My wings are clipped...

Ever since Caroline was a little girl, she had always been reminded never to dwell on the past. That living in events that cannot be changed would only taint her ability to enjoy the present moment. She had always been labeled as the over thinker, the neurotic one – but she much preferred the title of dreamer and fantasist. She enjoyed looking back on her past, fondly recalling events that held a special place in her heart. And even though sometimes these memories would shatter her smile and damper her mood, she could always remind herself that at one point in her life, she had been happy. Really, truly happy.

It was the reason she kept all of her photographs, even if they were out of focus, or she looked even slightly unattractive, she always kept them. They were her gateway into her past, leading her on a journey she had traveled once before, but would never get tired of. Caroline gazed at them every night before she went to work.

The little blonde was huddled in the bedroom, it was small and cramped. The bed took up most of the space in the room. It was dimly lit by a lamp on the bedside table, as the headlight on the ceiling had burned out months ago. They had never gotten a new one. The room didn't have any windows, which she hated. Caroline had always desired a bedroom with a lot of natural light, as she loved being in the sun. But they couldn't afford it. A dresser was shoved in the corner, next to the poor excuse for a closet, and numerous items of clothes were protruding from the drawers. The dirty laundry hamper on the other side of the small space, was overflowing, and she made a mental note to remind herself to clean them later. She and her boyfriend were unable to afford a washer and dryer, so she had to go down to the laundromat down the street to get it all done. There were half empty liquor and beer bottles all over the place, none of them belonging to her. Caroline had hoped that maybe Tyler would clean it all up, but he never touched them, and the thought of having to pick up more of his mess made her skin crawl.

But for a few moments, Caroline ignored the mess and clutter, she ignored the smell and the eye sores littering her home. For now, she would focus on the photographs. She would focus on a time when her smile didn't seem so forced.

She slid the album out from under the mattress, she kept it there so Tyler wouldn't get his hands on it. He would more than likely laugh at her for looking at such ridiculous things. She hated how small he could make her feel. So she kept her little salvation a secret.

Her lips quirked up at the sight of the pictures, sure she had looked at them a thousand times, but they never failed to have the same affect on her. Some of them were of her when she was a little girl, dressing up like the old Disney princesses, a brilliant grin on her face. Then came middle school. She cringed and giggled at the awkward stage in her life, when she had short hair and braces. Caroline licked her smooth, perfectly straight teeth at the memory. And then finally, the high school days, her personal favorites. Caroline would be smiling at the camera, in her cheer leading uniform, hair in a bouncy ponytail. There were photos of her and her past boyfriends. She flinched at the one of her and Damon, a reminder she could do without. His face had been crossed out with a red sharpie. And then there was Matt, her heart still fluttered at the sight of him. He had been her high school sweetheart.

"You always did have far better luck with guys than I did." She whispered as she traced the face of her friend, Elena, with her finger. Elena was one of her closest friends, or had been, once upon a time. They unfortunately, fell out of touch with each other.

The back section of the album was reserved for her dance photographs. There were hundreds of snapshots of her recitals, or of her practicing in the studio. She was beaming in every single one of them.

Caroline remembered when she would sit in class and daydream about her life after high school. She would move to New York, get a job wherever she could and work her way through dance classes. She was a ballerina, it was engraved into her heart and molded into her bones. It was the one thing she loved most in the world. Caroline wanted to be famous, she wanted to show her talent to the world. But more than that, she just wanted to feel the thrill of being on stage in front of hundreds of people. To know that they were watching her.

But that dream was rapidly disintegrating before her eyes.

A fist banging on the door quickly snapped her out of her trance. "Caroline!"

Her eyes widened, the deep voice was one she automatically knew as Tyler's. She gasped and quickly closed the album, shoving it underneath the mattress again.

"Why the hell is the door locked?!" He shouted, his words slightly slurred. He had been drinking again.

"I-I was just getting ready for work!" Caroline called back, jumping to her feet. She smoothed out her tightly fitted, red dress and rushed to the door. When she opened it he practically fell on her, his breath reeked of vodka. She held her breath and stepped aside, allowing him to walk in. Tyler eyed the room suspiciously, as if looking for something that was out of place before turning back to her. Caroline quickly looked to the floor, not daring to make eye contact with him. But she could still feel his malicious glare burning a hole through her skull.

"I told you...never to lock the fucking door." His voice deepened into a growl. And she didn't need to lift her head to know that he was drawing closer. She could hear his footsteps, each one of them vibrating in her brain. Her skin was tingling and she was already wincing, preparing for what was to come.

"I'm sorry. It'll never happen again, I promise."

Soon enough his breath was on her ear and she bit her tongue to keep from gagging.

"You're right it won't."

She let out a faint whimper and cursed herself. Caroline hated how easily he could make her quiver, how simple it was for him to render her immobile. He was just one person. Tyler shouldn't have been able to have this much power over her. And yet here she was, trembling by the door and trying to picture the happy Caroline in the photographs, wishing she could have her back.

"Look at me when I talk to you!" He snarled and grabbed her chin, roughly pulling her to look at him. Her eyes snapped open, meeting his, only to find that they were bloodshot and hazy. It was as if he was staring straight through her, like she didn't even exist. She swallowed heavily, desperately wishing for him to just let it go and walk away. But Tyler wasn't the type of person to do that, not anymore.

"This is my apartment. What I-I say...goes." He stumbled over his own words but the fury was still burning through him. "If you don't like it...you're out on the streets."

Tyler's hand slid down to her neck, his roaming eyes took in her skimpy dress and how well it accentuated her thin form. She stood completely still, nodding her head slowly to confirm that she understood. He had threatened her before. And she knew that he would turn her out, force her out of the only place she had to live if she disobeyed him. Tyler squeezed her throat and her eyes widened, she coughed and lifted her hands to pry at his.

"Do you fucking understand?"

Her eyes glimmered with shallow tears and she nodded, gasping for air as his hold tightened.

"Y-Yes!" She managed to choke out.

Tyler shoved her to the ground and Caroline's head banged against the door frame. She let out a cry of pain and recoiled. He gazed at her, face twisting into an expression of utter disgust before kicking past her.

"Get your ass off the floor. And when you get back from work, you're gonna clean this fucking place up."

He demanded and she nodded her head automatically, knowing that she had no choice in the matter.

"Of course!" She squealed and cowered away from him as he walked by her. Tyler mumbled incoherent curses as he left her on the floor behind him.

"I'm going out! Don't wait up!" He hollered and she remained on the ground until she heard the front door slam shut.

Caroline sniffled and lifted her hand to wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart was pounding, her entire body shaking violently. She took in a few deep breaths in an attempt her calm herself down until she was able to pull herself back to her feet again.

She stumbled to the mirror and her head began to throb. She felt the back of her skull, under her hair and grazed her fingers over a large, sensitive bump. Caroline hissed and slammed her hands on the dresser.

"Smile, Caroline. Smile." She whispered to herself as she stared at her reflection. Her hair was a mess, and there was slight bruising on her neck from where he was holding her. Her cheeks were streaked with dried tears and her eyes were red.

"Just smile, like nothing is wrong. You can do it, just smile." The girl continued to chant, a mantra she had repeated far too many times. Caroline did it every time he did something like this, she forced herself to look in the mirror and whispered to herself like a crazy person until the smile finally came back.

Sometimes it took a few seconds, other times it took hours.

This time the smile rose to her lips in about six minutes. The smile was hollow, obviously forced and painful to look at. But she kept it there, plastered it on until she was able to convince herself that maybe it was at least a little bit real.

Caroline kept the smile on as she brushed her hair, smoothing the golden locks out and draping them over her creamy shoulders. She kept it on as she applied her makeup. She even kept it on as she put a little concealer on the bruises and strapped her black pumps on.

Caroline grabbed her purse and threw on a jacket before heading out of the horrendous looking apartment. She hated that this was her home, hated that she couldn't afford anything else. But this was her life, and she had to face that.

The bar she worked at was conveniently a fifteen minute walk away from her apartment. That was about the only thing she liked about it. In her desperation to make rent, she searched for whatever job she could find. But without a college degree and the economy in such bad shape, the choices were slim. That was when she came across this place, Hell Hound. It was a sleazy downtown bar, but always packed with customers. She worked part time as a bartender and part time as a singer. The job wasn't the most desirable, but it was all she had, and it was decent pay. Originally, the bar tending was enough for her, but the boss took one look at her and offered the singing job as well. Caroline was positive that he hired her simply because he thought she was pretty, but she was a good singer, and it was extra money. So she figured, why the hell not?

The only problem she had with this particular establishment were the customers. The crowd was almost always the same, men, usually middle aged – some younger. But they always stared at her, hungry eyes constantly undressing her, whether she was behind the bar or on stage. Many of those very men mistook this place for a tittie bar and often made inappropriate moves towards her.

"Evenin', Caroline!" The bouncer at the door greeted her with a warm smile. He was a large man, with muscles practically bulging out of his tight shirt. He was a strong and intimidating fellow, but to her he was as gentle as a teddy bear.

She offered her first real smile of the day, it wasn't as vibrant as it used to be. But it would do.

"Evening, Joe! How's your wife?" She questioned with genuine interest.

"Doin' fine, she made some of her famous apple pie the other day. Left you a slice behind the bar in case you're interested."

Caroline lit up and embraced the large man, squealing like a little girl.

"Thanks so much, Joe! I'm starving."

"No problem, Caroline. Have a good shift."

Caroline waved farewell to the man before venturing inside. The bar was dark, with crimson lighting, the first shift singer was on stage, bellowing a beautiful melody. There were a few whistles and catcalls. She was a gorgeous girl, tall, slender legs and curvacious. She had olive skin and chocolate brown hair, with eyes to match. Her name was Hayley, she was nice, most of the time. But she could just as easily be nasty, if one crossed her.

"Ahh, good to see ya, Caroline."

She tore her eyes away from the show to see her boss standing behind the bar. He was an older man, with silver hair that was starting to fall out. He had the wrinkles of a well lived life and his smile was weary. Although, she didn't approve of the establishment he ran, he was a nice man. He was always looking out for her, and protected her against the sleaze balls who tried to cop a feel when she was doing her job.

"Hey, Mr. Lucas. How's it going?"

She joined him behind the bar and slipped her jacket off, sliding it along with her purse under the counter.

"Busy night tonight, business is good.'

"Great." She sighed out, she wasn't particularly fond of the busy nights. It just meant more leering stares and men hitting on her. But it also meant more tips.

"April called out again, said somethin' about food poisoning. So once Hayley's done you're takin' over." He grumbled as he cleaned a few dirty cups.

Caroline's jaw dropped as she turned to her boss, stomping her foot in frustration. She hadn't been prepared to sing tonight, she much preferred performing her shift with a large bar separating her and the men.

"Seriously!?" She almost shrieked, wincing at the sudden pain in her neck. The bruises were still sensitive. But she resisted the urge to rub them in front of her boss.

"Yes, yes, I know. But we don't have anyone else to cover her shift. So it falls on you."

"Shit." She spat and turned away, kicking her heel against the counter. This was not her night.

For the next two songs, Caroline served drinks to the men at the bar. She prided herself on her ability to make drinks swiftly and without mess. But every time she placed it on the bar for them, they would grab her hand, lean closer and attempt to woo her with some poorly developed pick up line. Caroline would tear her hand away, offer them a vicious glare and turn her back to them. Or Mr. Lucas would be forced to intervene when one of the persistent ones wouldn't let go.

She wanted nothing more than to wash her hands until they were raw.

Eventually, she saw Hayley step down from the stage a high tail it to the back room. Caroline groaned, knowing that this meant she had about ten minutes before it was her turn to make a fool out of herself. She was a good singer, and she had once enjoyed belting out a tune. But these days, the very thought of it greeted her with images of disgusting men who wanted nothing more than to violate her in every way possible.

"I'm going to the bathroom to freshen up!"

"Hurry up and get your pretty little ass out there!" He called back with a chuckle and watched her disappear.

If Niklaus Mikaelson was known for one thing, it was his undeniably short temper. He pondered this fact as he watched the man writhe beneath his large boot. His crystal blue eyes were mesmerized by the trail of blood pouring from the man's nose and mouth. He shook his head and clicked his tongue as the man feebly attempted to get away from him. Niklaus held him firmly in place.

Niklaus was known by most for being violent when taunted. He loathed being underestimated and more than that he just wanted to be left in peace. But at every turn his past seemed to catch up with him. It lurked in the shadows and hid around every corner. Klaus had only desired to catch a drink at the local bar before he was distracted by a desperate thug who claimed he was there to collect his head. It all seemed really laughable to him, but the man was entirely serious. He let out a battle cry before charging at the larger Klaus with a dagger. All it took was one bone crushing punch to the face and a kick to the ribs before he was down for the count. Klaus internally scoffed, of all the attempted murders he was on the receiving end on, this was by far the most pathetic. But he was becoming increasingly frustrated by constantly being interrupted. It was becoming a bit of a hassle.

"Let me go, you fucking psycho!" He groaned from beneath him.

Klaus merely pressed his boot against the man's throat, applying pressure.

"I'd think twice before insulting the man who has your life in his hands, mate." He calmly replied, his voice was chilling. The thug swallowed heavily and his mouth remained shut.

"That's more like it."

The man's eyes widened when Klaus suddenly smiled, his optics twinkling with malice. He leaned down and grabbed a fist full of the man's jacket.

"Now then, I suggest you tell me why you've come to, now what was it?" He feigned confusion before his smile fell, expression becoming deadly serious. "Collect my head."

The man bit his tongue, attempting to keep his composure in the face of someone so terrifying. Klaus really was all he was rumored to be. Behind that handsome face and charming smile, something dark was looming. He was ferocious, an animal with violent tendencies. He was definitely out of his league.

"I highly suggest you start talking, mate. Unless you want your buddies to find you chopped up into little pieces." Klaus picked up the dagger that had been dropped to the ground and examined the small blade. "This knife isn't very large, I wonder how long it would take me to cut you apart."

That frightening smile returned and the man began to squirm. "Ok, ok!"

Klaus lowered the knife and waited with surprising patience.

"I used to work for your father." He confessed.

"I guessed as much." Klaus replied, not surprised or even vaguely amused. "You little rats have been chasing me for years. Does it ever get boring?"

"No one's gonna stop until you pay for what you did!"

Klaus hummed and stuffed the knife in his jacket pocket. "Than I suppose I'll just have to deal with it. I was hoping what I did to the last one would send them a message. But apparently, I'm wasting my breath."

He eyed Klaus fearfully before being harshly yanked off the ground and flipped over to land on his stomach. His face was slammed against the concrete and he heard the cracking of his two front teeth, the gravel digging into his skin. Klaus snarled and grabbed the man by his hair, lifting him up again.

"I have no qualms picking you off one by one until you people are extinct. In fact, I'm beginning to enjoy myself." He hissed into the man's ear, causing the color to drain from his face.

"Say hello to your pals for me."

A loud snap echoed through the alley as Klaus quickly and easily broke the man's neck. He let out an annoyed sigh, wiping his hands on his jeans before grabbing the thug's ankles and dragging him to lie behind the dumpster. Klaus straightened himself up and sauntered out of the alley as if he hadn't just killed another one of his father's minions.

"They'll never learn." He muttered and turned the next corner.

A sense of relief washed over him when the Hell Hound came into view. He wasn't overly fond of his place, he preferred much quieter places. But his brother, Kol, insisted that he go there at least once, if not for the drinks than the women. And at this moment, Klaus couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.

The bouncer nodded to him as he stormed through the front doors. He was immediately greeted by the sounds of mindless chatter and terrible music. Klaus rolled his eyes, of course Kol would come to a place like this, his younger brother was always the one with the worst taste in the family. His sister came in close second. However, his thick desire for heavy liquor far outweighed his distaste for the establishment. Klaus would suffer through it, for now, if it meant he would be left alone for a few hours. Soon enough, word would get back that he had successfully taken out another minion and they would send another one out to pursue him. It was an endless cycle.

He glanced around the room, it seemed this place mainly catered to male customers. There were a few, small groups of women scattered throughout the area. All he had to do was take one look at one of the female bartenders and he instantly understood why Kol was so adamant about him coming to this ridiculous place.

Klaus sighed and shook his head before making his way to the back, he suddenly was itching to wash his hands.

The tall, lean fellow found the back hallway and glanced around, searching for the men's room. But so far he had no luck, he grunted in annoyance, storming by the ladies restroom. Just as he was about to pass it the door came flying open, smacking him in the face.

"Shit!" He yelled, stumbling backwards as he grabbed his nose. A wave of pain pulsed through his entire face and he groaned.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

Caroline had just finished primping herself up, laying on a heavier layer of makeup so it would be seen through the stage lights. She was just leaving the bathroom when she felt the door collide with something solid. A spark of panic crashed through her and she scurried out, only to find a man, holding his now bleeding nose, leaning against the wall. He was taller than her and thin, but toned. He was wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a leather jacket over it.

"Oh, no! You're bleeding! I'm so clumsy. I didn't know you were there, I'm sorry!" She frantically apologized, inching closer a bit cautiously. His eyes flashed her to instantly, and he was surprised to find a young blonde girl standing before him. Klaus simply couldn't help himself, his gaze automatically trailed the length of her flawless body. The woman was wearing a sinful, clingy red dress that exposed her miraculously long, creamy legs which were only accentuated by her heels. Her long golden hair was flowing below her shoulders in bouncy girls and her incredible blue eyes were gazing at him with partial worry and partial fear.

Well, maybe this bar wasn't so bad after all.

"God, is it really bad? It looks bad." She was rambling, a common occurrence when she was nervous, she just couldn't help herself.

Klaus lifted his hand from his nose, not missing the way she flinched away from him.

She now had a clear few of the damage she caused and cursed herself for being such a clutz.

"I'm sure it looks worse than it feels, love." He replied. Sure, it hurt, but he had been through much worse.

Caroline was taken aback by the smooth, sultry voice that escaped his full lips. And he was British, no less. Caroline felt herself shiver but pulled herself together.

"Still, I feel terrible. I swear, I should have a danger sign strapped to me or something. Here, at least let me clean it up." She pleaded as she gestured towards the bathroom.

Far be it from Klaus to deny the touch of a beautiful woman. So he agreed.

She smiled with relief and tugged him into the ladies room. Caroline brought him over to the sink and grabbed a few paper towels to run under the cold water. He simply watched her quietly, he could see the millions of thoughts fluttering in her eyes and he found himself almost smirking. The girl was really quite cute when she was flustered.

"I swear, today is just not my day." She mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear before he drew closer to him.

"This is gonna sting a bit." She warned him as she lifted the cold paper to his nose to dab the blood away. He hardly flinched when she touched his nose. Caroline was careful to wipe it away, making sure not to hurt him more than she already had. Klaus's eyes remained on her face, watching how her nose wrinkled and brows furrowed. She really was a beautiful girl, and he couldn't help but wonder how she looked without the caked on makeup. Caroline dampened another paper towel and continued her work when she noticed the man looking at her. It was in that moment she realized how wonderfully blue his eyes were. They were practically glowing. And the way he was staring at her, like he was really looking at her and not through her.

She tore her gaze away, a blush dancing along her cheeks before she dried off his now clean face.

"There, good as new."

Caroline threw the bloody paper away before turning back to him and she froze. Now that all the blood was clear she was hit by how unbelievably handsome he was. He had a strong jaw that was shaded by stubble and incredible lips. He had pale, yet unblemished skin. The man was absolutely gorgeous. Her face flared red and she squirmed awkwardly under his unrelenting stare.

Klaus took quick notice of her blush and smirked, she almost gawked. That smirk only managed to heighten his sex appeal, if that was even possible. Yes, he thought, she found him attractive. This was turning out to be a fun night.

"Might I know the name of my attacker and savior?" He mused and she felt her heart almost jump out of her chest.

She cleared her throat. "Caroline."

A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.

She glanced at her phone and squealed, hurriedly grabbing her bag. "Shit, I'm late!"

His eyes widened at how quickly she was at the door. Just as she opened the door she stopped and turned to face him. "Sorry again for hitting you...um..."

"Klaus." He finished for her.

Caroline smiled, "nice to meet you, Klaus."

In the blink of an eye she was gone. Klaus chuckled to himself, the smirk rising to his lips once more.

Caroline, he thought, sweet Caroline.