Day 1

Darkness overcame her vision as the image of Klaus standing defiantly became a blur. Pain replaced each of her senses, growing into an all-consuming mass rooted deep within her core. She welcomed the blackness overtaking her, begged for a release from this struggle.

At that moment, a spark of light appeared in the dark. The light grew brighter and sent new rays of light throughout the gloom. The pain began to ease and her senses began to untangle. She became aware of a heavenly taste filling her mouth, the sweetest and most delicious she had ever known.

Klaus' wrist to her lips, Caroline drank his blood thirstily. Every drop increased her thirst and banished the oppressive darkness from her senses. The more she drank, the more desperate she became to feel her body reawaken. She wrapped one hand around Klaus' wrist, then the other over his hand to draw the blood from his veins more rapidly. After several seconds, she became faintly aware of Klaus' hand stroking her hair, his lips pressed gently into the top of her head. With a few more long gulps, Caroline finally felt her breathing steady as her body recognized its escape from death's clutches.

She withdrew her fangs from Klaus' wrist and sank back against him while drawing several deep breaths. The warmth of his body was comforting. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms where the darkness couldn't reach her.

"Caroline," he whispered.

At the sound of his voice, Caroline's vampire senses kicked into overdrive. She became instantly aware of the fact that her whole body was leaning against Klaus for support, leaning against the man who had been ready to let her die only minutes before. In the same moment, she realized that not only were his lips still pressed into her hair, but her hand was still holding on to his. She stared at their interlocking fingers for half a beat, trying to separate the man who had sentenced her to death from the man who restored her to life.

In the same breath, Caroline launched herself off the couch and stood panting a few feet away. "What the hell did you do? You were going to let me die?!" Her glare shot daggers at Klaus.

"Caroline," Klaus whispered again as he stood. His voice broke as he uttered her name, and tears threatened to drop from his eyes. He moved toward her slowly, as though trying not to frighten a small animal. "I am truly," he held back a near sob, "truly sorry."

The blonde vampire stood rooted to the spot. I need to leave. Now. I need to leave right now, and find Tyler, and …

Something about the look on the Original's face prevented her body from carrying out the actions her mind was commanding it to do. Tears were now falling freely down his cheeks as he stood a foot apart from her. The man before her was not the killer that had slaughtered any number of innocent souls throughout the centuries. This was a man separated from all he loved, grieving for his dead brother and for his own destructive tendencies that had nearly destroyed the last thing he held dear in the world. He was a man who was hurt. Whatever was left of his soul was lying bare for the world to see.

This broken man called out to Caroline as she found herself stepping closer to him. He was hurting. Constantly. For century, after century he was hurting, lashing out to keep others far enough away that they couldn't damage him. She so desperately wanted to be angry with him, but instead took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. His eyes searched hers, looking for some indication that this girl would be able to find the humanity within him that none had before. She drew a deep breath. "I forgive you," she whispered. Caroline let go of his hand and turned to leave the living room.

"Wait," called Klaus, his voice hoarse.

She stopped just within the boundaries of Klaus' confinement, turning back towards him as he rushed to her. Before she fully registered his intention, Caroline felt Klaus' lips pressing gently into hers. His kiss was soft, warm and intense. The feeling was irresistible and she felt herself melting into his kiss rather than pulling away. She allowed him to wrap his hand around the base of her neck and pull her closer, deepening the kiss. The contact of his lips on hers made her entire body grow hot. She felt some part of herself wanting to answer the desperation of his kiss, wanting to pull him close and wrap her arms around him.

At that moment, Klaus pulled his lips from hers and stared heatedly into her eyes with his hand still locked around her neck. Caroline stared back at him, unable to register what had just happened. With a small smile, Klaus let his hand drop to his side. Staggering a few steps backward, Caroline turned and bolted out the front door.

She shut the front door tightly and leaned against it to steady her racing heart. Did I really just … kiss him? Her lips burned, the skin at the nape of her neck tingled from his touch, and her heart refused to return to a steady pace. No, no way. I can't feel – It couldn't have happened! I couldn't have kissed that monster! Yet as Caroline continued to berate herself, a smaller voice told her she hadn't kissed a monster. She had kissed the only part of Klaus that was still human.

That night, Caroline was curled up in Tyler's arms as the two debated what was to be done about Klaus. Since Caroline's return, Tyler had been in a nearly perpetual state of rage, cursing Klaus in an endless string of insults.

"What are we doing about Klaus?" Tyler spat. "We leave him there, imprisoned in the house. We've got two, maybe three more days before Bonnie's spell wears off. I say we let him get nice and thirsty and then I kick the shit out of him the second he's free."

"And then what?" Caroline asked. "If they haven't found the cure by then, Klaus is going to kill you Tyler. And not some slow, suffering death. He's going to rip you limb from limb!"

"Are you kidding?" Tyler stared at Caroline intently. "He tried to kill you. He killed my mom. There's nothing more he can take away from me. I'm not holding back. Cure or no cure, I will make him pay."

"But Tyler—"

"Whose side are you on?" Tyler cut in.

"Ours." Caroline said firmly. "We're on the same team. Look, I want Klaus to pay for what he's done as much as you do, but I also want to keep you alive. Klaus is beyond unstable right now, there's no predicting what he'll do." Caroline propped herself up on one elbow and gave Tyler a determined look. "I think we need to keep an eye on him." Tyler opened his mouth to protest, but Caroline silenced him with a menacing look. "If we're keeping tabs on him, we can keep him distracted, and maybe we can even buy some more time for Elena, and Stefan and everyone. Plus, if he breaks free before they find the cure, we can try to keep him trapped here before he runs off to do who knows what to them."

"Fine," Tyler sighed. "We can go back in the morning." He rolled over in a huff, turning his back to Caroline.

In a softer voice, Caroline said "I don't think you should go back there tomorrow."

"What?!" Tyler exclaimed as he rolled back to Caroline. "He tried to kill you today, there is no way you're going back there unprotected!"

"Exactly! He tried to kill me. But he also decided to save me. If you aren't there to provoke him, I think his guilt will stop him from lashing out again."

Tyler sat bolt upright in bed. "His guilt? Caroline, he is a thousand year old sociopath. He has no guilt."

Caroline sat up next to Tyler and turned herself towards him. She placed both of her hands on top of his and stared him directly in the eye. "He does feel guilt, Tyler. Today, after he saved me, I saw a crack in the armor. Klaus let his guard down, and that's exactly what we need. Tomorrow, I'll go back there and see if I can find that part of him again. He's weaker like that than you could ever make him by trying to starve him out. If they can't find the cure fast enough, this will buy us time."

"You can't be serious, Care."

"I am. Look, this is our only way."

Tyler sighed and set his mouth into a firm line. "Fine. But you need to check in with me every hour so I know that you're alive."

Caroline chuckled and kissed Tyler on the cheek. "You bet." She settled back in his arms and soon heard steady breathing that meant he was fast asleep. But while Tyler rested peacefully, Caroline's mind was racing.

She replayed the memory of Klaus' kiss again and again in her head. Did that really happen? Could I have actually kissed him back? The more Caroline thought about the Original's kiss, the more a single fact began to chip away at her resolve to exploit him: she had enjoyed it. As much as it stung to admit, the tender feeling of his lips hungrily seeking hers sent a wave of heat rushing down her spine. She longed to feel his firm hand pressed against her skin, to taste his lips salty with the tears that proved somewhere deep inside, a man lived inside the monster.

A/N: Hey! So this chapter is just a little tease ;) I was originally going to make this a one-shot, but then I realized it would be fun to release it in three installments. I have Day 2 written, and Day 3 planned out, and I promise that each one brings more of the Klaus/Caroline interaction that keeps us all interested in them. However, I am notorious for over-scheduling myself, which means that the remaining two chapters may not be released quite as quickly as I'd hope. If you like where this is going, follow the story so you can read it as fast as I can write it! Also, comments are awesome. Happy Valentines!