Some of you guys are sweet enough to make me cry.

The wind bit me through the thin sleeves of my light blue top. I couldn't help but think that Klaus was controlling the wind at that point. His eyes were sharp and deadly even from the distance I was at, though I was fast approaching him, much to my discomfort.

Sun down, cold air, empty stomach, huge boat. How fantastic.

However, as I got closer to Klaus, he lifted his head up and smirked gently. No, not a menacing smirk. A pleased one. I frowned at him and slowed down when I was close enough for conversation.

"Caroline, dear. So nice of you to join me," he smiled, reaching out to me.

My initial reaction was to snap back with something about how I didn't have a choice, or how there was nothing 'nice' about it, but his gentle touch on my back made my breath stop in my throat. "What are you doing?"

"Showing my wife to the boat."

"You're not mad..."

His genuine smile turned into an annoyed smirk in less than a second. Licking his lips, he leaned down to my ear. "What's the point in having a wife to wave around if I'm obviously disappointed with her?" I turned my head enough to watch his all-too-close chest rise with his breath. "Reality will be dealt with later. Until then, we're happily married," he smiled, tightening his arm around my back in what I assumed was supposed to be some sort of hug. "Understand?"

I swallowed, watching the dock beneath our feet, and nodded. But his gaze on my face burned a hole in my flesh, and I had to look up to his blue eyes. His eyebrows were raised, and his face was serious. His silent threat was replied with a smile of my own, then he finally decided I was ready.

"Now," he chimed, stepping away and towards the small board connecting the dock to the yacht in front of us, "along you go, darling. And try not to slip."

I moved forward, being sure not to touch him on my way past. Try not to slip...

The boat party ended up being a gathering some man had put together to show off his new "Pearl of San Diego." But, it didn't really matter what the party was about; it mattered what Klaus and I did during the party.

There were sailors aboard with their wives on their arms. Everyone had either toothy grins, or deadly glares. Klaus was possibly the only one with a look on his face that was in between the two extremes, but his was entirely an extreme of its own. Under the stares and whispers of everyone around us, plus a killer wrapping his arm around me, I really didn't have a chance to completely take in the beauty of the boat. There were white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling, and drinks going around, along with some wood-like fragrance floating around in the air, but that was all I could really pull out.

But while I was in my trance of not knowing what to do or think, Klaus took control of the situation, like usual. He walked us up to one of the more sophisticated men on board and greeted him with a warm handshake. "Captain Drake, good evening."

"Ah, Mikaelson. I was wondering when you'd show," the husky man replied. He was nearly five inches taller than Klaus, and much more filled out. He easily could have passed for one of those disgustingly huge body workers. "You're nearly an hour late. What held you up?"

"Work finally caught up with me," Klaus answered without hesitation. "You know how these supposedly under-cover jobs can be," he smiled, looking down at me as if he were just checking how I was. But I caught the accusation in his eye.

The Captain nodded with a deep chuckle. "Very well. Understood. We're just glad you could show."

"Where is Captain Jonathan?" Klaus frowned.

"He went below for a few moments. Not sure when he'll be back up, but he will before the night's over."

With a nod, Klaus smiled and stepped away, pulling me along. He directed us to the side of the boat. No words were spoken, he just released me and went to staring off at the view of the city. I'm sure if it had been a different situation, I also would have paid attention to the sparkling towers and car lights, but I was a bit busy being paranoid.

Klaus leaned his elbows on the railing and looked over his shoulder at me. "What did Stefan have to say to convince you to join me?"

I swallowed and frowned, slowly processing his words. "Um, information."

"Information? About?"

"You..."

Klaus, smirking in amusement, stood to face me. "That's all it takes?"

I looked up at him in confusion. "What? You're just going to freely offer me information about your 'under-cover' job?" I questioned. "That wasn't exactly your approach earlier."

"It still isn't. I'm just entertained by the thought that you're so easily persuaded."

"One of the reasons I'm so against everything is because I don't know what everything is," I pointed out with venom in my voice. "You know, if you just told me, I might actually work better with you."

His eyes watched me closely. They burned into my face, tracing every thought that went through my head. He was confused, that was obvious. About what exactly, I wasn't sure. "What exactly is it you're hoping to hear? You know I kill for a living; will hearing the nitty gritty details make it any less horrible?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "Because you just proved my point."

"Which was?"

"You think it's horrible, too."

He chuckled, looking up over my head. "Do you actually think before you speak?" His eyes flashed as he looked out over the water. "I created my job. I put myself in this life. If I thought it was as awful as you seem to think, do you really believe I would still be in it?"

I shrugged. "I guess I was hoping you were being forced to live this life."

"No," he growled. "This is the life I chose. Now would you mind not spitting on it?"

I turned on him, losing my compassionate tone. "I don't have to praise your life. This was the life you chose, not me. I was forced into it. So forgive me if I don't thinks it's the cat's meow."

"You don't deserve to be forgiven. Even for something as simple as an opinion."

"This coming from the next Hitler."

Klaus' hand lashed out faster than I could blink. His fingers wrapped around my arm, and he yanked me towards him, sneering down in hate. His mouth opened to speak, but just as he inhaled, someone came up beside us, smiling sweetly. "Mikaelson."

Klaus took a deep breath, exhaling against my hair. Turning, he placed a calm look on his face and released my arm. The second he saw the woman standing next to him, though, his act was dropped as a true wave of peace flooded over him. "Anita."

"Just Anna, now, actually," the short, dark haired woman smiled smugly, ignoring me completely.

"Oh, of course, the name change." Klaus chuckled and turned completely towards her, abandoning me. As much as I didn't want him hissing in my ear, I didn't want him to completely forget I was there. "What are you doing back here, Anna?"

Anna looked out over the water, fiddling with the glass of champagne in her hands. "Checking in on everything. Making sure it's all still in check." She looked familiar to me in a strange way. Not like I had seen her in the shop before, but like she had done something odd and I wasn't going to forget her face any time soon. Which apparently I had.

Klaus placed his hands in his pockets, his back tightening as he did so. "I wish I could give you a summary of the past couple years, but I didn't pay much attention to your neck of the woods."

"No, I know. But, seeing as you're here, how are you?"

At that question, he finally hesitated. "I don't think we should be conversing in present company."

I thought he meant me, but Anna looked around the boat. She inhaled deeply, obviously disappointed, and nodded. "I suppose you're right..." Tapping the base of her glass with her left hand, she swiftly walked away, seeming to be uncomfortable all of the sudden.

Klaus watched her go. He watched her until she walked out of his view. And even after that, he watched where she had disappeared to. And only after a minute of just staring, he suddenly turned back to me and cleared his throat. "I have people I must speak with. You're welcome to join me, or you may remain by yourself." With his hands in his pockets, he turned and started walking away before I even answered.

"Will anything happen to me if I stay here?" I said to him before he got to far.

With an amused glance over his shoulder, he shrugged, and left me completely.

And that smug look on his face was the only thing that gave me confidence to roll my eyes and mutter, "No, thank you." I turned to look back over the water. Now that he wasn't there and I was no longer under his gaze, I saw what he had found so beautiful when we first walked over to that corner. The city lights shimmered in the waves of the water. The stars were visible from the boat, and they only added onto the glittering view displayed before me. The familiar sound of traffic and vibration of electricity almost put me in a trance. And in a way, it did.

I no longer paid mind to the people around me. My only thoughts were of Klaus, and what was in our near future.

Our future.

The thought echoed in my head over and over until I forced myself to think of something else. Unfortunately, my head wondered off onto the topic of Lexi and Matt. I hadn't talked to them since that previous night. I had a lot of explaining to do...

The evening was calming down. People had left, and just a few people had shown up. Slow music had started somewhere below deck. Many people were dancing with their dates, which I found sweet. These huge captains with scars and tattoos would shed their pride to dance with their wives in the presence of their fellow crewmen. It was romantic to me.

"Champagne?"

I looked over my shoulder to see my suited date holding two drinks in slim glasses. "No," I snapped back. But the look on his face forced me to roll my eyes and add, "Thank you."

He set down my glass on the railing, expertly, and sipped on his own. He'd been gone possibly ten minutes, but the time had completely passed me without much notice. I was in a thoughtful zone, thinking of so many things at once. Klaus. What was he going to do that evening? Lexi. Was she worried? Klaus. What did he have planned for me? Matt. Was he allowing his imagination to run with all the possibilities of where I was? Klaus. Who the hell was he? Myself. Was I handling all of the chaos correctly? Klaus. ...Was I going to be one of his victims if I kept up the attitude?

"You seem upset."

I inhaled sharply, standing up straight. "No, just seasick," I lied, keeping my eyes away from his general area.

"Ah, I'm sure that's the problem."

"It might be."

"Yes, and I might actually appreciate your sass," he said in a strangely animated voice. "But I don't. And you're not seasick."

I finally looked at him, seeing his relaxed manner as he sipped on his champagne and leaned sideways on the railing. "I'm not going to stop being myself just because you want me to." Such a contrast to what I had been considering in my head.

"I'm not asking you to," he was quick to correct. "All I'm requesting is you not be unpleasant to the people around you. No one likes a woman who thinks she's better than everyone in the room."

"I never said-"

Klaus looked ahead suddenly and smiled. "Ah, Captain Jonathan." I looked to follow his gaze and found a medium, husky, sloppy man standing in front of us, beaming like the Cheshire Cat.

"Klaus Mikaelson!" he bellowed. "Pleasure to see you aboard my ship!"

Klaus reached out to return the offered handshake. "Pleasure to be here. This is quite the beauty you have yourself."

"The same could be said for you." I frowned and quickly noted how his attention had landed and stuck to me. "Who might this smashing woman be?"

Klaus took a step towards me. "My-"

"Caroline Forbes," I smiled sourly.

"Mikaelson," he almost spoke over me, raising a hand to rub my back. I saw a tired look shade his face. "Newly weds; not quite used to the last name, I'm afraid."

The Captain saw nothing of Klaus' odd manner. "Well congratulations to the both of you! You make a fine couple." And having given his two cents, he simply walked away, going to chat with other guests.

Klaus' hand lingered on my back for a moment, but he removed it when I shifted to the side. I half expected him to scold me for being rude once again, but he kept his lips together and watched people on the boat. His eyes were narrowed, like the light was too much for him. He sighed, like the small commotion was too much for him. He kept his attention from me, like I wasn't enough for him.

I licked my lips, taking the champagne he'd left on the railing for me. Klaus inhaled slowly, then opened his mouth. "I must go deal with more issues."

I frowned. "Didn't you just do that?"

"Yes," he sighed. He'd had the same thought in his head. "But now there's music playing..." he murmured as he walked away, straight towards the door that led below deck.

I frowned to myself. This was nothing like the law firm party we'd attended the first time. This didn't make much sense. At least at the law firm, I knew who the bad guy was – my husband. But now my husband looked like he wasn't the only thing to worry about. He had walked with tired legs, but alert hands. He also hadn't assigned me to find anyone in particular. So what was going on?

I had about two minutes to think about the situation I was in before another situation took over. I lifted my hand to take a drink, and it was shot out of my hand from the side. I screamed in surprise.

Captain Jonathan stood to the right with a pistol aimed at my head. I couldn't think, couldn't react. I stood there like a deer in headlights, staring down the barrel of the gun.

A gunshot went off, ringing in my ears. I thought it was Captain Jonathan's gun, but I was unharmed. So what...?

Captain Jonathan fell to the ground, and behind him was Klaus, holding up a gun as his eyes followed the captain's limp body to the ground. I breathed again, not having realized I'd stopped. Klaus walked to me swiftly. His jaw was set. His movements were direct and with a purpose.

I stared at him as he stopped in front of me. "Are you a screamer?"

What? "What?" I wheezed.

His eyebrows lifted matter-of-factly as he took her hand in his. "Because I'm going to need you to stay very quiet."

I nodded, flexing my fingers over his stone hard hand. He took off towards the edge of the boat, pulling me along behind him. "You swim, I presume?"

I hesitated. "Not very well..." My voice came out as a week whisper.

He stopped walking when he could see the water directly under the edge of the ship. I looked too, and the blue-black water just beneath looked cold and unwelcoming. But I didn't really have a choice what happened.

Klaus let go of my wrist and looked back around the ship. Just in time, too, because his eyes caught something and he shot immediately, planting a man to the boarded deck with the pull of a trigger.

He tossed the gun to the side and licked his lips as he turned back to me. "You see the dock by the blue house near the tall light post?" I looked behind me, clinging to his arm for support, then nodded in affirmation. "You need to swim out to them."

I nearly choked on my breath. "I can't swim that far!"

"You can if you know it'll save your life."

I looked back to him, desperation radiating off of me. He looked determined, but I could have sworn some sort of sympathy crossed his eyes. "It's the only way?" I whispered. He might not have heard me over the ruckus behind him, but he was close enough that he did.

Klaus took a step forward, put his hands on my waist, and lifted me up onto the railing of the boat. His eyes burned into mine. "It's the only way."

I nodded, understanding. Movement behind him caught my eye, and I watched as a woman fell over the side of the ship. The cold splash that followed made my bones shiver. "What after I get there?"

"Stay under the dock until I come for you."

"What if something happens to you and you don't come?"

This made him pause, and his pause made my stomach shrivel into a cold ball. He nodded his head to the side, the equivalent of an uncertain answer. Without explaining further, he picked up my feet and turned me around on the railing. And just as the door to bellow the deck blew open and a flurry of men came rushing out, Klaus shoved me off the boat.

My breath caught in my lungs as I tried to scream. The water opened and absorbed me into its chilling depths before I could open my throat.

I sat on the dock. My feet barely grazed the surface of the water. It hadn't exactly been easy swimming over three quarters of a mile on a whim, but my energy level allowed it. My clothes were ruined, which only added to my horrible night. But the sound of the water mixed with the wind and the lights made the moment a little more enjoyable. That is, if I could get my mind to forget all the cries of horror I had to listen to while swimming to where I was.

It was quiet now. The lights on the ship were off. I watched when they were unplugged (or however they went out), and it was a creepy sight. Like all life on the ship just... ended. It made me worry about Klaus. The only thoughts I had of him were of him saving me life. And if Klaus acted like that Klaus – the protective, everything-under-control, drops-a-man-on-the-first-shot Klaus – then I could easily see myself getting used to it. The adrenaline I felt on the ship was terrifying, but the satisfying feeling after of 'I survived' made me want to float.

And the idea that Klaus didn't survive made me want to sink.

But part of me knew he was alive. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to go down in a spontaneous gun show. So when footsteps approached me on the dock, it was no surprise they belonged to my husband himself. His breath was easily heard over the water.

I turned my head to the side to watch him stop next to me. His pants were damp and filthy, spotted here and there with scarlet red.

"You took a while," I commented.

He inhaled slowly. He seemed to be in a bit of a trance. I watched him take something out of his pocket. "There was more to deal with than I had anticipated."

He spit into the water. Blood. He the tossed some weapon into the water. Gun, I noted before it hit the water.

"You're not gonna want that later?"

"Not my preferred choice of hand gun."

To my surprise, he lowed himself down next to me. I watched him wince a couple times. His shoes were in his hands and then flying into the water before he was even situated on the dock.

I raised my eyebrows. "You're not gonna need those later?"

"Interesting that in your mind I will need the shoes but only want the gun." He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you always that keen on people's words?"

"Not usually."

He fell silent, slowing his breathing. His hands were bruised and he looked properly exhausted. I leaned forward on my hands and crossed my legs. "Rough night?" I joked.

Klaus turned his head to me slowly. "One could say that. It wasn't much of a battle, but any battle for me is rough."

"You don't fight a lot?"

"No," he said with a hint of resentment.

I bit my lips together, letting the extra confusion he'd just dealt out go. He leaned back on his arm, seeming to have collected himself again. I rubbed my hands together, breathing through the approaching butterflies in my stomach. If he was collected again, would he realize how relaxed he was being and instantly slip back into his terrifying vibe? I forced myself not to think about it. Just enjoy the moment while it lasts, I told myself.

Klaus turned to look at me again. He seemed to be torn between watching the water and my. But I must have done something particularly interesting, because this time he didn't look away. His intense gaze sent shivers down my arms, and I felt goosebumps wave over my entire body. He frowned ever so slightly and reached his free hand out to touch my arm. His fingertips hovered. "You're cold."

"No," I corrected, "I'm nervous."

His blue eyes snapped back up to mine. "Most girls would say the opposite."

"You know you intimidate me," I reminded. "What's the point in lying?"

He didn't even have to think. "To prove that you have power just as I do."

I chuckled. "Not to sound proud of myself, but I don't think you need me to prove that I have power."

He raised his eyebrows, looking back to the water now. "Nor do you need to back up your ego."

"My ego really isn't that high. I'm just somewhat confident right now, so I'm going to use it as long as it lasts."

"Good."

I snapped my eyes to him, allowing my confusion to show. But he didn't explain. He took a deep breath, looking around as if he were making sure there was nothing he had to grab before the left. "I've had enough of water for the day. You?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He stood up quickly, again wincing as he moved too suddenly. He offered me a hand, and I took it. "Where are we going?" I asked, picking up my shoes.

Klaus walked barefoot down the dock, heading for the blue house he had pointed out back on the ship. "To my safe house."