"I'M FIRED?" Caroline squealed into her cell phone.

"Not fired, just not needed anymore," Meredith told her gently. "It's nothing you did. John just wants to take a hiatus from acting for a while. He doesn't need, or more importantly want, an assistant anymore."

"But I need a job now!" Caroline said, panicked. John Anders was a very well known actor. He was an A-list actor, in fact. Why in the hell did he want to take a break? Why of all times now when she had bills to pay?

"Don't fret, okay? You've always done your job, so I've put out the word that a highly skilled assistant is in need of someone to work for. You're going to be fine, Caroline. Somebody is going to be lucky to have you."

"Yea, sure," she said under her breath. Meredith was lucky. She had other actors to find jobs for. Caroline could only work for one person at a time because of the demands that came with being an assistant.

"Believe me, you will," Meredith chuckled. "I have to go now, okay? If someone needs you, I left your number on the ad for him or her to call you directly. I'm sure you'll hear from somebody soon."

"I got it, I got it. Thanks."

"Please, I was more than happy to help such a sweet girl. Goodbye, Caroline."

"Bye," she sighed, hanging up and putting her phone on the wooden coffee table.

Caroline leaned back on her couch, unsure of what to do next. She was jobless. How was she supposed to pay for her rent this month if she didn't have a paycheck? Who knew how long it would be before a job opened up for her. Celebrities stuck to their assistants like glue.

Her eyes scanned around her apartment while she sat there. It was small, with white walls and wood flooring. It was a one-bedroom place that she had gotten pretty recently. There were still boxes full of her stuff that she had yet to unpack. That needed to be worked on soon. Then again, if she couldn't make payments on it anymore, it might not be necessary. Caroline had gotten used to the little home. It would be a shame to lose it.

She got up slowly, trudging to the kitchen in search of comfort food. What would it be this time? Ice cream? Cookie dough? Ramen noodles? It was probably all she had in her pantry. A store run was necessary soon. The little store down the street was convenient as far as distance went. The selection wasn't too great though.

Right as she closed the door to the pantry, deciding it would indeed be ramen noodles, her peripheral vision caught sight of something. A little yelp escaped when she saw Bonnie and Elena standing just outside the window. They stood patiently on the fire escape that connected their apartments, sympathy grins on their face. Awesome. They had heard her conversation. Damn those thin walls and ceiling.

Caroline attempted to give them a small grin back as she walked over to open the window for them.

"Hey guys," she greeted solemnly.

"Hey," Elena said sadly. "We couldn't help overhearing…"

"I thought so," Caroline sighed, waving them in. They both climbed in, closing the window behind them. After Caroline began boiling water, they all sat at her small kitchen table.

"Want to talk about it?" Bonnie asked, grabbing Caroline's hand to give it a gentle squeeze.

"What's to say? John is taking a break from acting. Meredith didn't go into details. She just let me off easy, and said the decision was sudden on his part."

"Shouldn't you get two weeks notice or something before they let you go?" Elena asked.

"It's not like they can give me a warning when the decision was spontaneous. He just decided he was tired of the limelight. Meredith didn't even know until this morning."

"But John was so sweet," Bonnie whined playfully. Caroline and Elena giggled.

"Already thinking of cheating on my brother? I know he's across the country, but I will claw your eyes out if you hurt him Bennett," Elena teased. Bonnie shrugged.

"What? I have a thing for older guys."

"So that's why you're dating someone a year younger than you?"

"Shh. Details, details. Besides, it's not like I ever had a chance with John. He was a celebrity crush," Bonnie said, waving her hand dismissively. They all three laughed.

"You guys make it hard for me to be professional around celebrities when you keep drooling in their presence," Caroline joked.

"Like you ever let us hang around long enough to make an impression," Elena said, sounding rather sorry she couldn't have known the people Caroline had worked for better. It wasn't her fault though. It was a job, not a friendship. She had to stay professional.

"It's not like they were all hot. And it's not like they were all guys," Caroline reminded them. Hell, most, if not all of them, were B-list actors to boot. Advertising oneself for an assistant position was not easy. It's why she wasn't making a lot of money. She had searched agencies that would advertise her, but she had no idea what she was doing. John Anders had been a lucky break. If she had worked for him long enough, she might have started making some serious cash, and gotten out of her little place. However, she had worked for John maybe a month? A freaking month was not enough time to accumulate a lot of cash.

"True…but still. You get my point," Elena said, standing up to put Caroline's noodles into the saucepan.

"Care, I bet I could get you a job at the restaurant I work at," Bonnie suggested, coming out of whatever thoughts she had been deep in. Caroline shook her head.

"I don't think I would be good at it."

"Are you kidding? If you can be an assistant, you could take people's orders. We could keep you away from the larger tables."

"Thanks, but don't do anything yet. I want to wait a couple of days, and see if I hear from anyone. If not…I'll consider your offer. Bills are bills, and they need to be paid."

Caroline really had no desire to be a waitress. She was clumsy enough being an assistant. While excellent at her job, her verbal skills were lacking, and therefore caused her the occasional hardship. Caroline could make calls, schedule appointments, and run errands like nobody else. But talking face-to-face with someone seemed to be a challenge most of the time.

A part of Caroline blamed it on her father. He always meant well, but was really overbearing when it came to her future, and her decisions. Every time she had tried to voice her opinions on something, he would shut her up quickly by speaking over her. Bill Forbes was a man who couldn't be ignored, and he had a plan all set out for his little girl. Stay in Mystic Falls with her parents, and have a small little family. Raise two kids someday, and have a husband who worked for the town council.

But she wanted more. And so did her friends.

Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie had decided they wanted to make it big. They wanted more than the small town life. They wanted to move to Los Angeles. Elena wanted to become a famous author. Bonnie wanted to become a Grammy winning singer. And Caroline? Well, she didn't know what she wanted. All she knew was that she didn't want to stay in Mystic Falls.

It hadn't pleased her mother and father, to say the least.

While her mother wasn't near as bad as her father, Liz Forbes was still just as small-minded. She was the town sheriff, and wanted Caroline to take the safe route. So of course she had agreed with her husband on what Caroline's life should be.

When Caroline had told them about her plans with Elena and Bonnie, they had practically kicked her out. Said if she wanted to leave so badly, then she shouldn't bother coming back. Caroline wasn't sure if that was supposed to have been some plan to make her stay out of fear, but it had only been her motivation. She would prove them wrong one day.

Luckily, the three of them had saved money all year for the moment high school ended. Of course, Bonnie and Elena had people to help them out. Elena's aunt and Bonnie's grams helped the three of them as much as they could. For that, Caroline would be forever thankful. That, combined with what she saved, had been enough to start her out until she landed the job as an assistant.

She had always been a good listener, and great at organizing school events, despite her shyness. So why not take orders, and be introduced to the lifestyle she wanted to be a part of? If Bonnie ended up being a big time singer one day, she would need to get used to the fast-paced life of a star. If she became a superstar, then she wanted to know what to expect. Being an assistant didn't put her in the spotlight, but at least she saw what John had to go through. That had been more experience than she had gotten with her B-list actors.

The years began to go by though, and at the age of twenty-five, all three of them were still stuck at the low paying jobs they had started out with. Bonnie was a waitress at some restaurant attached to a nearby hotel. Elena worked at a small sandwich shop across the street. And Caroline was still doing work for the actors, instead of hiring people to do work for her. Finding someone to work for was not as easy as she had hoped. She had been making enough to branch out on her own, and get a place below Bonnie and Elena. But now she was concerned she wouldn't be able to keep up the payments.

Caroline was torn from her thoughts when Elena placed a steaming bowl of noodles in front of her. Right…Bills. No job. There wasn't time to dwell on the possibility that her parents might have been right. That it would have been better if she had stayed in Mystic Falls.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked with concern, noticing the crease of worry across Caroline's brow. The blonde only shook her head, beginning to dig into the bowl of food.

"Just…wondering if I'll get a call soon," she said quietly, peeking around the corner to stare at her phone. Maybe it would ring if she stared long enough.

"You will, trust me. Don't start doubting yourself. What happened to the Caroline who ran the cheerleading squad? The perky girl who wouldn't take no for an answer? The woman who found a way to smile at everything?" Bonnie attempted. Both Bonnie and Elena knew that she was still cheery around her friends at least. Her outgoing personality had just slowly begun to disappear after the fight with her parents, and once she had moved to Los Angeles.

"I'm still here," Caroline smiled. "I'm just stressed."

"Stop stressing!" Elena chided her.

"Do we need to go out on the town or something?" Bonnie asked them.

"As if we have the money to get in anywhere," Caroline giggled. If the choice were hers, she would take a trip to the Fashion District and buy out every store. As it was, she didn't want to spend more than necessary until she knew when her next paycheck would come.

Why couldn't she just snag another A-list actor? John was nice, and had paid well. Maybe since Meredith had put the word out for her, she would get another A-list actor or actress, athlete, singer, etc. Perhaps she wouldn't have to go back to work for another small-timer hoping to make it big. Maybe she could find someone who didn't want to be cheap, and take advantage of Caroline's inability to turn someone in need down.

"So pizza and a movie?" Elena asked. The other two nodded.

"At least until Caroline's big call interrupts us. Let's face it, you won't be on the market long," Bonnie said, a sly grin on her face. Caroline chuckled.

"Let's hope so. Meredith told me I did my job well. I couldn't have been that quiet during work if that's true."

"Former cheerleading captain being too quiet and unable to do her job well? Ha. I laugh at such jokes," Elena teased. Caroline smiled. It was true. Her high school days had so far been her best years. Even if her home life hadn't been what she wanted.

Just then, Caroline's phone rang on her coffee table. All three perked up as Caroline practically fell from her chair and sprinted to the living room. She didn't want to look too desperate, but with her luck, it would stop ringing by the time she picked up.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she answered the unknown number calling her. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Caroline Forbes?" a woman from the other end asked. Caroline smiled at Elena and Bonnie.

"Yes, this is she. How may I help you?" she asked politely. Was that how she was supposed to respond? Yea, that was right. Oh god. Remember, deep breaths.

"My name is Sage Mikaelson, and I'm inquiring about a personal assistant for my client. Meredith Fell just advertised that a young, hard-working woman was in need of a job. As it so happens, my client's latest assistant has just quit due to…personal reasons. Would you be interested in the job?"

"Absolutely! When should I come in for an interview?"

"If you've come recommended by Meredith Fell, then the job is yours. No interview required. But we do need you to start immediately. Is this a problem?"

"Not at all. When do you need me and where?"

"Be at Wolf Brothers studios in an hour. That should give you enough time to move through traffic. Do you need directions?"

"No, I know where that is." Who didn't know where that was?

"Wonderful. I look forward to meeting you Miss Forbes."

"Likewise, Ms. Mikaelson." The other end clicked off, and Caroline pulled her phone away. Had that really just happened? Someone wanted her to work for a person filming at Wolf Brothers studios? This was A-list actor or actress material.

"Who called?" Elena and Bonnie asked, shuffling into the living room and giving her their full attention. She smiled.

"Sage Mikaelson. Why does that name ring a bell?"

"WHAT?" the two said in unison. Caroline jumped a little from their response.

"What's wrong?"

"Sage Mikaelson is the wife of Finn Mikaelson. You know…the most wanted director around? His father and uncle founded Wolf Bros Studios before they died in that plane crash with Finn's mother. The whole family is involved in the entertainment industry," Elena said, like it should have been obvious. That was why the name sounded familiar, but her memory must have been bad. Knowing this didn't help her anymore.

"So what does this mean?" Caroline asked.

"Sage is the agent for all the Mikaelson siblings. Finn, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, and Kol are all her clients," Bonnie informed her.

Caroline looked between the two. How was she an assistant for John without knowing all this?

"Thank god you two read the tabloids. How did I miss this?"

"You've been focused on John and his image. It's understandable. But tell us! Whom did you get assigned to?"

Caroline sat wide-eyed. Oh no! She hadn't asked! Caroline had been so focused and excited about getting the job, she hadn't asked for details. Stupid, stupid, stupid! That wasn't professional!

"I don't know," she sighed. "Who would I want?"

"Beats us. Rebekah and Kol are in the papers more. Kol's a playboy and Rebekah is the stereotypical spoiled actress. My guess would be that you want either Klaus or Elijah. They're so gorgeous! And the entire family is British. British Caroline…British!" Elena said happily.

"They may be gorgeous, but they're also dating those new Bulgarian models that have been all over the front page of every Vogue magazine," Bonnie said sadly. Elena nodded in acknowledgement, as if she had just remembered that fact.

"Right…Katerina and Tatia. The twins. I forgot."

"Guys! It doesn't matter, because I don't want to date them. I just want to get experience and pay my rent. Who knows, maybe this time I'll be there long enough to actually go places. Assistants have to go where the actors go after all."

"But then you'll leave us," Elena pouted.

"You guys knew that this job would require me going wherever my boss went. I just haven't had a big enough star to assist, besides John. We'll cross that bridge when we get there though. Right now, I have a job to get to!" Caroline said excitedly, running into her bedroom.

"You'll do great, Care!" Bonnie shouted.

"Thanks! I hope so!"

She also hoped that this wouldn't be the nightmare Elena and Bonnie were saying it could be. It wouldn't be that bad, right?

An enraged red head with thick-rimmed glasses stomped away from the smirking actor, practically steaming from the ears.

"GET YOUR OWN DAMN LATTE," she yelled as she walked away. Shame. He enjoyed watching that cute little ass storm off.

Klaus shrugged. Oh well. He lost some, and then he lost some more. There hadn't been an assistant willing to stay with him longer than a week. Apparently, he was "infuriating" and "too cocky for his own good." At least, that's what the last thirty or so had said. He began to lose count after fifteen.

Sage was about to walk into his trailer when the latest assistant marched out. He gave her a tiny little wave, that smug grin plastered on his face. She sighed, rubbing her fingers over her eyes.

"I'll start making calls," she sighed, walking off in exasperation. Wonderful. It was about time he got someone new to play with.

They all came so willingly because of his good looks and impeccable reputation. He wasn't an idiot. Klaus wasn't going to play the bad boy for the media to make a mockery of his job. His parents had pushed him since childhood to be the best actor on the market, and he had done just that. Sage had done well in covering his slip-ups, but he watched himself around the journalists. In interviews, he was charming and infectious. During events, he was the perfect gentleman to Tatia and made sure every magazine got pictures. Having the upcoming model of the year around his arm was always nice for that desirable look he was going for.

Klaus stood up, walking down the steps of his trailer to walk around the massive sets outside. It was a sunny day in Los Angeles. Tatia and Katerina were planning on making an appearance later, and the thought made him downright pleasant to be around. Well…to those who weren't his assistant. Whether he was in a bad mood and utterly demanding, or in a good mood and an inconsiderate ass, there was always something that ran those women off. He had even ran a couple of men off.

A white golf cart came revving down the black pavement, stopping right as it reached Klaus. A young, brown-haired boy sat behind the steering wheel. A younger girl sat beside him, looking as if she was ready to puke from the speed at which Klaus' brother was driving.

"Yo ho, brother! Like my ride?" Kol asked cheerily.

"Who did you steal from this time?" Klaus asked knowingly.

"I'm offended!" Kol exclaimed, feigning hurt. "I don't steal. I borrow."

"How do you put up with him, Anna?" Klaus smirked. The girl beside Kol just pushed her glasses up and shrugged shyly.

"He pays well. And it's not so bad."

"Yea, Klaus. It's not so bad working for me. Especially considering your disappearing assistant act. I saw that little number storming off. What'd you do this time?" he asked with obvious amusement.

"I simply asked for her to go pick out my outfit for the charity ball, and maybe a non-fat, soy mocha latte with two shots of espresso."

"And?" Kol persisted, leaning against the steering wheel in apparent interest. Klaus grinned.

"I might have squeezed her ass, and asked for a little sugar on the side."

"You little bastard!" Kol guffawed. Klaus joined him. If anyone knew his enjoyment for playing with assistants, it would be Kol. He was even worse than Klaus when it came to women. Klaus had a steady girlfriend. Kol hadn't had anyone stay longer than a night since…ever. It was a miracle that neither of them had been slapped in the face with a sexual harassment lawsuit.

"I couldn't resist. She was so…I don't know. Dull? Samantha was always flirting and trying to get on my good side. It was annoying. I'm ready for a new toy."

"Well, she certainly looks good walking away from you. I'll miss her. By the way, what has our dearest Tatia said about all your antics?"

"She finds them amusing," he informed Kol, hopping onto the back of the golf cart and sitting. Kol immediately jerked to a start and began roving around again. That was the joy of Tatia. She was like Klaus to an extent. The gorgeous girl might have only been twenty-two, but for the thirty year old actor, she was a dream. Tatia was wild, beautiful, respectful when she needed to be, and naughty just for him.

"Of course she would. It's not enough that you get the hottest model. She has to be alright with your shenanigans too."

"Jealousy isn't a flattering color on you, mate," Klaus teased.

"I'm far from jealous. I don't have to get reacquainted with someone new every other day. Anna here knows me like the back of her hand. She even knows how to effectively run off the floozies that won't take 'get the hell away from me' for an answer."

Klaus chuckled, shaking his head while he draped an arm around the back of his seat. He didn't say anything more, because he didn't want to admit that Kol had a small point. A new assistant meant starting anew all over. Each time he got more and more short tempered with them too. It had been resorted to tossing demands around carelessly and sending them on the most mundane of errands. They were just employees to him. Something to keep him occupied when Tatia or his family wasn't around.

"Have you seen Rebekah or Elijah today?" Klaus asked Kol conversationally.

"Elijah is with Finn working on whatever their new project is. Rebekah is off with that overly muscled football player. Alexander something-or-other. Can we just sock him already? The meat head is getting on my nerves."

"Patience, brother. The fool will make a fumble eventually," Klaus retorted. It was only a matter of time before Rebekah went from smitten to bored. It was in her nature.

"True. So where am I dropping you off at?"

"Not like I have anywhere to be. Shooting doesn't start for another hour or so. Take me around the set once if you want."

"Oh, right. The big action star doesn't have to shoot until noon. My deepest apologies, your majesty," Kol mocked.

"You wouldn't last in those movies, Kol. Comedy is more suited for you."

"It's true," Kol agreed smugly. "I can't complain. Oh look guys! To our left, we have the Salvatore brothers!"

Kol screeched to a halt, jerking Klaus and Anna about as he did. Next time, he was insisting that Anna drive.

Stefan and Damon stopped whatever their conversation had been to face the three in the golf cart. Stefan grinned happily, while Damon just rolled his eyes.

"Hop in! Got room for two more behind me," Kol suggested. The two brothers shrugged and crammed in beside of Klaus, with Stefan in the middle.

"Take us to my dressing room, Kol," Damon told him dryly.

"Round and round we go, where we stop, nobody knows!" was the only thing he responded with. Klaus took that as an okay.

"What are the Salvatore brothers up to today?" Klaus asked, leaning back on the small bench.

"I have to run over lines for my next scene. Stefan was going to help me out."

"Mind if I tag along until Tatia stops by?"

"Be our guest. There's enough room at my place," Damon informed.

"Fantastic." Klaus could use something to do. Hanging around the Salvatore duo always managed to cure his bout of boredom.

The cart came to another jerky halt, prompting Klaus to glare at Kol.

"It's a wonder you haven't run over anyone walking around yet."

"Stop being a worry wart, Nik. That's Anna's job."

Anna only shook her head, scribbling down stuff on a clipboard while Damon, Stefan, and Klaus all hopped off. Kol immediately sped off, heading toward god only knows where. He was going to injure someone. Klaus would make sure he was there to witness the consequences of that mishap.

The three walked into Damon's trailer, only to be met with the sight of two leggy Bulgarians, and a man working on one's makeup.

"Now why are you two in Damon's trailer?" Klaus asked, his infamous smirk plastered across his mouth. Tatia walked over to him, running a finger down his chest while Stefan and Damon flopped down on his leather couch.

"We didn't see you in your trailer. Thought we'd surprise you in Damon's. Alaric wanted to do Katerina's face too."

"It's not everyday I get to work with a model," Alaric argued from his position over Katerina.

"I beg to differ, mate. You work on me all the time."

"Like I said, it's not everyday I get to work with a model," Ric deadpanned.

"Ouch," Klaus smiled. Besides the Salvatore brothers and the Petrova sisters, Alaric was one of the few people Klaus could tolerate. His comments didn't bother Klaus.

After he decided to ignore Alaric's remark, he turned his attention back to Tatia. Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist affectionately.

"I'm glad you could surprise us, sweetheart."

"I don't mind the company you guys," Damon said, waving his script in the air, "but I have work to do with Stefan. My little aspiring screen-writer needs to go over lines with me."

"Always the serious one," Alaric sighed, ending his work on Katerina's face to sit beside Damon.

"Someone has to be in this group," Stefan chuckled.

"You're serious enough for everyone. Damon needs to loosen up a little. He's been working hard lately," Alaric said, fussing over Damon like he always did.

"Ric, I always loosen up. You know how our trips to the nightclub go," he reminded the man. Alaric shrugged, not able to argue with that.

"Get a little whiskey in Damon, and the night brightens up," he smirked.

"I presume our plans for tonight are still a go then?" Klaus asked, taking Tatia by the hand and walking toward the door.

"Of course. I'll try to persuade Elijah to join us," Katerina smiled, sitting down next to Stefan. Klaus nodded, and then he was outside with Tatia, walking back toward his trailer.

"Where are we going?" Tatia asked innocently. He knew she was thinking about the same thing he was though. And they were not innocent thoughts.

"We're going to have a little fun before I have to be on set," he whispered mischievously into her ear. She smiled back at him, and put her arm around his waist as they walked to his trailer together. Yes, she was on the same page as him. Just like she always was. Klaus didn't fall for girls easily, but he had never felt like this before.

Honestly, who could be better than Tatia?

"Caroline Forbes?" Sage greeted her at the entrance.

"That's me," the blonde answered timidly, her wavy ponytail bobbing as she smiled to the fiery redhead. She dressed in sensible flats and a cute outfit that were fitting for her new job. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and her knees felt shaky. But somehow, she managed to keep it all inside. The only thing Sage would see was a bright smile.

"Wonderful. Come with me please, and I'll give you a quick tour. I confiscated this golf cart from a client running around set, so we can move quickly before I drop you off to your new boss," she said formally, putting a badge around Caroline's neck. It had her name and job title on it.

"Perfect." Caroline got in the cart, allowing Sage to drive her around set, and show her the different buildings.

"Now, you'll be working for Klaus Mikaelson. All the paperwork for his upcoming appearances and interviews are in that file next to you. You two can set up all the formal arrangements of your job when I drop you off, but he doesn't stop filming until around six this evening. I must warn you, being his assistant is not an easy job. Do you think you'll be up for it?"

"Absolutely. I'm sure we'll get along just fine," she smiled. Caroline needed to get along with him. Her bills relied on it. She grabbed the file next to them, and put it in her purse.

"Let's hope so," Sage said ominously. Caroline furrowed her brows. Weren't Elijah and Klaus supposed to be the good ones of the family?

After Caroline was shown where all the movies and television shows were produced, Sage drove her to the area full of trailers. The blonde memorized where everything was, in case she needed to make a visit somewhere later.

"Oftentimes, if you can't find Klaus in his trailer or on set, he'll either be with the Salvatore brothers or with his siblings. They all hang out in a tight knit group, so he'll be easy to track down."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Just…please don't get fed up with him after a week. Can I trust you to stay longer than that?"

"Why wouldn't I? I need the job, ma'am."

"Right. Well, good luck to you. I would go in with you, but I have other things I need to do, and I've wasted a lot of time searching for another assistant as it is. I hope you'll forgive me," Sage said as she pulled up to the trailer with Klaus' name on the door. Caroline nodded once, indicating that it was no problem at all, and got out. She held her purse close to her side as she heard the golf cart drive off.

Caroline took a deep breath. This was it. She was about to meet the hottest, most sought after British actor in town. All she needed to remember was that she was his employee. She was not his friend, or his partner. This was a job, and it would be treated like one.

She knocked a couple of times on the door, but there was no answer. So she knocked again, only this time louder. There was still no answer. Caroline took a deep breath and tried the doorknob. Oh. It was already unlocked. He must have been expecting her.

With a friendly smile plastered on her face, she opened the door and stepped inside. What she hadn't been expecting was the loud music blasting. How had she not heard that from outside?

Even more surprising was the couple making out on the couch. A leggy woman was straddled against a shirtless man, her skirt riding up as his hand glided over her ass. The two had looked up as the door opened though, and sunlight flooded into the somewhat dark trailer. The man seemed furious that someone was interrupting his private time, but the girl didn't seem fazed at all.

"Oh god!" Caroline squeaked, covering her eyes as she turned around, her cheeks a bright red.

"Bloody hell!" the man growled, loud enough to be heard over the music. She heard movement, and suddenly there was no music anymore. "Can't you fucking knock?"

"I-I did knock," she protested, albeit rather meekly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Don't be so cruel, Niklaus. She looks so scared," the girl cooed from her place on the couch.

"I don't like my privacy intruded upon," he said in a rather unpleasant tone.

Oh hell no. This was Klaus Mikaelson? And the amazon on the couch was Tatia? But…what about the spotless image he had? Elena and Bonnie had made him sound so charming. He was nothing but a jackass.

It didn't matter. She didn't have to like him; she just had to work for him. So long as he paid well, she would stay. Caroline was set on that. She would suck it up and do whatever he wanted of her.

"I would suggest turning the music down next time so you can hear then," Caroline suggested.

"Why are you here?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder and turning her around.

Caroline couldn't help but gawk at his chiseled chest. Klaus still hadn't put a shirt on, and his muscles were now gleaming from the sunlight pouring through the doorway. She tried to search for the words. Right. Job.

"I-uh…I'm your new assistant," she said quietly, forcing herself to stare up at his eyes. Oh great. They were a perfect shade of blue.

Whatever anger had been in Klaus' features before seemed to dissipate instantly when his eyes landed on hers. Caroline looked down at the ground, not able to hold his stare any longer. It was a little unnerving. Why was he staring at her like that?

"I see…" he trailed off, his voice thoughtful while he looked at her.

"Um…Sage dropped me off and told me I could talk with you over the arrangement of our business together? I can come back later though if you're busy. I really didn't mean to intrude on anything, I just thought-"

"Yes…yes we can talk," he said, seeming to come back to his senses. Only this time, he was no longer angry. A devilish half-grin spread across his lips instead. Well that was comforting.

"I'm going to go back to Katerina, darling. We shall talk later?" Tatia asked, fluffing her hair as she walked toward them. Caroline saw him nod, giving her a quick peck on the lips before walking out. Now it was just Klaus and Caroline.

"I really am sorry. No one answered, and the door was unlocked, and-"

"Stop talking," he demanded, yet there was a playful tone to his silky voice. Why did he have to be so gorgeous? She shouldn't be so awestruck after working with John…yet here she was. Practically open-mouthed and pathetic while she tried to hide her continuous blush.

Caroline nodded, watching him walk over to grab his shirt and put it on.

"I have to get to filming, so your interruption was lucky this time. Follow me." It wasn't a question. Caroline frowned, but followed obediently.

The two began walking across the pavement, her feet shuffling to catch up with his long strides. She kept her notepad handy to take any notes. It turned out that was a good move too. Klaus wasn't shy, like her.

"First I have to shoot this scene, and I'll be filming until around six. I'm sure Sage filled you in on that though."

"Yes."

"Terrific. While I'm filming, I'm going to need you to run and grab a snack for me. I get hungry after shooting. I want a turkey sandwich with all the fixings. There are to be absolutely no onions though. I'm sure Sage also filled you in on what's in my social calendar. I have a charity ball coming up next Friday. I need you to go with me to pick out a tux. You're good with fashion?"

"I am."

"Perfect. Then you will accompany me when I choose one and get it tailored. And tonight, I'm going out with my friends. I have to be on set early tomorrow, so I need you to come with me. Make sure I don't get hammered. Will that be a problem?"

"Nope," she said quietly, writing furiously on her notepad. Caroline could feel his eyes studying her while she wrote.

"No complaints about going with me tonight?" he asked skeptically.

"None."

"Even though I'll be going with my friends...people you don't know...to get smashed? You don't strike me as the type to go along with that."

"What do I strike you as?" she asked, curious as to what impression she had apparently left already.

"The doe-eyed look screams innocence. You're quiet, obedient. You're a good girl. Never done a risky thing in your life."

"Those are a lot of assumptions," she noted. Most were true. She was quiet, and Caroline had done everything she was told for John without a single complaint. Of course she had gotten drunk with Elena and Bonnie before, so not really innocent. But it wasn't like she done so outside of her home that often. There were creeps out there who would take advantage of three attractive girls. She wasn't going to take that risk.

Which affirmed Klaus' guess that she didn't take risks. But he had no idea why she was in L.A. to begin with. He didn't know her story.

"Do you deny them?" he asked.

"You can think whatever you want. I'm just here to do a job."

"Hmm," he said, somewhat disapprovingly. Had he been expecting a fight or something? She furrowed her brows. Next thing she heard was chuckling.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You look so focused. It's rather adorable," he remarked. She noticed the demeaning tone those words had. Caroline finally met his eyes.

"Did I do something wrong?" Why was he trying to push her buttons?

"That's my point. You haven't. But don't worry…I'll fix that," he smirked. Klaus began walking faster as they approached the door. "The food is on a table in the back. I'll see you when I finish filming for break." And with that, he was off to converse with his fellow cast.

Caroline sighed, walking over to where the food was and leaning against the table. She now had a small idea of what it was going to be like working for him. She had an idea of what he wanted from her. It all came crashing down on her as she realized why he had even needed an assistant in the first place.

Sage had left out the part where he was nothing more than a selfish ass. He didn't care about anyone. Klaus just used his assistants for fun. Well, she would be different. He wouldn't chase her off. She needed to keep her apartment. There was no way Caroline was going to go crawling back to Mystic Falls and tell her parents that after all this time, she had failed.

Caroline would not quit.

A/N: As per requested from those who read YSMTW, I've gone through with this idea.

I will still do the sequel to Torment, and Wishing for a Miracle. But everyone seemed to like this idea, and my muse was really into this when I wrote it, so I thought I'd give it a go.

I have never been to Los Angeles, or any part of California at all, so excuse my lack of knowledge for the location and what all is around. I try to do my research, but it's never quite the same as visiting the place.

Review and tell me if you want me to continue! =]

Thanks to Yana (queenofklaroline) for reading this over for me.

Cover art made by shippers-graphics from tumblr.