author of the Destiny Meadows books. I've heard that she was recently hit by a case of writer's block, but I never imagined that she'd be here in New Orleans."

"We have a famous author in our midst?" said Elijah. "I thought she was an ordinary human?"

"She is anything but ordinary, my love," said Amelia. "We have to make sure that she's welcome." She handed Evelyn to her husband. "Here, I'm going to make something for her to eat. I'm sure that she's going to be hungry when she wakes up."

Elijah gently bounced the baby in his arms as he followed after his wife, his curiosity obviously piqued. Although he never read the books Amelia was talking about, but something told him that he was going to start before long.

Meanwhile…

Klaus continued to apply the damp cloth, unaware of what his brother and sister-in-law were up to. The only thing he cared about was making sure the woman was tended to. He then heard a soft moan and looked down to see her eyes twitching, meaning that she was regaining consciousness. When she opened her eyes, he saw that they were the most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen in all of his existence. She also had golden blonde hair that seemed to rival the summer sun, a body that he could imagine holding under the sheets of his bed after a night of steamy hot sex, and lips he wanted to kiss and nibble. That and her blood smelled delicious from where he was standing.

"Where am I?"

"Relax, love," he replied. "You're here in the Garden District, and safe."

"You said that I was safe when you saved me in the alley," said the woman. "Though, I have no idea who you are, why I was attacked when I did nothing to provoke that...monster."

"Oh, forgive me, my name is Klaus Mikaelson. My family and I have lived in this city for years. Well, centuries," said Klaus. "As far as why you were attacked, I'm just as baffled." He sighed. "Now that I've introduced myself, perhaps you can tell me your name."

"I'm Caroline Forbes. I don't suppose you've heard of me?" She saw the expression on his face, indicating that he hadn't. "I'm a writer. My most popular work is the Destiny Meadows series, which I'm sure one of your relatives must've read."

It was here that Klaus finally realized that he actually did read one of the books. "As a matter of fact, I've read one of your books, Caroline. I must say, your heroine is quite intriguing. And your hero? I really like him."

Caroline blinked. "You actually like Sebastian Kruschev? I mean, I know that my female readers find him attractive, but this is the first a male reader told me he was a Sebastian Kruschev fan." She eyed him curiously. "What is it about him you like?"

"For one thing, he's very sophisticated, considering how long he's lived among mortals," said Klaus. "And he always treats Destiny with dignity and respect."

"Well, he should," said Caroline. "They're a couple."

As she said that, Caroline took the opportunity to look at Klaus. He was very handsome, with short, slightly curly dark blonde hair that seemed to shimmer in the light and greenish blue eyes that any woman worth her salt would lose herself in, as well as a body that looked like it was ideal for hours of hot, passionate, primal sex, and lips that she couldn't help but stare and long to kiss and nibble. That and she couldn't help but get the feeling that he was strangely familiar, like she had seen him before.

He looks like Sebastian. Hell, he even acts like him a little bit. No, it can't be. Sebastian Kruschev is just a character I created for my books. Isn't he?

Before she could say anything else, Amelia came into the room, a tray in her hands. "Hello there, Miss Forbes. I'm Amelia Spencer Mikaelson, Klaus' sister-in-law. I must say, you're quite famous, especially with my family and friends." She placed the tray on her lap. "Here you go. I made some soup for you, since I really don't know what your favorite food is."

"Soup is fine," said Caroline. "Thank you, Amelia." She took a whiff. "Smells good. Even though you really didn't have to go to all this trouble, I appreciate it just the same." She then looked around at the room she was in. "This is a nice place you've got here."

"Thank you," said Amelia. "It's the perfect place to raise a family." She sighed. "Well, I'm going to leave you to your soup." She went to walk out and turned around and said, "It's great to have you here, Caroline. We've never had a famous author in our home before, so you can understand that we're honored to have you staying with us."

"She understands, Amelia," said Klaus. "Now, will you kindly leave so that she can have some peace? After what she went through, she doesn't need any more excitement."

Amelia scowled at her brother-in-law, but didn't say a word as she walked out of the room. Relieved that she was out of the room, Klaus closed the door behind her. "I apologize for that. Amelia can be a bit overly enthusiastic sometimes. I shudder to think of what Evelyn will be like when she gets older."

"It's all right, really, I'm used to it," said Caroline. "So, do you have any other family?"

"I do," said Klaus. "Other than Elijah, Amelia's husband, my siblings include Finn, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik. You'll meet them soon, no doubt."

With a sigh, he opened and was about to leave when he heard Caroline's voice saying, "Wait, don't go."

Klaus turned to face her. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel overwhelmed, especially after what you went through."

"I'm sure," said Caroline. "Somehow, I could use your company. You're a very interesting man, Klaus Mikaelson. Even though we just met, I feel like I already know you, like I've seen you before." She laughed slightly. "You don't think I'm crazy for saying that, do you?"

Klaus smiled. "Of course not, love. As a matter of fact, I feel the same way. I feel like we have a connection despite having never met until now."

Caroline returned his smile and watched as he grabbed a chair from the other side of the room and sat down. She then took a few spoonfuls of the soup and found it to be quite delicious. Amelia was definitely a good cook and she looked forward to tasting even more great food.

Note: I can't think of anything more to add, so I'll end Chapter 2 here. Our leads have met, and there is definitely an attraction. Stay tuned!

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