All Human. Klaus and Caroline pairing. Elijah makes an appearance.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries. And the only money I make is from my retail job.

Fear

Niklaus Mikaelson thought he'd experienced fear. When he was a young boy, he had suffered abuse from a violent father, only to be told on his fourteenth birthday that the man he called father did not help create him.

Once he'd grown up Klaus, as he liked to be called, took it upon himself to make sure others feared him. He made it so he lived by his own rules, ran his own Fortune 500 company, and others in the same business as him fought for second place and below.

As an adult, Klaus feared nothing and he liked it that way.

He had money, fame, family, and power. There was nothing else he needed. Or so he thought.

But one day a beautiful blonde came crashing, literally, into his life, and showed him all that he had been missing.

It was a typical Friday night and Klaus was enjoying an after-work, weekend-here-I-come drink at the popular club P3. It was nearing midnight when he decided he'd drank enough and should probably head home so he could be functioning Saturday morning enough to pick up his brother Kol from the airport.

He tipped the bartender who'd been quick and friendly all night, and turned to hop off the bar stool. As he did he was met with a face full of blonde hair as a very feminine body plowed into his. He could feel the contents of her glass spill down his front as his arms came to wrap around her. As she steadied in his arms, he was met by a pair of vibrant blue eyes that looked up at him in a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry! These stupid heels broke and I knew they were a knock off because Christian Louboutin's never go for that cheap but damn it! I ruined your shirt and this is just the worst freakin' day ever! First Monica calls me in early and it's not like I come in late when I show up at six but no! I had to be there at five, so I show up only to get coffee spilled on me and…" her eyes darted back to meet his amused gaze and her hands lowered from the air where she had been exaggerating her frustration with movements. "Oh God, now I'm rambling, I'm always rambling. And that stain is going to set, let me get my purse! I should have one of those Tide-To-Go pens!" She quickly turned from his arms only to stumble once again over the forgotten broken heel. Klaus noticed the heels were quite tall, which made her match his height, but only made her walking with a broken heel impossible. As she fell back he caught her once again in his arms, not disliking the feel of her feminine curves against his body.

"It's quite alright love, no blood, no foul right?"

The blonde tilted her head back with a smile and thanked him once again. He righted her body again and she leant down to remove the broken, apparently knock-offs. "I really do owe you, though, I think you saved my life…twice!"

"Well it is my duty as a gentleman to save the lives of damsels in distress."

"Well then I should let you get back to your damsel." Klaus just smirked at the blonde.

"I don't have one, sweetheart."

The rest was history. The blonde, Caroline as he came to know, had captured his attention from that moment on. They had talked until the club closed and he had helped her to her car. He'd made the argument she couldn't walk across the dirty, glass-ridden parking lot with bare feet; in reality, he'd really just wanted to spend a few more moments with her.

Caroline was brilliant and beautiful and charming and, dare he say adorable? Even after he'd mentioned his name and that he ran his own company, he was pleasantly surprised when no flash of recognition crossed her eyes. Most of the time, women picked up instantly on who he was and recognized his wealth, which was always a turnoff to him and he'd only spend enough time with them to get what he wanted.

However, Caroline was unlike any other girl. He didn't see himself wanting to draw her in to scratch an itch, and he genuinely listened when she talked. He found himself wanting to learn everything he could about her- her hopes, her dreams. He wanted to know her.

It was after a few weeks of texting that he finally got her to agree to a first date.

He arrived to the restaurant first, and waited at the table. He'd found it peculiar that she had agreed to go out only if they could meet. She said it was easier because of her job, but he felt that wasn't the only reason. Regardless, he could agree to that term if it meant he got to see her again in person.

She came in, looking gorgeous in a lacy, black dress, and he felt her smile ignite a warm feeling inside of him.

After their orders had been taken, Klaus could tell she had something she wanted to say, but she was holding back. Her eyes would stare at him until she realized he was staring back and a blush would ignite across her pale skin and she would look away.

"What is it, love? Do you not like Italian?"

"Why did you want to go out with me?" He frowned at her tone, quiet and almost subdued, nothing at all like what she had been at the club.

"Because I fancy you, Caroline." It was true, he did. For the first time in his life, Klaus was after a girl for more than a fling.

"But you're, you and I'm…me."

Understanding ignited in his mind. She knew who he was. "And here I thought you didn't know." His tone darkened slightly, because now his brain was sending warning signs. He didn't want to get involved with someone after money, it was one of the main reasons he had been single all this time. She had done well playing innocent before, he'd felt so sure she was different. It was only after he reigned in his anger that he realized she was speaking.

"I mean, you're Klaus Mikaelson. The Klaus Mikaelson. How lame is it I didn't pick up on that before? I mean, it's not like there are a million people named Klaus. You must have laughed at me. I bet I really did the whole dumb blonde thing, didn't I? And you're like rich-like I don't even want to know how rich. I'm just a fashion writer in a struggling magazine. What could dating me possibly give you that you wouldn't already have? I guess I'm just confused. And now I'm rambling…again!" She sighed into her hands as they came up to hide her face in embarrassment.

Klaus felt himself falling deeper in love with this girl as his fear became unwarranted. She wasn't like the other girls. She was as genuine as she seemed. He instantly felt bad for how quickly he'd almost turned on her. She was battling her own insecurities as he'd been feeling his. He realized she must be more insecure than he thought, and he gladly took on the challenge of soothing those worries.

"Obviously you don't see yourself, love. You're beautiful on the outside, yes, but your light inside is so much greater. You're genuine. You're the most genuine beauty I've ever seen. You captivated me even as you threw your drink on me that first night, and I've been unable to get you out of my mind since then. I want to know you, Caroline."

She looked up at him with stunned eyes, for a moment too shocked for words. "That's…probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

It took months of courting and wooing, but eventually they became an actual couple. Him asking her to make it official was the last step she needed to push aside the insecurities she'd been growing for years. As he'd come to learn, she had never been someone's first choice. She had grown up in a small town down south before moving up north to the infamous NYC. He'd become increasingly glad she had the courage to do so, especially after the dreaded "ex" talk.

"Well, I really only ever had two boyfriends and both were when I was in school. In senior year of high school I dated Matt, but really he was still hung up on our friend Elena and so that didn't work out. But I can't blame him…he really did try to like me I think. I just…wasn't her. But I can say that we got to remain friends afterwards. I mean it was kind of awkward but we didn't walk away hating each other." Klaus fought to keep the anger he felt off his face. Firstly, he couldn't imagine anyone knowing Caroline and not being captivated by her light, and second, he was upset any fool would date her when not having genuine feelings for her. She was too good for that.

"And what of the second?" Klaus had a sneaking suspicion that this second one would make him want to hit something-preferably Ex #2. He knew Caroline had headed many a committee in her time, been given the title of Miss Mystic Falls, and been captain of her cheerleading squad. And she had built this Matt person up too much, like she was trying to soften some blow.

"Well, that one wasn't until college. So who was your high school sweetheart?" Her tone went a touch too high and he immediately picked up on the attempted deflection. It was something she was a fan of, and if you didn't know her well, you wouldn't notice it. You wouldn't see the tiny crinkle that formed between her brows. You wouldn't see the way she would move her fingers ever-so-slightly as if her body tried to reject her plans. You wouldn't hear that slight change in tone that made her voice go just a little too high from its normal pitch.

"That's easy, love, I didn't have one. Now what were you saying about this college boy?" He leaned closer to her on the couch, drawing his fingers up and down her bare arm with the lightest of touches. The patterns drew goose bumps to rise on her skin and she shivered in delight at his touch.

"Well-wait, what do you mean you didn't have one?" The effect of his ministrations was lost as she straightened herself to look him in the eye.

"It's simple, love, I never dated anyone before. Every girl I've been intimate with was only around long enough to 'get the job done.'"

"So that's why you were okay with this talk. That's cheating!"

"On the contrary, sweetheart, you never asked if I had any exes to speak of." She "humphed" in frustration, now upset that she wouldn't hear of any of his past relationships. It was like pulling teeth to get him to actually open up about himself.

"So then why did you agree to this?"

"Because I want to know about you, and the men I will be putting on my hit list." His tone was light, playful, but Caroline found it almost too light and too playful. In fact, she was sure by the look in his eyes that he wasn't happy.

"So what were you saying about Ex #2?" Caroline sighed and looked away. She wasn't so sure about this anymore. She'd been sure they could swap stories back and forth and maybe then she wouldn't feel like such a loser.

"Didn't any of the girls you…you know, didn't any make some sort of impression?" Klaus sighed in resignation, realizing that he wasn't exactly being fair and she had been forthcoming in her first relationship.

"Not really, but there was one that I guess you could say, left her mark."

Caroline turned her body back around to face him and leaned back into the couch, draping her legs across his lap. He began to lazily stroke up and down her calf, his mind wandering back to the brunette who had managed to gain power over him.

"Her name was Tatia, and there was something, very…seductive about her, addicting almost. You could tell her mind was always working, but you never knew what it was working towards. So I saw her quite a few times. We didn't date by any means, but after a few weeks, now rest assured I didn't love her, but I guess I fell into the routine and comfort of her, or the idea of her. Regardless, after a few weeks, I was meeting my elder brother Elijah, and he was going on and on about this girl he was infatuated with. All he could talk about was how much he had fallen for Tatia."

"What? You mean, she was seeing you both?" Klaus smirked at the look of disgust that crossed her features. His adorable little girlfriend even stuck her tongue out to show her dislike.

"Yes, she had starting seeing Elijah and learned that I was his brother and was looking to make some money, either but marrying him or selling the story."

"What a bitch!"

"Yes, well, she taught me a valuable lesson, and it eventually strengthened the bond between Elijah and I, so I'd almost argue it was worth it. But it did unsettle me that I had let someone like that get so close."

"I know the feeling." Klaus perked up at her quiet words. He looked at her, his hand stilling, as she met his gaze. She tried to smile as if all was well, but Klaus knew her well enough to know it was fake, and Ex #2 had really put her through the ringer.

"Tyler, he, well he seemed like a good guy. I mean, he gave me compliments, took me on dates, introduced me to all his friends. It was like he was happy to have me around. We dated for three years in college, I thought we were going to last, you know? But one day in senior year, I went to his dorm to surprise him and…I found him with one of the cheerleaders."

Anger surged through Klaus' veins, and he felt his face heat up in rage. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. But that wasn't you, love, that was an immature…dog, that didn't deserve you."

He felt his heart sink as Caroline laughed a broken, almost sob-like sound. "That's not what he said. He said if I'd just done what he wanted, then he wouldn't have had to get with other girls."

"What do you mean? What wouldn't you do?"

Caroline's sadness turned to confusion as she was pulled out of the memory. "He wanted to have sex. He thought it was stupid I wanted to wait. I mean, I told him it wasn't until marriage or anything, but I wanted it to be right, with someone special. I didn't want to be that girl that just gave it up because I guy wanted her to. I wanted to be worth more than that. I mean, Matt and I did things in high school, but he didn't pressure me to go farther than I wanted, but Tyler always tried to move further and then he just stopped trying."

"I guess it was good in the end though, right? Because that's not the kind of person I wanted that to happen with. When I found him with Hayley, I broke it off right then and there, he got mad, threw a glass at the wall, and I guess I saw the true Tyler, and that's not anyone I want to be with."

"You're right, love, he didn't deserve you, any part of you, but especially not…that."

"Well, now I'm glad it happened!" Klaus looked at her in shock.

"Because now I got to meet you and I couldn't be happier with anyone else."

Klaus' inner ego was still jumping in glee at knowing no other man had gotten to take her. Klaus had never cared before if his lovers' were virgins or not, but learning this new fact about his Caroline had sent him into a lustful frenzy.

And then a thought crossed his mind.

Was he special enough to deserve her? He decided he'd damn well try to be.

After months of dating, Klaus still had not gotten to see Caroline's home. This probably centered on the fact he loved to bring her home. He adored the way her face would light up as she entered his penthouse. And while she wasn't an art fanatic by any means, she enjoyed the artwork hung throughout his home. He'd never forget the look she had when he told her they were his.

"You did these? Why are you in the technology business? You should be making art for a living! These are amazing! Have you been to these places or did you create them?"

He'd spent the whole night telling her about his work, each and every piece. She was the only person, even including his family, who was that interested in his art. She'd even liked his darker pieces.

She was one-of-a-kind.

They had been discussing her moving in with him, they had been seeing each other exclusively for just over a year. But Caroline always held out, for she still held the fear that he would think she was after his money. He tried to persuade her otherwise, and pointed out several times that he didn't, nor would he ever, think that. Point two, he was asking her to move in. She had never once brought the subject up, but he found he wanted to see her before he fell asleep wake in the morning with her curled into him.

It was weird for Klaus to not have misgivings about her, but there was some light inside that drew him to her, and from their many conversations, Klaus knew Caroline wasn't the scheming type.

Klaus let it go for a while, but when he finally got to see where his light was staying, he once again tried to convince her to move to his penthouse.

He had to park three blocks away from her apartment because all the closer spots were taken by old, run-down clunkers that looked like they shouldn't be running. Klaus was no mechanic but he was fairly certain none of them would pass an emissions test…ever.

When he looked up at the building, Klaus had to double check the address she had texted him. This dingy worn brick building could not be the place that housed his Caroline. She was better than this shithole. But Klaus let it go because his sweetheart was sick and he was bringing her soup.

He had been so excited for their supposed date, but she had texted him this morning while he was at work, saying she had gotten a stomach bug that was going around at work. So he had left work early and gotten some medicine, soup, crackers, tea, and ginger ale. She had texted him saying he didn't need to do anything, but he refused to sit by and let her suffer alone.

Eventually he had gotten her to give up her address and was surprised to see he had never been in that part of town before.

And now he knew why.

Walking up dirty, worn stairs to the third floor, Klaus finally reached her door, the last on the right.

The door was a pale, unattractive brown, with a gold-painted, metal 308 hanging haphazardly over a peephole.

He knocked on the door, anxious to get inside and see his sick girlfriend.

But his mind was already scheming ideas to get her to leave this dump and live with him, like the queen she was.

Luckily for Klaus, his persuading finally worked. Caroline had agreed that they should live together and she was moving in. Tonight.

Klaus made his way over to her apartment, glad she would no longer walk in the vermin-infested, rundown ramshackle place they deemed livable.

His stomach was rolling with waves of anticipation, and he paused at the top of the steps, shocked for a second at how different his life had become since she'd entered it.

And honestly? He wouldn't want it any other way. It was in that moment Klaus finally put a name to his feelings. He loved her. Klaus Mikaelson, millionaire, loved Caroline Forbes, a hard-working, beautiful woman.

Smiling, and with ideas of how to verbalize his feelings to his love, he turned and made his way to the end of the hall. He was making a mental note to call Elijah, ever the romantic, when something made him pause. Lost in his thoughts, Klaus didn't see the figure running from Caroline's apartment until said figure knocked him into a wall as he ran past, rushing down the stairs as if escaping a fire. Klaus jumped up from the floor and rushed inside, his heart sinking as different scenarios played out in his mind. Each one was grimmer than the previous.

The table and lamp that usually stood just inside the door was now knocked over, broken glass scattered across the floor.

Klaus rushed down the hall into the living room, where the love of his life lay on the shattered glass coffee table she had bought the previous week. Blood was pooling around her head on the rug, and Klaus dropped to his knees beside her. He pulled her limp form to his chest, clutching her to him as his right hand pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed 911.

After shouting into the phone for help, he set the phone down, whispering words into her ear and pressing kisses to the crown of her head. For the first time in years, Klaus felt tears streaming down his face, as he pleaded to gods he didn't believe in to save her. His right hand grabbed up her wrist and felt for a pulse. He allowed himself a moment of relief when he felt a weak, uneven thump beneath his fingertip.

But he didn't care because each beat was proof that there was hope, and in that moment he needed any kind of hope he could take.

Take me, not her. I'll take her place, just let her be okay.

Klaus didn't care about his money, or fancy apartment, or the fact that his suit was being drenched in blood. He'd live on the streets without a penny for the rest of his life if only Caroline would open her eyes. He wanted, no, he needed her to be okay.

The ambulance eventually arrived and rushed the blonde from the room, Klaus following closely behind.

She was rushed into surgery, and hours later he was told there was evidence of bleeding in her brain. He didn't know what that meant, and the doctor had only said they'd do everything they could.

He called Elijah, mumbling something that he hoped was enough to let his brother know what was happening. For all the work he had done in his life, and all the emotional damage he had received, nothing had prepared him for this.

His pessimistic side spoke up in a quiet little hiss. It degraded him for allowing another woman to hold a power over him. But his logical side shut the voice down.

Caroline was worth it. Seeing her smile was worth it. Seeing her get excited about little things like his art work or a movie was worth it.

He just prayed he would get to see that smile again. He'd spend the rest of his existence making her smile if she would just pull through.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, the caller ID said it was Elijah calling him back.

"'Lijah?" Klaus cursed his voice as it cracked. It sounded just as broken as he felt.

"Niklaus, I just got done talking with the airline, I'll be taking a red eye back to New York in twenty minutes, but it's still a seven hour flight. I won't be there until morning."

"It's alright, they said she'd be in surgery the rest of the night, and that was if everything went well."

"Well, if what you've told me about her is true, everything will be fine. She'll pull through."

"Do you think so, 'Lijah?"

"Yes, I would like to think God would not let someone like her go."

"Can you say it again, Elijah, I need to hear it again."

"She'll be fine, Niklaus, she's strong. Before you know it you will be together again and this will all be a memory. And I'm boarding now, I'll call youwhen I land."

"Alright, and Elijah?"

"Yes, brother?"

"Thank you."

As he sat there through the night, Klaus realized he had never experienced true, petrifying fear. This, right now, waiting helplessly while the person he loved most in the world fought for life, was fear.

This panicked feeling inside his chest was fear.

The lump in his throat that formed when he thought of never seeing her again was fear.

The sting in the back of his eyes that burned when he thought he would never get to tell her he loved her was fear.

The fidgeting of his hands when he thought she'd never smile again was fear.

His helplessness was fear.

And if there was one thing Niklaus Mikaelson hated, it was fear.

So I'm having the worst day ever and I woke up in such a happy mood and now I'm just a ball of disappointment and depression so I needed to get this out. Apparently inspiration hits when I'm depressed.

Anyway, let me know what you think, please!

This idea just kind of came to me. I was thinking about how much Klaus relies on power and being feared and I wondered what it would be like if he was powerless. But I wasn't quite up to writing about vampires so I thought a human version would work best.

I'm working on the next chapter to Fire Away, but I'm not sure when it will be done.

THANK YOU for taking the time to read this piece!

And a giant Joseph Morgan cookie to anyone who guesses where P3 came from.