Hello darlings! You're probably wondering what this is and it's exactly what it looks like a story. OK that was lame. What I'm trying to get at is that this is the drabble that I wrote a while ago which a LOT (and by that I mean like REALLY A LOT) of people wanted a continuation of. So, I have news for you my friends! This is exactly what's happening. It's gonna be a three chapters (approximately) long story! Now, unfortunately for those who have read the drabble either in my drabbles selection here or on tumblr, this first chapter is consistent wholly from the first drabble. So there's nothing new for you guys here. But the next chapter is gonna be posted very very soon. So soon I mean like around tomorrow evening.

AU, All Human of course!

Now I'm gonna shut up I promise. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD..etc etc

The first time she sees him, she is caught in a frenzy.

Caroline Forbes, accomplished and famous photographer, is lacking inspiration. Never in her life has she felt so uninterested in anything around her. Whatever idea thrown upon her seems boring. And she is increasingly frustrated with herself.

But even more frustrated is her boss, or rather, the gallery owner.

"Caroline you have clients" he says in his stoic tone, never unfriendly, but never familiar or intimate either "You cannot simply disappear. Not when they have been bombarding me with questions about your next big show. You must give me something"

Sighing, Caroline runs her hands through her blonde curls, willing her mind to conjure up any kind of solution to her problem "I will do my best, Elijah" she replies at last, offering a small smile "But you know that if I'm not inspired I can't give you anything of value. It doesn't work that way for me"

Tilting his head, Elijah smiles amusedly "Miss Forbes, I promise you, it's only the perfectionist in you who thinks that. Your work is marvelous. And in spite of my personal bias towards the photographs that show your passion, your clients love all your work to pieces."

She knows he's asking of something possibly less artistic and more for marketing business in his own subtle ways. Elijah is far too smart to do anything more than hint at such a thing, realizing fully how much Caroline despises merchandizing her work that is nothing short of art. However, Caroline is far too polite to call Elijah out on it. She's also far too grateful to cause him any losses in business. Not when he has always been the primary supporter of her professional life.

So, in some attempt to compromise, Caroline decides to force her muse back. And what better way to do that than photographing the sunrise from her favorite spot in the city?

As a little girl, Caroline loved nothing more than sunrises. She would watch the sky turning into all shades of orange and red from the window of her room with fascination. Something about the light slowly emerging to envelope the darkness, to swallow it whole, made the sunrise so beautiful to her. This love never diminished throughout her life. And while sunsets are just as beautiful, nothing can ever compare to the early hours of dawn in Caroline's mind.

Even though it's still bitterly cold during the morning, and the ice is still not yet completely melted, she insists on watching the scenery from the spot in the park that is her favorite. Much to Caroline's delight, the park is located right around the corner from the building of her apartment. It's a beautiful piece of land, spacious and complete with a particularly scenic fountain. But most importantly to Caroline, is the small lake that it's connected to. The first time she saw the sunrise from that spot, her breath hitched in her throat, catching her in a haze. The colors reflecting themselves on the water made it seem as though the sun was emerging from the lake and being swallowed by it at the same time.

Until this day, Caroline does not think that anything can be as beautiful.

Except when Caroline arrives there, her camera ready and her spirits high, the spot is already occupied. A man, so deep in thought that he does not even seem to flinch at the sound of her footsteps, stands there unmoving. He stares onward, sparing no glances to his surroundings. Her first thought is frustration at her bad luck. Of all the days this man can meditate, he chooses to interrupt her inspiration. Her second thought is that he has a rather attractive behind.

Shaking that particular musing, that causes her to tilt her head a little for a more focused view of him, she goes about setting her camera for the upcoming task. Soon enough, she realizes, he will hear the click of the camera's button, and the shutter that is ought to accompany her pictures and move away from the spot. After all, no one is fond of having their pictures' taken by utter strangers.

The first streak of redness starts to emerge from the horizon, bathing the clear water of the lake with a pinkish glow. No matter how many times she watches it, she will forever be mesmerized by the scene. Shifting a little until she is standing but mere strides away from the stranger to get the perfect shot, Caroline raises her camera to snap the first picture. This, she ponders, this is something that will forever hold her interest. This sunrise will always be magical.

But nothing has ever prepared her for the magic that she sees through the lenses.

Nothing is ever missing from these beautiful colors or their reflection upon the water. Dancing across the smooth surface they emanate a thousand glowing hue. The sky's dark blue shades slowly retreat, surrendering themselves to the orange rays and the bright yellows filling up the void they have left the day before. A few lingering bight stars would twinkle still, and nothing can be as breathtaking as the world settles into this hybrid state; nervously hopeful.

All along, though, all along, something was missing: this perfect stranger's silhouette.

Through the lenses, Caroline experiences that rush she's been craving for over a year now. A surge of complete and utter awe betraying her wit into frozen amazement. She allows it to waste two precious minutes of her work, then manages to control it. Stepping even farther away from the man, she prays that she can at least snap one picture of him with the sunset without him noticing. She has no time to feel guilty about such a thought, consoling her conscience with the knowledge that she will not publish this, it will be for her eyes only, a moment of weakness where she wants to capture this beauty forever.

She presses the button and the shutter sound of the camera is a bang in the deathly silence of dawn. He doesn't move an inch. He doesn't even flinch. Looking down on her camera, she checks to see whether the picture snapping is a phantom of her imagination. Surely enough, however, she sees the picture with his contemplative and somewhat rigid silhouette, accompanying the sun rays.

So she smiles to herself, thanks the Gods for her luck at having him so damn indulgent in his own mind for her presence to go unnoted. And she snaps another picture, then another, then another, catching the scene from all possible angles without entering the man's peripheral vision. By the end of her mini photo-shoot session with this perfect stranger, Caroline begins to fear that he is frozen into this spot by the cold. Abruptly, however, as she flips through her pictures, he turns around. Only then does she note that the sun is completely visible and the last traces of the colorful sky is fading into its infinite blueness.

At his movement, her eyes snap up to his face. It is set into an expression of pure surprise, as though he has not the slightest notion of her lingering presence behind him the entire time. And she is sure that she is as stunned as he is, but for reasons that are quite different from his. Caroline has never seen someone as handsome as the man standing before her that minute. Stormy blue eyes, plump lips, golden curls, the hint of a stubble make a fatal combination. Never has Caroline wanted so badly to lift her camera into its ready position before her face, where it belongs, to snap a few more pictures of this handsome stranger as much as she wants to this moment.

It is him who makes the smallest moves towards her, regarding her with the curious look that is morphed from his shocked one. A flock of butterflies bursts in her stomach at the idea of talking to him. Feeling utterly ridiculous, Caroline clears her throat, straightens her posture, and reminds herself that she is an adult not a fifteen years old high school student.

"Good morning" she says with her friendliest tone, offering a warm smile. If things go her way they would soon be sipping coffee in the small cafe across the street.

Her plans are shot down.

Instead of the seemingly reproachful movement of his body, he halts. Almost flinching, he tears his eyes away from her face. Gluing his sight to the ground beneath him, he deprives her of the sight of his eyes. She cannot help the feeling of disappointment, mixed with an overwhelming sadness from rising in her chest. Hurriedly, he turns away, eyes still staring towards the ground, and practically flees for his life. The last glimpse she manages to catch of him is his melancholic profile.

Two warring emotions take over her mind. She wants to soothe him. She wants to photograph him.

Caroline is not a stalker. Never in her life has she imagined that such word can be used to describe her. She never intended for it to become that way. She never wanted to end up sneaking pictures and blushing to herself as she flipped through them later. And most importantly, She never fancied that she would lay eyes on that handsome stranger again.

It took days for her initial disappointment over his hurried departure to subside. But even then she could not find anything remotely as satisfying as stealing those fleeting pictures that one particular dawn. It seemed that whatever her camera caught paled in comparison to those pictures. And after numerous sighs, with the end of winter giving way to spring, Caroline was ready to give into the fact that what happened was a onetime thing, and she would have to settle for what she now knows is one step short of magic.

That day she saw him again.

The weather finally warms enough for long walks. The grass begins to regain its lush color. The sky is crystal clear, and the sun beams down at Caroline as she strolls through the park with a smile. After months of confinement within walls and having to dress in layers that made her feel like a polar bear rather than a human being, the fresh air and warm breeze were more than welcomed. The park is filled up with people like it hasn't been in months. Most of the crowd at this point of the day are children with their mothers, enjoying the freedom of roaming around the spacious place. That does not stop self-employed workers like Caroline or even businessmen in their stuffy suits from spending a long lunch hour soaking the sun. A hundred faces surround Caroline and not even in a million years would she have anticipated seeing the one she yearned to see most.

Then she catches a glimpse of him. It must be a hallucination, she first thinks, worrying her lower lip for two seconds with what that would entail about her insanity. Yet when she looks over to where her eyes have fallen, he is indeed there. She thinks about going over to the bench where he is sitting and saying hello, but that idea is quickly shot down when she remembers his reaction to a conversation the last time. Instead, she stands frozen in place, people bumping into her left and right, and observes him.

He is even more handsome than her memory offers. Unlike the first time he looks relaxed. There's no coat that would hurdle his movements rather a black Henley that wraps so wonderfully around his torso, showing off his lean figure. Yet all of that does not intrigue Caroline as much as what seems to occupy him. He looks like he's writing. There's a notepad propped against his lap and a pencil in his hand. He seems thoroughly absorbed and content with his activity, showing almost no signs of awareness of the world around him. The sight of him provokes a smile from her lips, and she wonders how she can be the only person noticing him in that moment.

As she watches him for a while longer, her curiosity gets the best of her. Never wanting to miss a beautiful shot, her camera always hangs from her neck, ready to be used whenever she sees fit. With the intention of simply inspecting what exactly he's working on, Caroline lifts up her camera. Through the lenses, and the magic that is the zoom button, she sees the graceful movement of his fingers across the paper, immediately realizing that he is sketching. She does not plan on taking another picture of him, but she cannot help herself when the perfect moment presents itself. The picture is simply of his hand resting upon the paper. It causes Caroline to cringe with the implications of that.

His hand? Really, Caroline? Really?

Her scolds go to waste, though, when he smiles the tiniest bit with a tender spark in his eyes down at whatever sketch he's conjured up, and her camera is quick to immortalize the moment.

And it becomes like an addiction to her.

From that day onward, she does not waste an opportunity to snap pictures of him. After frequenting the park around the same time as that day, Caroline realizes that he makes it a habit to spend most of his day in that park sketching. He chooses a different spot each time, making it difficult for Caroline to find him, but she deduces that by the fountain, near the lake is his favorite spot as much as it is hers.

She snaps so many pictures of him in so many different poses, with so many different expressions that she can possibly wallpaper her entire apartment with just shots of him. And the more she observes him, the more pictures she takes of him, the more addicted she becomes to him.

She starts noticing patterns after a while, recognizing the things that make him smile, and the things that bring this look of sadness into his eyes. The first time she sees him smile, a real, genuine smile is the day the flowers seem to fully bloom. Colorful bursts of all kinds spreads throughout the park, bringing a smile to Caroline's face that widens when she sees his. He stands contemplating a white blossom with a smile of awe stretched across his face. His hand delicately brushes the petals as though afraid that it would break under his stroke. The next day, Caroline finds him standing in front of a canvas, his strokes precise, his look intent. She watches him painting the colorful flowers, thinking that no painting can ever be this beautiful.

Caroline's camera catches no rest during those two days. And she can honestly say that these photos were her best work.

It is rivaled by another session, though.

A piano appears by the fountain in the park, causing Caroline to thank whoever got the idea to place it there. At one particular day, as the handsome, lonely artist lounges in one of the benches near said piano, someone decides to play some tunes. The young brunette pianist strokes the keys with delicate fingers, and before long an audience gathers around her. Even though she plays happy and hopeful notes, Caroline's artist sits with the saddest expression she has seen across his face. She pays no mind to her surroundings, his sorrow stealing her attention. There's a certain yearn in his eyes. It causes her throat to close in, threatening to overwhelm her with the despair she sees in the blue orbs. When the pianist stops her melodic chants, as the crowds dissipate, he advances towards the instrument. He drags his fingers across the keys with no precision, his face ceasing all expression before a hopeless sigh escapes his mouth. Much like the first time Caroline saw him, he turns on his heels, leaving her and the piano behind.

The picture she takes of his somber expression haunts her for days.

"Why do you have so many pictures of his hand?" Katherine asks, tilting her head as she flits through the recent batch that Caroline has set on organizing.

"Because" Caroline stalls, looking at her roommate and best friend "they're so beautiful and graceful. Especially when he's painting or sketching."

"So you imagine them touching and stroking you in the most sinful ways?" Katherine asks casually.

"Do you really have to make everything dirty?" Caroline rolls her eyes at the smirking brunette.

"Of course" the latter snickers, as if it's offending for Caroline to think otherwise.

Huffing exasperatedly, Caroline snatches the picture dangling from Katherine's fingers to put it in its designated place.

"His hands aren't my favorite thing about him though" Caroline mumbles, more to herself than to her curious friend.

"Then what is?"

Just by the tone of her inquiry, Caroline knows she should not answer. Mockery is all she'll ever get from Katherine Pierce. Ever since the blonde started on this little adventure of hers, Katherine has seized every opportunity for sarcasm. Still, as she holds a picture that particularly focuses on his eyes to place it in the binder, Caroline can't keep her tongue from moving.

"His eyes" she starts breathlessly "They're so beautiful and sad. There's nothing like them when they sparkle, or betray that look of sadness. They're so blue and so deep I think that if I look into them long enough, I can drown in their depth"

"I'm sorry" Katherine interrupts the moment too long of silence "Do you want some alone time with the picture?"

Caroline can't hide her blush. She doesn't venture a look at her friend who will most certainly be smirking.

"My point is" Caroline clears her throat "It's not about dirty thoughts. Muses don't work that way. It's about how beautiful he looks in pictures. And this is something that you will never understand".

With that Caroline stands up from the sofa, shuffling towards the door where she hangs her camera around her neck, ready to leave the apartment for her happy place.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?" Katherine says with the smirk still evident in her voice.

"Yes. I'm also trying to avoid you and your sarcasm" Caroline bites back.

"Oh Care, don't be like that" Katherine sighs, standing up herself to come closer to her friend "you know I'm just looking out for you. You've been on this mantra for almost two months now. It can't be healthy."

"Why?" Caroline huffs petulantly, stomping her feet against the floor like a toddler who's not getting her way "What's so bad about having this muse? You don't understand, it feels like I'm creating magic."

"I know" Katherine assures her, placing a hand on her shoulder "and it shows. Trust me, it does. This is my favorite collection of yours so far. And you know how much I love your work. But Caroline you're obsessed!"

"I'm so not!" Caroline objects, appalled by the accusation.

Arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her, Katherine crosses her arms over her chest defiantly "All you talk about is him, even though you know nothing about this guy. You spend at least two hours a day lurking around him to snap pictures of him, without his knowledge, might I add-"

"But-"

"When you get home, you go into that creepy red room of yours and extract said pictures from your camera. Then you flit through them and organize them into binders or albums or whatever the hell you feel like. And when I talk to you, you zone out. And I know you're thinking about him because you get that dreamy look in your eyes! It's getting out of hands, Caroline, you need to either stop following him around, or talk to him or get him to agree to get his pictures published so you can get him out of your system"

Caroline sighs, frustrated "You don't understand, Katherine, there's something about him. I can't really explain it but there's this pull. I don't understand what it is or why him, but it's there and I can't ignore it, not when every fiber of my being is telling me that this is right. That it's exactly what I should be doing."

Katherine licks her lips anxiously. This isn't the first time Caroline has used this type of explanation to her weird phase. If it isn't for Katherine's nearly infinite faith in Caroline's gut feeling, in Caroline's heart and its true calling, she would have thought that her friend is going crazy.

"OK" Katherine relents "Just promise me that you will be careful. I'm not looking out for him here, Care, I'm looking out for you."

"I know, Kat, I know" the blonde smiles "You always are, and I love you for it, but you have to trust me on this one".

Exchanging a quick hug and goodbye, Caroline skips out of her building and towards the park. She doesn't get to stay for long though, for an urgent, and slightly irritated Elijah interrupts her, demanding that she meet him instantly.

For the past two months, she has been doing nothing but give vague explanation about what she has been up to recently. So far, he's been patient, waiting for her to explain herself rather than hammering her with questions. His patience has ran out. clearly.

She steps into his office to hear him agitatedly speaking through his phone. Caroline has never seen Elijah so unnerved, he is always calm that the sight of him so anxious immediately worries her.

"No" Elijah snaps "He has to be there"

A beat of silence in which Elijah looks increasingly frustrated passes before he talks almost angrily again "Tell him he has to be there. He cannot argue his way out of this."

Caroline can hear the other person urgently talking with Elijah before the latter shuts his eyes, huffing "Listen, I can't argue with him through the phone over this. Tell him to come to my office so we can have a proper conversation. Tell him I need to fully understand what he's trying to say and I can't do this over the phone"

Elijah shuts the other voice midsentence firmly "Well, excuse me, Kol, but you're not the most reliable person when it comes to communicating with him. I need to see him. I expect him to be here within ten minutes"

Hanging up the phone, Elijah flops down onto the posh chair at his desk. He starts rubbing his temples, looking utterly exhausted.

"I'm sorry I barged in like that. But Tina said you were available" Caroline starts uncomfortably, startling Elijah who looks like he hasn't even noticed her standing there. She never truly bothers with formalities when it comes to Elijah. Although he never crosses the line of professionalism, they are familiar enough with each other that she walks into his office without knocking and calls him by his first name.

"It's OK, Caroline" he waves a hand to dismiss the matter "You've heard worse" he adds with a chuckle.

"True" she answers with a laugh of her own "What was that all about?" she inquires, sitting across from him on the black leather chair.

"It's the new artist" Elijah answers, looking slightly distressed "We're hosting his very first show. The opening is within the next a few days, everything was going according to plan until he found out that he has to be here and socialize with possible clients. He's been panicking ever since."

"Is he one of those recluse artists?" Caroline frowns, feeling sorry for Elijah.

"Not particularly." Elijah says vaguely "He has a certain … problem that makes him a little frightened by the concept of socializing."

"He's deaf" Elijah quietly says upon her confused expression.

"Oh" is all she manages to mouth.

"He's an exceptionally talented artist, though. I'm willing to let him off the hook if I have to" Elijah smiles at her warmly "After all, I've dealt with worst artists who had no reason whatsoever to make my life difficult by blowing off my calls and dodging my questions."

"I'm sorry, Elijah" Caroline stutters through a bright blush "I-"

"I wasn't talking about you" he shrugs innocently "I'm sure you have a legitimate reason over your disappearance." he leans forward, placing his elbows on the desk and regarding her with warm brown eyes "So tell me, Caroline. Is there a reason for your vagueness? Are you working on a new collection or must I tell clients that you will not be hosting a new show for another year?"

"I…" she starts hesitantly, licking her upper lip "I'm not sure"

"What do you mean?" Elijah tilts his head to the side with a frown of his own.

Caroline bites her lower lip, nervously twisting her fingers together where they lay in her lap. For a few moments, she watches her hands, avoiding Elijah's intent gaze. Controlling her blush seems hopeless. How does she explain this to Elijah without sounding like a stalker, or worse, like a teenager with a crush?

"There's this… person" she begins uncertainly, still not meeting his eyes "He's been my muse for the past two months"

"I don't see where the problem is" she looks up at Elijah to see him blinking confusedly "You've had subjects before."

"This time is different" she admits with a sigh "he doesn't exactly know that I'm taking pictures of him."

Elijah's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline "That's not something I thought I would hear you say."

Caroline's cheeks burn even hotter at the slight amusement in his tone "Me neither, but I couldn't help myself."

"I trust your judgment" he shrugs, but a smile stays plastered across his face all the same "Would you mind if I take a look at some of those pictures, Caroline? If you have some of them on you at the moment"

"I do" Caroline says uncertainly "… just don't get too attached" she jokes "He might not agree to have them published."

"I'm sure you can persuade him with your charms" he chuckles.

With shaking hands, she extracts the binder that is filled with his pictures from her bag. Upon Elijah's phone call, Caroline has quickly gone back to her apartment to pick up a few pictures in case he asks to see them.

She watches nervously as Elijah opens up the binder. He looks utterly stunned for a few moments, staring down at the pictures with his mouth almost hanging opened. She's about to say something, wanting to provoke any kind of reaction from him when he begins flipping through the endless collection. The shock gradually disappears to be replaced by an awed expression. She hears his breath catch in his throat, and when he looks up at her, she can swear his eyes are glossed over with emotions.

"What is it?" Caroline asks nervously when his silence prevails for too long.

Then he smiles "I think I can help with getting his agreement for publishing."

"What do you mean?" she frowns.

Whatever Elijah wants to say is interrupted by a knock on the door. Tina's head pops from the door,

"Mr. Mikaelson, Niklaus is here."

"Perfect timing, let him in."

Caroline imitates Elijah as he rises from his seat. There's a beaming smile stretching across his face, an almost secretive one as though he's in on a joke that no one else knows. He rounds the desk just in time as the door opens, prompting Caroline to turn around. Only to be met by the sight of her handsome artist standing in the doorway with an unnerved expression splattered across his features.

Her breathing ceases.

"Caroline" she is distantly aware of Elijah talking to her "I trust you know Niklaus. He's the new artist who also happens to be my brother."

There, standing with a slacked jaw, facing his own surprised and slightly confused expression, Caroline is entranced by his blue eyes.

It takes her no time at all to drown into their bottomless depth.

Next chapter to be posted soon and it's gonna be a monster in its length!

love you!