Inked & Marked

Chapter 1

Caroline opened the door to her new apartment, expecting to find it completely empty. Instead, there were two couches in the living room space and she later discovered that there was also a large four poster iron bed in what would be her bedroom.

The box she was carrying was heavy. She set it down on the kitchen counter and ran her fingers through her hair, pushing away the baby curls that had fallen out of her bun.

After a nine and a half hour drive with only two bathroom breaks, she needed to pee. She also needed a hot shower, something to eat, and a good night's sleep.

Without wasting any more time, she closed the door to her new apartment, making sure to lock everything up and then proceeded to unpacking. She didn't have much with her, and she tried to distract herself from how unusual that felt.

Within the hour, she had showered, changed into the only pajamas she had, brushed her teeth, combed her wet hair and made her bed.

She sat with her back against the metal rails of what was the bed's headboard, trying to process the events that had happened in less than a day.

Finally, she began to cry. Uncontrollable, unabashed, fat tears rolled down her cheeks and in a split second she was sobbing, desperately trying to control her wails. She grabbed at the thin blanket that covered her body and clutched it to her face, releasing uneven breaths into the fabric in an attempt to contain herself.

But this had been a long time coming. It hadn't been coming since the moment she left Mystic Falls or even the moment it happened.

This had been three years in the making.

"Niklaus Mikaelson! Get your lazy arse down here before I drag you down by the ankles!"

How delightful, Klaus thought to himself as the routine wake-up call resounded through his apartment. The sweet morning haze hung over him, keeping him between the satin sheets for a couple more seconds before he rubbed his face and opened his eyes.

It was pitch black. Thank god he had invested in dark curtains years back- it had improved his sleep tremendously.

He pushed aside the comforter and made his way to the bathroom to wash up. Within fifteen minutes he was bounding down the stairs, his hair still wet.

Rebekah sat at the front desk, alternating between working on her computer and filing papers. Stefan was at his station, cleaning up his gun and making sure he was stocked up on gloves. Elijah was sweeping up, dressed in black slacks, a black dress shirt that had been rolled up to his sleeves, a black vest and a white tie.

Klaus snorted, walking over to his older brother and clapping him on the shoulder.

"Elijah, we live in Miami. That much black and that much coverage is going to give you a heat stroke," he said with a smirk.

"Niklaus," Elijah started, turning to his brother. He wore his usual mask of seriousness, but his lips turned up slightly at the corners. "Just because we live in the Sunshine State and work in a body art parlor does not mean I need to dress unprofessionally."

"Alright, brother. Do as you please." With that, Klaus made his way over to the front desk, leaning on his forearms as he watched Rebekah busy herself.

"Anything for me today?"

"Is that even a question?" Rebekah looked up, her tone incredulous and her eyebrow raised. He simply flashed her a grin and waited for her to hand him his scheduled appointments.

Packed to the limit once more. He smirked as he looked over the list of names and times, the majority of them females. No fucking surprise.

For the last three years he had been the most requested artist at the parlor. He worked hard to perfect his craft and he was a perfectionist with every design. It certainly helped that he was a hit with the female patrons (and some male ones, as well).

The front door bell chimed and Klaus turned to see Damon and Kol stumbling in, both wearing dark sunglasses pushed all the way up.

"Good morning, you two!" Rebekah said, her voice intentionally an octave higher.

"Jesus Christ, Bekah, put a cork in it," Kol groaned, rubbing his temple. He dropped down on one of the leather chairs in the waiting area.

"So, how was your night?" She asked in her normal voice, but still high enough to cause two hung-over men to rub their skulls.

"Please, just- shut up, Barbie. Your voice is grating on my ear drums," Damon replied this time. "How are you not dying? You were with us last night."

"Correction- I was with you lot and Stefan. If I do recall, while you two drank the night away, we found better things to do."

"Now I'm hung over and nauseous. Spectacular," Kol said, sounding like he was literally going to be sick.

He got up slowly, starting to walk to his station. Elijah was walking over to put away the broom and dust pan. His eyes travelled up and down Kol's form, his brow furrowing as he took in his disheveled appearance.

"We're opening in seven minutes and you haven't even set up your station. Also, you look deplorable."

"Don't make me wrinkle your Armanis," Kol warned, waving his index finger around Elijah's face before heading towards his station.

"They're Hugo Boss," he called over his shoulder at which point Kol put up another very different finger.

Caroline sat on the beach, looking more like a tourist than a local. She wasn't tan, she wasn't in a bikini, and she couldn't stop staring at anything and everything. She really wasn't to blame- there were no beaches in Mystic Falls and if there were she probably wouldn't have been able to go to any. Her quick departure didn't allow for her to pack a bathing suit.

And everything was just so… new.

There were tall buildings everywhere, hotels lined the coast and little shops and boutiques lined the avenues. People walked down the sidewalks in bathing suits and sandals and bikers rode freely on the street.

Caroline looked down at her jean capris and t-shirt.

How did I end up like this? Where had the old Caroline gone? The fashionable, bouncy, happy, active Caroline that she long to be again. The old her would never be caught in capris and an old shirt.

In that moment, finally, after years of only feeling sad and helpless, another emotion began to surface.

Anger.

Not in its full potency, she knew, but it was there. It was there now because she had allowed there to be a now- this now. In this now, she was a shell of the self that she had been. Now she was empty, broken, and useless. She had been used and thrown away, only to be reused over and over until she had no more to give.

She had said enough years after the line had been crossed. It's never too late, she thought to herself, trying to plant some form of reassurance in her mind or else she would break down in public.

Caroline thought about what her old self would do. It wasn't hard. She had been that girl before- she was naturally that girl.

She picked up her sandals and got up from the sand, turning and heading towards the city.

The gears in her brain were already turning as she listed everything she had to do. First, she had to go home, shower and change. Then she would go shopping- she had enough cash to buy herself a few items and still have enough money for months of rent and meals.

She would still need to find a job, though. That money would run out eventually.

With every step she took, a new phase of her plan was formed and she felt herself almost smile. She forced the edges of her mouth up into what was supposed to be a smile, feeling her face muscles stretch.

It was small and tight lipped, but it was a start.

"Oh, Klaus!" The woman practically moaned as she checked out her tattoo in the mirror. "It's so beautiful!" She turned, her hand going over her mouth.

"It was my pleasure, love," he said, grinning at her. Rebekah often called it his panty dropping grin. She smiled and took a step forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug. He returned the gesture, patting her on the back lightly before pulling away. She blushed as they broke apart and let out a nervous laugh.

"Let's get you bandaged up so that doesn't get infected." He motioned back towards his station and she sat down on the tattooing chair again, holding out her foot to him.

He carefully applied lotion to the tattoo of the Lotus flower before placing a large bandage on it. He glanced up and caught the woman staring as his hands worked, her lip pulled between her teeth. Her eyes traveled up his forearms and he looked away before she could notice that he had caught her full out ogling him.

He smirk to himself as he turned his back to her and began putting some supplies away. He turned and helped her up, even though he knew she was perfectly capable of doing so herself, and led her to the front desk where Bekah would ring her up.

With one last smirk he headed back to his station to begin the cleanup process.

"My god, I think she's pulling out a twenty," Kol said, appearing out of thin air. Klaus didn't respond and continued his routine, but Kol didn't relent. "You definitely deserve a twenty, Nik. I mean, not only did you give her a tattoo, you also give her a foot massage and a new fantasy."

As soon as the words left Kol's mouth, Klaus jabbed him with his elbow.

"Ow!" Kol doubled over. "You know it's true."

He did know it was true. Most woman he tattooed made it blatantly obvious that they had been having their own little thoughts while he worked on them. At the end of their sessions, some were even brave enough to leave their phone numbers.

He never looked at them because he would never call them. He liked to keep the women that he marked with his ink and the women that he marked with his cock separate.

Speaking of which…

"So, where are we going out tonight?" Kol asked when Klaus had finished fumbling with his equipment. They both head towards the front desk where Bekah slipped Klaus a twenty and a small, folded sheet of paper.

"You just got smashed last night, Kol," Klaus said, throwing away the paper and stuffing the twenty into his back pocket.

"And?" His face was serious.

The rest of the group filed in then and made themselves comfortable in the waiting area. Elijah locked the front door and drew the blinds before walking over and leaning against the front desk.

"Maybe we can go to Space? Oh, or maybe the Garrett!" Rebekah interjected just before the phone rang and she picked it up automatically, forgetting that it was after hours.

"Sired Tattoos and Body Art, Rebekah speaking," she said into the receiver. Everyone continued to speak but in hushed tones, waiting for her to finish. "Sure, when would you want to come in?… Uh, we have an opening for Monday morning but- Oh, okay… Can I get your name?… Caroline… Alright and your phone number? … Alright, thank you… Yeah that's it I'll see you Monday morning, Caroline. Buh-bye."

"Who's the fucker that has to wake up early on Monday morning?" Damon said, his tone joking but still a little worried. After all, it could be him.

"Nik," Rebekah answered without looking up from her computer.

"What?"

"Did I stutter?"

"But Rebekah- I've been working non-stop for weeks. Let me get some sleep in, will you?"

"Alright, then who else do you offer for the job? Hm? Kol, who hardly ever gets here one time? Or maybe Damon who'll probably be in some girl's bed and too hung over to realize it's Monday? Trust me, I would do it in a heartbeat but I'm stuck behind this fucking desk directing imbeciles. That leaves you because Elijah and Stefan will be out of town."

Klaus looked around, knowing no one would step up to take the dreaded Monday morning shift.

He sighed. "Fucking fine. Let's get drunk- I need to enjoy this weekend before Monday comes."

She could not control her nerves at all.

On top of that, she had gotten hardly a wink of sleep.

She wanted to run back to her apartment and crawl into bed and forget she had ever thought about getting a tattoo in the first place.

No, a voice in the back of her head told her. You need this.

This was insane. Why had she thought this was a good idea? She wish she could remember.

Now she stood in front of Sired Tattoos, shaking like a leaf in ninety degree weather.

Her body propelled her forward and she opened the door, stepping into the parlor. It was everything she'd imagined it be- there was leather and exposed brick and the smell of ink in the air. Strands of old rock songs played in the overhead speakers and Caroline walked toward the front desk, spotting a blonde and she got closer.

"Good morning. You must be Caroline," the other girl greeted. Caroline forced a smile and a small wave. She had been practicing.

"That's me."

"Give your artist a minute- he tends to believe the world runs on his time," she joked but Caroline picked up a slight undertone of annoyance.

"Alright," she said, sitting down on one of the leather chairs and picking up a magazine, crossing her legs as she waited.

She wasn't paying attention to the pictures on the pages in front of her- her mind was going a mile per minute. Most of her thoughts consisted of how crazy this idea was, but at least other things weren't tormenting her.

This worry and slight fear kept her mind occupied and she was grateful. If that made any sense at all.

She looked up then and noticed a heavy pair of black boots in front of the front desk. Her gaze skipped up to the owner of the boots and she found herself trapped in two azure blue eyes.

"Caroline?" He asked in the deepest voice and the sweetest accent she had ever heard. It felt like forever before she was able to answer properly.

"Yes, that's me." Caroline closed the magazine and put it aside, getting up and adjusting her purse on her shoulder.

Klaus watched as the captivating blonde moved, completely entranced by her. She had greenest eyes he had ever seen, and he notice that from six feet away. What would they look like up close?

Her blonde waves fell over her face like a curtain as she grabbed her purse and stood up. She tucked the blonde curls behind her ear, leaving her face completely exposed to him.

He swallowed. "Come with me," he beaconed her before turning and heading to the back of the shop, composing his features while she couldn't see him.

He led her to a back room and Caroline stood awkwardly at its opening. He sat down at a drawing board before looking back up at her. His brow furrowed as he noticed that she was rather far away.

"What were you planning on getting?" He asked, pulling out a sheet of carbon paper, a sheet of transfer paper and a pencil. He motioned for her to sit in the seat in front of him and she did so.

"I, uh, wanted a feather." She sounded nervous.

"A feather? Any particular one in mind, love?" She swallowed as he enunciated the term of endearment at the end.

"Um, a regular feather. Just, I want it to kind of break at the end? Like transform into a flock of birds flying away." Caroline finished her explanation, feeling a blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. There was a strange look in the man's eyes as she explained, but he wiped it away before she could tell what it was.

Holy shit, Klaus thought to himself. He knew exactly what she wanted because he had the same tattoo on his shoulder. If he wasn't completely hooked by this Caroline before, he was now.

He nodded once she was finished, making a noise signaling that he knew what she meant. He began sketching out her design, the feather and the flock of birds coming to life on paper.

Once he finished he handed it to her for inspection. She took the paper carefully and her green eyes began darting over the page.

"This is perfect," she said quietly and with a small smile before handing the paper back to him.

"I'm glad you like it." He took the paper and started copying the design onto the transfer paper. Once he was done he stood up, again beaconing Caroline to follow him.

"Where would you like it placed?" He asked as they reached his station.

"Here," Caroline gestured to the general area above her left hip bone. Klaus looked down, swallowing before nodding.

What the hell is wrong with me? It wasn't like he'd never done this before. He had tattooed hundreds of women and had slept with his fair share. He knew what a women's flesh felt like under his fingers, and yet the thought of her flesh under his fingers sent a chill over his body and blood right down to his cock.

"Alright," he cleared his throat. "Let's see." He started working, momentarily setting aside the transfer paper so that he could get a pair of gloves on.

Caroline set her purse aside and moved to lift the bottom of her top enough for Klaus to begin working. He added some jellies to the skin the tattoo would go on and then placed the carbon transfer paper on her skin, pealing it away to reveal a blue outline of the design.

"Go take a look," Klaus motioned toward the floor length mirror a couple of feet away. As Caroline walked toward it he turned around to begin setting up his inks and gun. Thank God he couldn't actually feel her skin thanks to the rubber gloves because the smell of her skin alone was enough to drive him insane.

He heard her moving back towards him and he turned in time to see her sliding into the leather seat in front of his tattooing station.

"I like it," she said with a small smile.

"I'm glad," he said, smiling back at her. He felt the muscles in his face begin to tug a little more and he turned quickly to hide the large smile that was now surely splitting his face in half.

He was genuinely glad- more like elated- that she liked the design. A feeling he could only describe as pride welled up in him and he had to take a few breaths and focus before turning around to face her again.

He pulled up a small stool by her chair and moved his equipment closer so that he could work more comfortably. Loading the tattoo gun with the correct needle size, he looked at Caroline.

"Ready?"

She looked a deep breath and let it out, crossing her arms over her chest to that they wouldn't be in the way. "As I'll ever be," she said.

He gave her a short nod, turned on the gun, dipped the needle in the ink, and placed it on her skin.

She winced slightly as Klaus slowly traced the design, permanently etching it into her skin.

Once he had outlined the feather, he whipped away the excess ink and blood that had gathered on her skin.

"This is your first tattoo?" He asked.

"Is it really that obvious?" She answered, her brow slightly furrowed.

Klaus chuckled. "I've been in this business a long time, love. Noticing these has become a skill."

"That makes sense," she reasoned. "But yeah, it is."

"May I ask your story?"

Caroline thought for a moment, her whole story playing through her head in a matter of seconds. Converting it to words would take more than that, and it was not a topic she would like to revisit with a stranger. She condensed it quickly before starting to speak.

"I actually moved here a few days ago. It wasn't really planned, which is strange because I think I planned out my whole life down to the minute when I was in high school." Her voice was slightly shaky and she didn't sound like herself at all.

But when Klaus chuckled at her last comment she felt a little more confident and relaxed.

"I sat on the beach the other day, which was a whole experience on its own because I've never been to the beach, and kind of just…reflected on my life. What my goals were a few years ago and whether or not I've accomplished them- things like that." She stopped momentarily because Klaus had started to work on the details of the bottom half of the feather. It was the area right above her hip bone and it hurt like hell.

Noticing that she had stopped speaking, Klaus looked up from his work to find her face contorted in pain, looking straight at his work.

"That's a very sensitive spot," he point out. "There's a dip right after your hip bone and the skin there is filled with nerve endings so it's going to hurt a bit more than the rest of the piece."

Caroline nodded and took a breath, signaling for him to continue.

He focused on his work again but spoke as he did. "So, goals and accomplishments?" He ebbed her on.

Caroline took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Right. I realized that I had done some things, but not as many as I had hoped I would do by now."

"And that frustrated you?"

Caroline's eyebrows cinched together a bit more. How did he know? "Yeah, it did."

Klaus nodded in understanding. Whether he was sympathizing with her or just agreeing with the concept, she didn't know.

"It's not like I didn't have the ability to do all those things. It's just…" She trailed off, picking her next words carefully. "I let myself get stuck. I settled for what I had and just went with it."

"Settling can be a little boring," he said, never taking his eyes off his work.

"It was! I just didn't notice until one day I woke up and thought to myself 'What are you doing with your life?'"

"So you decided to move away from home." He concluded.

She nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't an immediate thing like one minute I was up in the middle of the night feeling sorry for myself and by morning I had already hit the road. It took some time," she paused, wincing a little at the pain. "But during that time my feeling to get away just got stronger and stronger."

"So you left."

"I left," Caroline said, nodding slowly. "I didn't really know where I was going. I just got on route 95, tossed a coin to see whether I was gonna go North or South, and now I'm here."

"Wait, wait, wait," Klaus said, pulling the gun away from her skin and turning it off. "You tossed a coin?"

"Yup," she said, popping the p. "Either way was fine for me and since I couldn't seem to pick, I let Abe Lincoln decide for me."

Klaus couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. This girl was something else.

"So," he started. "If it would have landed on-"

"Heads," Caroline filled in for him.

"You would have been– Where? New York?"

She shrugged. "Probably."

He let out a puff of air through his nose and shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. Something else.

"You still haven't told me what made you decide to get a tattoo," he pointed out while changing needle sizes on the gun.

"I was getting there," she said.

"Was one of your life goals to be covered in ink by age 25?"

"No!" She laughed and Klaus had to swallow because his mouth and throat were suddenly dry. Her laugh was as beautiful as her. The sound was staccato yet pleasing to the ear and he wanted more of it.

"Then?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I wanted something that would remind me why I was here, why I left home in first place. I thought about, I don't know, putting a post it on my mirror or getting a personalized mug or something."

It was his turn to laugh.

"But both of those options seemed…"

"Mundane?"

"Yeah, mundane. Boring. Trivial." He nodded each time she listed off a synonym.

"Now, a tattoo," she trailed off, looking for the right wording again. "I had never thought about getting a tattoo in my life. It wasn't something I was opposed to, but it was never something I thought I would do."

Klaus whipped away blood and ink from her skin, nodding along to her story. He wanted to put down his gun and just focus on her, give her his undivided attention. But this was his job, and he was his client.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"But it felt like the right choice. It would be permanent, and I would get to see it every day. And, I don't know, it just felt more meaningful. Like, this would truly commit me to my journey from here on out."

"Why did you choose this particular design?"

"Freedom," she said slowly. "It represents freedom to me," she whispered the last part.

He got the feeling that there was more to her reason, but he didn't want to push. She seemed willing to share the story, but unwilling to share the particular reason for the design.

Something that he totally understood.

It was personal, something she had made a connection with. A part of her that she didn't want to share with a stranger.

"Well," he said a few minutes later, turning off the gun. "Have a look."

She slowly pushed off the chair and tried to move her stiff limbs. Her but was numb and her arms hurt from keeping them tense but she managed to get to the mirror without walking like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

It was strange looking at herself with this new… thing.

Consciously she knew it was a permanent choice, but her mind somehow didn't seem to grasp that concept yet.

It was strange. And she liked it.

She made her way back to Klaus who was cleaning up his station.

"Well?"

"I love it," she said with a smile, stretching her arms above her head to relieve some of the aching in her back and arms.

"Fantastic," he replied with a smirk.

His charm had kicked it into full gear without him even realizing.

By this point in the appointment, the client would have already openly flirted with him multiple times. If she hadn't, she would have at least blushed once or twice.

Caroline had done neither.

By this point in the appointment his female clients would have already gushed about their new piece repeatedly and would have either started flirting a little more or would have shyly asked him for a hug.

Caroline did neither.

She reached for her belongings, her white tank top still hiked up mid torso so as to not irritate the sensitive flesh.

Klaus swallowed, watching as the smooth skin of her abdomen stretch and flexed as she searched for something in her bag.

"Here," he said. "Let me cover that for you." He reached for the clear bandage and cut off a piece big enough to cover the area of skin. She moved closer to him, still a couple of feet away from him when he turned to her.

He stepped forward so that he could get closer. He placed the clear bandage over her skin and pressed it down gently. From the corner of his eye he saw her wince again slightly, a small sound coming from her throat indicating discomfort.

"There," he said, smoothing the bandage carefully. He reached up and pulled down her shirt so that it covered her again. How could covering up a person feel so erotic?

"Thank you," she breathed

"You're welcome. You'll want to keep that covered for about a day. Try not to cover it with anything for two long so that the irritated skin can breathe and heal. When you bathe try and keep the water temperature as cool as possible so that the area doesn't get too irritated." He kept babbling. He usually never said this to all his clients but he needed more time with her, even if just a few seconds. "Oh, and whatever you do- don't scratch."

She laughed again. Yes!

"Will do, Doc," she said, her smile bright.

She let out a few more laughs and then it was silent.

"Well," Klaus started. "If you have any questions, you know where to find me."

"Sure do," she said, starting to step away. "Thanks again," she added, taking a few steps backwards.

"Anytime, sweetheart," he said.

And then she turned and walked towards to counter.

Klaus stood there and watched for a couple of seconds before quickly turning to his station. He looked for a reflective service and watched as Caroline spoke with Rebekah, laughed a little, paid, and then walked out without a glance back.

He was at the counter the second he heard the door close.

"So?"

Rebekah slid him a twenty. Just a twenty.

"That's it?"

"What? You're too good for twenties now?" Rebekah said, her perfectly groomed eyebrows arched.

"No, it's just," he started, looking down at the bill. "She didn't leave… anything else?"

Rebekah shook her head looking slightly confused. The look only lasted a second before understanding settled in.

"Don't tell me you wanted her number?"

He didn't say anything.

"Oh-em-gee!" She clasped her hands over her mouth. "You so did!"

"So?" Klaus huffed, shoving the twenty in his pocket.

"So why didn't you ask her?" Rebekah asked, her tone like that of the one she would use when saying no duh.

"Because that's unprofessional, Bekah."

"Not to mention a little creepy," she added. "Right, I see your point."

"Thanks," Klaus bit back sarcastically.

"Did she flirt?"

"Barely," Klaus said. "Like, almost nothing," he amended.

"Maybe she's playing hard to get? Maybe she'll come back."

He knew what she was doing, she was being hopeful. No matter how much he wanted to hope, he knew it was far-fetched.

"She's got a lot going on in her life right now, I doubt she will."

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic, Niklaus."

He looked out the window at the cars passing by in front of the shop. He sighed, turning and starting towards the back of the shop.

"Whatever."

Hello, lovlies!

Welcome back to another segment of Maria Writes Things! My name is Maria, the terribly inconsistent writer, and this is the remastered version of Inked & Marked!

For those of you familiar with the original story- Yes, we have a new setting and new placement of the famous feather tattoo! There are a few other changes which I'll leave up to y'all to spot ;)

Anyways, thank you all for waiting patiently for this story, I'd hug you all if I could!

I'll strive to update every Saturday from here on out (key word being strive).

Again, thank you for reading, and I can't wait to read all of your lovely comments :)

See y'all next Saturday!

~M