Hello all! Quick note, I will try to keep this fic as canon as possible, what with the new season premiering next week. In this chapter, Klaus doesn't know that Caroline is coming. I won't say to much more, just thanks for reading!

She didn't know this place. It was beautiful, but she didn't know it. The lanterns were what she had imagined: the movies almost always featured them.

With college down the tubes, with Elena getting cozy with a new beau, Bonnie on the other side, she could not stay. I mean, it was Winter break, after all.

A coach ticket to New Orleans was all Caroline could think to do after the drama that was Mystic Falls. Even with Tyler….

Tyler… Caroline thought. She knew what she was doing to him by leaving, but she couldn't go home yet.

But who would kill her if they knew where she was? Certainly Elena, who wouldn't know what was going on until she reached Mystic Falls, where Stefan was waiting to tell her. And certainly her mother, who was at least occupied by the affections of a new man. Caroline felt at least a little relief that her mom would not feel too bad about her absence and that she was safe.

As the taxi that was driving her through New Orleans pulled alongside a curb, Caroline noticed the shady street life. Mostly men and women in dark clothing, a prostitute here and there. She thanked the cab driver and handed him a few bills for the ride. She climbed out with the only bag she had brought with her.

"Hey Miss," the cabbie called to her before she closed the door. Caroline bent down. "You sure this is where you want to be? Lots of bad stuff goes on here."

Caroline rolled her eyes inside her head. No duh, sherlock. She sighed.

"I'll be fine, thanks." She offered him her toughest face before closing the door. The cab sped off immediately, making a hard left at the light. Caroline let out a sharp puff of air and adjusted her bag. She crossed her arms over her leather jacket and began down the street.

The range of questionable street life was versatile. But as she walked farther into the night, the figures in the street struck Caroline as familiar.

"Vampires..." She whispered. They were everywhere she realized. They lined the walls of the decrepit buildings like transients begging for a drink. Caroline felt horror lace her spine as she noticed decimating bodies along the block. She suddenly felt like she was being watched.

Caroline picked up her pace. She was pretty sure she was close to her hotel, which had looked decent enough on the internet but now had a whole new ambience.

The vampires against the wall began to notice Caroline. She glanced behind her. They were sniffing the air as she passed by their clusters. Some of them began to peel from the wall and follow her down the street. Panic spiked. Caroline's step turned into a jog. A narly vampire with swollen puffs for eyes and rotting teeth reached out to grasp her arm. She launched into a sprint.

She flashed around a corner, a block away from her hotel, and slowed to a brisk walk. This was the heart of french quarter, she realized. Most of the restaurants were closed, but a few dark bars and nightclubs were buzzing with the sounds of drunken chatter. In the distance, Caroline could see the hotel, sitting above a restaurant advertising New Orleans best shrimp gumbo.

That's when she saw him. She was already behind a lamp post, well hidden in the shadows. He was stepping out of a bar with a blonde girl who could have passed as a cousin of Caroline's. Her heart pounded as she adjusted her hearing.

"You're company was my delight, as usual." Klaus' unmistakable English was unusually pleasant.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to." The woman said. She looked up at Klaus with bright eyes, almost as if she expected something more than 'goodnight'...

Klaus smiled down at her and offered his arm. "Shall we?"

The woman slowly placed her arm through his and pulled the scarf she had on closer around her body. She appeared to lean into Klaus.

Caroline felt odd watching Klaus interact with, from what she could tell, a human. What was going on? Her chest pinched uncomfortably. She made to follow them under the shadows.

One step forward and something tugged at the strap of her bag. Before she could turn around to face it, a strong hang – an unhuman hand – placed itself over her mouth and dragged her into the narrow alley beside the gumbo restaurant.

"Where do you think you're going," a gruff voice spat in her ear. She flailed her legs as her arms tried to pry the man's grip.

Another tall, stick-thin vampire appeared in front of her. He looked past her to the thug holding her down.

"Hey, put her down. Marcel doesn't want her hurt." Thug let go. Big mistake.

Without any thought, Caroline abandoned her bag to high kick the vampire in front of her. She hit her target, sending him into the brick wall of the hotel. In her moment dealing with Stick, the thuggy one brought his arms around her neck again and pulled her into the air, cutting off her air. She struggled for a few seconds while the one she had just slammed into the wall made his way to a standing position. Caroline dug her nails into the arm that was holding her hostage. The man grunted, but did not budge his arms.

Stick had gotten his balance back. Out of pure desperation, Caroline did the only thing she could think of. It almost took all the air she had left as she kicked her feet into the air over her head, as if to kick the thug's head. Her feet didn't reach, but that was OK – Thug stumbled back at her sudden movement and his grip slackened.

Caroline barred her fangs and bit down on Thug's arm. As the sharp edges of her teeth hit bone, Caroline pulled her head back, ripping away a mass of flesh and blood. Thuggy cried out and released his grip completely.

Caroline flew around the building, to the discrete hotel's entrance and kicked the door open. A surprising amount of people were in the small lobby. In the back of Caroline's mind, she was sure her attackers wouldn't make a move in such a large amount of people. She didn't wait for them, however. She pushed up to the front desk and leaned over the counter to the receptionist there.

"You are going to give me the key for Caroline Forbes. Now." The small dark-skinned woman got up silently and walked over to a wall with hanging keys. Caroline breathed out in relief. But her comfort was short-lived when Stick and Shady walked through the entrance door.

"Here you go, miss." The woman held the key out.

Caroline snatched the key and raced up the wooden staircase to the top of the hotel, where she knew her room was; no elevator in this dated hotel. She could hear quick feet behind her and screams from the guests. She slipped the key into the hole and shoved the door open. She slammed the door with an explosive thud.

Caroline closed her eyes and leaned against the door, her heart rate filling the silence in the room. She opened her eyes and drew in a big breath of air. The suite was big, bigger than her living room at home, bigger than her dorm room. It was beautifully furnished in19th century French style, with the great Impressionist artworks hanging around the room. But what got Caroline was not the classic artwork around the room. It was the man standing in the middle of it.

"You must be Caroline," he said. He was a tall, dark man, with a warming smile on his face. This alone caused Caroline to fear for her life. "I'm Marcel."

"How do you know who I am?" Caroline asked slowly.

Marcel turned to look out the window, down French Quarter. "That was some impressive strength you showed with my brothers downstairs." Caroline pushed herself from the door and began taking steps towards Marcel.

"Your brothers?" She asked, walking closer him. The man smiled again. Caroline looked for a sharp wooden object.

"Well, they're not really my brothers, but we are all family." He laughed in a playful way and his smile reached his eyes.

"Who are you?" The man turned around to face her again.

"Like I said, my name is Marcel, and this is my city." He walked towards her, non-threatening, smiling."It's my job to make sure all the new vampires know the rules."

"Why did you send those two guys after me?" She wasn't listening to him.

"So many questions and we only just met!" Marcel laughed again. Caroline made her decision and flashed to the wooden post of the bed, which boasted a sharp end. She had the post wrapped in her hand and was going to rip it from the bed, but Marcel was already there. He gripped her shoulders and slammed her into the wall, busting through the wallpaper and plaster.

He smiled cheerily and spoke as if they were really old friends.

"Why don't we talk about our friend Klaus first."

My first Vampire Diaries fic! You guys will find out what was up with those vampires on the street in a couple of chapters. So far, you're not supposed to know exactly what has happened in Mystic Falls. But no worries, because there will be lots of Klaroline to fill the information gap! I'm really excited to revive their romance in this fic and explore what could be between Klaus and Caroline! Please, let me know what you think!