He couldn't wrap his mind around much of anything other than the roaring pain ricocheting around his skull. There was no memory of what led him to that point, nothing between his life and the instant the pain began. Belatedly realizing that he couldn't move his arms and legs, he forced his focus away from the sluggishly receding pain to take stock of his situation. Arms and legs immobile — chains. Breakable? Surprisingly not. Explains the migraine. A witch. They are still a pain. Most important question to address at this point is what dastardly deed he had committed this time around.

With a groan and through sheer force of will, Klaus opened his eyes to see if he'd been secreted away to one of the many tombs that populated the witches' cemetery.

"You're not in the cemetery. In fact, you're not even in New Orleans," a voice from the shadows; a woman, but just barely. She was maybe 20.

She sauntered into the room, the door standing open behind her.

"She thought she was so smart. Once she caught on to what I was trying to do, she put all her friends under lock, witch, and key. Can't believe she found one to help her. The traitor. But she seemed to think you were safe and sound down in New Orleans. Poor dumb Caroline. She should have known better."

Caroline?

"Yes, Caroline. You have her to blame for your current predicament. Though I suppose you aren't totally blameless. While she may have killed 12 witches, you didn't exactly stop her. And of course when the veil dropped, it was you that moved to kill them again. All to save precious Caroline."

His voice finally found him, "You stay away from Caroline."

She flipped her red hair behind her. "Oh dear. I won't be going anywhere near her. She'll be coming to me. Or rather…to you," she finished, gripping his chin in her hand, dark red nails digging in.

"You're wrong. She made it quite clear that she doesn't want anything to do with me."

She gave him a look — knowing and exasperated.

"She's a woman. Dull as she may be, for some reason you 'fancy' her and to have someone like you feel for someone like her…well, it's a heady thing. Trust me, she'll come for you. She cares more than you might think."

"So you took me as bait to what? Kill her? Losing points on creativity."

She glared at him. Good, she has a temper. That's useful.

"I haven't decided yet. But she will pay for what she did to my family."

"To be fair, your family was in the midst of killing her best friend. I admit, killing 12 people was infinitely worse than killing one, I even told her as much, but when it comes to those you love, there's no price too steep."

"And I understand that, completely. Look at me. I just kidnapped an original to get back at her. I imagine she will readily sacrifice herself for you."

"You know me way too well for someone I've never even met. I mean, using the same cell my dad trapped me in to kidnap Klaus? That's seriously creepy." Caroline's voice echoed though the stone halls.

"Caroline…" Klaus couldn't contain the disbelief. He actually didn't think she would show.

Her eyes softened when they found his then hardened to steel when she noted the chains.

"Caroline, love, you shouldn't have come. You know this is a trap."

"Yes Klaus, I know it's a trap. I outsmarted you a couple times, I'm not a complete idiot."

The red head stepped between them effectively interrupting their conversation.

"It doesn't matter if you knew or not. What matters is who has the upper hand and right now, that's me."

"Yeah, for now. But give it time. Things happen pretty fast around here." Caroline casually leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Obviously you know I have a history with this place, but since I was held captive in here for a pretty decent amount of time, I know a thing or two about it. Like all the little cracks in the stone, all of the openings that let in sunlight. Or just about anything else."

Her anger at Caroline's nonchalance got the best of her and she threw out her hand, invoking whatever pain she could think of to rip through Caroline.

She grasped her head and dropped to her knees, blood dripping from her nose.

"No!" Klaus growled yanking on the spelled chains that bound him.

The fiery-haired witch laughed outright, relishing in the pain she had the power to cause.

Caroline started crawling her way out of the doorway, inching closer to the witch and to Klaus. Her hand reached a spot on the floor where a small bar of sunlight filtered in. Through gritted teeth, she yelled, "Now!"

The hatch above opened and something small dropped though into Caroline's shaking and waiting palm. In the moment of confusion, the witch halted her spell, just long enough for Caroline to spring up and latch a heavy, gold manacle bracelet around the witch's wrist. Caroline dropped back to the floor, utterly exhausted.

The witch looked at the bracelet and then back at Caroline. She barked her laughter.

"That's it? That's your grand rescue plan? A gaudy piece of jewelry." She held out her hand to torture her again and nothing happened.

Caroline smirked. "Gotcha. I have a couple witch friends who know a thing or two. After your little note about kidnapping Klaus, I made a few phone calls. One of which got me that. It cancels out your magic. And only the one who put it on can take it back off."

To say the witch looked angry would be a drastic understatement. Caroline could practically feel the sparks of anger coming off of her.

"It doesn't matter. You still can't get out of here. My spell weakened you too much. You probably couldn't stand now even if you wanted to. And the chains holding Klaus can't be broken by any supernatural creature." She finished, still looking angry but decidedly smug as well.

"Figured as much. I owe a witch 20 bucks for guessing that one. She said she didn't think you were all that creative." Caroline's voice was getting raspy in her exhaustion. "One thing you forgot about when you were following me around: I'm Caroline Forbes; I plan like no one else. I have back up. Duh."

The witch looked up at the doorway, fear draining ever ounce of color from her face. Elijah had come and he brought Matt Donavan with him — their one loyal non-supernatural human.

"I suggest you remain right where you stand. I would kill you for kidnapping my brother, but Miss Forbes insisted you be kept alive and powerless. I must admit, it is a far more fitting punishment, especially for a witch with such potential. Donavan, please release my brother from those chains. I will see to Miss Forbes."

Elijah crouched down next to her to assess her injuries.

"There's not really anything that can be fixed Elijah. I just need sleep." Her words were already slurring and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"A little blood wouldn't hurt either," he responded, drawing his sleeve up to expose his wrist.

"If you don't mind, Elijah, I can take care of Caroline," Klaus interrupted him, rubbing some feeling back into his forearms.

Elijah nodded and stepped away to help Matt gather the enchanted chains — part of their bargain with the witch twins.

"Come on love, let's get you out of here." Klaus bent to pick her up.

"I can walk," she complained, her eyes half shut.

"Of course you can, love." He picked her up, grimacing momentarily. Even hybrids take a bit of time to heal. But his strength was returning bit by bit.

"Brother, we were asked to rendezvous with everyone at the Salvatore mansion. I assume…you won't be joining us?"

Klaus gave him a look then turned to walk out of the cell and towards Caroline's house; the girl herself having long since drifted off.

Caroline awoke sometime later to the soothing scent of her own room. Unfortunately, the second thing she noticed was how ravenously hungry she was.

"I scoured the house for blood bags but it seems you're fresh out darling. And your mother is at the supernatural support meeting at the Salvatore's. Afraid you'll have to make due with me."

"At this point I could probably eat some poor forest creatures."

Klaus chuckled and sat on the edge of her bed, bearing his forearm for her. She took his arm as gently as she could, but the second her fangs broke flesh, all thoughts of self control abandoned her. He touched the side of her face to bring her back around. Caroline sheepishly pulled away, licking her lips as she did so.

"Thank you…again." Her voice was quiet. Klaus carefully took her chin to bring her eyes to meet his.

"No Caroline, thank you. You risked your life to come get me, even managed to call my brother for help, which was no small feat. I don't have the words to thank you for that, love."

She pulled her chin out of his hand and looked away, tears welling in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Klaus…that witch. She came after everyone I love because of what I did. And I don't regret it! I saved Bonnie! But look at the trouble I caused!" She sprang up and started pacing the room, pulling and running her hands through her hair.

"I killed 12 people Klaus! And if that's not bad enough, I was this close to being responsible for the deaths of practically everyone I care about! I know we subdued that redhead, but what if there are more, what if the next one succeeds?"

She slumped down onto her bed.

"I've lost enough people. I don't think I could survive losing anyone else."

Klaus moved to sit beside her, both of them leaning against her headboard, bodies touching from shoulder to foot.

"I won't promise that it will get easier. In fact, as a vampire, you will lose more than you could possibly fathom right now. Believe me love, I've experienced it all. But there will be times where you'll see and feel the most beautiful things that this life has to offer. And in those moments, however brief they might be, you will find peace and forget that there was ever any bad thing in this world. You will love many, and fortunately some of those will be just as immortal as you are. And perhaps you'll even capture the heart of your one true love as well." He smirked, mentally placing himself at the forefront of that running.

He took her hand intent on providing some comfort amidst hard truths.

"Yes, you will lose people. It's inevitable. As difficult as it may be to accept, you will one day lose your mother. But what's important, love, is not waiting and dreading for that day to come. It's living each day and making precious memories with those whose lives are but a fleeting breeze compared to the eternity that lies before us. Leave your worries behind you Caroline and take each day as it comes." He finished and placed a kiss to the back of her hand.

Neither made another move or spoke another word, both content with the moment they were living in right then.