Written for my Klaroline Vacation exchange for Luiza! I'm so delighted you liked it!

Warning: Suggested Torture, Magic Gone Wrong, Mind Games. No smut.

The glitter of her too-bright nails against the contrast of the steering wheel was her first real awareness. Nuclear pink and sparkling, the nail polish left her eyeballs throbbing underneath every high-mast light on the overpass. She sucked in a deep breath, and the world snapped into sudden focus. That was when she realized she was barreling down a highway at eighty miles an hour in the dead of night.

Caroline screamed and swerved, slamming down on the breaks as the car shuddered across the rumble strip that warned of imminent disaster. She held her breath until the car came to a complete, screeching stop. Groping for the hazards lights, her panic and shock left her clumsy, and she slapped them on with tight lungs.

She collapsed against the steering wheel and gulped in air, shivering as the silence was broken only by the blinking of her lights. Eventually her heart calmed and she turned and stared dully at the clock. The little blinking neon lights read 3:07 a.m.

Caroline didn't know where she was or why she was driving a car, but something smelled. A moment later, she realized it was her. Her nails dug into leather, and she struggled to remember her last clear memory. She knew her name was Caroline, she knew that this wasn't her car. But all her sluggish brain could grasp was a sort of hazy panic, a need to run followed by a bone deep knowledge that she was being hunted.

Shaky and uncertain, she sat up and took stock of herself. Her throat was unbearably dry, hunger a tangible ache in her gums. The nail polish that hurt her eyes was chipped and her nails broken, dirt and other stains darkening her cuticles. Thick rivulets of what looked like blood streaked down her right hand, and she inhaled sharply as she realized her pants and shirt were liberally covered in what looked like gore.

Slowly, cautiously, she looked at herself in the rearview mirror and nearly shrieked. Red eyes with monstrous veins, her hair hung in jagged edges around her shoulders. She had fangs. For a moment she was certain this was just a nightmare, and she struggled to understand what she was looking at. The clarity of a sudden realization, the pain of her nails digging viciously into skin, left her shaking.

Vampire. She was a vampire. For a moment she just stared at herself, horror and an unexpected relief an intangible mix of emotions. She was being hunted but if she was a monster maybe she'd already rescued herself. Glancing back into the mirror, she caught a dark shape behind her and squinted before she understood what she was looking at.

There was a body in her backseat.

Caroline whipped around and stared in disbelief at the man slumped across the back of her car. She couldn't quite see his face, she had no recollection of who he might be, but some internal warning told her this was a vampire. She had no idea how she knew that when she couldn't recall the most basic of details, but if he was a vampire, that probably meant his death wouldn't stick. For a moment, panic nearly choked her.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Caroline forced herself to breathe in and out slowly, until she no longer felt like each breath was being forced through a straw. Once she was certain she was under control, she unbuckled her seatbelt and twisted around to get a better look at the other vampire.

He looked young, and he was handsome, if a bit unconventional in his prettiness. His dark hair was as jagged as her own and there was dirt and other terrible things beneath his nails. But no visible fangs or veins, so how did she know that he was like her? With him unconscious, she couldn't get a good read on his age, but he didn't feel new.

God, how did she even know that was a thing?

Relief was heady when she realized his hands were locked together with metal cuffs that felt like magic. She worried at her lip, the word magic setting off something that almost felt like a memory in the back of her mind. But she couldn't quite grasp it, and she was left feeling sick instead. Licking her lips, Caroline considered her options, tried to think.

She needed to figure out where she was and she needed somewhere safe to figure out a plan. She had no idea if she could trust the vampire with her or if she'd grabbed him with the intention to use him as some sort of bait. It was clear that she'd escaped from somewhere with the blood on her hands and the state of her hair. She felt like maybe she hadn't eaten in some time, and hunger was a vicious beast in her veins.

Taking a shaky breath, Caroline forced herself to think. First, she needed to make sure that the vampire wouldn't wake up and attack her until she had a plan to deal with him. Then she needed to figure out her resources and where the hell she was. Settling a little at having a plan, she carefully slid between the seats. Then with her teeth pressed tightly against her lip, she twisted the vampire's head around until she heard his spine snap. Her stomach rolled at the noise, and she swallowed hard, reminding herself that he wasn't dead. Mostly, at least.

Next she patted his clothing down, looking for a wallet or phone and came up empty handed. Cursing, she wiggled back into the driver's seat, and jerked open the glove compartment. It too was empty. Opening the console between the seats proved to be just as disappointing. There wasn't a single stray receipt or gum wrapper, no napkins. No phone, no map, no insurance card.

She had no clue where the car had come from or how she ended up with it, no memory to tell her how to drive. She had no identification, no cash, and no way to call for help. Rubbing her face, she said a quick mental prayer that the car wasn't stolen and buckled her seat belt. Leaning forward, she squinted, and tried to bring the exit signs into focus. She nearly choked on her next inhale as she stared at the I-20 sign that blurred the longer she looked at the words upcoming exit for Jackson, Mississippi.

Clearly, she wasn't in Virginia anymore, Toto.

Caroline curled her fingers tightly around the steering wheel, and grappled with that thought. Virginia. She was from Virginia. But where in Virginia? Swallowing down the questions that welled in her throat, she determinedly turned off her hazard lights. Glancing over her shoulder, she carefully pulled back onto the highway before a concerned state trooper or someone looking for an easy mark pulled over to see why she'd stopped.

Instinct told her that she needed to be indoors before the sun rose and that she needed blood. Once she'd accomplished both of those goals, she'd start trying to figure out the rest. Maybe she'd get lucky and her memory loss was the result of some sort of binge she'd regret in a few hours.

With one more wary glance at the body behind her, Caroline carefully pressed on the gas while praying driving a car was like riding a bike. Dawn was roughly in two hours, and surely Jackson would have a shady motel or two that would suit her purposes of regrouping? As long as she got there before the sun came out or she killed herself trying to remember how to drive.

Caroline stared at herself in the mirror and carefully wiped off her face. Her fingers shook with a strange sense of Deja vu that left a sour taste in her mouth not even the blood could disguise. She hadn't dared shower, unwilling to be so vulnerable and she'd nothing to change into anyway.

There were now two dead bodies on the floor of the motel room, although one of those bodies would be waking soon enough.

She'd underestimated her hunger, her nerves stretched taut across bones when she'd checked in. Somehow she'd managed to take only her room key. Once she'd hoisted her undead companion into their room she'd gone looking for a vending machine. Then the drunk had catcalled from the other end of the hall, his lewd suggestions and hulking size an indirect threat that left her fangs pricking at her gums.

He'd been surprisingly delicious.

Now she had a few credit cards, fifty in cash, and a phone. Staring at it, she worried at her lip. Did someone miss her? If she'd known who she was would there have been someone she could've called?

A crisp British accent broke into her worrying, amusement and a hint of flirt coloring his words. "Is there a bondage kink I should know about, Gorgeous? If so, I've got a suggestion or two on how to tie a man up so that he's a touch more useful."

Caroline turned and faced the vampire on the floor. She'd hogtied him with strips torn from her sheets, and left him on his stomach. His neck was tilted at what had to be an uncomfortable angle as he watched her from eyes as red as her own. His smile was dimpled and his muscles bunched as he tested the bindings.

Caroline set the phone down and glowered. His voice was familiar, another Deja vu she couldn't place, a word stuck on the top of her tongue. It was maddening. "That's hardly any of your business, but I'm sure you'll be plenty useful as you are. I need answers, and you're my best bet at providing them. If you try anything, I'll just keep your neck snapped until I figure something else out."

His chin dipped and his smile dropped. "Like that, is it? At least we know the distance didn't help. How bad is it, Gorgeous? You remember anything?"

Caroline ground her teeth, hating that this vampire was all but guaranteed to know more about what was going on than she did. She just didn't know if she could trust him or if she really had a choice in the matter. He seemed to read all that on her face because his mouth tightened as he grimaced.

"Well, that puts a bit of a dampener on things, doesn't it? I bloody hate witches. How far did we make it?"

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "We? Maybe you should stop complaining and actually explain so I don't just snap your neck."

He somehow managed to give the appearance of a shrug. "The last thing I remember was a 7/11 outside of Atlanta. You'd gone inside to get snacks, something about needing junk food if you were going to be forced to listen to my terrible taste in music any longer. As if whatever you were insisting was music actually passed as anything but torture."

Slowly, she eased down to study his face. What he said sounded right, and she could almost see the scene he was describing. Did that mean what he was saying was the truth or was he just a good liar. "What witches?"

He shifted, fingers flexing inside the cuffs, but settled after she glared in warning. "The Augustine Society. Human group, full of torture happy crackpots, unfortunately well-funded. Recently they managed to wrangle themselves some magical help. You didn't really get along with them much, got real creative with your threats when they started hacking your hair for their spells."

Caroline touched the ruined ends of her hair with a grimace. "That doesn't tell me much."

A strangely serious glance from those flippant eyes. "Doesn't mean it's not important. I don't know what they wanted from you specifically, Gorgeous, but they seemed real determined to keep you docile. Turns out the only way that really worked was to temporarily strip you of your memories."

"Temporarily?" She repeated, tone unsure. "This doesn't feel temporary."

"Takes a few hours, some blood, things should start coming back. Not sure of the timeline, you're a crafty thing and kept most of the pertinent details to yourself." He arched a brow. "So much suspicion."

"Seems awfully convenient," she pointed out with a scowl.

"There isn't much of a point in lying is there, particularly when a few hours could prove me to be a liar," Enzo pointed out, lips curled with a touch of amusement. "You're petty, and creative. Personally, I prefer my balls right where they are."

"Let's say I believe you," Caroline said slowly, eyes narrowed. "That my memories are messed up because of these witches, and that there is a torture happy society chasing me. How'd I end up with you?"

His smile was amused. "You rescued me."

"I don't even know your name," she blurted in surprise. "Why would I rescue you?"

"Most of the time, you called me Enzo," he said easily.

"And the rest of the time?" She asked, brows bunched as that name pinged something inside her brain. She curled her fingers tightly into her palms, frustrated that she couldn't remember. That this man seemed to know more about her than she did.

His sudden smile was wicked and full of laughter. "You've got quite a creative way with your tongue, Gorgeous."

Caroline stared coolly at him, unimpressed, but it hardly phased him. Huffing, she shoved back the ragged ends of her hair, and tried to think. "Seriously, why would I rescue you?"

His gaze turned suddenly serious. "Why? I suppose torture has a way of bonding people. You may have mentioned something about being collateral damage in the past, but you weren't forthcoming with those details, either. And don't underestimate your pettiness, Gorgeous, you really do hate those witches, and anyone could see they got off on torturing vampires. I think you enjoyed sabotaging their fun."

She sighed, head tilted to the side. "I don't know how I feel that these answers come so easily to you."

Enzo nodded. "This isn't the first time we've had this conversation, Caroline, this isn't even the fifth. I've promised to help you string a few people up by their innards for it, and I'll keep that promise."

Hearing her name confirmed was a jolt and she swallowed. It might've been stupid, but she felt that he wasn't lying to her. Licking her lips, she took a slow breath. "So if I rescued us what was my plan? Surely I had a plan."

The words felt right on her tongue, having a plan seemed right. She felt less wild, as if she was slowly coming back into her skin. It felt familiar, this process of discovery, claiming the bits and the pieces that were herself from a void inside her mind. She hated it.

"Well now," Enzo said slowly, interrupting her frustrated musing. "That'll depend on where we are exactly."

Her brows bunched, and she shook her head. "What does that mean?"

"From everything you told me, you've got some friends who are used to dealing with the occasional threat. If your attempt at contacting them went well, we planned to meet them in Nashville, get enough space that they could help us figure out a plan. You were going to ring them once we were somewhat settled in Atlanta."

Caroline's breath hitched, and she could almost see their faces. Could almost…

"Of course, if that went down the shitter, we were going to head further west, try to track down a different acquaintance of yours. Does the name Klaus mean anything to you? He's some sort of werewolf/vampire hybrid, which honestly sounds a bit ridiculous. But you're apparently friendly, whatever that means to you."

It wasn't a memory that rocked through her, but a bone-deep recognition. Klaus. Caroline had no face, no true memory, but she knew Enzo was right. If she could find him, whoever this Klaus was he'd help her.

"We're in Jackson, Mississippi," Caroline said carefully. "Did I tell you where this Klaus could be found or was that one of the sparser details?"

Enzo sighed. "Well, bollocks. What the hell happened in Atlanta, Gorgeous?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Klaus, Enzo. Where is he?"

"New Orleans," he said. Head tilting, Enzo arched a brow. "You sure you want to head that way? Rumor has it he's sort of the Big Bad among our kind. Seems a bit moody. I don't particularly wish to see my liver again."

Caroline chewed on her lip, and considered that before she reached over and ripped apart his bindings. "I want to trust you, which is probably stupid. But as long as you don't betray me, I won't remove any internal organs. Promise."

He laughed and rolled to his knees. "Not quite what I meant, but you really are a bloodthirsty little thing. I like that about you, Forbes."

The memory hit with the force of a punch, and her vision swam. It was a fleeting thing, Enzo's voice a rasp in her ears a strange echo of the sound of his voice in the darkness between them. Then it was gone. Sucking in a breath, she reached up to rub her chest. "This sucks."

Enzo's gaze was worried and sympathetic. "So you've said."

"What are the odds that…" her voice trailed off, lips compressed into a thin line.

"That they try to hit you with another mental whammy? High. So whatever we are going to do, we need to figure it out relatively soon. I'm a fair bit useless with these cuffs. I'd assume that your friend will have access to witches, so that should help." Enzo glanced at the cooling body and sighed. "Not exactly appetizing, but it'll have to do. Do you mind handing me a wrist? A bit tricky to eat all tied up like this."

Caroline stood on shaky knees. "Yeah, I guess. I'd offer to find another…"

Enzo followed her gaze to the sunlight brightening the shades. "A little bit of congealing blood won't kill me, but certainly sunlight will. I've never really wanted to go out in that kind of a blaze."

She hesitated, winced. "What do I avoid other than sunlight?"

"Try not to lose your head," he suggested. "Any damage to your heart is fatal. Don't worry, usually those pesky details like survival are the first to return. I'm sure they'll come back to you soon."

Caroline nodded and heaved the body closer to Enzo, and reached for a stiffened arm. "We'll have to do something about him. Eventually, he'll start to smell."

"We'll deal with him once night falls. Try to get cozy, Gorgeous, we're stuck here for another twelve hours since neither of us have daylight rings. Sleeping should be safe enough, the witches will need a chance to recharge themselves. We have ourselves a bit of breathing room. Might as well make the most if it."

As it turned out, Jackson was really only a stone's throw from New Orleans. A quick three hour drive, and they were passing the Welcome to New Orleans sign. The knots in her stomach were suddenly so much worse, twisting in on themselves like possessed butterflies. Exhaustion was heavy in her bones, and it was only sheer determination that kept her upright and alert.

Caroline had done her best to rest, but Enzo's presence and the vivid images in her dreams had conspired against her. She hadn't quite been able to remember the details of those dreams every time she'd startled awake, but they were an itch that lingered no matter how hard she scratched. They just wouldn't go away. Enzo had said little, merely watched her from beneath his lashes each time she jerked up into a sitting position, the set of his mouth hard.

He'd said this wasn't the first time he'd watched her struggle. How many times had they stripped her mind like this? As if her memories were so easily torn from her, like old paint on walls that just needed to be scraped away.

It pissed her off as much as it terrified her.

Now they were in New Orleans, and she still grasped about mentally for a plan. She didn't know how to get in touch with this Klaus, assuming he'd even want to be found. There was something lingering here, a sense of foreboding she couldn't shake. The wheel creaked under her fingers as they drove through the darkened streets.

"Having second thoughts?" Enzo asked.

She grimaced. "I don't like not knowing what I'm walking into. What if Klaus isn't here?"

What if he refused to help them?

Enzo shrugged. "Then we'll figure something else out. For the first time in decades I'm under an open sky, and you're responsible for that. I won't abandon you."

His words loosened something in her chest, a hard knot that had been drawn taut. Taking a deep breath Caroline nodded and flipped on her blinker to take an exit. "So if you were a vampire, where would you set up in this city?"

Enzo tipped his head back and considered her question. "French Quarter is as a good place as any to start. There is usually some sort of protocol in place, for visiting vampires to be given the rules of a particular city. They generally want someone to be easily found. All you have to do is end up somewhere and wait, and odds are someone will come to you."

Caroline gave him a rueful look as they waited for a light to change. "That easy huh?"

Enzo snorted. "Any ruling vampire worth their salt keeps careful watch of what moves in and out of their city. You'd be surprised at the information that can be passed around in moments. Most of the time, particularly for proper cities, they don't bother to engage as long as the rules aren't broken. New Orleans has a decent population, but it's not so large that you'll be allowed to wander unchecked. But if I recall it's always been a hotbed."

Following the signs that lead them through surprisingly quiet streets, she cleared her throat. "Why?"

"It's been a long time since I followed the juicy bits of supernatural gossip, Caroline. But from what I recall, New Orleans has always had a fairly contentious relationship between the witches and the vampires. I'd like to assume we aren't walking into a war, but who knows?"

She blew out a slow breath. "You're going to have to wait in the car, huh?"

Enzo's teeth gleamed behind his smile. "Unless you want to make a very interesting statement; a baby vampire and her very good sub. Pity it isn't Mardis Gras, we would've fit right in."

She wrinkled her nose. "Seems like a bad idea, drawing that kind of attention. Those cuffs scream witch magic. You just said the witches here could be a problem."

He laughed, and tried to shift to a more comfortable position. "Probably for the best. Even if we didn't want to advertise that witches are involved with this predicament, your face isn't exactly serene when you think about this bloke of yours. He might be the territorial type, think we're something a bit extra."

"All vampires are territorial," Caroline pointed out with an eye roll, trying not to think about the way the name Klaus kicked her pulse. "The older, the crazier."

"Won't you have fun getting there," Enzo teased. "Already rescuing vampires older than you. I don't think you're going to have a boring life, Gorgeous."

"Shut up," she groused.

He tilted his head towards an open space and she managed to parallel park without hitting anything. "You're still so new you might not know the rules, so just play up that wide-eyed cheerleader act of yours and you'll be fine."

Caroline pursed her lips. "How do you even know I can do that? Also, seriously, I'm covered in two day old blood. There isn't a lot of innocence in that."

"Your shirt's dark. No one is going to notice who isn't vampire and a little blood will get attention sooner. Baby vampires lose control all the time, they don't need to know you're made of sterner stuff than that."

"I don't know if my lack of memory is good thing or a bad thing right now," she murmured as she stared at her dingy sneakers before taking a deep breath. "I'm trusting you."

Enzo nodded. "I'll be here when you get back."

Taking one last nervous breath, the leftover cash tucked into her pocket, Caroline finger combed her hair as best she could. She'd tried rinsing out the worst of the blood, and it had air dried into messy waves, the ends hanging in ragged lines between her shoulders and chin. She'd have given a small fortune for a tube of mascara.

Impatiently, she shoved aside her bruised vanity, and started to wander the blocks hoping to get some sort of clue as to where she was supposed to find a vampire. The streets were noisy and packed with tourists, and her throat burned. There were too many smells, too many heartbeats for her to really grasp who was around her. Eventually, she just gave up and followed the smell of fried dough and sugar. She couldn't indulge in the blood her dry throat told her she needed, so sugar would have to do.

She'd just tucked herself into a booth, a small pile of beignets in front of her when the door clanged open and a vampire walked in. It took a moment for her to realize it was the scent, the slower sounds of his heartbeat that told her what he was and she watched him cautiously from beneath her lashes; nibbling on fried dough. He was startlingly attractive, the suit he wore showing off the lines of his shoulders and setting off the darkness of his skin beautifully. When he smiled, his teeth were very white.

He waved to the cashier like he knew her, and headed unerringly for her booth. Caroline made no move to bolt, refused to show how nervous she was in front of this stranger. He slipped in across from her, offering her the same smile he'd given the others.

"What brings you to my city?" He asked pleasantly. "Most baby vampires aren't without oversight from their sires, and I'm told you've contacted no one. The vampire you're with has made no attempt to leave your vehicle. I find myself curious."

Caroline blinked, brows bunching. Remembering Enzo's words, she shook her head. "I didn't know New Orleans belonged to anyone."

Smile still in place, he dipped his chin. "I'm Marcel, King of the City, if you will. Who are you?"

She shook her head slowly, not having to fake her nerves. She wished she knew if that name was supposed to mean something. Would she have known who he was? "I'm just passing through."

"We are a hospitable city," Marcel said easily. "So it is lucky it appears those blood stains aren't fresh or we'd be having a different conversation entirely. We don't allow rippers here."

"Rippers?" She repeated, not having to feign her confusion. But underneath her skin, the word clamored in her chest, something hazy drifting behind her eyes.

"Who sired you?" Marcel asked, gaze narrowed. "You're two maybe three years into your vampirism. That should have been part of your most basic education."

Lips compressed, she shook her head, but anything she'd have said interrupted when his phone buzzed. Marcel glanced at it and sighed, picking it up and quickly typing out a response. "My apologies, but pressing business, you understand. A guest of mine isn't known for his patience, so I will need you to answer my questions now."

Caroline licked her lips, kept her eyes wide. "I'm not here to cause trouble."

"I'm sure that's what you believe," Marcel agreed. "But New Orleans has been in a bit of a recent power struggle, little vampire. I cannot risk that you were sent here as a plant. Your sire, if you please."

The front door jangled as people went in and out, and Caroline took a slow breath and lifted her chin. Something shifted in the air, a sudden awareness of danger that she couldn't quite place, but felt familiar. "I don't know who my sire is or why that matters."

There was a soft noise, an indrawn breath that was somehow loud even over the noise of the shop. Eyes flickering over Marcel's shoulder, her gaze locked on a pair of blue eyes that were lightening at the edges, yellow bleeding into blue. A tumble of curls and full lips, and her pulse skipped at the unexpected blow of his face.

Somehow, she knew this was Klaus.

She wished she'd asked Enzo for more clarification on what friendly meant. He was almost unfairly pretty, and her mouth ran dry.

She wished Enzo had told her he was pretty.

Marcel looked over his shoulder and nodded at him. "I told you'd I'd be but a moment."

Instead of acknowledging Marcel, his gaze stayed locked on hers. This Klaus cleared the distance between them in four strides, loomed above the table with an intensity that made her skin prickle. His gaze ran down her face, dragging across her ragged hair and lower, cataloging each stain on her shirt.

"Sweetheart," he bit off. "What happened?"

His words stabbed at her, cutting through the haze in her brain, and for a moment she was no longer in the tiny shop but in a ballroom, skirts twisting around her legs and a warm hand against hers. She inhaled sharply and the world went sideways and just as suddenly, careful fingertips skimmed beneath the burning at her throat, falsely sympathetic eyes riveted on her face. A heartbeat and she was back in the booth, and both men were silent and tense in front of her as she groped for reality.

"I need air," she finally managed, voice strained. To her surprise, instead of arguing, Klaus slipped a hand beneath her elbow and somehow pulled her onto her feet. The world was still spinning, and she could only stagger beside him as he led her through the kitchen, ignoring the shouts around them.

Walking into muggy night was like hitting a wall, but she sucked in the humid air greedily. Leaning against the brick behind her, she blinked in shock when Klaus brought his wrist to his mouth and tore it open. Marcel closed the door behind them, his gaze narrowed and curious.

"You're grey," Klaus said in harsh tones. "Drink. Now."

She'd have snarled at the order if she could've done anything other than sink her teeth into the wound. His taste nearly sent her careening back into the black hole that was her memory, and she clung to the feel of bones grinding beneath her grip, the sensation of his skin against hers. Each mouthful pushed her closer to a precipice she couldn't see, could only feel. Her monster wanted more, wanted blood, his skin, wanted the risk of the fall as her mind spun in its own personal cyclone. She forced herself to release him, jerked back as he watched with golden eyes.

"Now," he repeated, his tone suddenly, frighteningly reasonable. "Tell me why you are here. Your move-in date to Whitmore is in two weeks, is it not?"

"I don't know," Caroline said a touch frantically, wiping at her mouth, movements jerky. "How would you know that?"

Those dangerous eyes narrowed, head tipping to the side. "You don't know?"

There was a sudden softness to his tone that rattled her, an implied threat. Something violent lived under his skin and she wondered if Enzo had been right. If coming here might have been a mistake. She opened her mouth, not knowing what to say, when Marcel cut in.

"Is this one of yours, Klaus? She arrived an hour ago with another vampire. He hasn't left the car, and she wandered the streets alone. I got wind of her because of her appearance." Marcel glanced at her, something thoughtful in his gaze. "I was interested, because a half-starved baby vampire not attacking the tourists deserves my attention. If you sired her… well, you always did like to collect the unusual."

"Alone," Klaus murmured, straightening with a dangerous intent on his face. He continued to ignore Marcel and without thinking, she gripped his wrist. His gaze clashed with hers, but she refused to let go.

"Enzo is my friend," she rasped firmly, barely holding onto reality as his skin pulsed, warm and strange, beneath hers. "He helped me."

Those eyes blazed, but his voice stayed gentle, and goosebumps broke across her skin. "Did he?"

She swallowed hard but nodded firmly.

"And what did you need help with, Caroline? What sends you scurrying to this city in such disarray, with only a strange vampire for company? Not even one of your usual collection of useless friends has followed you. And here I'd thought little could pry you from Mystic Falls as long as your mother lived."

Something inside her broke open at the word mother. It rushed to her ears and filled her mouth, and she drowned on summer air. Her grip whitened against Klaus' forearm and she thought she heard her name bitten off harshly, but the world spun sideways and went mercifully dark.

The slushee machine was broken. Lips pressed tightly together, Caroline set her teeth and glared furiously at the little out of order sign. All she'd wanted was a large blue slushee to get her through the next few hours of her drive, to brace her for the phone call she'd agreed to make.

Her memories of her friends were coming back to her in those jigsaw puzzle pieces that left her shaky and craving blood like a junky. Bonnie's face. Elena's laugh. These little bits and pieces of sunshine she'd clung to in her cell.

But not all the memories were fun, and she skittered around the memory of the vampire Damon, of Stefan, wary of what her subconscious was hiding. Not when she knew their teeth, their apathy. Not when her monster was out and she couldn't find her reasoning to keep it hidden.

Her lips curled into a vicious little smile as she recalled the shock on her jailer's face when she'd ripped out his throat. The stunned disbelief that she'd fooled them all. They stripped her mind and thought her helpless, but she'd never quietly be a victim. She'd known even then that at some point the three she'd murdered might bother her, known that as each memory floated or ripped and tore their way to the surface, she could regret her actions.

But right then?

Klaus wouldn't care that she was less girl and more monster. The thought was comforting, even if she was trying to understand exactly who Klaus was to her. Caroline closed her eyes and shivered, recognizing a memory that wanted loose, and struggled to keep from being dragged down. She couldn't afford it. It was enough, to remember the soft press of lips against her cheek, the murmured promise of however long. She didn't know what it meant, his promise, but she did know that if she found him, he'd help her.

But the Augustine Society would never risk her finding help, would never allow her to spill the secrets they'd whispered as they'd tortured her. They'd continue to hunt her even as they thought their spells protected them, that her mind was too torn to remember their secrets. They were wrong. She didn't know if her friends would help her kill them, these humans who'd left her bloody and mentally ragged.

But Klaus would.

She hadn't told Enzo the truth of her plan yet. Not in the frantic flight from Virginia, the rush to put as many miles between them and the witches as possible. Something about home, about her friends, left her uneasy. So she'd barely slept the day before, huddled in that barn, waiting to be caught. Now night was thick with humidity and she had a phone call to make before they continued west.

But the number she was trying to remember wasn't Bonnie's or Elena's. Taking another slow breath, she skittered around to the candy aisle, struggling to ignore the heartbeats around her. The smells. Someone nearby was bleeding and her throat was so dry.

Shaking off the craving, she looked out the glass doors to search for Enzo. When she'd escaped, she'd been unable to leave him behind, the half-starved vampire with the vicious smile and kind eyes. He was a bit of a dick, but she found herself liking him regardless, occasionally more amused at his nonsense that annoyed, but only sometimes.

Gripping a package of skittles, she wondered if Enzo was a candy person or a chocolate person. Did he even know what a slurpee was? Frowning at the thought, she found him with her eyes just as a man materialized behind him. The skittles slid from her fingers to hit the floor. Enzo twisted around and buried his fangs in the throat of the witch, just as another appeared

She blurred outside, was hit by the smell of blood and the unmistakable sounds of chanting…

She jerked awake in panic, heart hammering in a wild staccato in her chest. For a moment, she couldn't focus on where she was she could only see the witches, could hear the lingering echo of a chant that dug into her bones and dug through her mind like her memories were easily discarded trash. But slowly, as her monster sorted through reality for her, she became aware of more than her nightmare.

Her memory.

Atlanta. She'd been in Atlanta, with Enzo. Vaguely she recalled there had been others she'd remembered. Klaus. Bonnie and… they slipped through her fingers. But she remembered the rest. They'd been attacked and she'd killed witches.

That was where the blood had come from.

She'd broken Enzo's neck and cuffed him using the pair a witch had dropped because he was too dangerous, feral and blood starved. Then she'd shoved him into the car. Somehow she'd had the capability to remember the cameras and thought to compel the attendant to erase the data for the last month.

And then after that things weren't quite right.

She knew she'd started driving. She remembered her grim determination as she'd felt her memories slipping away. Then nothing. Those hours between Atlanta and Jackson just didn't exist for her.

But she knew that somehow she'd rescued them again.

It settled her.

Swallowing, she pushed through the adrenaline and panic enough to realize she was sitting on a bed, that the sheets smelled familiar. It took a moment to recognize the signals her monster was giving her, a struggle to comprehend what they meant. Safe. She was safe, because the sheets smelled like Klaus. Her trembling fingers curled tightly into fists as she warily glanced around and realized that she wasn't alone.

Klaus was sprawled across a comfortable looking couch, one leg tossed over the other, everything about his posture relaxed. Easy. Except his eyes. They glowed yellow in the dim light, and for a moment, she just looked at him.

She knew him. Knew that he was the nightmare that Enzo had warned her about and that not all her memories would uncover nice things. But his face and teeth didn't unlock the same kind of apprehension that she remembered feeling in the gas station when she thought about her friends.

The memory of her certainty grounded her unexpectedly. If she'd remembered these people once she could do it again. It helped.

"I fainted," she said finally, tongue snaking out to wet her lips. That wasn't quite the right word but it was better than admitting her own mind had drowned her. Not when this monster watched her with a simmering rage.

"I have been assured," Klaus said in crisp tones that spoke of anger even as he somehow managed to keep the depth of his fury off his face. "That this will not be a recurring issue."

Caroline swallowed. "By who?"

He blinked, lashes hiding the depth of his eyes, and when they lifted, his gaze had gone dark. "What do you remember?"

She grimaced, blinking as she drew the fragments from the alley back to the front of her memory. "You… my mom."

She shot off the bed, but her knees failed her when her feet hit the floor. Instead of falling on her ass, Klaus caught her beneath her elbows and kept her upright. She gripped his shirt, twisted it between her fingers until seams popped. "I forgot my mom."

Elizabeth Forbes. Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. Same hair, similar smile, and worry lines that sometimes sat around her mouth or between her eyes. Her mom.

"Your memories are expected to return in full over the next few weeks," Klaus said firmly into her growing panic and she latched onto his words, staring at him with wild eyes.

Anger pulsed through her and she bared her teeth. "They took my mom."

His head dipped, gaze narrowed. "They took her in what way?"

She opened her mouth and then closed, the memory slipping through her fingers like smoke. Frustration left her impotent and she ground her teeth. She didn't know if her mom had been physically taken or just mentally stolen from her, the rage under her skin giving her no answers.

Klaus smoothed his hands along her arms, touch soothing. "It's easy enough to confirm your mother's location. Give me half an hour, love."

Caroline blinked at him, lower lip sliding between her teeth for a long moment. "I don't know what we are."

"For now, that's of less import than your memories of who took you and why. Enzo gave us a bit of a timeline, in the hours you slept, a few details that are being looked into," Klaus murmured. "I imagine you have questions, but for now, know that we are friends of a sort."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are we?"

"So you've said."

She frowned, but let it go. "I don't like not knowing who these people in my head are or why they're there."

Something flared in his eyes, heat and something else, and it sparked along her skin like a shot of adrenaline. She wondered if this was why Klaus called them friends of a sort. His lips curled at the edges, the barest hint of smile that was so satisfied it made her instincts prickle with a potent warning. "But you remembered me."

It wasn't a question. Gaze narrowed, Caroline searched for the trap beneath his words and failed to find it. Suspicious and wary, she sidestepped. "I mostly remember remembering things."

If anything, that seemed to leave him even more satisfied. "I've had a few things procured for you, if you'd like to shower and change. After, I'll answer any questions you have, Caroline."

She thought of her hair and winced. "Anyone have a good set of scissors around here? They cut my hair for their spells."

His gaze never wavered. "Do you know who?"

"Not yet," Caroline said flatly, gaze narrowed in determination. "But I will."

If that knowledge was locked inside her mind, she'd dig it out anyway necessary. Dream-her had already gained some of it back, had started rifling through secrets this Augustine Society was desperate to hide.

His gaze dipped. "I'll have the scissors delivered by the time you're done with your shower. Unless you'd prefer someone to trim your ends for you?"

Caroline flinched at the idea of a stranger near her, started rambling to cover it before she could catch her words. "No thanks. You can learn pretty much anything from a YouTube video and a group of desperate cheerleaders, and it's just a trim."

His gaze told her he'd caught her unease, but he didn't call her on it. It took a moment to realize her words had been easy, a sharing of information she didn't know she even had. Uneasy and off kilter, she jumped when Klaus broke into her twisting thoughts.

"Have you noticed your ring, Caroline?"

She blinked at him, thrown by the sudden change in topic and dropped her eyes to the hands she hadn't realized were still fisted in his shirt. On her left hand there was a delicate ring with a pretty carved stone. She stared hard at it for a moment before the name of the stone floated up from the depths of her mind.

"Lapis Lazuli," she murmured, and her gaze narrowed. "A daylight ring."

"Yes," Klaus agreed. "This one has a bit more to it too. Right now, the most important aspect being it should keep any and all witches out of your head."

There was something unspoken there, a promise and a threat. An assurance that it if failed, someone would die. She wondered what it meant that she found that comforting. Klaus took a careful step back, and she realized in surprise that she'd steadied. She released him with an apologetic look at the wrinkled fabric, which he ignored.

Instead, he merely nodded his head towards a closed door to her right. "Take your time, sweetheart. No one will disturb you and nothing will reach you without going through me. A task that is not easily accomplished, I assure you."

She watched him leave the room on silent feet, and bit the tip of her tongue to stop the urge to call him back. He'd told her that her mind was safe from witches, she just wished she trusted herself.

The surprisingly cute sandals that had been left for her were nearly silent as she walked down the stairs. The jeans and fitted top she'd chosen were a near perfect fit, but it hadn't just been just clothes that Klaus had left for her. There was also a small makeup bag filled with brands that seemed familiar. Since she doubted they were at a friendship level of that included exchanging makeup tips, it was clear that her conversation with Klaus was going to be more involved than she'd thought.

She'd forced herself to shower quickly, partly due to her determination to find out what was going on and partly to avoid thinking about being in Klaus' shower. Imagining him naked and wet was a bad idea when she needed to look him in the eye. Particularly when she didn't quite understand what put that look behind his eyes when he said friends.

Determinedly, she'd scrubbed herself until even her vampirism couldn't keep her skin from turning pink. Then she'd attacked her hair. Once every part of her squeaked, Caroline had dried off and gone looking for the promised clothing.

There had been several choices neatly stacked, but it had been the brand new scissors waiting for her on top of the vanity that had touched her the most. It'd taken twenty minutes and some muttered cursing, but her hair was mostly presentable. A few swipes of mascara and she'd set out to find out what Klaus knew.

Standing at the bottom of the staircase, Caroline rocked onto her toes and worried her lip. She had no idea where to go and nothing of this house spoke of the shadowed familiarity that lingered along Klaus, colored her interactions with Enzo. Except…

Tilting her head, she listened, and a moment later picked up the sound of a heart beating slow and steady. She turned and headed down a hallway, and a door slid open just as she reached it. Klaus' gaze skimmed across her face, and he must've found what he was looking for, because truly unfair dimples chased the curve of his smile before he ushered her into the comfortably furnished sitting room.

"There you are, sweetheart. Can I interest you in a drink?"

Her spine tightened, muscles tensing beneath where his palm rested, and Caroline tried to understand the echo of his words in her ears, the smell of cologne and the burn of alcohol on her lips. A moment later and it was gone, and she stood there for a moment, trying to collect herself.

"Sorry," Caroline murmured as she stepped away, realizing she'd been leaning against Klaus. Running a hand through her hair, she sat down inelegantly, frustrated with herself. A moment later and Klaus settled a drink in front of her, sitting across from her.

"There is no need to apologize, Caroline," Klaus told her, tone firm. "Not to me."

She narrowed her eyes. "But there might be the need elsewhere? The vampire from earlier?"

"Marcel?" He said with a hint of amusement deepening his voice. "He's currently dealing with his own problems, love. Though I imagine the situation will be wrapped up sooner than expected, even with my attention split."

She blinked, and bit of her temper faded at his unexpected words. Worrying her lip, she winced. "Am I intruding?"

"Not at all," Klaus assured her, voice firm.

Caroline studied him carefully, and he didn't look away. "Why do I imagine you aren't usually so helpful? Enzo called you the Big Bad."

"Enzo was not wrong. I have few morals, Caroline, and rarely do I find aiding others to be of interest. I believe you'll recall soon enough that I tend to be the villain of the narrative."

"Is that supposed to frighten me?"

A bladed smile, the monster back in his eyes. "If only it were so easy. No, Caroline, I have no wish to frighten you, but I will not hide what I am, either. You'll remember what you think of me soon enough, and I will allow no false pretenses to color those memories."

"But you've helped me," she said slowly. "You've suggested you will continue to help me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

A shake of his head. "I will aid you where I can, and offer as many answers as I'm able, but this you'll have to remember on your own."

"Has anyone told you that you're extremely annoying?"

A grin, quick and boyish. "As delighted as I'd be to revisit what I have no doubt will be a charming argument, particularly once you're a little more armed with my wrongdoings, perhaps we should save them for another time?"

Caroline ground her teeth. "And Marcel? Is he off limits too?"

"I raised him, so he is family," Klaus said lightly and she choked on her inhale. He smiled. "You'll find a few centuries can give you the opportunity for many things, should you wish for them. Vampirism is what you make of it."

She opened her mouth and then closed it, throat suddenly too tight. "Where is my mom?"

The laughter left his face, and the little flecks of gold around his pupil worried her. "My apologies, Caroline, but it appears that locating your mother will take a little more time. Elizabeth Forbes is no longer in Mystic Falls.

Everything inside her locked up, stomach twisting into a hard knot. "What does that mean?"

Klaus held her gaze. "It could mean any number of possibilities, but I'm inclined to trust your gut instinct. Someone took your mother. It would explain how they captured you in the first place."

Caroline laughed bitterly. "My instincts?"

A flash of impatience flickered across his face, but then the emotion was wiped clean. "What you are, love, is a highly intelligent and clever adversary. I've no doubt that the bits and pieces that are coming back to you first will be the most important, and if this Society did make the mistake of taking your mother as bait, then you will make them regret it."

She swallowed at the iron certainty to his voice, and again she wondered what this was between them. She pushed that aside and took a slow breath. "Taking my mom if they were going to mind wipe me doesn't make any sense."

Klaus dipped his head in approval. "Yes. Unless, of course, your mother is too valuable to be regulated as a simple hostage. Or too difficult. As she is your mother, I'd bet on it being a combination of both."

Caroline almost smiled at that, something easing in her chest. "So what? You think whatever happened to me was part of a larger scheme? That they need my mom for what?"

His eyes were intent as he watched her. "I believe that there is more going on than we currently know."

"What I don't understand," she said finally, voice tight with frustration. "Why not just kill me? Why wipe my memories at all?"

Something shifted in Klaus' expression, the gold washing away the blue in his gaze. He took a slow sip of his drink, before setting his empty glass down. "It's fortunate for them, that they chose containment."

Caroline took a sip of her own drink, winced at the burn. Setting it back down, she took a deep breath. "But why?"

Klaus stood and walked to the decanter, poured himself another two fingers. "There are other angles to consider. One such is that your mother might not have been the hostage."

"What did Enzo tell you?" She whispered, throat suddenly bone dry.

"Your pet vampire believes you were captured when you attempted to enroll in classes at Whitmore. Personally, I don't believe the attack was random or a crime of opportunity. It was planned, too many safeguards were circumvented."

"Safeguards?" She repeated, frowning as her mind came up blanker than normal. "What safeguards?"

"A mere precaution or two." Something about his expression, the almost deliberate casualness to his words, set off tiny alarm bells in her head.

"Did I know about these precautions?" She asked suspiciously.

"No," Klaus said baldly.

"I cannot imagine any version of myself would be okay with that," Caroline said flatly, pushing to her feet to glower at him.

"I'm certain you'd have had several loud opinions on the matter, but I can assure you, that your anger would not have changed them."

"Even though they clearly didn't work?"

"A matter that I will be addressing once we've finished dealing with the more pressing situation," Klaus said tightly, expression hardening. Caroline stared at him for a long moment, lips pressed together to hold in the harsh words building on the tip of her tongue.

"I am going to bring this back up," she finally warned, words hard.

"Of that, I have no doubt."

She nodded sharply, and took a deep breath. "If they grabbed me on campus, there has to be some sort of schedule of events, right? Easy enough to figure out when and why I might've been there.

"It's an avenue that is being investigated."

Caroline threw her hands up. "If you're already looking into these things, why are we even having this discussion? And investigated by who?"

Klaus set his glass down and walked over to her, catching her hand between his. The feel of his skin buzzed along her palms and up her arms, but it didn't threaten to pull her under like before. She wondered if that was part of the spell on her ring.

"We're having this discussion, because you've a right to know what is going on."

"Then why not just tell me what steps you've taken instead of letting me stumble around?" She snapped, stiff and angry.

"The witches consulted in regards to the spell were unable to offer a concrete timeline for when you will regain your memories, Caroline. Those of us who wish to help must do so cautiously, and for that I will not apologize. We do not know what could trigger your memories, particularly those involving the Augustine Society," he said lowly. "By allowing you to work through these events at your pace, it's possible you'll break through the spell that much quicker."

She fought the urge to stomp her foot out of sheer frustration. "This sucks."

"Perhaps not the word I'd have used, but I concur with the sentiment."

Caroline curled the hand he wasn't holding into a fist. "So you won't tell me what you know?"

"I will answer every question I am able," Klaus corrected. "And I will do almost anything to assure your success in this matter, Caroline, even if it means your anger. You may come to me at any time, should you wish to discuss any hint of a memory. But in the meantime, I will continue to pull on threads to see what I can find, so that when you are ready, we can make our move."

Caroline swallowed her frustration and temper. "You won't take steps without letting me know?"

He squeezed her hand, then let go. "I'll keep you appraised of the situation as it unfolds, but some things must wait until you've remembered them."

"Like what?"

Klaus' eyes crinkled at the corners, dimples unfair and tempting against his smile. "What do you know of New Orleans?"

She was tempted to bite him for obviously changing the subject, and something about his face dared her to. She refrained, only because she wasn't certain she knew just what those consequences would lead to. Instead, she sat and grudgingly answered his question. "Enzo said New Orleans's politics were weird. Where is he, anyway?"

Klaus settled back on the sofa, this time choosing to sit next to her. "New Orleans will always be a bit fraught I'm afraid, though Marcel has established himself well since I was forced to abandon the city a century or so ago. Witches, as you can imagine, like to hold grudges for slights imagined or otherwise. As for your friend, well, I'm sure he can account for himself."

Caroline huffed at how vague he was being when the door swung open and Enzo strolled in. He'd clearly taken a shower and his hair had been cleaned up, his smile was mischievous as he strolled towards her. "You look a sight for sore eyes, Gorgeous. Glad to see you're up and around."

Klaus had stiffened next her to, and his tone was cool when he spoke. "I see you didn't lose your head."

"Just a few witches, nothing too stressful. I must say, Mikaelson, your sister is a vicious little thing when she's riled." Enzo said cheerfully as he nudged Caroline with his knee and crowded into the couch, wiggling between her and the armrest.

"Really?" She grumbled, but made space, trying to ignore the way Klaus' thigh pressed hot and solid against hers. This close, and she was sorely tempted to press into the heat of him, to see if he could ease the knot in her chest. "There is another couch."

"Clearly this is the comfortable one," Enzo said with a shrug. "Why should I be left out of the cozy snuggling?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Seriously? And what witches?"

Enzo tugged on one of her curls, and she swatted at his fingers. "Just a minor spat. I didn't even have a chance to get properly bloody. Seems like the local coven is starting to understand the precariousness of their current predicament. A pity, as I'd hoped for some fun."

"Fun?" Caroline repeated, gaze narrowed. "Define fun?"

"Come now, Gorgeous, don't you trust me?"

Klaus sighed and extracted himself from the couch with a flex of muscle that left her skin prickling in awareness. "I'll leave you two to chat. Enzo, I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the rules? Caroline, there are blood bags waiting in the fridge for you. Feed often, as blood will help. So will sleep."

"Thank you," she murmured.

Klaus shook his head as he headed for the door. "I'm not interested in your gratitude."

She frowned at his back and Enzo bumped her with his shoulder. "Don't give him too much credit. Hybrid hearing means he can hear most of the house without much effort, and he's too old to let that bother him."

Caroline jabbed him in arm. "Rules?"

He shrugged and leaned back. "The witches were pretty specific about who you should interact with. Since I've seen you go through this a few times, they don't believe I can do much to damage your recovery, and I don't know enough about your past to trigger one of those black outs of yours."

She slumped. "Yay for me."

"Come on, Gorgeous," Enzo said as he pushed to his feet. "Some blood will help that innate perkiness bounce back. Maybe we'll see about sneaking out for a drink."

"I thought you just said Klaus was probably eavesdropping?" Caroline said in exasperation as she let him pull her to her feet.

"Now we'll know for sure, won't we?"

Caroline sat on her balcony and stared down at the darkness of the pool. The new moon had left the sky dark, but the light pollution around the mansion glinted off the water. Another night and she'd have been tempted to take a late swim, to see if the exercise would clear the cobwebs from her mind. It'd been three days since her harried flight for safety, and she was starting to feel antsy.

She thought she would have enjoyed New Orleans, if she'd been here for any other reason. The noise, the people, the food. Klaus had provided her with not only blood, but an assortment of anything she could want, leaving stacks of takeout menus for her to peruse when she wished. Sighing, she pulled her folded her legs towards her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

Somewhere in the distance, someone laid on their horn, the obnoxious noise on the very edge of her hearing. She could listen to the echoing of brass horns on the streets, the chaos of Bourbon Street if she listened hard enough. But for all of Enzo's blustering, she hadn't really made an effort to leave Klaus' home.

Not when reality was an easily overshadowed by a past that was an ill fitted jigsaw puzzle. Her dreams weren't helping, the ghostly fingers of her memories lingering long after she'd fled her bed. She'd dreamed of blood on her tongue, of blood slick between her fingers and the burn of vervain in wounds inflicted by others. Torture had been a theme, clearly.

Shhh, it's me. You're safe.

Caroline exhaled slowly, fingers lifting to trace where Klaus had bitten her, the memory a tangle of fury and betrayal. Tyler. A shape that took dark hair and eyes, a face she knew she cared about, but the burn of his gaze as he turned to walk away hurt.

Enzo had told her the things that would help ensure her survival came back first, but that wasn't entirely true. She remembered the colors of her bedroom, the smell of her favorite fabric softener and the answers for her last AP History Final. She knew her mom's perfume and the sound of Bonnie dramatically singing off-key, that Elena made a better human than a vampire.

There were others in the shadows. Names and faces she couldn't quite see but fitted along the pieces of her friends like they belonged. It was almost like her mind was sorting through sand, distracted by shiny bits of glass. She'd cup them tightly between her fingers and sometimes they left her bleeding. Worse was the disassociation she felt, as if she was sometimes just viewing the moment instead of living it. As if those moments, those emotions, had belonged to someone else.

But not all of them. Her mom was a beacon, and Caroline's chest hurt as she thought of her missing. And Klaus…

Caroline tipped her head back to stare at the dim stars, teeth tugging at her lip. Klaus was a serious complication. He'd left her to seek him out, which she'd inevitably done once or twice a day, a memory caught on the tip of her tongue. She'd known each interaction was dangerous, that she could slip down a rabbit hole in her mind and emerge hours later with him on her lips.

Pressing her chin against her knee, she attempted to rationalize away why she inevitably found herself in Klaus presence. If she tried hard enough, she might even have managed it. It was an extensive list. He'd known her before she'd lost her memory. He was willing to help her and seemed to want nothing in return. He might not always have an answer or be willing to provide one, but he didn't find her lacking for her frustration.

Klaus let her pace and complain before offering a tidbit or distraction, easing the worst of her jitters in a way that proved he knew her far better than he was admitting. It was a dangerous lure, this pull between them, and one she seemed incapable of avoiding.

"Someone would think you're brooding," Enzo said as he collapsed next to her, brows arched. "I've seen better looks on you. Like plotting. You're a marvelous schemer."

She startled and nearly fell off her lounge chair, glaring as she realized he'd jumped up onto her balcony. "I am not brooding."

He laughed, tossing his booted feet up onto the railing. "Sure you are, Gorgeous, but it's to be expected I suppose. What's got your pretty head in such a twist tonight?"

"You're kind of an ass, you know that?"

Enzo flashed his teeth. "Of course, but we all need at least one in our life. You're not exactly a picnic yourself."

She smirked. "I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to."

"I'm sure," he drawled in reply. "Missing home?"

Caroline shook her head, sobering. "No. Just trying to put things in order."

"Dreaming again?"

Her gaze snapped to his, but he'd folded his hands behind his head and was looking up, something quietly intense about his face. "How'd you guess?"

"You've never liked sleeping. I think it's partly due to that healthy sense of paranoia you've got going but you'd always wake up looking lost. As if it took time to remember where you were." He rolled his head to face her, eyes serious. "I bet murdering those witches will help you sleep better."

She snorted, curling her hands around her ankles. "So says the vampire complaining that things aren't bloody enough."

Enzo laughed, lacing his fingers behind his head. "It's an acquired taste, murdering witches. Give yourself time, I've faith you'll gain a knack for it."

Caroline frowned. "Yeah, that worries me."

"Killing or liking it?"

She sighed against her knees. "I've killed before. I just remember it upsetting me a lot more than now. Those guards? I'd kill them again."

"Of course it upset you," Enzo said patiently. "You're a baby vampire. Most humans don't kill for the fun of it and those who do, they get put down. Survival of the fittest becomes survival of the most socially acceptable. What a boring way to live."

"You don't have to sound so disgusted."

"I don't usually care for that kind of passive aggressive bullshit," he pointed out. "You can't keep all of your morals squeaky clean when you live in the supernatural, Caroline."

"Why not?" She asked bluntly. "What's wrong with being a good vampire?"

Enzo gave her an arch. "Who defines good, Gorgeous? You? Or whatever is waiting for you when you go home?"

"What about you?" She asked, dodging his question, uncertain if she knew the answer. "What do you have waiting for you out there?"

His smile faded, gaze turning distant. "Not much."

Caroline hesitated, softened her voice. "No one?"

"I've got an old friend to look up," Enzo said finally. "When this all settled down, I'll take some time to find him."

"Tell me about him?"

Enzo shrugged. "He was a captive too, for a bit, managed to escape. I'd like to know how he was doing after all these years."

Caroline straightened, gaze hardening. "He didn't take you with him?"

"Not everyone has your knack for escaping or your need to save people," he replied. "But in this case, it wasn't his fault. I imagine he believes I'm dead. He'll be surprised to see me, I think."

"I suppose if he thought you were dead," she grudgingly allowed. "Still sucky though."

Enzo shot her another smile. "There are reasons, Gorgeous, that you've managed to captivate an Original. Surprisingly, it's not just that pretty face of yours he's interested in."

"Shut up," she groused, lips twitching. "You shouldn't leave people behind, okay?"

"No," Enzo agreed soberly, gaze dark. "You shouldn't."

"What was your friend's name?" Caroline asked, changing the subject. "Maybe I can help you find him."

"It's a small world but I'm not sure it's that small, but your company is always welcome. When I knew him he went by Damon Salvatore. Not sure what he calls himself now."

The world rolled sideways and Caroline fell into the unexpected spin. Too many images slammed into her, a wild ride of emotion dragging her under. Blue eyes and dark hair, a twisted smile and greedy eyes, a sense of serenity and terror, an inability to fight. A thread of satisfaction and rage, a man sliding across a floor.

Game on.

I'm not girly little Caroline anymore.

Blood, hot and sweet dragged her towards the surface of her mind. She let it, shivering violently. Before she broke the surface, her monster reached out with greedy hands and grasped at a thread of noise.

'I miss him too, Steven. I miss him all the time.'

When she opened her eyes, Enzo was slumped over, head tilted at an odd angle. Beneath her fangs was the familiar taste and feel of Klaus, a hint of acrylic, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Slowly, she managed to release him from her teeth, panting against his skin. He made no move to let her go, his breath hot against her ear.

"Alright, love?"

It was impossible, to fight the shiver when her monster was high on his blood. It took a moment, before she trusted her voice. "Why did you break his neck?"

His lips curved against her skin. "That was all you, Caroline. I only interfered when you moved to do more than temporarily inconvenience him."

She stiffened, nails digging into his skin. "What?"

His thumb stroked soothingly along the curve of her waist, and Klaus made no move to release her. "He's a vampire, no permanent damage."

She shook her head and pushed at his hand, stepping away from the press of his body. "I didn't… I don't remember…"

Klaus clasped his hands behind his back, as if he needed to restrain himself. "There is no shame in survival. That you instinctively lash out when threatened is not something you should necessarily curb."

Caroline tossed her hands, scowling. "I can't just go around murdering people when I am stressed or taken off guard by my memories, Klaus."

"A temporary side effect," he dismissed. "One I'm certain that you will gain control over soon enough. You have done no permanent damage, and you've regained more of your past, have you not?"

She hesitated, lip sliding between her teeth as she thought through what Enzo's words had shaken loose. Shivering, she gripped her elbows. "Yes."

Klaus nodded. She expected him to comment, but instead he merely watched her, eyes dark. She didn't know what to say, uncomfortable with the intensity that was building between them and glanced down at her hands. She blinked when she noticed a smear of paint across her knuckle.

"Were you painting?" She blurted, gaze dragging across his clothes, looking for evidence. Klaus arched his brows, offering his palms. Colors streaked across a knuckle, smeared across his skin. She glanced at her shirt, frowned to see a bit of paint had transferred to her tank top.

"I've been known to dabble."

She pursed her lips and lifted to stare hard at a smear of white and yellow, an image ghosting behind her eyes. "You painted a snowflake?"

His smile was slow, dimples creasing his cheeks, and something warm glinted behind his eyes. "I did."

There was something else there, something sweet and fizzy on her tongue. Regretfully, she pushed it aside, instead chasing the snatch of conversation that had risen to the surface when she'd tasted Klaus' blood.

"Who is Steven?"

Klaus blinked, gaze sharpening. "Your father's partner."

Her breathing hitched at the sudden slam of information that came from such a simple statement. She swallowed hard, blinking at the sudden burn behind her eyes as she realized that Bill Forbes was dead. That he'd hated what she'd become, that he'd left her. Replaced her, her and her mom.

"I want to talk to him." The words felt right. She wasn't certain why yet, but there was something there. A thread to follow among the rest of the messy knot of her mind.

"We can leave in the morning."

Caroline shook her head. She glanced at Enzo, remembering his eyes when he asked her what defined being good. The more she remembered, the more tangled everything became, but one thing was clear. She wouldn't hurt anyone else while figuring this out.

"No, I want to leave now."

Klaus closed the distance between them, cupping her face between his palms. "What did you remember?"

"It might not be anything," she admitted reluctantly. She wouldn't lie, not when this itch beneath her skin could mean anything.

His thumb brushed across her cheek. "I've already told you that I trust your instincts. I can have the plane ready in an hour."

She reached up and gripped his wrists. "I'd rather take a car."

Klaus arched a brow. "It's a twelve hour drive, love."

"It'll give me time to think," she countered.

He released her, and she let her hands drop. "One hour."

Caroline blinked, realizing the intention in his words. "Wait, I didn't mean you had to come with me."

"Your options, love, are to travel with me or to wait for Enzo to wake, and then to travel with the both of us. I can't promise his neck will remain unbroken should that be the case." Klaus said, his tone intractable.

She grimaced, rubbing her face and scowling at the paint that came away from her skin. "Rude."

"One hour, Caroline," a hint of a smile curved the edges of his mouth as he stepped around her, easily lifting Enzo and hoisting him over his shoulder. "You can't hurt me. If you try to sneak out, we'll just take the plane."

Rolling her eyes, she stomped inside after him. An hour would give her time to pack a bag, and to write Enzo a note. Then she'd best figure how to deal with the fact that she'd just been bullied into driving twelve hours with Klaus.

Caroline rolled her eyes as she walked out of the Admissions office, phone cradled between her cheek and shoulder, juggling a number of folders in her hands. "Don't you be all mopey with me. I offered both you and Elena the chance to hitch a ride."

Bonnie sighed into the phone. "I know, I know. But you and you mom are leaving tonight. I didn't want to hold you up."

"Mom and I might finally be going on that Mother/Daughter vacation she's been promising me for ages, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have come with me to see campus."

"And slow down your lists?" Bonnie laughed. "Maybe I want to take my time!"

Caroline snorted. "Just don't whine when you're forced to take all early classes."

"A fate worse than death," Bonnie muttered.

"You'd know," she sing-songed back. The rest of her reply was cut off when her phone buzzed. Pulling her phone away from her face, she read the text. "Hang on Bon, I need to reply to this message."

"Elena?" Bonnie groaned. "Don't tell me she's already mad at Damon? Rooming with her might not be the best idea, Caroline."

"Steven," Caroline corrected as she tapped out a quick reply. "And I've been saying that for weeks."

"Steven? Your dad's Steven? Why?"

"I dunno, maybe because his daughter is going into her first semester too? He's been weirdly supportive."

"I didn't know you were close," Bonnie said slowly.

"We're not. But we talked at the funeral, and I kind of wish I'd given him more of a chance? So I've tried to be nice."

"A new leaf indeed for the man who you once declared had stolen your father and replaced you."

"A sentiment I'm having to swallow, I assure you," Caroline admitted with a sigh. "Anyway, his weird supportiveness about Whitmore aside, I've got to run. Once I put a few applications in for regular work on campus, I'm off for a week with mom. I'll call you when we get back."

Bonnie laughed. "Like you're going to be able to resist texting me pictures!"

"I might!" Caroline protested. "Bye Bon!"

"Later Care. Have fun."

Caroline opened her eyes slowly, letting the images from her dream fade away. She was sprawled across the passenger side of the SUV Klaus was driving, his jacket folded up as a makeshift pillow. The thrum of the highway beneath the car was relaxing, but it was really his presence that had allowed her to risk the nap.

She took a moment to study Klaus, the easy, relaxed posture that was certainly false. It never ceased to amaze her, how easily he blended into a scene when he wished or how quickly that flipped; Klaus could dominate a room with his presence when he wanted to intimidate. She'd seen the dichotomy of it over the last few days in his home, and again as she relived her own life.

She knew they were approaching Richmond, that this strange bubble she'd found herself in for the past day would burst. She'd thought that traveling with Klaus would be tricky, her lack of memory and the chemistry between them leaving a twelve hour trip fraught with strained silence.

Instead she'd hogged the gummy bears and bickered over music. They'd argued over breakfast and lunch, Klaus refusing her request for fast food and her unwillingness to sit down and eat colliding. They'd settled somewhere between, Caroline's googling for Diner, Drive-ins and Dives for lists of restaurants that were both quick and delicious.

He'd entertained her with stories of people she'd never met, his sense of humor both ridiculous and hysterical. He hadn't seemed to mind her questions, easily delving into any piece of history she wanted more details on. She'd sipped on blood bags and Klaus had come back from paying for gas with blood flecked across his lips.

It was strangely like taking a road trip with an old friend, if she'd had dozens of improper thoughts about a friend's mouth. If that friend's scent left her skin too tight with awareness, the flashes of heat behind his eyes a fascinating temptation. He really was unfairly pretty.

And all the while, her memories had been a slow crawl behind her eyes. She wasn't certain if it was all the blood, both bagged and his, the expected timeline the witches had offered or her ability to finally relax that had triggered so many of them. But they built and flowed along her thoughts until she'd found herself no longer stuttering on words. She knew Bonnie. She knew Elena. Tyler. Damon and Stefan. She didn't know all the details, but she knew them.

And here she sat with Klaus. Stretching a little, she wiggled into a slightly more comfortable position, voice still drowsy when she spoke. "I remember the night you bit me."

Klaus didn't react other than the slightest movement of his fingers against the steering wheel, the tightening of his shoulders. She waited him out, strangely content to watch him come as close to squirming as she'd ever seen him. She had memories of combative arguments and inappropriate flirting, furious eyes and biting words between them.

She'd re-learned the taste of his blood.

The knowledge that this monster cared for her had rattled her, she wasn't sure she knew how to comprehend what he thought of love. Enzo had told her it was more than her face that had led to Klaus' interest, and the blanks were becoming less frequent, but it was also true she'd never allowed herself to really look at how Klaus made her feel. Running to him when her mind had been fragmented, trusting him not to betray her, feeling safe in his presence while she put herself back together?

These were big things. Huge things she didn't know if she was ready for. The only real reason she'd managed not to panic was because Klaus in her memories had been willing to wait.

Finally he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his brows arched. It was nice, she realized, to be able to read him now. To recognize the strain around his eyes, the corners of his mouth. His voice was deceptively mild when he spoke. "Do you?"

"Hybrid venom sucks," she told him plainly.

His lips curved upwards, something blatant and hot bringing out his dimples. "There are perhaps a few instances where you'd mind it less."

Heat jolted through her belly and she sat up with a scowl. "Seriously?"

Klaus laughed, low and heady, maneuvering the SUV through the increasing flow of traffic easily. When he glanced at her, his gaze was dark with emotions she couldn't read. "I regret having hurt you, Caroline, and I am not a man who regrets often."

She swallowed and nodded. "I know."

There was something dangerously intimate about the way he watched her before turning back to the road. "How was your nap?"

Caroline shrugged, flipping down the visor to glance at the mirror, needing a moment to collect herself. She pulled a face at her squashed lashes and the lingering creases from his jacket against her cheek. She rubbed at it for a moment, futilely hoping it would smooth out. "I'm looking forward to not dreaming in the future."

A tilt of his head. "If you were older, you'd have a bit more control."

She turned and looked at him. "Vampires can control their dreams?"

"And others'," he said with what passed as a shrug. "Humans are easily manipulated."

"Huh," she said slowly, ignoring his second comment. "Pretty sure I didn't know that."

"I'm not surprised," Klaus said as he flipped on his blinker, taking an exit. "Your teachers were less than thorough."

"Stefan and Damon," she murmured. Another searching glance, but then he merely nodded. "Okay, so what else do I not know?"

"When this is over…"

She narrowed her eyes in warning and he stopped partway through his sentence, mouth twitching in an attempt to hide a laugh. He managed to control himself, and his face smoothed out. Satisfied, she straightened her chair and sighed.

"It's weird," she muttered, frowning at the cars they passed. "Enzo thought things would come back as a matter of survival and you thought by importance. But I can't see any sort of pattern."

"Minds are delicate things, Caroline. Yours has gone through an uncommon amount of strain and if you were anything but a vampire, this spell would have left behind a shell." His gaze glinted with gold. "You are recovering quicker than any expectation."

"I still hate it," she said bluntly.

"Be as that may," he allowed as they turned to start driving through a suburban neighborhood. "Your memory will come at its own pace."

She raked her fingers through her hair, sighing. "I suppose. I just wish I knew…"

Klaus looked over at her as they paused at a stop sign, brow arched. "Wish you knew what?"

Caroline shook her head, and glanced out her window. How did she explain the knot in her chest, her need to know the things that she didn't even know she missed yet? Miraculously, he choose not to say anything, merely continued driving. She knew that wouldn't last, Klaus was just biding his time. Still, she appreciated the reprieve.

Her emotions were in enough turmoil. The closer they got to the house her father had shared with his new family, the tighter the knot of anxiety grew in her stomach. She'd never been here. She'd never wanted to see the proof that her father had moved on to a bigger, better family with her own eyes. Even now, with her memories jumbled, the stress and worry of it tightened her throat.

She wondered if it ever went away, the anxiety and hurt from being so easily replaced.

"You should know, I never looked into Steven."

Caroline blinked out of her haze as Klaus parked the SUV on the street. Turning, she studied him as he cut the engine, his fingers lingering on the keys as they sat there. "What do you mean?"

"I don't believe it is necessary to go over the fact that I have enemies?" At her nod, he continued. "And we've already had our first of what I'm sure will be many discussions regarding the protective measures I've put into place for you."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "That's definitely coming up again."

His lips curled, but his eyes remained serious. "But Steven was never someone I considered a threat. Human, with a teenage daughter, the unofficial partner to your father. Not someone who would have continued to linger in your life."

"But?"

Something crawled behind his eyes, something vicious and angry. "What do you remember?"

It was clear that she'd tipped him off by asking to come here, that Klaus had already started digging. It was a startling realization, that in this instance, she didn't mind that he was now three steps ahead of her. Whatever happened with Steven, whatever this visit shook loose in her brain, he'd help her deal with it.

She licked her lips, and squared her shoulders. "Let's find out."

The first real look at the home her father had built with his replacement family was surreal. Perfect lawn, perfect paint, and a large For Sale sign hammered into the ground. She absorbed it was a small flinch, an invisible crank turning inside her mind. She glanced at Klaus, who was studying the home with narrowed eyes.

"What?"

His mouth tightened. "Magic was performed here."

Caroline blinked, and glanced back at the shiny red door. "You're certain?"

"Quite certain," he murmured. She swallowed and nodded, before moving forward. He caught her hand, blocking her easily from continuing up the path. "I go first, Caroline."

Determinedly, she twisted her hand and laced their fingers together, chin lifting. "We go in together."

Klaus' head dipped, gaze bleeding gold. "Your father hunted vampires; tortured you in an attempt to cure you. Now it appears that either Steven is a witch, one who was clever enough to mask his magic when he came to Mystic Falls, or he has made some new friends. This house might be a trap."

"I don't care," Caroline said firmly. "If Steven is involved in this I want to know why, and I won't hide behind you."

"I will go in first," Klaus said, tone intractable, fingers tightening around hers when her eyes blazed. "I am un-killable, you are not. However, once inside, I will take my cues from you."

"Has anyone told you that you're exceptionally frustrating?"

"Not since the last time you expressed a similar sentiment," he replied just as coolly. He turned, keeping her hand caught within his, and walked towards the door.

"Do we have a key?" She muttered under her breath. "Or are you just going to break things?"

He grinned at her, something boyish about his dimples. "We don't need one."

She dug her nails into the back of his hand when the door opened easily. He stepped into the doorway, blocking her vision with his body, and she waited impatiently for him to move. Finally he released her hand and let her enter.

She glanced at his face and nudged him when she walked by. "Minions?"

"Just a small compulsion," Klaus said with a shrug. "The realtor was kind enough to open the home for us and then to be called away on urgent family matter. No one was actually harmed."

She huffed, but was distracted as she looked around. The home had been stripped of personality, walls bare of mementos or photos, stage furniture in place of what the family had lived on. Slowly she walked through the downstairs, something niggling at her. Klaus was a silent shadow, following behind her without comment.

She didn't recognize anything, but her instincts insisted that she'd seen this place before. "How long was I missing?"

"Roughly three weeks."

Three weeks, she thought with narrowed eyes. Long enough for a family to pack up, but not long enough for the home to feel so empty. "They're running."

"It is only a matter of time before they are found," he murmured. "It's difficult to hide in this digital age."

She pushed aside a memory that started to form, instead tracking the thoughts that bubbled to the surface about Steven. She swayed a little, at the pressure inside her mind, fingers groping for his arm. "Tell me about my father. He hunted vampires?"

Klaus studied her face for a moment, before nodding. "The Forbes family has a long history of hunting monsters, you're ancestors tended to be Sheriffs. I usually find vampire hunters amusing, occasionally useful for weeding the stupidest of vampires."

Her head ached, temples throbbing as his words put pressure on the block that still held. "My mom is the Sheriff."

"As best as my sources have been unable to uncover, your father's sexual preferences and love of adrenaline was a source of contention for your childhood. When your mother took over as Sheriff, he walked away."

Caroline gripped Klaus' wrist harder, chasing the memory that wouldn't quite reveal itself. "He stopped hunting them?"

"No, he just looked for new hunting grounds."

The dam behind her eyes broke.

'It's a pity, that you were changed before we could recruit you, Caroline. Your father always insisted you were a bright girl. I suppose we'll never know now, will we?'

She staggered as images and feeling rushed to overwhelm her. Gasping, she barely noticed the arm that banded around her waist, the sound of Klaus saying her name.

'You'll regret the part you played in his death, Caroline. I'm told the experiments can be very painful."

"The payments have been sent over as promised. The mother won't be a problem?"

'No point in wasting your energy like that, Gorgeous. I've tried escaping. It won't work.'

"We've never had such a young vampire before. It's very exciting."

She pressed her face into Klaus' shoulder, struggling to stay conscious as the spell unraveled. "I know who has my mom."

His fingers tangled in her hair. "Who?"

She fumbled with the words, head spinning, mumbling against his skin. She thought she managed to answer but darkness crept along her mind, reality slipping. The last thing she heard was the rumble of Klaus' voice, his words lost in the rushing in her ears.

Caroline jerked awake, her pulse pounding and her monster a terrible thirst in her veins. But for the first time in weeks, she knew exactly who she was and what had been done to her. The confusion and terror melted away into pure rage, and she tossed aside the covers, climbing to her feet.

"Klaus?"

For a moment there was no answer, and then the door opened, Klaus appearing with a blood bag held loosely in one hand. Caroline barely registered clearing the distance between them, fangs sinking messily into the plastic. Her eyes slid shut at the first hit of blood and she swallowed greedily, refusing to care that she was making a mess.

She didn't take a full breath until she'd finished, shuddering out sigh as she rode the high. The rasp of Klaus' thumb against her mouth had her eyes opening, and she'd watched as he licked the blood from his skin. Arousal thrummed through her veins, mingling with the rage that churned just beneath the surface.

"Are we back to the inappropriate flirting?" She rasped, tongue running across her lips.

Gold ringed his eyes, wolf clear in his gaze. "It's only inappropriate, love, if you don't enjoy it."

A month ago, and she'd have denied it.

Instead, she shrugged and held his gaze. "I need more blood."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to make do with mine," Klaus said casually. "That was the last of the blood bags."

Anticipation twitched through her veins, monster still hungry. The look behind his eyes was a blatant invitation, and a shiver ran down her spine. She swallowed and shook her head. "My mom?"

His fingertips skimmed down her chin, and then he beckoned her to follow him into another room. "Come, there is much to discuss. How much do you remember?"

"Everything," she told him and he paused, hand touching the back of a couch. When he looked at her, she hadn't bothered to put her monster away. "I remember everything, Klaus."

His smile was slow and dangerous, his monster bleeding through as clearly as her own. Her monster wanted more, to chase the flavor of blood on his tongue, but she had to be certain before she opened that door. There was something hungry behind his eyes, a hint of the devourer that lived beneath his skin. It didn't help ease the pounding of her pulse, the burn of arousal in her veins.

"Thank you," she said softly.

His eyes glittered, as they raked across her face. "I told you, I don't want your gratitude."

"I don't care, you're getting it anyway," she retorted, eyes narrowed. "But don't think I haven't made a list of things that I am not happy about."

His laughter was unexpected, not with his eyes golden and fangs prominent, his shoulders shaking in amusement. It was nearly infectious, and she stepped away to hide it. Taking a deep breath she sat, fingers twined tightly together, and swallowed. "How much do you know?"

Klaus sat next to her, head canted as he watched her closely. "Enough. Enzo was able to provide details."

"You called Enzo?"

His mouth twisted with distaste. "Hardly. Rebekah found it amusing to share my number. He's been fairly insistent on updates."

She bit her lip, shoulders relaxing. "Have you been giving them?"

"No."

Caroline found herself fighting a smile. She'd need to replace her phone or borrow his then. Enzo deserved to know what was going on. "Tell me what you couldn't before; about what's been going on. Please."

"You were held captive by the Augustine Society for three weeks," Klaus said softly. "As you know, they used you and your blood for experimentations. Enzo was very detailed in his descriptions."

Something about his tone, the look behind his eyes, warned her. "You've already gone after them, haven't you?"

"Yes," Klaus said simply. "It is unfortunate that neither of us are able to deal with it personally, but Elijah has a way of handling such things."

She tilted her head, gaze narrowed. "Elijah?"

"When dealing with a group like the Augustine Society, it is best to dig them out by the root. For all my brother's flaws, and he has many, he will be quite thorough in dismantling their little network. I believe he enjoys it."

Caroline pursed her lips. "Will he kill them?"

"Some," Klaus allowed, predator clear in his gaze. "But others? They may experience a few decades yet. Does that bother you?"

For a moment, she considered asking him to just kill them all. To wipe their existence from earth as if they'd never been. But she hesitated, thinking of the weeks she'd spent under the knife, the decades Enzo had lost.

Having viewed her own life from an outsider's perspective had given her a lot to consider, but she thought Enzo might have been right about some of it. It was up to her to define what kind of vampire she wanted to be, and just then, being merciful to her enemies just wasn't on the docket.

"No," she said finally. "How do we find my mom?"

"Ah," Klaus murmured. "You'll be delighted to know that during his time at Whitmore, Elijah ran into your Bennett witch."

Caroline blinked, monster finally fading back beneath the girl. "Bonnie?"

"She'd apparently started looking for you, having grown suspicious when you'd cut off contact. She'd tracked you to the Whitmore campus. I believe if you hadn't managed your escape, she'd have found you in another day or so." His eyes darkened, and something sharp crawled across his gaze, but then it was gone.

It was a weight that Caroline hadn't known she was carrying. Bonnie had known something was wrong, had looked for her. It hurt that she'd apparently looked alone, but it didn't surprise her.

"I bet those witches didn't plan on a Bennett witch poking around," Caroline said, a hint of glee turning the corners of her mouth up. "I hope she kicked their asses."

Klaus tilted his head in agreement. "I updated Elijah a bit earlier, and your witch is now focused on helping locate the Sheriff."

"If anyone can find Mom, it's Bon," she agreed. "But why is she just now looking? She had to know she was missing too? You knew she was missing."

"Your mother is human," Klaus said bluntly. "We had no information to suggest she was in immediate danger. You were my priority, and so was removing the threat of the witches."

Caroline pushed to her feet and glared at him. "My mom was being held by the people who kidnapped and tortured me. How can you say she wasn't in danger?"

He studied her coolly from the couch, gaze unmoving. "The Augustine Society had no reason to harm your mother. Keeping her alive worked far more in their favor. Do you really believe such a society could live so close to your own Council, and they'd be unaware of each other's existence? Killing her would eliminate allies in their private little war, it was far better to tuck the Sheriff somewhere safe until they'd finished with you."

She stalked away from him, nails digging into her upper arms. She heard him move to stand behind her, but she refused to look at him. "You're saying my mom knew about them?"

"It's unlikely, although they'd have been aware of her. Your father could be discreet when necessary."

Caroline spun at that, gaze wide. "My…"

"Father was once a member, although we've seen little proof that he'd recently aided them. It's how he met Steven."

She fisted her hands, teeth grinding down. "Steven sold me to them, told them what I was and how to find me."

"Did he?"

Before, when she hadn't known who he was, the softness of his voice had pricked at her instincts. Now she knew what it meant, how angry he truly was and part of her relished it. She'd been sold and caged like a dangerous beast as if being a vampire had stripped her of everything that made her Caroline. That made her real. And for weeks, she'd been tortured, her memory stripped away because it was part of the deal that had been made.

"Why?" She whispered, voice taut with strain. "Why any of this?"

"I'll make sure you'll have plenty of opportunity to ask him yourself," Klaus said. "But I imagine it will boil down to the usual reason for this sort of plot: greed and revenge."

She flinched, hands cupping her elbows as she hugged herself. "He blames me."

Klaus watched her with dark eyes. "After I'd settled you into your room tonight, I did a little digging. The account with your father's life insurance money, as well as your college fund, has been emptied."

Her pulse skipped, chest aching from the sudden blow of those words. Opening and closing her mouth, she silently shook her head, throat tight. How did he know her account information? How did he know about her college fund? Klaus stepped closer, but made no move to touch her.

"Blaming you is of course, ridiculous. If not Alaric, then it would have been another vampire. Hunters rarely live to his age. Steven knew that, and it is not your fault if he cannot accept that."

"He wouldn't transition," Caroline said painfully. "I tried and he wouldn't…"

"Steven is a witch, it is unlikely he'd have accepted your father's vampirism," Klaus pointed out. "A man may learn to accept what his children have chosen, when he or a lover cannot accept it in himself. I've seen it many times, but just as often, I've seen a complete rejection of the child. Your father did care a great deal about you, to look past what he hated."

She swallowed past the lump in her throat, took a shuddering breath to control herself. "Earlier, you said that you had something you wanted to discuss? What was it?"

He let her change the topic and she watched him weigh his response. Her nails dug into her palms as she wrestled her emotions. "Steven and will arrive in New Orleans as my guest in roughly two hours."

Her stared at him in surprise. "What?"

The curve of his smiled chilled her, something violent about his dimples. "Marcel was able to solve his little witch problem with the help of your friend, and rather quickly. As a favor, Enzo requested that he track Steven for you, without my knowledge."

"Oh, Enzo," she murmured, eyes suddenly burning. "That idiot. He should have used the favor for himself."

"It appears Enzo had put together some of the finer plot details while you were captive," Klaus voice was a rumble of sound, temper clear in his eyes. "Including a guess on how exactly Steven was hiding himself."

She poked him in the arm, gaze narrowed in warning. "You cannot kill Enzo."

"No?"

"No," Caroline repeated. "But you can totally kill Steven, eventually."

His eyes flared, head angling as he studied her face. "Endorsing torture, love?"

"He orchestrated my mom being abducted, and who knows what else. Some of the money he stole was so she could stop working so hard, so that she could hopefully retire. Yeah, I'm pissed about being sold and tortured, but he went after my Mom."

Klaus brushed his thumb down the curve of her chin, gaze softening a fraction. "Returning the money won't be a problem."

"Thank you," she murmured, caught off balance by the softness of his touch, the promise behind his eyes. She'd seen this expression several times these past few days and she didn't know how to deal with it. But there was little hiding how his touch affected her, the skip of her pulse and shift in breathing. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to.

Klaus' mouth had tightened at her words, but he didn't comment. Instead, his hand dropped away as he continued to study her face. "I'd like you to feed now, Caroline. You're swaying. After, we can discuss if you'd like to go home or return with me to New Orleans."

Caroline hesitated, tongue swiping across her lips. The idea of returning to Mystic Falls turned her stomach, and the idea of moving into the dorms at Whitmore was even worse. She thought she'd enjoy getting to know New Orleans, but more importantly, maybe it'd give her time to figure out what she wanted from Klaus.

"You wouldn't mind?" She asked hesitantly. "If I went back to New Orleans? Just for a bit."

His brow arched. "Have I not made it clear that you are welcome? I imagine we can even find space for the Sheriff, if she is inclined to visit."

"If Elijah calls…"

"I assure you, Caroline, I will keep you appraised of the situation, and if possible, will help you collect your mother personally. If not, I will arrange for her to meet us as quickly as possible."

She swallowed her next thank you, and pressed her lips tightly together to hide the wobble of her chin. Instead, she squeezed his arm in silent thanks, her breathing shaky. Klaus nodded, stepping away from her and he nudged her back to the couch.

She'd decided she'd take his offer of blood because she needed it, and then she'd start putting together her mental list of the things she needed to do. Surely there was a pad and pen around here somewhere. But her most immediate need would be replacing her phone so she could call Bonnie and Enzo.

After that, she'd need to start figuring out where she wanted to end up. Things had changed, and she needed to decide what that meant. Particularly regarding to a Klaus. Living as a stranger in her own life had given her a new perspective on some of her choices, and she found she was dissatisfied by her life. It was time to make the decisions that made her happy.

But first, she needed to find her mom.

As it turned out, the Augustine Society had been smart enough to stash her mom out of state. Bonnie had come back with an address in Seattle. Caroline had wanted to leave immediately, but Klaus had suggested having Liz meet them in New Orleans instead.

"You said we could go once she was found," Caroline had all but growled when he'd stopped her from rushing out of the room. "So let's go!"

"And if that is your wish, we will. But it is a seven hour flight to Seattle, love, even on a private plane. I can have her in the air half an hour after she's freed," Klaus had promised. "There's a witch or two there who owe me favors. It would be more expedient to allow them to deal with your mother's captors."

Caroline had stopped pacing, stared at him with narrowed eyes. "This isn't an attempt to keep me from flinging myself into danger again?"

"A nice benefit, perhaps, but no. It will take a couple of hours to plan the rescue. In twelve hours you can be breaking your mother free or taking her out for gumbo in New Orleans. It's your choice."

She seriously considered demanding a flight, but forced herself to think. Klaus wouldn't suggest she allow someone else to get her mother if he thought they were incompetent, and as much as she hated it, the sooner her mom was freed the better. But it didn't mean she had to like it.

"They won't hurt her?"

He'd arched a brow in clear disbelief. "Quite the contrary, Caroline. They'll die for her, if necessary. Unlike your friends, there are a great number of witches delighted by the opportunity to assist my family, hoping that one day, we'd be in the mood to return the favor. I promise you, she will be perfectly safe."

It had been the longest four hours of Caroline's life. Klaus had attempted to distract her by taking her to replace her phone, kindly sharing the contact information he had for her friends. It'd been a strain not to start texting Bonnie or Enzo. She'd only refrained because she knew the kind of power Bonnie had burned through, and because she didn't know what to say to Enzo.

Somehow he'd managed to cajole her into sitting down for a dinner she hadn't tasted. Thankfully, Klaus hadn't commented on her anxious fidgeting, instead, he'd let her set the pace for conversation. Caroline couldn't have told anyone what they'd ordered, but then word had come halfway through dinner that the rescue had been successful. Klaus had handed her the phone after a quick conversation before signaling for the check.

"Mom?"

"Caroline," Liz had breathed, relief clear in her voice. "These… witches told me you were safe but I wasn't sure. Klaus sent them?"

She swallowed hard, vision wavering with unshed tears. "Yeah, I'm safe. Klaus helped us both. You're getting on the plane, right? It'll bring you to New Orleans."

"Yes," and the faintest touch of amusement bled into Liz's voice. "I'm not sure I have much of a choice. Caroline… I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to help you. They told me if I tried anything they'd kill you. I…"

"Not your fault," Caroline interrupted firmly. "It's not your fault."

"We'll argue about that later," Liz murmured. "Did they hurt you?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Caroline lied. She took a careful breath. "Did they hurt you?"

"No," Liz denied gently. "Just a few bruises, nothing serious.

"Good," she said in relief. "Mom… you know that Steven…"

"That Steven was involved? Yes. I'm hoping to have a chat with him. Particularly since he forced me to transfer most of your money to god knows where. I'm so sorry, Caroline."

"It's okay," Caroline promised, glancing over at Klaus as he finished signing the receipt. "I'll see you soon?"

Liz had agreed, and Caroline had stared at the phone clutched in her hands for several heartbeats, her pulse loud in her ears. There was so much she didn't know, so many questions that still needed answers, but her Mom was safe and alive.

"Shall we?"

The trip back to New Orleans was a strange blur, Caroline too distracted with her internal agitation to really enjoy the experience of flying private for the first time. Even once they'd made it back to the mansion, she ended up pacing through one of Klaus' ridiculously pretty sitting rooms. It was where Enzo had found her, strolling in and tossing a bag of Cheetos in her direction.

"A bit pent up, Gorgeous?" He glanced around, brows arching. "No murderous boyfriends?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Klaus isn't my boyfriend and I don't need a babysitter."

Enzo laughed, sprawling across a couch. "If you're sure, Gorgeous."

She sat with a frown, yanking open the snack. "Why'd I rescue you again?"

"My good looks," he replied easily, pointing at his smile. "You couldn't let something this pretty die."

Caroline shook her head and chopped on a Cheeto. "Whatever."

Enzo reached over and snagged a few, making a face once he'd finished them. "These are terrible."

She yanked the bag out of his reach as he leaned in for another handful. "Then don't eat them!"

"I'm hungry," he complained.

"Don't care," she drawled. Grabbing the last of the chips from the small bag, she chewed slowly. Enzo made an exaggerated face, but didn't protest. "Thanks though."

"Welcome."

Dusting her hands, she sighed. "I'm sorry about the broken neck."

"I don't need an apology," he said with a frown. "No from you."

Caroline opened her mouth to argue, but the slamming of a car door had her jumping to her feet. Tossing the trash at Enzo, she rushed out of the room as made it into the foyer just as her mom walked in, face tired and circles under her eyes. She'd flung herself at her mom, arms curling firmly around her, and struggled with her burning eyes.

She'd no idea how long they'd stood there before her mom pulled back, her eyes suspiciously wet.

"I've never loved that you're a vampire, Caroline, but I'm thankful for it now."

Caroline laughed hollowly, wiping her eyes. "It's what got us into this mess."

Liz shook her head. "Steven made his choices, and so did the Society. That you were a vampire was just an excuse. Your vampirism kept you alive."

She opened her mouth to argue when Klaus stepped into the room. "I've arranged for the Sheriff to have the room across from yours, if you'd like a little privacy."

Caroline gave him a grateful look. There was no true privacy in a house of vampires, but this way her mom wouldn't be on display. He merely nodded and stepped back, disappearing again. Liz pursed her lips, gaze narrowed.

"I don't know how I feel about that one," Liz murmured. "Are you sure you don't want me to shoot him?"

Snorting out a laugh, Caroline looped her arm through Liz's. "Come on, I'll show you to your room and then I'll tell you everything."

Liz's mouth twitched. "You mean you'll interrogate me."

"That too."

They talked until her mom had started to fade. At one point, Enzo had swung by with food, telling Caroline that the Big Bad hadn't wanted to interrupt. Liz had studied Enzo with narrowed eyes, un-phased by his attempts to charm.

"I see the resemblance," Enzo had drawled, dimples flashing at Liz. "Your daughter doesn't tolerate much either."

Caroline had shooed him out before her mom could start her own interrogation. But Enzo's visit had given her the chance Liz had needed to turn the attention to Caroline, and she'd promised to talk as long as Liz ate. Eventually, they called Bonnie to assure her that they were both fine, and her friend had been full of questions. It'd been a tear filled discussion, with Bonnie promising to call again the next day.

Eventually, Caroline had been forced to let her mom rest, Liz visibly struggling to stay awake. Letting herself take one more lingering hug, she'd promised to take her mom out for brunch in the morning before slipping out.

"You be careful," Liz had murmured. "I trust you, Caroline, but Klaus watches you with eyes that want more than friendship."

Caroline squeezed her and stepped back. "It's okay."

Liz had frowned, but nodded. "Then I'll see you in the morning."

Caroline wasn't surprised when she shut the door and found Klaus waiting for her. It was a jolt, the way her insides fluttered at the glitter behind his gaze. He'd showered, curls still slightly damp against his forehead, and she had to repress the urge to step forward and brush them back.

"I'm going to need a good brunch recommendation."

Klaus nodded, hands slipping into his pockets. "I'll make you a reservation."

She smiled her thanks and took a deep breath. "I didn't tell her that Steven was here."

"I imagine your mother would simply shoot him," he murmured. "Effective, but a far bit quicker than he deserves."

"When can I talk to him?"

Klaus smile was sharp. "Now, if you'd like. I imagine you'd prefer to limit the chance that your mother stumble across him. Once you're satisfied, Marcel has agreed to keep him as a guest. I believe his daughter is already enjoying his company."

Caroline shivered at the edge in his tone, the flash of his gaze, but it wasn't from fear. Nodding firmly, she turned towards the stairs. "Give Marcel my thanks."

"Marcel shall do without them," Klaus said as he followed her down. "I hope you understand that I'll be going in with you."

She spun on the stair, scowled as he joined her on the step. "No."

"Steven is a witch," Klaus said imperiously. "He's being suppressed, but I will not allow him a chance to harm you. I might lose my temper, and then he'd die much sooner than he should."

She jabbed at his chest, eyes narrowed. "Don't threaten me."

Klaus dipped his head, gaze ringed with gold. His breath brushed across her lips, everything about him was intractable, and awareness zinged down her spine. "That is hardly a threat, Caroline. The fact that I will destroy anyone who harms you should hardly come as a surprise. Loose tongues can be silenced, but I cannot hide your importance forever. It's best to remind certain groups now why crossing me has the kind of consequences they will wish to avoid."

"Steven didn't move against you," Caroline reminded him.

Klaus lifted his hand and ran the pad of his thumb across the curve of her lower lip. "He sold vampires to a cult that experimented for medical breakthroughs for humans. It could have easily exposed the supernatural. Such behavior will not be tolerated. That he choose you will only lengthen his torture."

"That still doesn't mean you should be there when I talk to him," she pointed out, eyes narrowed.

"Regardless, I will be."

"You're impossible."

"Perhaps," Klaus allowed, eyes darkening. "I'm quite certain I can make it up to you."

The way his gaze lingered on her mouth, the way his thumb stroked across her lips, left no doubt to what he was offering. Heat filled her cheeks, and his hand dropped away, lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Shall we?"

She twisted on her heel and stalked towards the steps that lead to what had once been an underground cellar. Inside, Klaus apparently set up a few holding cells. It was humid and musty, the lingering smell of old and fresh blood calling to her monster.

Steven was wane and bruised, cheeks showing a few days of stubble. His eyes were hard as he stared at her, voice a hoarse rasp. "So Bill's little monster survived."

The door shut behind them, and she walked forward to stare him down. Steven's lips peeled back into a sneer. She shook her head. "You shouldn't have gone after my mom."

Steven gave a bitter laugh. "Your dad never had much to say about Liz. She handed over the money easily enough when she thought it'd save you."

Caroline shrugged. "Of course she did. My mom loves me."

"You're an abomination."

"So are you. At least I don't sell people like cattle."

"You will," Steven said coldly. "A few decades, your pretty morals will decay and you'll be as much of a nightmare as the rest of them. It's your nature, to be unsatisfied, to keep devouring until nothing is left. We're nothing but prey to you."

Caroline shook her head. "You don't get to decide what I'll be."

"That's why the Augustine Society exists," Steven said, gaze filled with hate. "To give humanity a chance to destroy you before you can destroy us."

"I think you'll find that more difficult now," Klaus interjected. "Most little clubs like yours don't survive total eradication."

"You'll never destroy all our work. Do you think we didn't plan for discovery? One day, our future disciples will come to finish what we've started."

"I don't think so," Klaus drawled. "Witches are far more practical than you, and those who were captured are singing a pretty tune. We'll find all of you down to the last drop of your bloodlines and I'll destroy them."

"Why my mom?" Caroline interrupted, unwilling to let Klaus' taunting take over the conversation. She'd no doubt that this wasn't the only time that Klaus would speak to Steven, and they could posture then.

Steven grimaced, hands fisting. To her surprise, he answered. "Bill never understood the mission. He never fully grasped our purpose. The Society was very interested in getting more of the Council on their side. But Bill refused to let us approach Liz."

"Why?"

"He didn't want you involved," Steven said bitterly. "Your mother keeps the Council's secrets, those little tidbits of information that could've helped us win. And once Grayson died, Liz was our next best possibility."

Caroline shook her head. "My mother would never have helped you."

Steven smiled, face twisting. "No, she'd refused. But then I saw you at the funeral and I knew what you were; vampires have a particular stink to them. I stood there at Bill's grave, and I knew then that not only had he let you live but he'd died for it. Your mother may have fought us, but it seems she had the same flaw as Bill, perhaps it was what had once drawn them together. They both loved a monster. And that love can be used as a weapon."

"I didn't kill him," Caroline said softly. "I wanted him to live."

"You might as well have pulled the trigger yourself," Steven said coolly. "Without you, he'd have stayed far away from Mystic Falls. I hoped what they did to you hurt, and I hope it follows you for centuries. They have your face now. Neither you nor Liz deserved Bill, nor do you deserve anything he left behind."

"Regardless of what you think," Caroline said firmly, shoulders squared. "I don't kill unless I have to, and I'd have let you die for what you did to me. But you should never have brought my mom into this."

"So you'll torture me?" Steven's smile was hollow now, eyes burning with hatred. "My daughter?"

Caroline nodded. "Whatever it takes to dig out whatever information you have. I won't let anyone go after my mom. Not you, not your daughter, not the Society."

Steven laughed. "And you don't think you're a monster."

"No, I've accepted what I am," she said softly. "I didn't choose to be a vampire any more than you choose to be a witch, but I'm going to make the most of it. I'm sorry that you and your family won't get that chance, but you should have left us alone."

Turning on her heel, she walked out, ignoring the laughter behind her. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at Klaus. His gaze was narrowed, blue edged in something volatile. "I'm okay, Klaus. People like him don't get to dictate my life or how I should feel."

"Good," he replied. But the churning danger lingered. "You should know, Caroline, that anyone that he told about you will be dealt with."

She sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "Okay, so some of that discussion back there isn't what I want to happen. I don't want to be responsible for more deaths."

"And I will not allow anyone to hunt you," Klaus replied firmly. "Others may believe your mother to have valuable information about hunting vampires or that she deserves to be punished for allowing you to live. Until we know for sure, anyone involved will be eliminated."

Caroline hesitated, faced with the intensity of his determination. She knew what lived beneath Klaus' skin, the danger of what watched her from behind his eyes. Her monster relished it, his desire and his devotion, craved more of it. It'd be so easy, to let Klaus continue to make things disappear. He already planned to murder everyone involved in this mess, and there was no way to change that now, why not just let him do a little more?

But, she realized with sudden clarity, if she wanted anything lasting with him, she couldn't expect him to solve her problems. Caroline had to figure out what being a vampire meant, she had to stand on her own if she wanted a chance to meet him on equal footing. And standing on her own meant taking responsibility. She'd already rescued herself, after all. Her stomach twisted with nerves and her vampire stretched along her bones, but Caroline took a deep breath, determined.

Taking responsibility didn't mean she couldn't be grateful for what had been done for her.

Rising on her toes, she brushed a kiss across the stubble on Klaus' cheek, lips tingling as she stepped away from him. His eyes were wide at the edges, his expression as disarmed as she'd ever seen him, fingers twitching as if he wanted to reach for her. She bit her lip to hide her smile, delighted at having startled him.

"Thank you," she said seriously, gaze locked with his. "You're right, I don't want them to go after my mom. I don't want them coming after either of us."

Amused when he blinked at her, as if she'd caught him flat footed and uncertain, she turned and headed back up the stairs. A moment later, he followed her. They didn't speak until he'd shut the door behind them, his gaze narrowed with calculation.

"I've had several blood bags procured, should you be hungry."

Caroline shook her head. She was tired, and blood would probably be a good idea, but right then, she wanted some space to think. "I think I'm going to take a bath and then crash. But thank you."

He nodded, gaze still watchful, a thousand schemes twisting behind his eyes. "Then I shall wish you goodnight, Caroline."

She watched him walk away, skin still prickling from the intensity of his gaze. A few months ago, and she'd have been alarmed by the way the heat of him lingered against her skin. Now, she wished she could call him and lean in for more.

Caroline bounded up the stairs, fingers curled tightly around the envelope that had been left in her room. It'd been a surprise to find a letter, and not the usual package from Bonnie. Her witchy best friend had been collecting her and Liz's mail and sending it to New Orleans. But yesterday Liz had gone home, and Caroline had expected that her mom would forward her mail.

Liz had been weirdly understanding about Caroline not returning to Mystic Falls.

"It's not home anymore, is it?"

Caroline sighed, letting the afternoon wind ruffle her hair. They were sitting outside on her balcony, and there was a beer sitting next to Liz's elbow, slowly collecting condensation. It was the most relaxed Caroline had ever seen her mom, and she grinned every time she took in her mother's sunburned nose.

"It's weird," Caroline admitted, foot swinging. "I have all my memories back, but some of them don't feel like mine, and others are so fresh they hurt to look at."

Liz pulled a face. "I've never liked Magic."

"Bonnie isn't so bad," Caroline protested.

Liz shook her head, reaching for her beer. "Bonnie loves you. That changes things."

"Does it?"

A sigh, and Liz glanced at Caroline with solemn eyes. "I did my best by you, but I know I was a clumsy mother at best."

"Mom," she protested. Liz shook her head.

"I loved your father, as much as I could, and I love you. Parents, well, were hardly infallible as much as we'd wish. You've got an eternity stretching out in front of you and I'm relieved and frightened for you."

"Mom…"

"Time changes you, Care-bear. It's unavoidable. But it's really those of us who run from change that suffer. You find what adds to your happiness, and you fight for it. You do that, and you'll do alright."

"You don't mind that I don't want to go home?"

Liz drained her beer. "I'll miss you, but you've got to spread those wings of yours."

Caroline worried her lip, glanced at her mom. "Enzo and I were thinking New York City."

"Well," Liz said dryly, nose wrinkling. "I wasn't expecting you to spread them quite so far."

Caroline had burst into laughter, muffling it against her knees as Liz had sighed.

After a week of fretting and planning, her pros and cons list longer than she'd ever admit, Caroline had finally settled on New York. NYC had always been a dream for human-Caroline, and she thought it would suit her vampire too. She'd been tempted by the thought of Tulane, but the epiphany from the night she'd spoken to Steven had lingered. She wasn't ready for a relationship, much less eternity, no matter how tempting she found Klaus.

She'd never admit it, but Enzo's easy acceptance, his affront that she'd considered leaving him behind, had been a balm to her fluttering nerves. She'd been certain that he'd stay in New Orleans, the strange almost-flirting that was going on between him and Rebekah weird and a little frightening. But Enzo had acted like uprooting the tentative roots he'd been forming in NOLA was the given, and she hadn't had it in her to argue.

Besides, having a roommate had eased her mom's worries, even if she'd threatened to shoot Enzo if he allowed Caroline to come to any harm. That memory always amused her, Enzo nodding solemnly to her narrow eyed mother. Caroline found herself looking forward to the new start. Bonnie had promised to visit as soon as she could, and even her Mom had agreed to take a long weekend with her in the city. Caroline had spent an afternoon researching NYU, and calculating how many scholarships she'd need to make a four year degree plan work. Happy and optimistic about the future for the first time in ages, she should've known that Klaus would be unable to stop himself from getting involved.

She'd brushed off his silence during all those conversations with her mom about taking a gap year, her decision to apply for NYC the following Spring, as Klaus catching up on all the things he'd put aside to help her. She knew that the witch problem had been dealt with, but it had left a power vacuum that needed to be filled.

Rumor was that Klaus would be lingering in NOLA for a bit longer, to reinforce whatever had gone down with Marcel and the witches. She figured she'd fill him in once she was a little closer to leaving, maybe tentatively suggest that she'd be open to him visiting.

But clearly she'd miscalculated.

Stupid Hybrid hearing.

She paused on the landing on the third floor, and fumed as she listened for a clue as to where he'd tucked himself away. Klaus hadn't been in his office, so that left his studio or bedroom. Her stomach twisted about confronting him there with the temptation of the bed so close. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed to find the familiar sounds of him painting.

She'd tried to avoid disturbing him there this past week, but that was clearly going to end. Setting her teeth, she stomped down the hall, heels clacking loudly against the floor. "Klaus!"

There wasn't an immediate reply and she opened his studio door with a growl. He glanced up then, lips quirking into a half smile. "Hello, sweetheart. Something wrong?"

Caroline scowled at him, the urge to bite the slight smugness off his face far more tempting than she'd wish. "Klaus, what is this?"

He arched a brow, and set his paintbrush down to wipe his hands. "It looks like a letter, love."

"Why do I have a letter from NYU confirming my deferment until next year?"

Klaus set his cloth aside, canting his head in faux-confusion. "Correct me if I am wrong, Caroline, but did you not wish to attend?"

"You can't… Klaus, I can't afford NYU, not without scholarships," she gritted out. "I don't have a job, I haven't done more than the roughest of calculations for my costs next year, and out of state tuition isn't cheap."

He made a low noise of disagreement. "Of course you can afford it. Granted, the paperwork is still being processed, but perhaps you'd be interested to know that half the Augustine Societies' trust is now yours to do with as you'd wish."

She gaped at him, her eyes wide as paper crinkled loudly between her fisted fingers. "What? Why…"

"I certainly don't need the money, love, and my darling sister had a rare moment of consideration, insisted Enzo deserved half," Klaus lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Regardless, it is a respectable sum, and should act as a solid start to your future investments. I would suggest you add a few business classes to your schedule so you can manage it properly, hmm?"

"I… how much was in there?" she demanded, mind racing. "That's not…"

Amused now, Klaus walked over and brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. "I'm sure the exact amounts are in the paperwork. Perhaps now you'll reconsider your current plan to have Enzo as a roommate? Since it will no longer be a monetary concern to live in New York City?"

She spluttered out a laugh. "What? No. I like Enzo. Usually."

"Pity," he murmured, hand dropping away.

She planted a fist on her hip, shaking the letter in his direction, refusing to be charmed. "Regardless of whatever sneakiness you've been doing, you can't keep doing it!"

His eyes flattened, gaze going cool. "Oh?"

She stepped into his space, chin lifted. "I don't need you to rescue me."

"Rescue you?" He repeated, voice dangerously soft. "Is that what you believe this to be? Correct me if I am mistaken, Caroline, but do friends not aid each other?"

Her nails dug into her palm and she ground her teeth in frustration. There was a bite in his voice on the word friend, dissatisfaction lingering beneath the ice. "Help, yes. But Klaus, I don't need you to fix my messes before they start. Not if…"

Her mouth snapped shut, but Klaus gaze narrowed, head canting to the side as clearly scented weakness. She swallowed hard as the edges of his iris lightened with a band of gold. "Not if what, Caroline?"

She bit her lip, fingers plucking nervously at her jeans. "Never mind. Forget it."

He arched a brow, and shifted closer, the heat of his body brushing tantalizingly along hers. In her heels, their mouths were dangerously close, and she stiffened to keep from leaning closer. "I don't believe I will simply 'forget it,' love. Not when it puts such a curious apprehension behind your eyes. Shall I tell you what scent lingers on your skin? It isn't fear."

She hesitated, teeth worrying along her lip, and he watched the motion with covetous eyes.

"I believe it is time for a bit of honesty, don't you?" Klaus murmured. "You've finally decided to stretch your wings, to taste the life that awaits for you outside of Mystic Falls."

"Yes," she said warily, watching the shifting of emotions behind his eyes, the calculating edge that ran along her spine like fingers. "I have."

"And yet," he continued. "Even though you have called us friends, you would deny me the opportunity to provide assistance? Even though you've allowed others to offer their aid. Why?"

Caroline blew out a breath. "You mean other than your admittance of creepy spies?'

His smile curved slightly at the corners, fingers shifting to curve around the bones of her wrist, thumb feathering along the underside of her wrist. "Hardly creepy, Caroline."

Rolling her eyes, she slid her free hand along the curls at the nape of his neck, and shifted that small distance between them to press her lips against his. The fingers curled around her wrist tightened, his other hand sliding down to grip her waist as his mouth opened against the hot stroke of her tongue. She shuddered, only allowing herself a tiny taste before pulling back, lips burning. The flush along Klaus' cheeks, lips still parted and wet as his lashes lifted to show eyes circled in gold, did nothing to help her self-control.

"Don't be smug," she rasped, chasing the lingering taste of him across her lips. "I…"

Her words disappeared as Klaus spun her around, pressing her into the wall as his lips claimed hers. His hand tangled in her hair, cradling her scalp as he licked along her tongue. She widened her stance, pressing closer to the heat of him, as they exchanged heated kisses. She moaned, nails digging into his skin as he caught her lower lip hard enough to sting between his teeth, before pulling back. She panted, flushed and wanting more, monster straining at the hint of his.

"And now?" He drawled, dimples creasing. She groaned, head falling back with a thunk, unexpectedly fighting a smile as he pressed a quick kiss to the curve of her chin. "Caroline."

She lowered her head, lips quirking as she allowed herself to trace one of those stupidly charming dimples. "I'm moving to New York."

He arched a brow. "So you've said."

"Everything turned on its head, and I don't know about a lot of things anymore," Caroline said quietly. "I need to figure my life out, Klaus, and you need to let me."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, but didn't pull away from her. "I understand that you are young, Caroline. That you are still building your life."

"And to do that, I have to be the one to build it. Do you understand?" His jaw tightened, muscles tensed and hard against her, and she pressed the pads of her fingers against his lips. "I'm not saying I need you to stay away; I don't. I just need you to let me fuck it up."

He watched her for a long moment, lips pressed firmly together before he nodded. "Within reason."

Caroline snorted. "Do not craft one of your evil loopholes. That'll just piss me off, and you're still in trouble for the creepy, useless spies."

Klaus smiled, amusement easing some of the tension in his shoulders. "Here I thought we were friends. Do friends not forgive each other?"

She moved deliberately against the hard length of him in an innocent pretense of shifting her weight. His lashes fluttered, his gaze full of warning, and she matched his smile. "Well, yes. But honestly, I was hoping we'd manage a bit more, once I've figured a few things out. How do you feel about fuck buddies? My understanding is that finals are stressful."

"Understand, Caroline," Klaus warned as he eased away, fingers disentangling from her curls. "I do not share well, and we both know that you aren't ready for the kind of commitment I want. I'll wait, I'll be patient, but I won't be satisfied with just small tastes of you forever."

She straightened her shirt, for a moment regretting that for all that Klaus had kissed her with purpose, he hadn't let his hands wander. Still, she wasn't sure if he'd gone hunting for skin she'd have kept from doing the same. "So sure that one day I'll feel the same."

He laughed, dimples creasing his cheeks. He caught her wrist and brought it to his mouth, placing a delicate kiss along the network of veins. "You're still so young, it's understandable that you question your future, love. But I am no longer young, and I know the weight of my promise, of what waiting involves."

"Take me to dinner," she said impulsively, cheeks hot from the timbre of his words, the intimacy behind his eyes. "We'll pretend you didn't eavesdrop on all my conversations with my mom and I'll tell you about my plans.'

He side eyed her, lips still curved. "I may have a suggestion or two, regarding locations."

"You are not allowed to buy the apartment building I choose or compel the landlord to lower my rent." Caroline warned. "I'm already having to argue with Enzo about that."

"I own a number of them," he said serenely, motioning for her to leave his studio. "Shall I provide a list so you can avoid them?"

She pursed her lips, and headed down the staircase. "Would it do me any good?"

"I suppose that depends on how you feel about brownstones."

Huffing, she stomped down the stairs, ignoring his soft laughter behind her. She bit her lip, unwilling to smile in response to the sound. Tonight, she'd coax a promise or two out of Klaus, allow him to attempt the same. Tomorrow, she'd start pestering Enzo for opinions on apartments near the NYU campus and start seriously looking for a job. But those worries were for tomorrow.

Tonight, she intended to make a memory.

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