Title: Of Blood Spatter and a Red Dress

Rating: PG-13

Summary: "Come on love, you forget who you're talking to. I'm quite fond of the post slaughter look, especially on you." She looked up at him, a small smile breaking out on her face.

Notes: Can I say I hate editing? I apologize now for errors in any of my stories. I despise editing like I despise washing dishes and folding clothes. Anyway, this is a bit silly, but I think I still kind of like it. Reviews appreciated as always!

"Brother."

Klaus didn't lift his head, it wasn't necessary, he recognized the voice. With a sigh he sat back, drink in his hand. "Kol, Finn. What a pleasant surprise."

"I wish we could say the same," Finn responded sliding into the booth next to Klaus.

Kol moved to sit on the other end, leaning back in a similar fashion as Klaus and watching him. "What are you doing here Niklaus."

"Oh you know, site seeing, mingling with the locals." Klaus shrugged glancing across the bar and catching a flash of red before turning to face Kol. "You?"

"You knew we've been in Italy for the past five years, don't act surprised. So I'll ask again, what are you doing here?"

Klaus smirked, shaking his head and tipping back the rest of his drink before waving the bartender over for another.

Five minutes later Klaus had downed two more drink and stared out towards the crowd, a murderous glare evident on his features. "Listen," Klaus snapped and glanced between the two of them, already having had his fill of their questions and accusations, "contrary to what you believe, my main goal for all eternity is not to make your lives a living hell. Only for part of it," he said and smiled nastily.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" Finn asked sharply.

Klaus opened his mouth to answer then clamped it shut, realizing that his actual reason for being there had never come back. Klaus looked out, scanning the crowd. No sign of the familiar red dress. "Damnit," he cursed and moved to stand only to have Finn yank him back down. Klaus growled in response, grabbing Finn's throat. "Follow me if you wish, but you will let me up." There was a silent battle of wills until Finn released him, his anger at releasing him evident, Klaus didn't care. He knocked Finn's legs out the way and pushed through the crowd, looking from side to side sharply for any sign of her. Nothing, her scent was gone. It wasn't until he noticed two vampires standing in a dark corner of the club did he really become concerned. Klaus pushed down the panic, forcing himself to remain calm.

"What are you doing?" Kol hissed sharply.

"Shut it," Klaus snapped, still walking and listening. Then he heard it. Her voice muffled through the crowd, but he found it. Pushing people away he focused on the sound, finding himself finally at a door. With much more strength then necessary he threw it open, the hinges protesting as they broke, allowing the door to swing out wide and hit the brick on the outside of the building. When he had a moment to take in the entire site he folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't stand there glaring at me," Caroline snapped in anger as she stood in the middle of the alley and lifted her foot up to remove her shoe. The other was trashed, heal broken in the scuffle. With a frown she tossed the other red satin shoe away.

"Have you lost your damn mind!" He snapped and walked forward, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face him so he could look her over.

Caroline attempted to shake off his arm, but he held tight. "They were going to kill that poor girl!"

Klaus glanced around again, seeing no girl, but instead spotted three dead vampires.

Caroline saw fury in his eyes when he looked down at her again.

"I don't care," he said slowly, enunciating each word. Human's or vampire were not his concern, she was.

"I'm fine!" Caroline exclaimed and glared up at him in return.

"And if those three-."

He had grabbed her other arm, squeezing her, yanking her towards him, lifting her bare feet from the concrete. Still on the killing edge, she hissed, slamming her hands into his chest. His grip faltered, but he didn't let go.

Klaus frowned down at her, settling her back on the ground, waiting patiently as her human features returned, and for a moment marveling at the fact that it was him waiting for her to calm down and not the other way around. "Do you know how much trouble you are in little vampire." She only rolled her eyes and looked away from him. Klaus released her arms and lifted a hand to her face, wiping away a smudge of blood. "Come on love, you know I have a tendency to over react. You aren't invincible." When she looked back up at him he schooled his features to look properly repentant, even though he full well planned on threatening her within an inch of her life later over her consistent missions to become a martyr for the human race.

"I'm fine," she said again, forcefully, but almost feeling as if she was pouting because she had to reiterate herself. It was even worse that he was standing there and rubbing blood from her face with his thumb like a parent rubbing dirt from a child. In annoyance she batted his hand away.

He ignored her behavior, and settled a hand on her back, turning her towards their guests. "Caroline, I'd like you to meet my brothers, Kol and Finn."

Her eyes widened slightly, suddenly aware of their presence and her own attire. Looking down at her dress she moaned pitifully. "My dress."

"We'll get you a new one."

She didn't respond to Klaus and walked towards the other two vampires, still conscious of how ridiculous she looked barefoot and walking on concrete. "Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied. It's very nice to meet you though." She held out her hand and smiled brightly. The younger looking vampire moved to take it until she spotted the blood covering it. Gasping, she yanked her hand back and rubbed it on her red dress, palm first and then the back of it before holding it out again. "Sorry, I had a bit of trouble pulling one of their head's off. His neck was absolutely huge."

"Charmed," Kol responded and shook her hand looked around at the dead vampires. "And you attacked them?"

After shaking the other vampire's hand Caroline bit her lip for a moment, resisting the urge to glance at Klaus, unsure how they would perceive her obvious value for human life. "I'm quite sure someone would have missed the young girl they were going to drain dry." Caroline smiled at the brothers, conscious that her pleasure was obvious from her kill. "I seriously doubt anyone will miss these degenerates."

"Indeed," Finn responded and glanced at Klaus, cocking an eyebrow.

Explaining his choice would have been impossible at the moment, and even if Klaus had the time to explain he didn't think anything he could say to his brothers or anyone would make them understand why he, Klaus, was with this blond, cheery, innocent, goody two shoes, vampire. "Come on love, we should get out of here." Klaus attempted to pull her away as he spoke, but she resisted.

"Why?" Caroline looked back to the other two vampires. "I've never met your family. It would be rude," she looked pointedly at Klaus and glared, a look he returned times ten.

"Caroline," he began sarcastically, "you're surrounded by headless vampires and are covered in blood. And while I more then appreciate how well your attire," he gestured with his hand to her red satin dress, "flatters you're current blood bath look, I didn't think you wanted to send a mob of human's screaming in fear."

Caroline looked down again, taking in her legs, bare feet, arms, lifting her blond hair to view it and remembered Klaus wiping my face. With a sigh she looked up at him. "I look horrible don't I?"

"Come on love, you forget who you're talking to. I'm quite fond of the post slaughter look, especially on you." She looked up at him, a small smile breaking out on her face. It didn't take much to flatter Caroline, even if he was complimenting the bloody spray on her body. Of course he suspected she was much more proud of the fact that she had killed two vampire on her own and saved a human then the blood on her body. The blood was just a statement.

"It was very nice meeting you," Caroline said to the two brothers and smiled. "You should come by, we'll be in Italy for a couple of weeks."

Klaus groaned and gave her another push to which she finally responded. As they walked away he glanced behind him, absolutely despising their looks of amusement, but feeling murderous when they glanced at Caroline.

"Ow!"

Klaus turned his attention back to Caroline who had suddenly stopped and bent over, lifting her foot.

Caroline grabbed a piece of glass stuck in her foot and pulled it out, wrinkling her face in disgust. "I'm a mess." It was a blur as her world shifted and Klaus lifted her into his arms. Caroline gasped in response, wrapping her arms securely around his neck. "Aren't you a gentleman," she responded with a flirtatious smirk.

"You know seduction doesn't work when you put your life in danger," he stated firmly, looking down on her, "we'll be talking about this again." Caroline sighed, dropping her head to his chest and frowning, ignorant to the fact that she was pouting more then anything.