Day 2

In the morning, Caroline threw a handful of blood bags in her purse and made her way back to the Gilbert house. She had lain awake since sunrise, trying to banish the fantasy that had captivated her the night before. Klaus was a cruel, insensitive fiend. Kissing him had been a mistake, but hoping for even a single second that he could be compassionate was an even bigger one. Who was Caroline to feel sorry for him? He tried to kill her. Saving her at the last possible moment was nothing but his own selfishness. Repeating that mantra to herself, Caroline continued to steel her resolve on the drive to the Gilbert house.

I am going here to make Klaus vulnerable, not to sympathize with him. I'll keep him weak until Elena finds the cure, and then one way or another, we'll… But thinking about what might happen to Klaus gave Caroline pause. Did she want him to die? Did she want to see him suffer? Neither punishment would answer her own grievances or make up for the endless pain he'd created throughout his life. I want him to feel. For the first time in his life, I want him to truly understand the damage he's done and to own up to it. I want him to be really, honestly sorry.

Caroline was now standing in front of Elena's front door. She took a deep breath, then marched through the doorway.

"Morning, sunshine." Klaus' voice greeted her only a few feet into the entry way.

"Here," Caroline called as she reached into her bag and tossed a blood bag in Klaus' direction.

Klaus caught the bag effortlessly and smirked. "Does Tyler know you brought these? Can't imagine he'd approve, love."

Caroline walked to the fridge and stuffed the remaining blood bags inside. Her face hidden behind the fridge door, she paused for a beat to put her game face on. "He knows," she said as she shut the door and made her way back to the kitchen table. "He's leaving prison guard duty up to me." She eyed Klaus with what she hoped was a cool, detached look.

Klaus smirked again as he tore off the tip of the blood bag. "Well, then I suppose you didn't tell him about last night." He leaned casually against the living room wall and eyed Caroline as he took a long draught from the blood bag.

"Nothing happened last night." Caroline crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I thanked you for saving my life, and then I left."

Klaus drained the rest of the blood bag in a long gulp. "But your heart was beating so very fast for a simple thank you kiss." His eyes danced over Caroline's face, looking for a crack in her demeanor. "Throw this in the trash for me, love?" said Klaus as he held up the empty blood bag. "Don't want to litter," he taunted.

Caroline marched over to him and reached to snatch the blood bag from his hands. Klaus pulled it away quickly and dangled it out of Caroline's reach. "Admit it," he breathed. "You liked it."

Caroline remained just outside of the living room and just out of Klaus' reach. His comment made her blood boil, but her face held a steady glare. She wanted to snap back at him, but knew that losing her temper would only be to his advantage. She was here to exploit him, not the other way around. She had to find a way to get the human to resurface, and that could only happen if she kept her cool. "What I liked. . ." she whispered as she leaned slightly closer to Klaus' face. She saw that she had his full attention and used that instant to snatch the blood bag out of his hand. "Was seeing that someone really does exist behind the whole charming gentleman act." She flashed him a fierce glare and walked to the garbage while forcing herself not to look back at him.

When she turned around again, Klaus was still leaning against the wall, but the cocky smirk had washed off his face. "So what are you really here for, Caroline?" He shifted position slightly, looking agitated.

The blonde vampire resumed her position of leaning on the kitchen table. "I'm here to keep watch on you until Bonnie's spell is up. I'm going to make sure that you don't rip the house apart, for one, but also to make sure that you don't starve."

"I'm an Original, dear. You don't live for a thousand years without learning how to accept being hungry for a few days." Klaus began pacing the entry way to the living room. "Besides, if your only job was to feed me, you could leave the blood bags in here." Klaus' voice was oscillating between icy detachment and bitter resentment. "And I'm not a puppy. I think I have enough decorum not to destroy the Gilbert's living room." Klaus waved his hand to indicate the straightened pillows on the couch, the picture frames that were still intact. "So I'll ask again, Caroline, why are you here?"

She set her mouth in a firm line and left her arms crossed in front of her chest in way of an answer. She wasn't going to antagonize him, but what did she care if his feathers got a bit ruffled?

"Do I need to compel it out of you?" Klaus asked.

"You wouldn't," Caroline glared.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" Klaus scoffed. He widened his eyes and stared intently at Caroline. "Come in here."

Obediently, Caroline walked into the living room, entering as little as possible.

"So you liked what's hiding behind the gentleman?" Klaus asked as he strolled closer to Caroline. "Well this is it, love. I'm a hybrid, a monster. Last chance before I force it out of you: why are you really here?"

Again, Caroline fought the urge to lash out at Klaus. Not even five minutes here and he was pushing her over the edge. She sighed in frustration. "Fine," she snapped. "I came here," she said, turning her face away from his, "because I wanted to see you again."

The response caught Klaus off-guard. He paused a moment, eyeing her cautiously. "And why, exactly, is that?"

Once more, Caroline sighed in frustration. She couldn't decide what was worse: that Klaus was getting his way, or that she was actually telling him the truth. "Because I meant what I told you last night." She softened her stance a bit and looked at him directly. "I still think you can be saved."

Klaus clenched and unclenched his fists a few times. He stared at Caroline with a faint glimmer of sadness in his eyes. "And if I can't?"

Emboldened by his weakening defenses, Caroline stepped closer. She held his stare and said gently, "You'll never know if you don't try." The girl paused and tried to decipher his expression. Were his words a challenge or a plea? "You're locked in here for two or three more days. Why not try acting like a human while you're in here?"

Klaus scoffed. "You must be joking."

"Well, you don't have many other options," Caroline said as she motioned to the relatively small floor space. "Just give it a try. Forty-eight hours without plotting revenge, using compulsion to get what you want, or whatever else you normally do. Just let it all go while you're in here, that's all I'm asking." She watched Klaus ponder her words. He didn't appear terribly convinced, so she decided to try a new angle. "It can even be fun! We can put in a movie, or I can go grab one of Elena and Jeremy's old board games. I think Jer's probably got some sketch pads lying around here, too. Or is a thousand year old man too dignified for such activities?" Caroline asked in a poor imitation of Klaus.

The Original cracked a smile. "Fine," he said exasperatedly. "Go and fetch whatever entertainment you want."

Caroline smiled genuinely for the first time that morning as she left the living room and went upstairs. Out of Klaus' view, she texted Tyler to let him know things were going well so far. Klaus had more or less consented to giving up the vampire game for a bit, hadn't he? Maybe that would be enough to crack his shell and expose his softer side. But even as she thought this, a small voice warned her that the monster may not be so easily separated from the man.

After gathering a few board games, video games, and some of Jeremy's sketching materials, Caroline made it back to the living room. She dropped her heap unceremoniously on the living room table. "And I give you … human entertainment," she said with a flourish of her hand.

For the next several hours, Caroline taught Klaus how to play a few of the Gilbert's old board games including Yahtzee, Connect Four and Monopoly.

"How have you never played this one before?" Caroline asked as she laid out the Monopoly game board. "It's almost as ancient as you are." She smiled tauntingly at Klaus.

"When you've only got all of eternity, there's little time for such frivolous pursuits," Klaus smiled back.

Both were quiet at first, limiting their talk to the game itself. Yet as they played, Klaus began to share a few stories from his past. He told her about times he'd lived in Paris, New Orleans, London, and even for a brief time in Sydney. As he spoke, Caroline felt herself relaxing and her worries from the morning fled her mind. She became engrossed in the conversation and found herself opening up about silly memories from high school, about the life she had planned before becoming a vampire. Klaus smiled and laughed genuinely at her words. There was a light in his personality that she seldom saw, and it left her smiling, too.

"Boom! You landed on my hotel at Park Place, and you owe me… approximately all of your money," Caroline giggled. "Just give it up."

"Alas, the eighteen year old girl is a better real estate tycoon than a centuries old Original vampire," Klaus smirked. Caroline started packing up the pieces as she continued to gloat about her victory. Klaus stared intently at the girl, suddenly contemplative. "Let me draw you."

Caroline froze with a wad of Monopoly money in her fist. "What?"

Klaus grabbed a sketch pad and a piece of charcoal. "Clearly I have no skill at children's games, so let me show you what I am good at."

"Umm… okay," Caroline mumbled as she finished packing up the game. She ran her fingers through her loose curls, assuring herself that her hair was perfectly in place. "Where should I— like this?" Caroline asked as she awkwardly adjusted herself on the couch.

"Like this," Klaus murmured as he adjusted her elbow on the back of the couch. "And chin here." He reached out gently and cupped her cheek as he moved her face to the desired angle. Caroline's skin tingled involuntarily at his touch. She thought that he left his hand on her face for a moment more than was necessary, but made no move to stop him.

As Klaus began to sketch, Caroline studied the focused expression on his face. "Where did you learn to draw?"

"It's something I've been perfecting over the centuries." He caught her eye with a smile before returning his attention to the paper.

She rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "But when did it all start?"

Without looking up, Klaus answered, "From the time I was a small boy."

Caroline's jaw dropped slightly in shock. "You mean, when you were human?"

"Keep your chin still, love." Klaus reached out again and tilted Caroline's face carefully to one side. His hand lingered as he explained, "Yes, when I was a human." He stared the girl directly in the eye for a moment before dropping his hand and returning to his sketch.

Caroline was speechless for a moment as Klaus stared intently at her eyes, trying to perfect their shape. So this is a vestige of his humanity! I knew drawing was special to him, I just didn't know it was so deeply connected to his past. As she stared at Klaus' determined look, Caroline tried to picture the man he had once been centuries ago before he was sentenced to immortality. She imagined that the man he used to be looked something like this: determined, earnest, with a passion for his work. Did his drawing offer another window into the soul she had seen bare last night?

"Finished," Klaus announced, interrupting Caroline's reverie.

"Already?" she asked, snapping back to the present.

"Centuries of practice and super-human speed do have their advantages," he smiled as he handed her the drawing.

"Klaus," Caroline gasped, "This is…" Calling the picture beautiful would not have done it justice. It was more than beautiful, more than stunning, or extraordinary. Somewhere in the lines of charcoal he had captured Caroline not as she existed in life, but as she existed in his vision. Her image on the paper possessed a certain elegance and a charm that could only be a product of Klaus' exceptional care and attention to detail in each line. It was a portrait done by a man who saw not only her outer beauty, but the shining depths of her soul.

When Caroline looked up, Klaus had put the pad and charcoal away and was sitting slightly closer on the couch. "Do you like it?" he asked honestly.

"It's exceptional," Caroline beamed. She studied the man's face carefully, her heart beginning to race. "Do you really see me like this?"

He returned her gaze for a moment, then looked at the portrait. "Certainly. Your eyes are not only endlessly blue, but they are caring. And your lips," he looked back at the girl, "are not only full, but are exceptionally soft."

Caroline's heart was now doing double time. She tried to resist, but felt something deeply honest in Klaus' words. This was the man who she had been longing to see, the man who hid behind the mask of a monster. But here he was, capable of real feeling and true emotion. And he loved her. His love came across so clearly in the drawing that it threatened to overwhelm her.

She watched his eyes flicker from her lips to her own gaze and back. Slowly, he leaned just close enough to require her to close the distance between them. She hesitated for a moment, staring at the lips that she wanted so badly to taste. They appeared so soft, so welcoming. She knew she should stop herself, yet the vision of those tantalizing and forbidden lips before her made them all the more desirable. Caroline glanced back to Klaus' eyes and was caught in their stare. Brimming with passion, this single look was imploring her to taste the forbidden fruit of his kiss. She could no longer think of turning away. She wanted only to explore the depths of this vulnerable man. Submitting to desire at last, Caroline brought her lips to Klaus' in a tender kiss.

After a single slow kiss, Klaus attacked her lips hungrily. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth and pulled Caroline into his lap straddling his hips. His burning kiss fueled Caroline's desire and she cupped his face with one hand while letting the other explore his firm torso. He encircled her waist with one strong arm and trailed the other from her cheek, down her neck, to her breasts. His touch left a fiery trail on Caroline's skin, and she released a soft moan as his hand slipped under her bra. She felt his growing erection press between her legs and ran one hand down to feel it through his jeans. Klaus released a low moan against her lips and pulled her tightly to him. Caroline's mind grew cloudy with passion, her only thoughts a longing to feel his skin upon hers.

VRRRRM, VRRRRRRRRM, VRRRRRRRRRRRRM. Caroline's phone buzzed louder and louder on the table.

Caroline leapt off the couch wild-eyed and panting. She looked at the caller ID on her phone. "Shit!" she exclaimed. "Tyler!" Caroline sprinted out the front door away from Klaus' longing gaze. "Hey!" She answered, hoping she didn't sound out of breath.

"Caroline! Where the hell have you been?" Tyler asked. "I've been texting you for hours. I thought –" Tyler's voice broke off in frustration.

"No, no. I'm okay," Caroline slumped into the porch swing. Fresh air and Tyler's voice were exactly what she needed. This was the real world: the fresh outdoors where she was free to roam as she pleased and the boy that loved her. The man sitting in the darkness was only a fantasy that she had let herself get carried away with.

"What have you been doing?"

Caroline thought about what she should tell Tyler. If she brought up the board games, he'd either never believe her or never let her stay. If she mentioned the drawing, he'd come over and rip it into pieces in an instant. Maybe Tyler was right. Maybe she shouldn't be doing this. "Nothing. Sorry, I just had my phone on silent this whole time, and –"

"That's okay. Look, I just need to tell you that I've gotta go," Tyler rushed.

"What? Go where?" Caroline sat up straighter in the porch swing. "Did something happen?"

"I got a distress call from Stefan. Damon's M.I.A., and it looks like Shane took off with Bonnie and Jeremy."

Caroline jumped to her feet, heart pounding wildly. "Oh my god, are they okay? Just hang on, I'll be right there. I'll go with you!" She walked quickly to the door to grab her things.

"No. Care, just stay there out of harm's way. It sounds like things are getting pretty crazy out there, and I don't want you getting hurt, too."

"Don't be ridiculous, Tyler," Caroline scoffed as she threw the door open. "Of course I'm coming with you! I'll be there in two minutes, just hang on."

"I'm serious, Care. Just stay there where this Silas, whatever he is, and whatever else might be on that island can't hurt you."

"Not listeniiiiiing!" Caroline called as she pounded the end call button on her phone. "There's been a change of plans," she called out to Klaus. Caroline grabbed the remaining blood bags out of the fridge and set them on the living room table. She felt Klaus staring at her, but avoided his eyes. "Elena and everyone are in trouble, I've gotta go help them."

"Sounds like Tyler doesn't want your help," Klaus drawled.

Caroline shot him a glare as she put on her coat. "Well, I don't care what he thinks. They need my help, and that's that."

"But he's right, you know." Once again, Klaus came to lean against the edge of the living room wall. "No need for you to be getting hurt with other immortal creatures running about, love."

The blonde vampire walked over to Klaus and stared him defiantly in the eye. "That's it, Klaus! No more pet names, no more of this lovey-dovey business. I'm sorry I kissed you. That was a mistake." The cocky smirk on his face seemed to challenge her statement, but she continued. "I can't keep living in this dream world where we both pretend to be people we're not. I'm going after my friends because they need me, and you can't stop me."

"Oh, but I can, darling." Klaus stared directly into her eyes. "You will stay in this house until the spell confining me here is broken."

"I will stay," Caroline repeated automatically. Horror washed over her face as the realization of what Klaus had just done sank in. "What did you do?" she screamed. "Klaus, my friends need me!" Tears began filling her eyes. "They're in danger and I need to be there for them!" She turned around and threw her bag on the table in frustration. She turned back to Klaus as the tears fell down her cheeks. He flinched at her sadness, but said nothing. "Please, let me go," she begged.

"I can't do that, Caroline." Klaus' posture was rigid. He looked past Caroline to avoid watching the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Don't do this," she pleaded. "Klaus, I have to save them. They mean everything to me. When you love someone, you need to protect them. Don't you get that?" Without waiting for an answer, Caroline turned and made for the stairs.

"Yes, I do understand that, Caroline," Klaus called out. "That's why I've kept you here."

From the base of the stairs, Caroline locked eyes with Klaus. His expression was filled with raw emotion. Anger, love, hate? Caroline wouldn't give him the satisfaction of deciphering it. It was clear that her anger pained him, but she said nothing.

"I'm sorry, love, but I had to." Klaus gave her one last, painful look, then walked back to the couch.

Caroline ran up the stairs and threw herself on Elena's bed. Elena's scent lingered on every object in the room, which sent Caroline into a fresh wave of tears. She stared at the darkening sky outside the window, praying that Elena, Bonnie, and the others were alright. She wanted to call them, but her phone was in her bag on the table. Caroline considered rushing down to get it, but couldn't bear the thought of facing Klaus. How could even his kindness be delivered with such cruelty? She gave up trying to unravel Klaus' inner workings and let the tears fall from her eyes until exhaustion overcame her.

After what felt like only a short while later, Caroline opened her eyes to find the sky was now completely black. The urge to talk to Elena, to Tyler, to anyone who might be on the island, suddenly felt stronger than her desire to stay away from Klaus. She moved downstairs and collected her phone from her purse. The lights were off in the living room, so she decided to call from where she stood. She tried Tyler, but got no answer. Next she tried Elena, then Stefan, but still got nothing. By the time that she was leaving frantic voicemails for Bonnie, Jeremy, and even Damon, Klaus was standing in the entry to the living room. He watched her silently as she tried Tyler again and finally sent a mass text to the group. Tears pricked at her eyes as worry overcame her yet again. This time, she was determined not to give in and make the feelings worse. She dabbed each eye, then asked hoarsely, "Have you tried Rebekah?"

"I'll call again," Klaus said simply. He retrieved his phone from the living room table and tapped a few buttons. He received no answer and set his phone down quietly.

"Do you think they're okay?" Caroline asked as her voice cracked. She tried to hold it together, but the worry was starting to show on her face.

Klaus walked to the edge of the living room and tried to extend his arm. "Seems that Bonnie's doing fine if I'm still trapped here," he said.

"Mhmm," Caroline mumbled as a single tear fell down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly, but more threatened to drop from her eyes. "I'm sure they're fine." What's happening to them? Caroline thought. Why the hell aren't any of them picking up? Could they all be...?

"Caroline," Klaus called her name softly. She looked up at him, blue eyes lined with red as another tear slid down her face. "Come here."

Though it was not a command, Caroline walked over to Klaus. With all of her loved ones in danger, she felt completely alone. Klaus opened his arms and she slid into his embrace, nestling her cheek in the base of his neck. She felt safe here, as though nothing in the world could affect her. He held her like that for a moment, then bade her to come sit on the couch. He let Caroline curl up against his chest as a fresh wave of tears wracked her body. "It's okay, love," said Klaus. He gripped her chin lightly and turned her face toward his. He cupped her face in his palm and used his thumb to rub the tears from her skin. "I'll always protect you," he whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

His lips left a burning mark on her skin as Caroline let exhaustion overtake her once more. As darkness settled over her vision, the last thing she was conscious of was Klaus' arms cradling her body tightly to his.

A/N: I got really excited about this story and finished this chapter as fast as I could. Hope you all liked it! (And if you do, let me know :D ) The final chapter will definitely take longer to put together because it's only sketched out, but I'll get it out to you guys as soon as I can! Hold on tight, Day 3 is gonna be a whirlwind!