My belated birthday gift to all of you. God this week's episode was an epic let down in the Klaroline department. *Finger crossed for this week* So, this one will be angsty, and maybe a little dark. Inspirations and some dialogue are from Gossip Girl and Coyote Ugly. Set after 4x07.

And if we can't find where we belong

We'll have to make it on our own

Face all the pain and take it on

Because the only hope for me is you alone

Caroline was frantically racing around her room trying to finish curling her hair while getting dressed at the same time. She was supposed to meet Elena and Bonnie at the grill for a "kiss and makeup" lunch date after their fight at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. She still wasn't sorry for the things she said to Elena about her feelings for Damon, but the last thing everyone needed was a divide between them. Cursing loudly as she singed a finger on the curling iron she tried to finish getting ready as she was already twenty minutes late. Putting the final touches on her makeup, Caroline opened the front door to be greeted by two of her mother's deputies waiting on the porch.

"Caroline, we need to talk to you," said one of them. Their faces had the same expression of sympathy and sorrow. "May we come inside?" Nodding slowly, Caroline opened the door allowing them in.

"I think you should sit down, Caroline." She felt her stomach sink as they began to explain what had happened this morning.

Klaus was seated at the bar in the Mystic Grill drowning himself in their supply of whiskey yet again. Caroline's betrayal stung deeply after their wonderful date at the pageant earlier in the week. Discovering her ploy with Tyler and the wolf girl was just another low blow to his emotions that he wasn't expecting for her. But like the saying goes fool me twice, only he had been duped three times but the sly blonde. And again he didn't punish Caroline for it, but he knew he should have. He did however let Tyler know the extent of his feelings and the poor boy skipped town soon after he recovered from his near death beating with his lady werewolf friend in tow, leaving Caroline in the dust.

Looking around the restaurant, he saw the doppelganger and the witch a few tables over, chatting over their drinks and looking worried. He listened closer and heard Caroline's name mentioned a few times as well as "late" and "breakup". He turned his head, ignoring them and focused on the television at the corner of room trying to distract himself from the soon to be presence of the ex-Miss Mystic Falls whenever she had decided to arrive. The commercial for a new Audi car model was interrupted by a breaking local news story.

"This is Kate Johnson reporting for WPKW9, confirming the death of local Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes earlier this morning after a robbery gone wrong. The Sheriff was forty-two years, survived only by her seventeen-year-old daughter Caroline Forbes. Details about the memorial service will be available later today."

Klaus felt his heart stop and then free fall inside of him. He looked over to the table to see both girls crying and covering their mouths in shock. His eyes met Elena's and it seemed that they both shared the same thought. Caroline. Before Elena could move, Klaus was already gone.

In only took him seconds to reach her house, but he was still too late. The door was barely hanging on its hinges. Furniture in the living room was overturned and broken, and pictures and knickknacks were strewed over the floor in a chaotic mess. It had looked like a tornado had ripped through the home. This type of destruction he was familiar with. On more than one occasion he had to get renovators into one of his homes due to his temper and affinity for throwing objects at walls. He searched the whole house within seconds, finding nothing but devastation in every room, except one: Liz's room. As he moved back to Caroline's room he felt the heat coming from her curling iron on the dresser. He had just missed her, perhaps by minutes. He had to find her before she did something unthinkable. Despite his anger at her, his fear for her safety overruled any other emotion. Picking up a tossed about shirt from her bed, he inhaled it deeply taking in the scent so unique to her: lilac and honey.

He moved swiftly outside to the backyard, breathing in the crisp fall air deeply, trying to get a direction in which to follow. Picking up on her distinctive scent, he moved swiftly in the woods behind her house. It took him a few miles, but her scent was growing stronger as he moved towards the falls. It only took him a couple more hundred yards before he spotted her, collapsed on the ground. He hurried over to her, anxious to get to her but cautious not to scare her off. When he was within a few feet he called out to her softly.

"Caroline." He tried to soften his voice as if trying to coax a frightened bird, but she didn't move as his call, or even when braved closer to kneel beside her. She was silently crying, still remaining mute, and thankfully still alive. Her lack of will to move forced him to lift her shaking form into his arms. He needed to take away from here, and going back to her house was not an option. He carried her back to his house within minutes, settling her on his large bed. He covered her with a large afghan blanket from the closet, but she was still trembling. He brought her tea, blood, water, but she wasn't accepting any of it. He talked to her, but she didn't respond except to whimper occasionally. He decided that maybe she just needed space, but as he moved off the bed her hand shot out grab his.

"Stay. Please."

Her voice was hoarse, yet still pleading. He nodded and moved to the other side of the bed before joining her in the middle. Like a small child, she curled into his side and moved his arm around her to stroke her disheveled curls. He kept at this motion as it seemed to soothe her and finally as the hours passed he felt himself drift off to sleep.

As the bright morning sun shone into the room, Klaus awoke alone in his bed. The spot where Caroline had lain was cold, and he felt anger rising in his veins. On the nightstand there was a folded piece of sketching paper with his name on it. He opened it slowly, absorbing the words individually.

I'm sorry for everything.

Don't come looking for me.

-Caroline

It had been three months since that night, and he had yet to find a trace of her. He had immediately sent out all his hybrids to look for her, but she continued to elude them. He consulted witches, warlocks, and demanded old vampire acquaintances to keep an eye out for her all over the world. But still she remained elusive. He had searched every major city in Europe, tore through the streets in Paris, Rome, and Tokyo desperate for a whiff of her trademark scent, but it was all in vain. His anger at her flighty departure had long since subsided and was taken over by the fear of her getting killed, capture, or injured had prevailed on his mind day and night. It was going on four months that he finally had a clue as to her whereabouts. As he scoured a map in his room, crossing of cities and pondering what exotic location she had exiled herself to, a video message from one of his hybrids, stationed in New York City beeped on his cell phone. The footage wasn't very high quality, but showed a redhead heading into a bar named "The Coyote". The change of hair color threw him off, but the camera got a good shot of her face and he knew it was his Caroline. He told his hybrid to keep watch on the place and her as well. He needed to pack.

The trip to New York took mere hours as Klaus sped along the main highways in his Lamborghini Aventador as opposed to nearly half a day journey. He broke every speed limit without a care; the cops didn't bother to even attempt to pull him over as he raced through several states at a reckless speed. It was nearly eleven by the time he finally got to his penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. After reviewing the address from his hybrid he set off towards the lower East Village. The bar was overfilled with bodies and he had to compel the bouncer to let him inside. The bar was lined wall to wall with mostly men and Klaus had to push, shove, and compel his way to get near to the bar itself.

The crowd seemed to be waiting for something as the loudspeaker system started to blare out a top hit from the late eighties. The tune was familiar to Klaus and the opening guitar riff started a riot among the men, and Klaus had just realized why. Climbing on top of the bar was Caroline and a tall brunette. He felt his jaw fall open with rage when he saw what she was wearing. No longer was his blonde cheerleader wearing pretty floral sundresses, but skintight black leather pants with spiked high heels. Her makeup was dark and seductive with her now red hair curled in a messy array of curls. Her shirt, if he could even call it that was a shrunken halter-top that barely left anything to the imagination. His blood raged at the catcalls and whistles from the men around him. He didn't know if it was the men or Caroline that was distracting him more. If only he could slaughter all the men around him for daring to lay eyes on her. She and the brunette started to dance in it what could be described as "exotic". The calls from the men became even more rowdy and Klaus had finally had enough. He barreled through the rest of his barriers before he was close enough to touch her as she shimmied and twirled on top of the bar, moving her body to the rhythm of the music.

"CAROLINE!" He shouted at her as she moved her way closer towards him. She shot him a glance, clearly startled by his presence, but it only lasted a moment. She shot him a sultry wink before stealing a shot off of some poor soul near the bar and downing it. Ignoring his presence she continued to move with the other girl in such a raunchy manor that Klaus was torn between aroused and abhorrence at her behavior. This was not the Caroline of Mystic Falls, Virginia. This was a broken girl who had clearly shut off her humanity. And the thought of her shutting off the light that always drew him in caused his heart to ache deeply. Knowing he would cause more of a scene if he ripped her off the top of the bar as he desperately wanted to, he was forced to put up with eagerness of the crowd before they died down when both girl finished dancing with the end of the song and moved back behind the bar to tend it with another blonde and an older woman.

Men around him were clamoring boisterously for her sole attention, begging her to get them a drink. However, he refused to move from his spot and let the vixen out of his sight. He still had his hybrid stationed outside in case she had tried to make a run for it. He watched diligently as she poured, mixed, and served drinks with the speed and skill of a seasoned bartender. He resisted the urge to rip out throats when the men begged her for her number and other "special" attentions. By the time last call came, and the bar finally cleared out he had not moved or let her escape his line of sight. Even though she had acknowledged him earlier, she was purposely ignoring him as he slowly sipped his scotch from his perch on the barstool, the two on them the only ones remaining in the bar. She was wiping down the bar when she finally responded to him.

"I'm not Caroline anymore." He scoffed at that remark.

"I know. I heard many customers calling you "Scarlet". His eyes moved over her dyed locked, eyeing them with disdain. He didn't deny the shade of auburn on her wasn't unattractive, but he always adored her sunny blonde locks that made her look angelic when she stood in the sunshine.

She finally moved around the bar, coming closer but passed him to head towards the booth, gathering the empty bottles along the way. He followed her, stalking her like prey afraid she was about to cut and run. With her back still to him, she continued. "That Caroline is dead and buried, with no chance of resurrection." He hung his head low, she had turned it off.

His anger flared up and he grabbed her forcing her to turn and face him.

"You about done, love?"

"No."

"What are you doing? Trying to destroy the old you, burn every bridge? It won't help, believe me I know."

He stared straight into her eyes, their azure depths still showing a flicker of the girl that was once there, but she was slowly fading away into darkness. She moved closer to him, closing the distance until she was within inches of him and he could feel the heat radiating off her body.

"This isn't you." His throat tightened as she moved her hands onto his chest, idly drawing patterns the burned through his grey Henley.

"The girl on the bar tonight is the real me. The girl with none of the hang-ups, none of the frustrations, that's the girl standing in front of you." She moved her hands up placing them on his shoulders, drawing him into her.

"Take me now." She whispered against his lips. He could smell the whiskey on her breath as it ghosted over his mouth.

"Why?" He was slowly losing it and she continued to mercilessly tease him.

"To prove that nothing matters." He pulled away from her sharply, her reply awakening the rational side of him.

"No. This isn't you. This isn't the Caroline I want." His hands grasped her keeping her body within a distance of his.

"That's right. And I never will be again." Her voice was icy, and cold. She tore out of his grip and headed for the exit.

"Goodbye, Klaus."

He blurred over to her and pulled her into his arms before he whispered against her brow.

"I'm sorry love."

He snapped her neck, catching her falling figure in his arms. With the utmost care, he loaded her gently into the passenger seat of his car and drove them back to his penthouse.

Waking up the next morning, Caroline rubbed her stiff neck taking in her new surroundings. She was in bed that wasn't hers and a room that was most definitely not familiar. Realizing she had been temporarily dead she scampering out of the room. Looking around the area, and seeing Klaus anywhere, she made a dash for the exit only to be forced backwards by an unseen barrier. She couldn't even reach for the doorknob.

"Morning, sweetheart." He called from the kitchen area. She turned and glared at him as he moved around, preparing breakfast.

"You compelled me?" She was livid that he had stooped so low.

"Of course not, love. It's magic."

"Let me go."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You need my help." She scoffed.

"I don't need anything from you."

"I beg to differ." She rolled her eyes.

"As if you are the one to tell me about having emotions, when you clearly lack them yourself." Growling, he blurred across the room and pinned her to the wall.

"Let me go." She snarled, bearing her fangs at him.

"No."

"Why?" She screamed. Her fists beating tirelessly against his chest

"Because the only hope for me is you alone." She let him hold her as she gave in and let him.

Not sure how I feel about the end of this, but eh. Read and Review my lovelies as a bleated birthday gift! xoxo