Another Lonely Night

1 - A Tour

"How rich are you exactly?" Caroline's eyes follow the maid to the table as she sets down the food. "Because you have like a gazillion servants."

"Doesn't everyone deserve to have secrets?" Caroline fills her plate and looks up at the man sitting next to her. 

"I guess. Maybe I'll figure them out." He smirks and watches as she digs into her food. "You're not going to eat?"

"I already ate." She nods and continues to eat. "Before I do give you that tour, I have some business to attend to." Caroline sets down her fork and meets his eyes. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine." The blonde pushes her plate, deciding that she's finished. "I think I'll check out the house."

"Very well." He walks out the door without so much as a goodbye.

****

After Caroline had seen many bedrooms and studies, she came upon a different room, filled with paintings and notebooks, all full of drawings. Many of the drawings were of trees and the vast countryside but one notebook caught her eye. It was laying facedown on the table in the corner as if someone had just opened it the night before. "Oh my god." There was only one drawing on the first page and it was of her. She was looking out the window of Klaus' car and her eyes were drooping, as if ready to fall asleep. 

"I see you found my studio." The blonde dropped the notebook suddenly and her head snapped around. "I didn't mean to startle you love."

"It's okay." She bent down and picked up the notebook off of the floor. "You drew me."

"I just started drawing, I wasn't even sure of what until I was done." Klaus walked over and took the notebook out of her hand. "I'm sorry if I have offended you."

"No it's just- I didn't know anyone saw me like that." His eyes met hers so suddenly. "Beautiful."

"You are beautiful." Hearing that made her want to believe it even less. 

"I guess." She gestured around the room. "You're really good."

"There are better people, I'm sure." 

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Caroline punched his shoulder jokingly. "You're better than me."

"I could teach you." She shakes her head.

"Nah, I'm not really interested in drawing anyways." He nods his head understandingly. "About that tour."

****

"This is the French Quarter." He spun in a circle with his arms held out. "This is where I live."

"It's so- beautiful." She ran her hand over the brick walls and suddenly pulls her hand back, as she winces and sucks on the tip of her finger. "Ow."

"What happened?" Caroline holds her finger out to him as blood wells up and a drop falls to the ground. "Come on."

"Okay." She follows Klaus into a small shop where he hands her a band-aid, she carefully puts it on her finger. "Thanks."

"Wouldn't want it to get infected." He hands the woman at the counter a few coins and they head back outside. "I'll show you the rest of New Orleans."

****

"Are there really witches here?" Klaus chuckles from behind the blonde as they walk past a cemetery. "I'm serious."

"I believe there are." Caroline stops at the entrance. 

"Shall we?" A look passes over the Mikaelson's face but he quickly hides it with a smile.

"Sure." But neither of them knew, that when they walked past the gates, they had passed a barrier preventing them from leaving.

****

"This place is creepy." The blonde runs her fingers over the name Monique Devereux on the tombstone. "Ever been here before?"

"Just once." He grabbed her hand, tugging her around the corner. "She was my girlfriend."

"Did you love her?" Cami O'Connell. Daughter, sister, niece, friend. 

"Very but it's been many years since she died." A small smile appeared on her lips. "Do you want to go home?"

"Yeah. I've had enough of New Orleans for today." When Caroline tries to walk through the gate she is met by an invisible wall. "What the hell?"

"Let me try." He was met by the same wall and Caroline hit it with the palm of her hand. "I'll be right back."

****

"Hybrid." Genevieve stood inside the building in the middle of the cemetery. When he tries to speed towards her, he's met by another invisible wall.

"Let us out!" The witch lets a laugh escape her lips as she picks up a knife from the table in front of her. 

"Why do you insist on helping that human girl?" She slices open her palm and lets some of her blood flow into a small bowl. "She's useless anyways."

"That's my business." The candles around her flare to life as she starts chanting some words. "What are you doing?"

"Klaus?" Caroline trips over a rock as she rounds the corner. Her knees hit the ground and she winces in pain. "What is this?"

"I take it she doesn't know what you are." Genevieve tugs a girl out of the corner and brings her over to the table. "Meet Tatia, although I'm sure you've already met her Niklaus."

"What does she mean what you are?" The blonde wipes the front of her jeans walks the rest of the way over to Klaus. "Klaus."

"It's a long story." She crosses her arms over her chest as Tatia winces in pain when Genevieve slices her palm. "I would like you to tell me what you're doing."

"A binding spell." The witch chants a few more words and if they could, the flames go even higher. "Binding the both of you."

"But wouldn't you ne-." His sentence is cut off as both Klaus' and Caroline's palms slice open and a few drops of each of their blood floats towards the bowl. "Why are you doing this?"

"She needs to be protected." The witch chants the last words for the spell and both Klaus and Caroline fall unconscious, Genevieve laying the blonde down gently with her magic. "She is your redemption."