I would've had this chapter up if I hadn't written 1,000 words for it to all be obliterated by stupid technology. Sorry my dears. I was super frustrated. I literally had to put on Beauty and the Beast just to be able to write this! Haha

Beauty and the Beast the movie inspired this chapter. It inspires most chapters, but really the themes and songs throughout the movie helped me get through writing this chapter.

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Chapter 15: Belle

Caroline hopped into the shower. As she scrubbed away, she felt as if she was cleansing herself of Klaus' lingering gaze. He haunted her. She was still furious. Yes, her captor was ridiculously attractive, and she knew that he cared about her. But he had to know that locking her away wasn't right, and she wasn't just going to forgive and forget. It wasn't that easy. Since when did this whole idea become okay? When did he stop treating her like a princess?

She dried herself off and opted for a pair of jeans and a deep blue v-neck tank she found in the expansive closet. They fit her perfectly, so she rifled through it some more. It had everything her heart could ever desire. She found a white leather jacket with ruffles that was simply to die for.

Caroline brushed through her hair with her fingers as she made her way to the door. She smirked to herself as she bolted it shut. Now that cocky hybrid bastard wouldn't be sneaking up on her when she was half-naked. Caroline busied herself with her makeup. She was touching up her mascara when she heard three solid knocks on her door.

"Who is it?" she called playfully.

She could hear him growl from behind the door, "Caroline..."

The blonde rolled her eyes as she skipped toward the door. Being in control made her feel a bubbling excitement; it was thrilling to finally hold the power. The door knob jiggled, and she heard another growl. He was frustrated now, but he tried to maintain his composure.

"Unlock the door, sweetheart," he sighed from the other.

"Funny, I didn't hear a please," she chided.

"Caroline..." his patience was wearing thin.

She rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see, "I don't take demands from you anymore, Klaus. As far as I'm concerned, you're not getting in this room unless you decide to break down the beautiful antique door yourself."

"A tempting offer," he threatened.

She waited, holding her breath, for him to make his move. She wouldn't put it past him to barge right through the door. It was a beautiful door, but like most of his beautiful possessions it could be replaced.

He sighed, and there was a change to his voice. Klaus was softer, more sincere, "I just came to ask you if you'd like to join me for lunch, sweetheart."

"I think I'll pass," she faked nonchalance.

There was a sudden, furious pound on the door that made Caroline jump. She whipped back around to glare at the closed door.

"Let me rephrase that: come downstairs now to join me for lunch, sweetheart."

Caroline snorted, "Yeah that really makes me want to share a meal with you. Real gentlemanly, Klaus."

"Come out, now! Or don't eat at all!"

The blonde girl yelled, "No!"

She flipped around to sit on her bed with a huff. There was no way she was coming out now. She was way too stubborn for that, and unfortunately, Klaus was too.

"I'd rather starve than join you for anything!" her anger boiled over.

"Starve, then!" he tone was cold and calculating.

"You-you-you're unbelievable!"

She could hear Klaus' footsteps stomping down the hallway away from her. For a good ten minutes, she was completely satisfied with their encounter. One second after that, she felt just slightly more remorseful. It dawned on her why all of this seemed familiar: this scenario was just like Beauty and the Beast. It wasn't exactly the fairytale Caroline was hoping for, and Belle never really was a true princess. But neither was Caroline. Maybe she hadn't handled that situation in the best possible way. Of course, she would never admit that. Her pride would not let her back down from this fight. He was wrong; he was the beast. And he had to figure that out.

...

A couple hours later after Caroline had explored everything this loaned room had to offer, she began to realize just how hungry she was. Or perhaps thirsty was a better word. She hadn't had blood since she drank Klaus' last night. Now it was almost four o'clock, and her throat was burning. It was getting to the point where it was unbearable. She wouldn't be able to last much longer.

And was she being a bit ridiculous really? As time went by it began to click with her that the room was simply breathtaking. Everything was perfect...but perfect for her. It was as if Klaus had specially designed this room exactly and only for her, but she knew he hadn't had the time since they'd made the deal. That meant that he had just kept this room up for her, waiting for her return. It was exactly the kind of arrogant, overly-confident move that made Caroline snort, but she couldn't help finding it a bit endearing and romantic as well. He really did believe that they were meant to be. Klaus wanted to put her first; he was just waiting for her to put him first.

Of course, I guess he wasn't waiting anymore. More like demanding it.

Caroline paced back and forth for another hour or so. She was wondering why she should have to suffer for Klaus' arrogance and cruelty and idiocy. Why should she starve to death up here just because he was an asshole? Just when she was about to swallow her pride in favor of swallowing something much more satisfying, someone knocked on her door. Caroline's heart thudded as she dropped her hand from the lock and backed away from the door.

"Miss Forbes?"

She breathed a sigh of relief, although there was a pang in her chest. She had wished that a different Mikaelson brother had come to check on her and make amends. She should've known better.

...

After Klaus stormed away

...

Klaus had been furious all day. He tried painting, but they just turned out as angry scratches across the easel. Why was she being so difficult? Yes, he had imprisoned her, but there was no way he could just let her wander the city roaming wherever her heart desired. He had collected quite a few enemies, especially after returning to his old home.

He downed another glass of scotch, scowling at nothing in particular. Then went back to work on the easel. He cut dark furious lines across the blank page, letting the emotions reveal themselves through the painting. He was just trying to do what was best for her in the long run! She deserved a long, long, preferably never-ending existence full of beauty and light and knowledge. Klaus could see it in her eyes: she wanted so much more than the provincial life that she led in Mystic Falls. She wanted adventure in the great, wide somewhere. Klaus was fully prepared to offer her all that and more, but he had bitten off more than he could chew at the moment. Taking over a kingdom was supposed to fill his time while Caroline went to college. It was his pass-time until she realized that she'd wanted him all along. By the time she returned to him, he would be a King looking for his stunning Queen to take her throne. But when she'd come to New Orleans, he just couldn't resist. He didn't want her to leave.

If Klaus was being honest with himself, which he tried to do on occasion, he had been disappointed when she arrived with a mission. Why couldn't Caroline have come for him? Only him. Not for some favor. Not for some doppleganger that he had run to the ends of the earth for centuries. Klaus saw right through her arrival-she'd been sent to woo him into compliance. It was infuriating to know that the Mystic Falls Gang thought the baby vampire had so much power over him, but it was even more infuriating to realize that it was almost true. If the Big Bad Original Hybrid could experience an emotion like hurt, then that's what Klaus supposed he had felt.

Elijah's expensive cologne hit Klaus's nostrils as he entered the study. Klaus poured himself another well-deserved drink; this was sure to be a lovely brother-to-brother conversation.

"Is something troubling you, Niklaus?"

"Now why would you think that, Elijah?" Klaus rolled his eyes, piling the sarcasm on thickly.

"I suspect this has something to do with our new guest."

Klaus just grunted in reply. "Is this conversation going anywhere, Elijah, because I'm really not in the mood to beat around the bush."

"How long will Miss Forbes be staying with us?"

"Indefinitely."

Elijah raised his eyebrows, "Ah, I see...well, in that case we must be sure to make her feel welcome in our home."

"That's my dear older brother, always the gentleman. Unfortunately, she isn't feeling too inclined to join our household at the moment."

Klaus glanced over at his brother, who was wearing an expectant look. "She won't come down for lunch."

Elijah grinned, "Perhaps she isn't hungry."

Niklaus growled, "So now he's one for the jokes. I thought we'd gotten rid of that with Kol."

The two brothers took a split second to feel remorse for their deceased younger brother, but they were Originals and quickly composed themselves.

Elijah sighed, getting frustrated with the sarcastic answers, "Niklaus I can see that this girl, for some reason, holds a great deal of importance to you. But I do question your methods, brother...this deal that you have made..."

Klaus interrupted him, sauntering closer to his brother for a staring contest that would soon ensue, "Elijah, why do you keep the mother of my child hidden away in these corridors?"

"To keep her out of harms way. Away from our enemies," Elijah was perplexed.

"Exactly, brother."

As much as Klaus hated to admit it, Caroline affected him enough that he was afraid of his enemies using her to get to him. Mostly because he knew it would work. There wasn't much he wouldn't do for that girl, and it scared him.

"Why not send her back to her small town? Surely she'd be safe from our current adversaries there."

Klaus shook his head, smirking at his brother's misgivings, "The moment she stepped foot in this town claiming I'd want to speak with her, she put herself in danger."

Elijah frowned, his brow creasing, "That does not make her a prisoner, brother."

The hybrid rolled his eyes. He was well aware of that. Klaus poured himself another drink, content to be miserable the rest of the day.

"You're stubbornness does more you more harm that good, I'm afraid. If you will not apologize to our lovely new guest, then I shall."

Elijah was gone in a blur. Klaus was left there sipping his alcohol and simmering in the judgments of his older brother. He went back to painting. This time the lines did not cross and twist in perplexing, displeasing blobs. Something beautiful was forming; it was just taking it's time.

...

"Elijah, I...wasn't expecting you,"Caroline said as she shut the door behind him, stealing a peek out in the hallway to make sure there were no Original tag-alongs.

Unfortunately Elijah was alone, and Caroline was surprised at how disappointed she was.

"Please, call me Caroline."

"Caroline, how has your room been treating you? Let us know if there are any accommodations we can make," the Original smiled with sincerity.

"Oh, no everything's fine...actually it's unbelievably perfect," she grinned back at him, despite the day she was having.

"I have heard you will be staying with us indefinitely from my brother."

"Your asshole of a brother. So I guess he hasn't changed his mind, then?" she rolled her eyes. "He might as well chain my wrists together and lock me behind bars. All of this," she gestured around the room. "is just a charade."

Elijah simply smiled a small, sad smile, "I realize you are...perturbed about your loss of freedom."

"That's one way of putting it," she huffed, sitting on her bed.

"But I...I implore you to view things from a different perspective. Niklaus does not always show that he cares in the remotely correct manner. For goodness sake, he daggered our whole family and kept them in boxes for years just to ensure their safety."

Caroline's eyebrows creased. She hadn't made that connection until now. Klaus couldn't exactly dagger her and store her in a box. Was this his way of showing that he cared enough to want her to survive? Her stomach flopped at the thought. A small smile threatened to spread across her face. She still wasn't convinced though.

"So you are saying that he's forcing me to stay in New Orleans with him because he cares about me?" she gave Elijah a critical look.

He chuckled softy, "As ridiculous as it may seem, yes. Niklaus believes that you staying "locked away" as you put in our home is the best way to protect you from our abundance of enemies. I believe you are very important to my brother, Miss Forbes."

She snorted, "Well he has a very sucky way of showing it."

Inside she was slightly freaking out. She was not only important to him, but very important to him. And this was coming from his sibling. Caroline wasn't sure why her heart was racing and her stomach was doing somersaults. She knew that Klaus had taken in interest in her. Maybe she hadn't believed it stretched this far.

The Original grinned ear to ear, "Very sucky, indeed."

Caroline giggled, smiling back at him, foolishly. It soon bubbled over into full on laughter. Her eyes were lighting up, and Elijah could see why his brother was so taken with her. Caroline was everything Klaus was not, but everything he had been before and everything he could be in the future. Klaus was drawn to the light.

...

Klaus's vampire hearing picked up Caroline's delicious laughter from upstairs. He narrowed his eyes. Elijah was too much of a gentleman sometimes. Sometimes he just needed to mind his own business. Klaus was immensely jealous that her laughter was caused by his brother instead of himself. A new form of anger was bubbling inside of him. He threw his paintbrush onto the table and hurried out of his study, determined to get to Caroline before his brother stepped in.

"So will you be joining us for dinner, Miss Forbes?" Klaus heard his brother politely inquire. It wasn't as muffled, so he must be leaving her room.

"If you will be accompanying me, then yes, Elijah," Klaus could hear the smile in her voice.

"Absolutely, you are our honored guest."

There was a moment of silence that was bordering on awkward.

"Oh!" Caroline exclaimed. "You mean like now?"

Elijah chuckled, "Take your time to get ready if you need, Miss Forbes. We will wait for you in the dining hall."

"Okay, I'll be down in a few."

Klaus heard a pair of footsteps approaching him. Elijah rounded the corner with a despicable smirk plastered on his face. Klaus was seething in rage and jealousy. How dare he make amends! How dare he undermine him!

"She's delightful, Niklaus. A very beautiful woman to say the least," Elijah commented, nonchalantly.

Klaus's anger grew. He remembered long ago when he fought his brother for Tatia. At the time, Klaus had believed himself to be in love with her. She always loved Elijah best, though. Looking back on it, the warning signs were all there. Klaus should have known better. He would never fight his brother for a girl again because he would never allow his brother to get close his girl again. Caroline was the only woman that he had cared about in a really long time. Elijah was not about to sneak in and snatch her away too. He was already working on winning over Klaus's child along with the child's mother.

Klaus had his brother pinned to wall. His forearm was firmly against Elijah's trachea. Their eyes met in a fiery storm of rage and challenge.

"Stay away from her Elijah."

"I simply wanted to meet our new guest, brother," there was mockery in the tone.

"Is it not enough that you aspire to have my child call you father?"

The blow hit home and softened Elijah's cocky facade. He easily brushed Klaus off.

"Dinner in ten, Niklaus. Don't be late. We wouldn't want to disappoint your guest."

Elijah was all too pleased with himself. He knew exactly how to get under Niklaus's skin. His brother was already making his way over to Miss Forbe's room to make amends. Sometimes Niklaus failed to realize just how manipulative his older brother could be despite his seemingly moral-driven nature.

...

Klaus felt his veins fueled with adrenaline after his little spat with Elijah. He paced back and forth outside of Caroline's door, debating whether to wait for her to come out or to knock. Eventually the decision was made for him when her door opened. Klaus left his hands behind his back as he turned toward her.

She rolled her eyes, "Seriously? You could try to not be so much of a stalker."

"You are inside my home, love," he smirked.

He could see she wasn't amused, so he cleared his throat and tried for a different approach.

"I would like to...formerly invite you to dinner with my family as our new guest."

She crossed her arms across her chest, but she didn't walk away. Klaus took that as a good sign, sort of.

"Guest? So guest as in totally free or guest as in still completely a prisoner, but you're just calling it a guest to patronize me?" Her eyebrow shot up.

Klaus suppressed his anger. He was trying here. She could at least cut him some slack. He took in a deep breath and took a step toward her.

"Caroline...despite our deal," she huffed, but he continued on. "there are other reasons for your so-called "imprisonment," which you agreed to by the way."

Her jaw locked at the jab, "You know as well as I do that you never should've put that deal on the table."

"Maybe not," he sighed. "Being inside these walls is what is safest for you right now, sweetheart. But I don't want you to feel like a prisoner in my home."

I really don't want you to feel like a guest in my home either, Klaus thought to himself.

"So what are you saying?"

He sighed again, and put on his biggest charming smile, "Be our guest, love."

...

Well there it is...hope you like it. I'm still not 100% happy with it. I liked the first version better I think, but of course that all got erased. Ugh.

Sorry for the late update. Like VERY late. I got frustrated and busy.

THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! IT WAS REALLY ENCOURAGING TO BREAK 100! (: DO IT AGAIN, GUYS(; xo.