Just Give Me A Reason

Story: Just Give Me A Reason Storylink: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9231386/1/ Category: Vampire Diaries Genre: Romance/Drama Author: RadientWings Authorlink: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2643790/ Last updated: 01/07/2014 Words: 38767 Rating: T Status: In Progress Content: Chapter 1 to 8 of 8 chapters Source: FanFiction.net Summary: Klaus. Caroline. Sparks fly. After one passionate night, they thought they would never see each other again Five months later, Klaus gets an unexpected surprise when he runs into Caroline - a very pregnant Caroline. Klaroline. AU. All human.

*Chapter 1*: Prologue

Ok so, this lovely idea was the courtesy of the wonderful carasedrin (she basically co-wrote it with me). Thanks so much S! :) This is my second foray into AU human klaroline, so I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Disclaimer: Don't own TVD! Prologue "Right from the start, you were a thief you stole my heart, and I your willing victim" Klaus Mikaelson saw her as soon as he entered the club. She stood out from all of the other women here. At first he wasn't quite sure what it was. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt about that, blonde and blue-eyed, her shorts showing off long legs. But it wasn't that that drew him to her, it was something in her smile, that sparkle in those blue eyes of hers. It was just her. He found himself pushing through the throngs of people, making straight for where she was standing at the bar and leaning on the countertop, a drink in one hand. Her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders and Klaus wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through those blonde locks. Her back was bare, her black halter-top giving him the perfect view of her pale skin. She finally seemed to notice him when she turned around and her blue met his. In that moment Klaus knew he had to be closer to her. Originally, he had come here to escape, get lost in the people and get away from his troubles with the use of alcohol. But, now, seeing her looking at him, his plans had changed. She appraised him with a small smile as he continued to walk to her slowly. In return, Klaus let his own eyes rove over her, smirking. He never actually made it to the bar, though, when the girl herself came forward to him and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him instead to the dance floor, a sparkling smile on her face. He found himself marveling at the softness of her hand in his, the confident sway of her hips as she led him forward. Only when they were in the middle of the crowd did she stop, turning around and awarding him with another radiant smile. She immediately started moving with the music, still holding his hand. For a moment, Klaus did nothing, simply watching her until she sent him a slight questioning look. Suddenly Klaus came to a decision and pulled her flush into his chest, smirking when he felt a surprised gasp run through her body. He hooked her arms around his neck, his own hands then slowly travelling down her arms and the sides of her body, eventually settling on her her hips. She was looking up at him with wide eyes as he leaned down, putting his forehead against hers. They started their dance again, this time more fervently, bodies moving together. Eventually, the girl lost her wide-eyed look and it was replaced with predatory sort of grin as she pushed into him, grinding against him, one of her hands falling from his neck and to his chest, over his fast beating heart. Klaus wasn't quite sure how long he and this nameless, beautiful girl danced like that, but he knew it must have been a long time as the people around them began to thin. Still, they danced, and as they did so, it grew more impassioned. Their eyes stayed locked as they swayed, their faces moving slowly closer and closer. Eventually, Klaus couldn't take it anymore and gave into his urges and feverishly put his lips on hers, groaning when she responded eagerly, immediately deepening the kiss, her arms wrapped tight around his neck. Klaus' own hands moved from her hips, one going around her waist and under her shirt, touching the bare skin of the small of her back, and the other going to her hair, tugging at the end of her blonde locks as he had been wanting to all night. They soon found themselves moving away from the dance floor and out of the club. The girl pushed him roughly against the brick wall of the club, once again attacking his lips. Klaus smirked, not having pegged her for one who liked to be so dominant. Well, unfortunately for her, Klaus liked dominating more than her, he suspected. He had them flipped in the next instant and her back was to the wall instead of his. He stood still for a moment now, both of them breathing hard. "What's your name, love?" He found himself asking, his voice gruff.

She cocked her head coyly. "Caroline." She answered after a moment, her voice the sweetest sound Klaus had ever heard. His lips were instantly over hers again, eventually trailing to Caroline's cheek and down to her neck. "You never told me your name." Caroline gasped, her fingers threaded through his hair. Klaus lifted his head from where it was at her neck and smirked at her. "My name is Klaus." "Well, Klaus, what do you say we get out of here?" Caroline asked with a mischievous look in her eyes. He chuckled deep in his throat. "I couldn't have said it better myself, sweetheart." Klaus stepped back from her and offered her his hand. Only a second later, Caroline's fingers were once again intertwining with his. This time it was Klaus who pulled her along.

Caroline Forbes was not the sort of girl who had one-night stands. She was not the sort of girl who went into a club and danced all night long with some guy whom she'd just met. She was not the kind of girl who spent the rest of the night in bed with aforementioned guy doing things that were probably better left unmentioned; even if said guy was probably the most handsome, sexy man she had ever met. (If anyone asked, she would say it was the accent that did her in definitely not the mix honesty, pain, and amusement in his eyes or the dark twist of his smirk or the gentleness of his large hands.) And yet, Caroline did exactly that. But that wasn't the point. The point was that, normally, Caroline didn't do those things. She was the kind of person who went out on dates and had summer flings, sure. But, easy sex? That just wasn't her thing. She was the girl who wanted a serious relationship; as a child she had always dreamt of having her own Prince Charming. As an adult, she now knew it just wasn't that easy. After just coming out of a good relationship gone wrong, she knew that it would never be that easy. In fact, it was because of her ex-boyfriend, Tyler, that she was in that club in the first place, acting like someone she usually wasn't. When she finally got there, she'd thought she wouldn't go through with it. But then she saw him . Klaus. And she was done for. And it was because she actually wasn't that type of girl that she had left early the next morning, careful not to wake Klaus, thinking she would never see this handsome, sexy man who made her forget her morals, ever again. Which led her to where she was now, weeks later, in the bathroom, bent over the toilet and throwing up all of her breakfast. It had been happening on and off for the past few days when she came to an awful realization; she was late. Caroline was not the type of girl that was late with anything. Despite initially denying even the possib ility, Caroline had found herself wandering to the section that held pregnancy tests in the supermarket anyways. Now here she was, washing her face and mouth, trying to make it seem like she hadn't just puked her guts out and decidedly not looking at the little test that sat on the countertop. Who knew that the waiting time could seem this long? She leant against the sink, her foot tapping up and down nervously, her eyes on the clock. But, even with the waiting, Caroline already had the feeling she knew what the results were going to be, she could feel it in her stomach. Literally. But her mind refused to accept it. This wasn't a part of Caroline Forbes, small-town girl and former Miss Mystic Falls' immaculate plan for her future. This wasn't supposed to happen to her now. It couldn't. It wouldn't. Caroline was supposed to get further in her career before this happened. She was supposed to get married before this ever became a thought. She most certainly wasn't supposed to be just barely starting her life and single when this happened. If she ever had a child it was supposed to be with her one not some handsome stranger she was sure she

would never see again. Caroline glanced at the clock again, seeing that enough time should have passed for the results to show. Suddenly hesitant and a thousand more times nervous than before, she carefully reached out for the ridiculously small object that was going to decide the course of her future. Slowly, she glanced down. Her heart stopped. Her face lost all of its color. Positive. She lifted a hand up to her mouth; panic flooding her system as the realization hit her. I'm pregnant. Shit. Okay so, this is simply the prologue of what is going to be a multi-chaptered fic. Everything is already planned out so updates should come out pretty regularly :) If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

*Chapter 2*: Crash

Thank you to babyvfan, Klata, Esperanza14, Marta (x2), .Executioner, Lovely Rain Dancer, arabella, RippahGoneWolf, InuGnome17, ILove2Write13, glevez25, Lord of Sin, EmmaRedVelvet, TeddyBee, jinx-inside, Klaus lover, Mel023, Guest, gleeislover, Marina, MoriartyandHisTardis, Guest, PsychVamp, ifancyklarolinexx, Sci-fi Christian, Skaiya McFee, Guest, sandiw1875, ANGELiCAWROTE, ApekshaStar, jessinicole, SweetyK, ForverInYourArms, EyesLikeLiquidFire, and Pemfor reviewing! Thanks for the great response everyone! And, of course, a special thank you to the wonderful and amazing carasedrin for coming up with ideas and beta'ing this for me :D Ok guys, like all of my other stories, the first chapter acts as kind of a set up chapter for the rest of the story, so bear with me! Disclaimer: I do not own TVD Chapter One Crash "Your head is running wild again, my dear we still have everything, and it's all in your mind. Yeah b ut this is happening." When Caroline Forbes had moved to the city six years earlier to get her university degree, wanting to become a registered nurse, she had never thought she would end up staying here in Richmond, getting a job at the hospital and eventually be one of their top employees. She had certainly never expected to end up breaking with her boyfriend and get knocked up a week later by a complete stranger. But here she was, five months later. At first Caroline had been unsure what to do, panicked. When she first picked up that pregnancy test and saw it was positive a thousand thoughts had run through her mind. First was, of course, panic. And then denial. The test had to have been a fluke. So she tested herself again. And again. And again. Positive. Positive. Positive. So Caroline decided to suck up her pride and went to visit the doctor's office for confirmation. Same answer. Pregnant. She spent the first week in a haze, completely detached. No one suspected a thing, but she had just been going through the motions. That is, until she was caught with morning sickness in the bathroom by one of her best friends, Bonnie Bennet.

"Caroline?" Bonnie entered the female b athrooms when she heard retching. She knocked on the stall where the noise was coming from. "Are you okay in there?" "Just fine." Caroline managed to get out, b efore another wave of nausea hit her. She had b een hiding her 'illness' all week, trying to avoid the reason for it for as long as she could; seems like she couldn't do so anymore. "Okay, that's I'm coming, you've b een acting off all week." Bonnie b arged in, stopping in her tracks when she saw her friend crying over the toilet. She immediately crouched b eside her, placing her hand on the b londe girl's b ack, worrying at her friend's pallid appearance. "Oh my God, Care, what's the matter?" She asked, concern lacing her voice. Caroline pulled b ack from the toilet, now just sitting next to it, uncaring of the unsanitary appearance of the b athroom. "Bonnie, I really messed up." She said as she hid her face in her hands, her voice clogged with an overflow of emotion. "What do you mean, messed up, what did you do?" The other girl asked in return, sitting b eside the b londe. Caroline hesitated, unsure if she wanted to get into this. But she knew she couldn't hide this for much longer. "After Tyler I, I went a little crazy and I went out for some fun" She swallowed, throat suddenly dry as she sneaked a peek at

her friend, suddenly intensely nervous as to how she would react. "I slept with some guy I didn't know, I just wanted to prove to Tyler that I wasn't who he said I was, that I wasn't some prude b itch, I never thought" She trailed off, unab le to go further, desperate tears filling her eyes. "What, Caroline? You're scaring me" Bonnie said suddenly, sounding frustrated and even more worried than b efore. And then it b urst out of Caroline. The truth she had wanted so much to ignore. "I'm pregnant, Bonnie!" She exclaimed. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them and she b uried her face deeper into her hands. "Oh." She felt her friend pull away from her, shock in her voice. "Oh" "Bonnie..?" Caroline asked, looking b ack to her friend who seemed like she was anywhere b ut here. "I, uh" The b runette made to stand b ut her b londe friend couldn't b ear to see her go, not now when she needed her, and grab b ed her wrist. "Please, don't go Bon! I don't know what to do." Caroline said desperately. Bonnie hesitated for a moment, b efore nodding, and sitting b ack down, looking unsure b ut, much to Caroline's relief, sticking around. "Ok, ok, it's ok, I'll stay with you"

Eventually Bonnie and Caroline made it b ack to Caroline's apartment, needing somewhere more private (as in, not in the b athrooms at work) to talk it all through. When they first arrived at her place, it had b een quite awkward, as if neither girl knew where to start and what to say. Bonnie and her had always had somewhat of a rocky friendship, b ut Caroline still considered the girl to b e one of her b est friends. She just hoped this wouldn't change it. "What do you think you're going to do?" Bonnie asked at one point. "I don't know, Bon. I honestly don't know." And she really didn't. Keep it? Not keep it? Be a mother? Put it up for adoption? Caroline had no idea. It was like she was numb . Suddenly they heard the front doorknob turn and in walked none other than Stefan Salvatore, Caroline's other b est friend. Though she and Bonnie had b een friends since kindergarten, Stefan and her had a close b ond since the minute they met in high school, after he and his b rother Damon moved to Mystic Falls. He was now in his second year of medical school, and even interned at the same hospital where she and Bonnie worked. Stefan was the one she knew she could always depend on, and they often just dropped b y each other's places to chat or hang out, b oth of them having a key. "Hey, are you guys ok?" Stefan asked, immediately sensing something was wrong as he kicked off his shoes. "Hey, Stef." Caroline said, her voice b arely a whisper. Normally she would greet him with a hug or even just a smile; today she did neither. "What's going on?" He asked, making his way to the couches and sitting down in one of them, shooting b oth girls curious glances. Caroline looked to Bonnie for help, who simply looked away, offering no helpful advice to her friend. Sighing, the b londe sat b ack and considered for a moment, b efore coming to a decision. She could never hide anything from Stefan, at least not for long, and she supposed it would b e b etter if he heard it from her and not someone else. Besides, he always helped her when she trapped in a corner. Only, she feared this corner was far worse and much more complicated than any she had encountered b efore. "You're going to find out sooner or later." She said quietly after a moment, b arely looking at him, too afraid that he would b e ashamed of her when he found out. "Find out what?" "I... I..." Caroline stopped, her throat going dry. Come on! Pull yourself together! You've already told one person today, what's two? It seemed that in the time that Caroline spent contemplating, Bonnie had finally decided to participate and took the decision from her. "She's pregnant." She intoned b landly.

"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed, feeling a slight tick of annoyance, b efore immediately looking to Stefan, curious and terrified of what his reaction might b e. For a moment, he was completely straight-faced, until finally he cracked a rare smile. "Oh haha, very funny, guys... " His smile died on his lips when he saw the looks on the two girls' faced. "wait, you're not joking, are you?" Caroline's shake of her head was enough to confirm his question for him. Stefan opened and closed his mouth a few times, speechless "Wow..." He let out finally." Ok... wow, what are you going to do, Care?" He asked after he took a minute to collect himself, in true Stefan fashion, trying not to overreact. "Did you already tell Tyler?" Caroline, who had b een planning to stay calm just couldn't anymore, and stood up, storming upset to her room. Of all the people he had to mention it just had to be Tyler, didn't it? She tried to ignore the pit of guilt in her stomach. "Well done, Stefan." Bonnie said sarcastically. "What? What did I do?" He shot her a confused look. The b runette sighed, shaking her head. "It's not Tyler's." Stefan stopped in his tracks. "It's not?" He asked, even more shocked at this news than the fact that his b est friend was pregnant. "No, it happened right after they b roke up, she needed to let loose and, well, here we are." Bonnie crossed her arms, a grim look on her face. "Is she sure it's not his?" "Apparently." The way the b runette shrugged showed that she really wasn't sure what she b elieved. "You have that look on your face, Bonnie." Stefan said admonishingly. "What look?" "That disappointed look, she doesn't need that." Stefan didn't exactly approve of the whole one-night stand get pregnant scenario b ut he wasn't ab out to let that make him question Caroline and who she is. He certainly wouldn't judge her for it. "Well, mayb e she should have thought things through for once. It's like high school all over again." Bonnie said snipingly. "Don't say that. You know how much Caroline has grown since high school." Stefan replied, immediately coming to his friend's defense. Though he knew Bonnie only wanted the b est for them, he also knew that sometimes she showed it in the wrong way. The b runette had a slight look of guilt ab out her for a second, b ut it soon disappeared and she stood up, grab b ing her stuff. "I guess. I just, I don't know, I need time to think... Tell her I'll call her, ok?" Before Stefan could get a word in edgewise, Bonnie had already left. Stefan sighed to himself, hating to get in the middle of that kind of drama. He approached Caroline's b edroom door, knowing she prob ab ly needed some support, even if she didn't want it. He knocked loudly twice. "Caroline? Can I come in?" When he heard no answer, Stefan shrugged and entered anyways. "Hey." Caroline didn't even glance his way, b urying herself deeper in her b ed. Stefan didn't push her anymore and instead sat b y her side, waiting for her to open up to him. "Bonnie left, didn't she?" She asked, finally b reaking their silence. "Yeah." He said honestly. "She thinks I'm pathetic, doesn't she?" Stefan turned to Caroline, finding her looking b ack at him with sad eyes. "Of course not! You know Bonnie, she just needs some time to adjust." He reassured, placing a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "What am I going to do, Stefan? I can't b e a mom! Half the time I can't even keep myself together." Caroline asked, sitting up panicked. "Hey, hey." She looked b ack at him. "Come here." Stefan pulled his friend into his arms. "No matter what happens, not

matter what you choose to do, I will b e there for you, ok? I promise you." For the first time that day, Caroline smiled a little.

A week after she dropped the b ig b omb shell on her two b est friends, Caroline found herself slowly b eginning to accept the facts. Still, she kept the facts to herself from then on, not wanting to have another person look at her like she was crazy. So, she went to work, acted as if nothing was going on. Caroline quickly filed away the rest of the paperwork she had just finished, her shift coming to an end. She was just pulling her hair out of her customary ponytail and grab b ing her stuff when she ran into one of the few people who knew on her way out of the locker room. "Care." Bonnie greeted with a small smile, having arrived early for her own shift. "Hey Bonnie." Caroline replied emotionlessly, trying to get to the door. She loved Bonnie, b ut, honestly, she didn't want to deal with her right now. "How are you? How is everything?" Her friend asked, still b locking her way. "Good, good. I have a check up in a few minutes, gonna see if everything's ok with the little guy." The b londe hedged. "Oh, ok..." Bonnie had a rejected look on her face as she stepped aside to let the other girl through. Caroline hesitated. "Look, I have to get going, mayb e we can talk later?" Her friend smiled b rightly. "Yeah, later..." Nodding, the b londe made to leave, b ut turned b ack around when Bonnie called out to her. "Wait, Caroline! Do you want some company? It must b e hard, doing all of this alone." Caroline's cool demeanor cracked, anger surfacing. It's not like she wanted to do this alone! Caroline had searched for the last seven days for Klaus, knowing that he should have a say in it, even if she didn't know him . This wasn't just her b ab y (it took two to tango after all) and she had just wanted to get some help from someone else. But, it had all b een in vain and she just couldn't find him. Heck, she didn't even know his last name! But, as much as she had wanted to let him know ab out the b ab y and mayb e have him help out, what she had wanted more that entire time was the support of her friends. "Yeah it is, I could've, you know, used you there." Caroline replied, crossing her arms, ready for a confrontation. But Bonnie didn't react angrily like she had thought she would. Instead, she immediately looked guilty. "I'm really sorry, Care, I don't what was wrong with me, I never should have done what I did. I wasn't a very good friend..." Bonnie looked away. Caroline sighed, her anger dissipating somewhat. "No, you weren't... b ut we've b een b est friends since kindergarten, and I don't like this distance b etween us." "Me neither." Bonnie admitted. "Look, we've always done everything together. We went through elementary, middle, and high school together. We went to the same college, got the same degree. We even work at the same hospital! Can't you just to do this with me? I really need you." Caroline found herself ramb ling as she explained what she felt to her friend. "I know that now, and I am really sorry." Bonnie reached out and grab b ed her b est friend's hand. "From now on, I'll b e here for you, whatever you need." Caroline squeezed her hand gratefully, b efore cracking a huge smile. "Then apology accepted. But, anyways, I really do have to go now, I can't b e late for this" "Well, would you like some company? I still have time b efore my shift starts." Bonnie smiled as well. Caroline froze, her own grin widening even more. "I would love some company" They made their way out of the locker room together. "Hey, mayb e we can convince the doctor that this our b ab y" As they joked and laughed, Caroline could not keep the happiness off her face, glad that she now had two of the most important people in her life at her b ack.

The first two months of her pregnancy, Stefan was her rock. He was always ready to talk with her, b ut didn't push her to make a decision either. And when Bonnie came around as well, she and Stefan managed to keep Caroline sane enough to make it through. She was still undecided with what she would do with the b ab y, however. But, the longer she hesitated in what to do, the more she realized that she had already known all along. Every time she thought ab out ab ortion, her heart would clench and she decided she wouldn't go through with it. Caroline knew what it was now. She was already b eginning to love her b ab y. As soon as she realized this, she picked up her phone and dialed Stefan's numb er. She didn't even wait for his greeting to speak. "I've decided to keep it." She announced strongly. After a few seconds of silence, she decided to try and elab orate. "I don't know, it just wouldn't feel right to get rid of my b ab y." "That's great, Care." Stefan finally replied, his voice sincere. Caroline smiled, grateful. "Thank you, Stefan. Thank you... for everything." "You're welcome." She hung up a moment later, and b egan dialing Bonnie's numb er.

When she was nearing the end of her first trimester, Caroline decided it might b e time to inform her supervisor that she was pregnant. In the last few weeks, there had b een rumors circling that she might get a promotion and she didn't want to jeopardize that b y keeping something from her b oss. "Caroline, if you could come with me, now, there was something you wanted to tell me?" Said b oss commanded, pulling her aside. Once they were alone, she gestured for her to go on and start talking. Caroline immediately did as she was told; Rhonda Danner was not a woman you wanted to mess with. She was a tough older lady, with strict views on the world, including things like ab stinence and b eing single and pregnant. She was also one of the few nurses in the hospital that insisted on b eing called 'Nurse' Danner, and not just b y her first name. "Yes, Nurse Danner, I would just like to inform you that I am..." Caroline swallowed, shifting nervously from foot to foot. " pregnant." Her b oss finally looked away from the paperwork she had b een focusing on, surprised eyes on Caroline's form, a certain severity in her expression. "Ah, I see." She said only a moment later. "Well, I suppose you are keeping the child?" If anyone else had asked her that question like that, Caroline might have punched them in the face b ut, as it was, Rhonda Danner was her b oss and now, of all times, was not the time to get fired. "Yes, of course." The b londe replied stiffly. Nurse Danner nodded. "Alright, thank you for coming in and telling me this." She said coolly, as if she heard news like this everyday, though Caroline could see her disapproval in the way she clenched her mouth, the way she looked at her. "You and I will have to have a sit down later and work out the finer details, maternity leave and the like." Well, Caroline knew a dismissal when she heard one. "Thank you." She said, b efore running fast out the door. A week later the rumors ab out her getting promoted died, instead replaced with awful gossip ab out her and her 'activities.' It was the first time Caroline b egan to regret her decision, just the tiniest b it. She b egan to regret and resent the whole situation somewhat more when Bonnie ended up getting the promotion.

It was around that same time that Caroline finally gathered enough courage to ask her mom to come and visit her. It had only b een her and her mom for a while now, her father having passed away from cancer while she was still in high school. He was actually part of the reason Caroline had decided to b ecome a nurse in the first place. In his last few

months, her dad had b een confined to a hospital b ed, and in that time, it wasn't his doctor that took care of her dad, b ut the nurses. It was then that Caroline put away her girlish dreams of princesses and celeb rities and decided on a more mature dream. Anyways, ever since Caroline's dad had died, her and her mom's relationship grew more and more complicated, and strained. But Caroline knew she needed Liz in this. "Are you sure you want to do this, Caroline? Being a parent is a lot of responsib ility. It won't b e just you anymore." Said mom asked, sitting across from her, looking pale and worried. "Believe me, Mom, I know." The younger Forb es woman replied, a slight tinge of annoyance in her voice; this was not the first time they had this conversation. "I'm just worried ab out you." Liz admitted. "I know you are, b ut I think I can do this. I really do. Can't you just b elieve in me? I want my child to know you, I want you to b e a part of his or her life. He or she is going to need at least one grandparent." Her mom looked surprised b y her daughter's onslaught of maturity and, in only a moment, a proud smile crept across her face. She reached out and took her daughter's hand. "Ok, ok. You know what, Caroline?" She asked, still smiling. "What?" "I think you are going to b e a great mom." Caroline hugged her own mom more fiercely than she had in a long time.

Caroline was pulled out of her thoughts by a sudden knock on her door. She was in the middle of her fifth month of pregnancy and so far everything has been going ok. Her life certainly wasn't perfect, but it wasn't horrible either. But, she supposed, the same could be said for a lot of other people. As the knocking stopped, Stefan popped his head in the doorway. "Come on, Care! You have to go out and have some fun." He commanded. For the last three days, he had been pestering her to go out more, saying she needed to have fun while she still had time. Caroline sighed, getting up; knowing the only way to get him to stop his pestering was to give in. "Fine, I'll go with you, Stef. But you're buying, okay?" She said as she stood up, grabbing her stuff and heading to the door. "Fair enough." They made their way together to his car. Normally, Bonnie would go along with them, but she was really busy lately, with her promotion at the hospital and all. Caroline didn't bother to disturb her. "Just to warn you, I eat like a cow probably because I'm the size of one." Caroline joked sardonically, causing her friend let out a chuckle. "Not funny, Stefan Salvatore." She glared as she buckled in. "Ok, ok." He replied, hands up in surrender. At this, Caroline immediately started laughing. "God, these freaking hormones! I swear I feel like I'm on crack or something." She said and only a few seconds later, they both broke out into laughs once again. They made their way to their usual place, a nice little bar/grill that reminded them both of their hometown. They were seated without a problem soon enough, and Caroline found she was enjoying herself only moments later, glad to have some time with her best friend, having missed him when he went on his visit to Mystic Falls last week. "So how is everyone back home?" She asked at one point, enjoying the copious amount of foods the waitress had given her. "Good, good." Stefan hesitated. "Damon and Elena have moved in together." He admitted finally. Caroline winced, knowing that the relationship his brother had going with his ex was still kind of a sore subject. "Ouch,

sorry, that must suck." She sympathized. Stefan shrugged. "No, I've been over it a long time. Don't worry, Care, I'm good. I should be asking about you, how are you? And how is my future godson, or daughter?" "Kicking up a fury. I'm just happy the morning sickness part is over." Caroline laughed, placing a hand lovingly over her swollen belly, smiling. The evening continued pleasantly, until finally she decided she needed to go home, tired from such a long day. As they headed towards the exit, Caroline froze, thinking she spotted someone very familiar. But in the next instant, he was gone. "Hey Caroline, what is it?" Stefan asked, concerned by her sudden space-out. "N-Nothing." She replied, before shooting him a smile. "Ok then, are you ready to go?" "Yeah." I just want to get out of here. "Ok, just stick around here for a bit, I'll go get the car." Caroline nodded and off Stefan went. In the meantime, she went to stand by the bar, deciding to avoid the cold November air as much as possible. She ignored the people around, especially the woman next to her, who was practically throwing herself at some guy. Wasn't that me five months ago? Caroline found herself wondering. Suddenly someone very large bumped into her, causing her stumble away from the counter and almost fall. Luckily, a hand grabbed her elbow to keep her upright. This must b e the guy that girl has b een hanging all over. "Hey, watch it!" Caroline exclaimed, pulling her arm away from the guy. You'd think people would b e more careful when you're a b ab y carrying machine, b ut NO She was about to hit the guy with her killer glare when she heard his voice from above her head. "Sorry, love, didn't see you there." Wait a second I know that voice. Caroline whipped her head up and froze when she recognized whom she saw. "Um... Oh my God..." She stuttered out, her eyes wide. Oh, this cannot b e happening. Holy crap "Hold on..." The man in front of her furrowed his brow. "Klaus?" She asked bewilderedly. "Caroline." He said at the exact same time, smirking down at her now. Caroline stayed silent, her face going completely pale. "How have you been, sweetheart?" He started, beginning to eye her up "It really has been too long, almost-" and down. Klaus froze when his eyes came to her obviously pregnant belly. When he looked back at her, his eyes were full of confusion, shock, disbelief and a million different things. "Five months." Caroline finished his statement quietly. She couldn't believe it. Klaus was here. She had spent weeks searching him out after she discovered nature's little surprise for her, but had never managed to find him. He had moved out his place shortly after their little tryst and he hadn't left a forwarding address with the landlord. And now he was here. With another woman. Ok, guys, that's it for this time :D Next update should be up on next Saturday, latest :D Just a few notes, as you can probably tell Elena and Damon aren't going to play a particularly huge part in this story, simply because I couldn't find a way to make it work without overcrowding it. Also, about the whole Caroline-Bonnie fight. I put that in because, in the series, Bonnie is usually the one who is quickest to judge (i.e. when Caroline turned into a vampire) but she is also always there when it counts. I really want to show that because it is in important part to both characters :) I realize there wasn't much Klaus in this installment, but, don't worry, there will LOTS of Klaus next chapter! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

RW

*Chapter 3*: Shout

Thank you to babyvfan, The Hunger Games-My Life, PainfullyShy, ilovetvd (x2), Epitomeofme, and the tree was happy, Sunfiresarah, whisperslove, HelloCutePanda, ANGELiCAWROTE, walkinthegardengnome, AJPunkForever, bamaccolamorgan, Klata, lanibapt, SweetyK, Hellsleprechaun, Hazel21, Esperanza14, Random Reader, Christobel, Guest, Marta, LadyKlaus, batgirl2992, jessinicole, ILove2Write13, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, Lord of Sin, lily94, InuGnome17, sandiw1897, Aaaammber, Jwakeel, Lovely Rain Dancer, kacomu, gleeislove, EmmaRedVelvet, glevez25, PsychVamp, carasedrin (x2), ApekshaStar, MarsterRoo, Ella marelica, and ForeverInYourArms for reviewing! And, of course, thank you to the wonderful carasedrin for her wonderful asistence with this story and her patience with me :) Hope you forgive me for this being two days late! Disclaimer: No, I do not own TVD. Chapter Two Shout "I need another story, something took it off my chest. My life is kind of b oring, need something that I can confess." Caroline's heart was beating a mile a minute as she faced him, faced Klaus. Her emotions were going completely haywire, varying from fury to nervousness. How the hell is this even happening? He was supposed to b e gone b ut here he is, with some girl hanging all over him Her eyes narrowed as stared at the girl. She was pretty, Caroline would give her that, with smooth dark skin and thick, curly black hair. And she was practically drooling all over Klaus. Please don't tell me I was that pathetic five months ago. For some reason the sight of the girl made Caroline inexplicably angry. Mayb e it has something to do with the fact that the father of my child is apparently a man-whore. Her annoyed thoughts were interrupted when said man spoke. "Five months?" Klaus repeated, his voice sounding strained. "That's-" He stopped suddenly, before gesturing to her swollen belly. "You're pregnant." He stated abruptly, as if needing to make sure that he really was seeing what he was seeing. Caroline almost felt pity for him as she nodded her confirmation. "Well What How?" She could practically see him trying to formulate his question. "Who's your little friend, Klaus?" The girl he had with him suddenly interrupted them, sneering as she leaned possessively against Klaus from behind him, sending a fierce glare at Caroline as she did so. At this point, Klaus seemed to finally compose himself, and soon enough his smirk was back on, though Caroline could tell it was strained at best. "Greta This is Caroline." He said. Caroline was about to do the polite thing and say 'hello' even though she really, really didn't want to when Greta turned away from her, completely ignoring her. "Can we go? I'm bored." Greta's voice was unbearably high pitched as she whined at Klaus. Immediately, Caroline felt her anger rise. Okay, it's official; I've already had enough of this b itch. "Let me guess? A new flame for the night?" She said, directing the question at Klaus and smiling slightly at Greta's offended look. Even Klaus himself wore a slightly amused look at the scene unfolding before him; for some reason his grin only made Caroline angrier and she wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face. "Greta, why don't you go get us some more drinks so I can have a moment with Caroline here?" He kept his eyes on Caroline as he said this, much to Greta's displeasure. "Whatever." The girl groused, turning away and going to the bartender. "Now, now, love, don't be jealous." Klaus told Caroline with a smirk as soon Greta had stepped away. "Jealous? Yeah, right. Don't flatter yourself." The blonde snorted, her voice full of sarcasm as she spoke. Really?

"Well, what put you in a mood? Is it the hormones?" He replied condescendingly, eyes narrowed as the amusement dropped from his tone. "And whose fault is that, do you think?" She hissed back, suddenly furious. What is his prob lem? I'm pregnant, not useless And, he's the one that caused this in the first place. God, what did I even see in him? Her reply caused Klaus to pause, suspicion clear in his expression. "What are you talking about, Caroline?" He asked evenly, fist clenching at his side as his eyes burned into hers. For a moment, Caroline wasn't sure she should answer, wasn't sure she could answer, but of course her big mouth got the best of her. "I'd think it's pretty obvious." She said, sarcasm once again ringing in her tone. "Obvious? Not sure I follow, sweetheart. I don't see what your being pregnant has to do" Horrible realization entered his face as he suddenly stopped mid sentence. "How far along are you?" He asked after a minute, his voice taught with tension. Well, it's now or never. "Around about five months." Caroline replied, basically confirming his fears. She crossed her arms over her chest as the air around them suddenly became a thousand times more unpleasant. Abruptly, Klaus let out a dark chuckle, his face splitting into a wide smile. It wasn't the happy kind of smile though, in fact, if she was being honest with herself, it looked rather sinister. "You're kidding. This is a joke." He said, sneering at her. "Nice try, but this can't be true." "Do I really look like I'm joking?" "So what are you trying to say? That it's mine?" He laughed again. "I don't think so." Klaus leaned in closer to her until their faces were inches apart and spoke lowly. "Careful there, sweetheart, don't forget it was you who jumped me that night. I wouldn't be too quick to take the high horse after all, it wouldn't be surprising if I wasn't your only little tryst that week." He smirked coldly. "Just look at how easily you spread your legs for me." Caroline saw red and shoved him away from her, hard. She was practically vibrating with anger. How the hell does he think he has the right to talk ab out me like that? "You don't know anything about me." She hissed, getting right in his face before stepping back again. She took a deep breath. "You know what? Fine. Don't believe me, what do I care?" Her eyes were narrowed into a fierce glare as she continued to speak. "I never even wanted anything to do with you in the first place. But, hey, I thought I should tell you because that's the kind of person I am. The kind of person who is honest." Not the kind you want to think I am, you dick. Klaus scoffed, his eyes still on hers as his gaze darkened with anger. "If you really wanted to tell me, you would have looked for me before." "Don't you think I tried?" Her indignant shout caused a few heads to turn and stare at them. "I couldn't find you, you ass. I don't even know why I looked for you in the first place! I don't want anything to do with you, and I don't want you in our lives, either." She punctuated each sentence by getting closer and closer. "Well, the feeling's mutual, sweetheart." Klaus replied, growling down at her. Caroline finally had enough and stepped back, grabbing her purse and getting ready to go, her emotions almost spinning out of control by now. I've had enough. I don't need this shit. "God, that's it, I'm out of here." She threw her hands up as said this, the frustration of it all too much for her. "Have a nice life and good riddance." She hissed at Klaus. Just as she turned to go, she saw Stefan approaching them, having just gone to get the car. "Hey, you ready to go?" He said as he reached her. Stefan, being as perceptive as he was, immediately noticed the tension between the two of them. "Who's this?" He asked, hostilely, instantly putting a protective hand on Caroline's shoulder, sensing that Klaus was up to no good with her. "No one important." Caroline replied, delivering her last blow to him. She turned away from Klaus and faced Stefan, wanting to nothing more than to get the hell out of there. "Come one, let's just go." As she walked to the door with Stefan following close behind, Caroline could feel Klaus' eyes burning into her back all the way.

The drive back to Caroline's apartment building was made in tense silence. She felt Stefan's eyes continually shifting to look at her, concerned, but she couldn't bring herself to reassure him. She was barely keeping it together as it was, so

full emotion; she was just so furious. How could Klaus dare to imply that she was some girl who slept around with random strangers all the time? Klaus was the only guy she had ever done that with! And, like he was one to talk, he was clearly a no good womanizer and she was ashamed she ever had anything to do with him. But underneath all of her anger, she couldn't help but be hurt by his words. When she went looking for him, but didn't find him, she had stopped searching (after all, the guy had moved out of his place and she wasn't about to hire a private investigator). At the time she told herself that she really tried, that she did her best but, truth is, she had given up so soon because she really didn't want to find him. Because finding him would have made the situation all real. And she was afraid that he would've reacted exactly the way he just had. And it hurt her. Even though she really wanted to deny it, it hurt her. Even though his opinion really shouldn't matter to her, it did. It's like it's Tyler all over again. Why am I so pathetic? He doesn't matter. He doesn't. So stop thinking ab out it. You won't have to deal with him again. It's done. Finally, Stefan pulled the car in front of her apartment building, and Caroline attempted to make her escape as quickly as possible, out of the car in record time. Stefan followed her lead, though, stepping out, and calling to her as she made her way to the steps that lead to the front door. "Care!" The blonde turned reluctantly to face her friend. "Are you sure you're okay? Who was that?" For a moment, Caroline considered just saying 'no one' again but she knew she couldn't keep it to herself for long, especially not from Stefan. Besides, he always had fortune cookie advice at the ready, so he might be able to help her, right? "That-" She hesitated before taking a deep breath and trying again. "That was Klaus." She said firmly. Stefan immediately looked shocked. "Klaus as in?" Caroline nodded. "Oh, okay wow." He was silent for a moment, clearly still processing, until he looked back at her. "So, I guess he didn't take the news well, huh?" He ventured. Caroline snorted. "Understatement." "I'm sorry." Stefan replied, not believing her aloof demeanor for a second. "It doesn't matter, Stefan." She shrugged, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I don't need or want him around anyways. We're better off without him." She moved her hand so that it was resting on her swollen stomach. "Alright" Stefan replied, his tone slightly doubtful. "What?" Caroline asked in return, with a slight eye roll. "I don't know, Care." He shrugged. "Far be it from me to defend him, but you did kind of drop a big bomb on him, you can't expect him to just accept it right away. The guy barely knows you" He reasoned, trying to see the bright side as usual. Caroline sighed. "Look, I was willing to give him a chance, even though I really didn't want to, I knew I couldn't just keep it from him; I mean, what kind of mother would I be if I purposely kept my baby from having a father?" She paused for a moment, trying to keep herself calm and failing miserably. "But he just ugh! I mean, the nerve he had to basically call me a slut? I am done with him. I don't ever want to see him again." She was ashamed to feel the telltale prickle of tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself. Stefan looked at her sadly, waiting for her let out her real feelings about the whole situation. "Does that make me a horrible, shallow person?" She asked after a moment, shaking a little as her breath hitched. "Am I going to be an even worse mom?" Suddenly the tears began spilling down her cheeks. Stefan immediately walked forward and pulled his friend into his arms. "Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay." He told her quietly, his tone soothing. Caroline wrapped herself tighter in his embrace, needing the comfort. "Of course it doesn't mean that. You're Caroline, you're the best person I know and you are going to be a great mom, okay?" As he said the last part he pulled back and smiled down at her. She found her own lips turning up in response, her tears already beginning to slow. "Thanks, Stef." She whispered, reaching forward to give his hand a squeeze. "This baby is going to be lucky to have you as an uncle." She told him sincerely. "Of course." He replied with a smirk causing Caroline's small smile to widen the tiniest bit more.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said before pulling away completely and once again heading to the apartment building. "Okay, but take care of yourself." Caroline had to roll her eyes at that. "It's only one night, Stef, I'll be fine." "If you're sure" He got back into his car, and with a final wave at her, left, driving calmly off. The blonde sighed to herself as she made it up the final steps to the apartment building and unlocked the front door, heading immediately to the elevator. As soon as Caroline was up into her apartment, she found her mind drifting traitorously back to Klaus. And she wondered, if I am so done with him, why can't I stop thinking ab out him?

The tires on Klaus' car squealed as he brought it to an abrupt stop in his driveway. Angrily, he got out and headed to the front door of his large mansion-like house, slamming it roughly shut as he went inside. He immediately headed to his fully stocked bar, grabbing a whole bottle of whiskey and taking a generous gulp. With sudden fury, he slammed his fist down on the bar top so hard that the bottle actually moved a bit. He barely noticed the pain radiating from his hand and up his arm. She actually thought that she could fool me? What an imb ecile. Klaus leaned heavily on the bar, taking another swig of his whiskey as his mind continue to swirl with dark thoughts. That b itch ruined my entire evening. No one would say that Klaus Mikaelson was a man who was easily swept to the side. But, that is exactly what Caroline did to him tonight. She had somehow gained the upper hand and had had the last word. He told himself that that was why he was so annoyed, so full of emotion, and not for any other reason Certainly not because of her crazy accusations Why do I always get the crazy women? Well tonight I didn't even get any woman, Klaus thought, having just realized that he probably left Greta standing alone at the bar, waiting for him. For some reason, Klaus found that he couldn't care less. His mind was solely focused on one woman tonight. Caroline. He didn't even know her last name, he realized. Not that he cared. Still, it had been quite a shock to see her again, this woman that had plagued his thoughts for months. Because she had. After their night together, Klaus just couldn't seem to get her out of his mind. There had just been something about her. When he had woken up the next morning to find her gone, with nothing for him to be reminded of her but his memory Klaus wasn't quite sure to explain how he had felt. At the time, he remembered wishing that he had asked for Caroline's number which was something he didn't often ask of from any woman. Klaus didn't do relationships, he just didn't. Too much emotional baggage. He had known since he was old enough that he would lead the bachelor life. And that is exactly what he had done. The longest relationship he had ever had with a woman had been a month long, and that had ended in misery for them both. Klaus was better off on his own, that he was sure of. So, even though he had regretted not having Caroline's number, this woman that left him curious for more, he didn't even attempt to find her again, knowing it was probably for the best. He instead went on with his new life here in Richmond, finally moving out of his interim apartment and into his house after construction finished. He had only moved to the States a few months before he had met Caroline, deciding to leave England and put an ocean between him and his father. He ended up moving to Virginia because he had found a few good business opportunities, and his company had a branch there. He probably could have moved anywhere in America but he had wanted to move somewhere where he wouldn't be easily found by his b eloved father, and who would expect to find Niklaus Mikaelson in Virginia of all places? So, here he was. Luckily, Klaus' company ran smoothly even though it was now headquartered here. His business not particularly huge, it's main function being the acquirement of obscure art and reselling it to various galleries around the world, but it did

bring in a very large income. Still, much as he liked his day job, it was not all he spent his time on. So, since arriving here, he had also opened a bar, something he had always dreamed of doing. Now, he spent most nights in Originals, his very own club/bar. But, despite it all, his thoughts still often drifted to Caroline. The way she had moved against him, under him, above him. It annoyed him more than anything at first. Klaus did not dwell on old flames; it simply wasn't done. Yet there he was, doing exactly that. And then he ran into her. He had been foolishly excited in the beginning, seeing her like that. It was pure coincidence that he had even run into her. Tonight had been the first time in months he had gone somewhere other than his bar (by the request of Greta) and he couldn't b elieve his luck. And then he saw she was pregnant. And everything changed. Caroline told him that the baby was his. But it's impossib le, just impossib le. The child couldn't possibly b e mine He had gotten blindingly angry at the mere thought of it. How did she think she had the right to tell him something like that and think he would actually b elieve it? So, Klaus did what he did best. He had lashed out in a harsh way. He had thought at first that that would be enough to make Caroline back off, but she surprised him by staying strong and fighting him right back. It had greatly frustrated him at the time but now as he calmed down a bit from the encounter, he felt a grudging respect for her. There were not many people who dared to talk to him like that, but Caroline had done it without any qualms. It was shocking, in all honesty, that this woman that had been in his thoughts for all that time, suddenly appeared and made wild accusations at him. So, he went straight to the most likely truth; the kid was someone else's. After all, Caroline also hadn't had any qualms jumping him that night, a guy she barely knew, why not some other poor unsuspecting man? (For some reason that made Klaus' chest fill with an unfamiliar feeling.) The b ab y can't b e mine. It can't. But the way Caroline had looked at him, her eyes had been so alarmingly honest. And, Klaus couldn't help but to let her words begin to get to him, no matter how much he wanted to push it away and deny it. What if What if this child really is mine? Is it is it possib le? Even if it is, he or she will b e much b etter off without me; I would b e a horrib le father. But a part of Klaus felt suddenly guilty, that part that was hidden deep inside, underneath his rough outer exterior. If this is really my b ab y, can I go on knowing that ab andoned it b efore it was even b orn? Wouldn't that make me an even worse father? Mayb e, mayb e I can b e a b etter father to him or her than Mikael was Mayb e I can learn from his mistakes Every child deserves to have a father right? Klaus could barely believe the way his thoughts were going. What am I even doing? This isn't even real. But, the thoughts wouldn't leave his mind. Even the possib ility was too much for him. He needed to know, he needed to know the truth and, after that, well, he would deal with it, one way or another. Suddenly, Klaus had his mind made up, and he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He dialed in the appropriate number and waited impatiently for the phone to be picked up. Finally, he heard a stiff greeting. "Hello." "Maddox, I need you to do something, mate. Can you track someone down for me?" Klaus smirked as heard the man's reply. "Fantastic." I need to know if this child is mine, even if his mother most likely hates me now. That's it for now, my lovelies :) I will see you all with the next installment sometime this weekend! (I think it's going to be a good one!) I can't believe this story has been getting such a great response! :D Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! RW

*Chapter 4*: Breathe

Thank you to TheMiseducationofB, Alisha, Someone, KRISTINE.W, linda, chillwithJyl, shadyvale1963, Esperanza14, Arabella, peytonplace78613, sandicus, Psyc0gurl0, The Hunger Games-My Life, gleeislove, Guest, Ellavm18, ANGELiCAWROTE, ApekshaStar, walkinthegardengnome, sarahberah1121, Sunfiresarah, EmaleeKaye, Lovely Rain Dancer, Pagan-Angel13, HeroSavesPeople, klauslove, babyvfan, jessinicole, ILove2Write13, InuGnome17, ForverInYourArms, ilovetvd, Guest, RippahGoneWolf, HelloCutePanda, carasedrin, Marta, Draco-Harry-Lover1, glevez25, SweetyK, MarsterRoo, EmmaRedVelvet, Riah2386, KlarolineKisses, Ela marelica and Aaaammber for reviewing! And, as usual, special thanks to carasedrin for being awesome :) Wow, I truly suck at updating when I say I will My deepest apologies! Disclaimer: Don't own TVD! Chapter Three Breathe "Tell me what you want to hear. Something that will light those ears. Sick of all the insincere. So I'm gonna give all my secrets away." "So, let me get this straight, Care. You went up to this guy, the father of your child, and told him right there and then that he was the baby daddy." Bonnie looked at Caroline with an incredulous expression as they browsed through the maternity store. Caroline had once again outgrown (well more like expanded horizontally out of) her good clothes and had decided that she and Bon were long overdue for a shopping trip. Caroline winced at her friend's words. "Well, when you put it like that" Of course, she hadn't expected that her relaxing shopping trip would end up being a full on interrogation on the event's that happened a week ago. With Klaus "Hey! I'm only saying it how I see it!" Bonnie defended before giving the blonde a pointed look, disapproval written all over her features. "Okay, I will admit it was not my finest moment, but, in my defense I am a mess of hormones right now" Her friend sent her a disbelieving look, "and he just made me so angry." Caroline admitted before huffing with annoyance. "Look, can we just change the subject, please? Stefan already gave me this talk." The brunette just shrugged, that disapproving look still in her eyes even as she began talking about something else. "Fine, fine. Did you hear about Elena?" "What, about her and Damon moving in together?" Of course I did b ut Stefan told me "Did she tell you?" The blonde asked, trying to act casual and as if it didn't matter whether Elena did or not. Not like we used to b e close or anything. "Yeah, she did. She sounds super excited." Bonnie answered with a smile; though the brunette hadn't approved of Damon in the beginning, she had soon come around and supported Elena. Caroline on the other hand "I bet she does." She groused. "Why didn't she call me?" "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that one of your best friend's is her ex boyfriend and her current boyfriend's brother." The brunette replied matter-of-factly, causing the blonde to wince once. "Yeah, I see your point. But we used to be so close I wish she wouldn't shut me out." She sighed, looking pointedly away, rifling through the extensive racks of clothes. "You know Elena. It takes time." Yeah, I know Elena, that's the whole prob lem. She might just decide she has had enough of Damon tomorrow and go b ack to Stefan and Stef won't b e ab le to resist her Don't get her wrong, Caroline loved Elena like a sister, but she couldn't approve of the way she played with other's emotions, even if not on purpose. But then again, she supposed all Gilbert women were like that. Goodness knows her

twin sister Katherine was similar in that way, though a lot sassier. It had been a while since she had seen Katherine Gilbert and, in all honesty, Caroline really missed her. She may seem like a crazy, psychotic bitch to most people but she was Caroline's crazy, psychotic bitch of a friend. Katherine and Caroline had always been closer than the blonde was with the other Gilbert twin (though the opposite was true with Bonnie). In part it was because Kat took shit from no one, which was something the younger girl admired about her, since for so long she had just let people get to her. "Oh my god, look Care! That's so adorable!" Bonnie interrupted her thoughts as she held up a tiny, baby-sized witch costume for Caroline to see. The brunette looked at it with admiring eyes and her friend had to hold back a large smile at the excitement the usually more reserved Bennet was showing. "I don't even if it's a girl, Bon." She shook her head with a grin. "Well, don't you want to know?" Caroline found herself frowning at the question as she took the tiny witch costume from Bonnie's hands and held it in her own. "Of course I want to know but I just guess I feel like, if I don't know I won't psych myself out too much." She hung it back up on the rack. "What do you mean?" The brunette looked at her friend with curiosity, not understanding why she wouldn't want to know her baby's gender. "I'm already so worried about this, Bonnie, you have no idea. I'm going to be a mom ." She sighed, placing her hands on the swell of her stomach, deep in thought. It's scarier than I though it would b e. "I just don't know if I can deal right now with knowing if I'll have a son or daughter. The minute I know it will all become so real, I'll begin planning my baby's entire future before he or she is even born!" She shook her head, frustration clear in her voice. "I just" Caroline hesitated, before looking up to meet Bonnie's eyes. "I want this baby, I do. And I'm afraid that I'll convince myself that it's best to give my baby away if I know." Because if I know, I will know how many ways I will prob ab ly screw this b ab y up "I know it's stupid and irrational but I can't help it" She was surprised when she felt another hand on her clenched one. She looked to her friend, finding the brunette smiling understandingly back at her. "It's not stupid, Caroline. Not this time." "Thanks Bonnie." Bonnie only nodded in return and they both went back to browsing. Caroline found she couldn't focus. This whole trip was supposed to get her mind off things, not bring them to forefront. I don't know if I'm ready for this. I mean, will I even b e a good mom? There was one thing Caroline knew for sure though. She had no choice but to be a mother to her child. Her baby didn't have another parent after all. Not one that counted anyways.

As their little shopping excursion began to wind down, Caroline and Bonnie found themselves sitting on one of the many public benches, both holding a fresh bagel from the nearby vendor. They had finally managed to steer their conversation away from the baby and all things pregnancy and instead moved onto something they both loved to talk about. Men. Well, specifically, Bonnie's new mystery man. So far, Caroline had been unable to get the answer out of her friend but she would get there; she always did. "Ok, I have to go, my shift starts soon." Bonnie said as she stood, shouldering her purse and grabbing her share of shopping bags. Caroline raised a brow, a knowing look on her face. "Please, you're just avoiding telling me." "Yeah, you caught me" Bonnie laughed, turning away. Just as it seemed she was about to walk away, her eyes narrowed and she froze for a second. Abruptly, she turned back to Caroline. "Hey, isn't that...?" She began, pointing to someone out in the distance. The blonde focused on the person that Bonnie was gesturing to and nearly had a heart attack, freezing in sudden shock when she saw who it was.

"Tyler." Caroline breathed out. Shit. She immediately pulled her shopping bags into her lap, as if that would help hide her. Of course it just had to be her luck to run into her ex-boyfriend. Damn it. Why now of all times? "Um, Care?" Bonnie asked, sounding surprisingly unsure. "He's coming over here." "Crap, crap." She hissed, trying to think of some way to get out of there, even though she knew it was too late. Shit, shit, shit! "What are you going to do?" The brunette asked, shifting her gaze back to Tyler as he got closer and closer, his eyes firmly on Caroline. Great. Now I have no choice. She sighed heavily, resigned to her fate. "I guess I'll just have to talk to him." She muttered. "Are you sure?" "Well, he saw me didn't he?" Why couldn't he have worse eyesight? God, what am I? A magnet for unwanted confrontations? "Do you want me to stay with you?" Bonnie asked her, concerned. "No, I think I need to do this one alone." Caroline found herself rejecting her friend's offer, even though she really, really didn't want to. I need to do b y myself. "I'll be fine, I promise. Besides, you should get going before you miss your shift." "Okay, call me if you need anything." The Bennet girl still looked wary but, despite her misgivings, began walking away, feeling this was something best done without her presence. "I will." The blonde nodded, sending her friend a completely fake smile in hopes of stopping her worrying and waving her goodbye. "Caroline!" Well here goes. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, she greeted her ex-boyfriend with a small smile, the rest of her face an emotionless mask. "Tyler." She nodded, still partially hidden under all her bags. "Long time." He said after a long moment, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Yeah it was." She replied quietly. As their conversation grew idle again, Caroline took the opportunity to examine him. Tyler Lockwood looked the same as always, of medium height, well muscled and with thick dark hair. He still had that cocky rich boy sort of look, a remnant of who he had been in high school. Ever since their breakup, Caroline had been avoiding him at all costs, even as he tried to reopen a connection with her. He called her and texted her but she ignored him; eventually, all the messages stopped so she had thought that he finally moved on from the whole thing. Guess not. "So how have you been?" Tyler finally broke the awkward silence. "Good. I've been good." She replied, before making a last ditch effort to escape. "Look, Tyler, I really have to get going, I have some errands to run." She began grabbing her bags and made to stand, only to stop halfway as Tyler spoke. "Wait, Care. I want to talk to you. Look, I don't like how we left things" He trailed off, sending her a helpless look. Caroline sighed heavily. Looks like I'll have to give him more than just hints. "Ty, you have to quit this, okay? It's over. You and I just don't fit." "What do you mean we don't work? Can't we just talk for a second?" He bent a bit, trying to catch her eye again but Caroline pointedly ignored him, instead rifling through her stuff, making sure everything was there before she could go. "Not now, Tyler, ok?" She told him agitatedly, standing up. She immediately realized something was wrong when Tyler suddenly went slack-jawed, freezing in place, his eyes focusing solely on her stomach. Oh, he didn't realize She glanced at the various shopping bags she held in her hands. I guess these were hiding me b etter than I thought, she thought randomly. "Oh Oh uh you're you're pregnant." Tyler stuttered out, his eyes still on her very pregnant self.

"Really?" Caroline couldn't help but remarking. "I hadn't noticed." Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she crossed her arms over her chest, a defiant tilt to her chin. Just try and say something "Oh i-it's mine, isn't it?" Huh? She found her eyes narrowing in confusion. What's he even talking ab out? "I am going to be a father. I am going to be a dad." He kept going, excitement clearly beginning to brew in him. He he thinks Caroline reached out and gently touched his elbow, shaking her head. "No, Ty, you're not." "What? I'm not? How can I not be?" He pulled his arm out of her grasp, a look of betrayal brewing in his eyes. Ok, this is getting out of hand. Fast. "Just think for a minute." She tried to sound as soothing as possible, though deep down she felt her own shaky calm begin to break. "You and I We hadn't slept together in more than a month before our breakup, I'm only five months pregnant, and we ended things weeks earlier than that." They were both silent as Tyler processed this, the excitement that had been there before completely melting away. "Wait, let me get this straight... I am not the father?" He asked her, looking for confirmation as he wrapped his head around the whole idea. "Not the father." She repeated with a small nod. "So" He continued, speaking as if he had just uncovered a huge secret, his eyes looking at her accusingly. "I'm not the father because you refused to sleep with me for a month before we split, and, a couple of weeks after our breakup you just decide to sleep with some other guy?" Caroline flinched, stepping back. "You know it wasn't like that Tyler. I just didn't want our relationship to be held together by sex!" She sighed deeply, still feeling his angry eyes on her. "Every time we got in an argument, we just ended up sleeping with each other and it never solved anything. We didn't talk to each other, Ty." She looked at him imploring, trying to make him see reason even as her insides twisted with uncertainty. "Right, or maybe it was just because you were banging another guy the entire time." He took a step closer to her, anger clear in stance. Caroline knew he had quite the temper, she just wished she would have been able to foresee this reaction. "Or did you just turn out to be a slut and not a cheating bitch?" He accused, eyes flashing. "Tyler!" Caroline gasped, feeling a harsh pang in her heart. "Why are you saying this?" Why does everyone always assume the worst of me? Do I really seem like that type of person? And even if I was, what would it matter? Would that make me a b ad person? I don't think so! I can chose what to do with my life. But still... first Klaus and now Tyler and he knows me! Or at least I thought he did "Because it's true!" Tyler's reply was full of fury and frustration as he raked a hand through his hair. "What am I supposed to think Caroline? I see you for the first time in months after you've been avoiding all my calls, after you refused to talk to me and then here you are, knocked up, saying it's not mine because of some bullshit excuse." His eyes met hers again. "We didn't stop sleeping together because we needed to talk, we stopped sleeping together because you were getting action somewhere else, weren't you?" "Tyler" She was ashamed to feel tears well up in her eyes. Stand up for yourself Caroline! What are you doing? You didn't let Klaus talk to you like this, why won't you do the same for Tyler? Because it's different with Tyler, another voice in her mind whispered. He's known you since high school, b ack when you were just the shell of the person you are now, b ack when you were so insecure ab out yourself that you took every insult without a word b ack. Tyler was your first love. It just isn't the same with him as it is with Klaus. "I should have known you're still that same, shallow bitch of cheerleader you were in high school." She took another step back at his disgust filled words, wanting nothing more than to just get out of there. "God, do you even know who the father is?" Caroline clenched her fist, trying to control her emotions. Don't let him get to you, he's just angry. Show him that you are b igger than you used to b e now, and not just physically don't let him get to you. Just when she thought that she would fail in her mission to keep it together, she heard footsteps approaching them and

then a minute later felt someone place a gentle hand on her shoulder. Caroline whipped around surprisingly fast considering her condition and found the last person she wanted to see right now staring back down at her. Oh, no Klaus "Well, mate, that'd be me." He said, glancing away from her and to Tyler, eyes narrowed menacingly. "Klaus, what are you-?" Caroline started, her own eyes narrowed in accusation as her anger started to build. Now he's going to team up on me too? And what's with 'I'm the father' crap? He chooses now to start b elieving me? Before she could say anymore, Klaus interrupted her, his hand now going around her shoulders. Caroline was so shocked by the intimate action that she didn't even attempt to throw him off her. "Tyler, is it? Well, as you can see, my girl here is very pregnant and thus rather prone to emotional outbursts and, with the way you are, how can I put this, b othering her, she just might lose her temper" At this, Klaus leaned forward, a dark sort of smirk on his face. "Or worse. I will. So, I suggest you back off before you cause a scene that you really don't want to start." By this time, Tyler was staring at them both disbelievingly, before he looked at Klaus challengingly. Caroline could already sense the testosterone battle starting and decided she better get a handle on this situation. Right. Now. She looked from Klaus to Tyler, trying to figure just how to quell this situation. Finally coming to a decision, she decided on today's lesser of two evil's and chose to play along with Klaus, putting her arm quickly around his waist and pulled him to the side. "Come on, honey. Let's just go." Surprisingly, Klaus followed her, allowing her to pull him along and out of the mall, getting them away from Tyler as fast as she could. As soon as she was outside with Klaus, the perpetual stranger and father or her child, she shoved his arm away from her and put a safe distance between them. Klaus, however, didn't notice, too busy seething. "Who was that asshole?" He asked with a slight growl. "An ex" Caroline muttered, quietly, the tears that were formerly in her eyes having completely dried. "What are you doing here, Klaus?" She questioned before he could interrupt her again, glaring at him. They both stood silent for a moment before Klaus let out a familiar smirk, crossing his arms and leaning one shoulder against the wall beside him. "Well, sweetheart, I thought I was getting coffee from my favorite vendor." "Coffee?" She repeated with no small amount of disbelief. I mean, what are the odds? Does he really think I'm that much of an idiot? I'm not that b londe Klaus held out both his arms in gesture of faux innocence. "Why do you sound so incredulous? My office happens to be just across the street." He told her, annoying smirk still on his face. What is his problem? God! "Ok, well, thanks or whatever, but I have to go." Caroline shrugged, the frustration in her actions quite apparent as she adjusted her hold on her bags brusquely. "Great seeing you." She continued with sarcasm, before turning to go. "Caroline, wait." Klaus said, almost gently, sighing slightly. She turned back around, exasperated. "Look, I meant what I said the other day. We don't need you." His amiable expression melted away into something much darker and Caroline was sure that that would be the end of it, that he would give up. Instead, Klaus surprised her, took her off guard by actually admitting that she had the right of it for a change. "No, you're right, it's not just coincidence I found you here." He told her, oddly sincere; Caroline had the feeling that this sort of thing was out of character for him. Still, she was wary. "I'll be honest with you and say I was looking for you. What you told me the other day was ridiculous and a lot to take in, even you have to admit." Caroline scoffed at his words, looking away, even though her heart sank a little with guilt for that whole fiasco. "However, I have had time to think of it and I believe, at the time, I came to my conclusions too soon." She turned back, keeping her shields up. "What do you mean? Can you just get to the point?" He hesitated for only a brief moment. "Maybe there was some truth to your words."

Hold up "So you believe me?" She asked doubtfully. Klaus shook his head, immediately confirming her doubts. "I believe that there is a possib ility, we went quite a few rounds that night if I recall correctly." He tacked on cockily at the end, causing her to frown at him, glaring again. He just digs himself deeper and deeper doesn't he? "So what then?" She questioned, annoyed and frustrated. "You want me to prove it to you? Why would I even do that now?" After last time, what do I owe you? You clearly didn't want this. You caught him off guard, though, made him look like an idiot. Caroline ignored that second thought, instead choosing on the easier emotion to stick with; anger. But it seemed Klaus knew exactly what to say to get her to change her mind. "Every child deserves to know their parents, do they not? Look, Caroline" He stopped for a moment, for once serious. "I just want to know if I really am the father." Damn him Of course he knows how to play on my insecurities of b eing a good mom He was watching her silently, both of standing tense, waiting for her answer, but already Caroline knew what she would have to tell him, she'd known it since he first appeared today. "Fine." She hissed, causing Klaus to send her a small, pleased smile. This just made her even more annoyed at him. "But I am not doing this for you." She told him quickly, causing him to raise a brow her way. "I'm doing this for my baby." She stepped closer to him, sending him a death stare. "And let's get something straight, I do not like you and I do not forgive you." Klaus just nodded, smile dropping away. "Very well." "Good." She said after a silent moment, surprised at how easily he had given in to her. Huh well, ok, I guess. "We'll find out then" She tried to get her thoughts organized as her mind went reeling, all of today's events finally getting to her. "I'll get a paternity test set up, and I'll contact you." No way am I giving you a way to get to me, she thought pettily. Without another word, she nodded once at him in farewell, before turning to go, stalking away with what was left of her dignity shrouding her. "Caroline?" Klaus called after, sounding annoyingly amused by something. She turned with a huff. "What now?" He smirked widely at her, holding out a white card to her. "You can't exactly contact me if you don't have my number now can you, sweetheart?" Oh Caroline was irritated to feel her cheeks begin to burn up in embarrassment. She shuffled quickly to him and reached out to grab the card from his hand. As her fingers touched his, she felt indefinable sparks run up her arm, something she would definitely deny later on. Klaus met her eyes, seemingly looking into her soul as he grabbed her hand suddenly in his, pulling her lightly closer. "You know, if this child really is mine, we are going to have to get along to at least some degree, love." He whispered to her, searching her eyes before a light smirk once again graced his features. This little action caused Caroline to come back to herself and she immediately ripped her hand away from his, stepping back with a huff. "Well since we don't know for sure I have no problem treating the way I am." She told him with her own smirk before turning and walking resolutely away. "I'll see you around, Caroline." Klaus called after her, mirth in his tone. "Whatever." She replied, barely restraining herself from flipping him off as she sauntered away from him as fast as she could. What is it ab out him that makes me revert b ack to a five-year-old? Well, whatever it was, Caroline was just glad to put some distance between her and Klaus. Right?

Klaus watched Caroline walk away with an amused smirk. Despite the fact that a lot had happened to her today, she still stayed strong and took no crap from him; it was something that rarely occurred in Klaus' life, and something that he found himself admiring. To be honest, Klaus was rather surprised that he had been able to find her so soon. Luckily, Maddox was very good at his job and had given him a list of places that she often frequented and her home address. At first he had thought of maybe going to her place, but knew that would probably only get him a door slammed in his face. So, instead, he had gone through the list of places and found, to his surprise, that one of her favorite places just so happened to be close to his office. So, for the last week or so, he had been going to the same coffee vendor in the mall everyday, in hopes of seeing her. He knew it had been a long shot, and he realized he had been only a day or so away from just going with Plan A and just appearing at her apartment. And then, there she was. Caroline Forbes. He had finally learned her full name, thanks to Maddox's detective skills and knew a lot about her. She was a nurse at the local hospital and a good one at that, she had grown up in Mystic Falls with her mother, had been a cheerleader in high school the list went on. For some reason, the more Klaus found out about her, the more intrigued he was by her. So when he saw her at the mall, sitting by herself, he held back, wanting to observe her for a moment, learn more about her in a different way (that didn't involve borderline illegal actions). And then the guy came, the stranger. They obviously knew each other, but there was a strange tension between them. When they started arguing, Klaus found himself moving forward, wanting to intercept them. And when he heard the insults flying at Caroline He still didn't understand what had made him so angry about that. Hadn't he only a week before said much the same thing? But, still, he had found himself defending her, something he had never, in a million years, expected to do. The protectiveness that had risen in his chest had truly shocked him. It must have been a fluke, nothing more than a mistake Or so he tried to tell himself. Still, at least he had done what he had wanted to do since his decision last week. He had found Caroline and he had convinced her into giving him, somewhat, a second chance. He would find out the truth of this possibility that had been plaguing his every thought. He'd just have to ignore his other thoughts on the enigma that was Caroline Forbes. After all, like she said, she didn't really need him right? That's it for now, my lovelies :) Next update will be a lot sooner, I promise! However, after that, the updates might a bit fewer and further between because my exams are coming up! Hope you all forgive me! Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think! RW

*Chapter 5*: Truth

Thank you to Guest, Jo, Layla, Epitomeofme, Onceuponatimeships, veronica, Laura, Jen, redbudrose, SmilesAndLaughs, Brina3, Nat, Natalie, .5, thexlittlexlisa, RCB04, i love klaus and damon, shadowfaxangel, JennylovesKlaus, Emowyen, Guest, Jen7, Lisolotte, walkinthegardengnome, yourloved, SweetyK, redbudrose, Esperanza14, ILove2Write13, PsychVamp, Rorylvalkovic, Marta, arabella, babyvfan, KRISTINE.W, ilovetvd, chillwithJyl, Ellavm18, vulnera-sapientia (x2), Eliza, Guest, Aaaammber, Christobel, mysticgirl125, Juliet Taylor, jamie, Guest, Guest, ApekshaStar, Lovely Rain Dancer, KlarOlinelOver17, Shellbees, meredith77, HelloCutePanda, .Executioner, Team Damon Mom, glevez25, EmmaRedVelvet, MysteryGirl3, jessinicole, ilyreid, TheMiseducationofB, and the tree was happy, MarsterRoo, and ANGELiCAWROTE for reviewing! Hehehe.. So. I've been gone for a while. I know, I know, I am a horrible author Life just got to me and major writer's block tends to get in the way. Hopefully, from now on I will be able to update more frequently! Still, I'm really, really sorry for making you wait so long! A huge, HUGE thank you for carasedrin for continuing to be so awesome and helping out with this story ;) Disclaimer: I do not own TVD, sorry. Chapter Four Truth "And everyday I see the news, all the prob lems that we could solve... And when a situation rises, just write it into an alb um Send it straight to gold, b ut I don't really like my flow." Caroline considered herself to be the type of person who thought things through. In her world, everything was part of the plan she had meticulously designed back in the seventh grade. Of course, that plan had completely veered off track as of late. But did that mean everything had to go to shit? Ok, maybe she was over exaggerating but, come on. She really wished she had thought this whole thing through and hadn't told Klaus when and where her doctor's appointment would be. Of course, it was implied that a paternity test would include both parties involved but just because she did what she promised and contacted him about it, didn't mean it was an automatic invitation to just come along. Ok, yes, he needed to give a DNA sample for the whole thing to work and all that but he could have done that another day! But there he was, standing outside the red brick building that held the clinic, hands in the pockets of his dark jeans, waiting. Maybe she should just ask Stefan to turn back around and take her home. It wasn't that Caroline completely hated the guy (well, she kind of did does), but she just wasn't ready to face him again after last time. A part of her was embarrassed at the whole Tyler debacle and she didn't want to know Klaus' undoubtedly annoying opinion on it. Why would I even care what he thinks? Because he's the father of your child, and this whole thing is to prove that fact to him, the more reasonable part of her answered. Caroline sighed, her thoughts shifting to the business card currently occupying her pocket, regretting its very existence. If I didn't have the stupid thing I wouldn't have felt ob ligated to call him. The words still stuck in her head. Mikaelson Art & Antiquities Niklaus Mikaelson CEO The guy ran his own company. The idea bothered Caroline more than she thought possible. It just didn't sit right with the image she had of him the image of the good-for-nothing womanizer with no responsibilities. And yet he's responsib le enough to head his firm. Not that she would admit it, but for some reason that fact made her feel somewhat inadequate. Sighing, Caroline decided to face her fate. I might as well get used to having the guy around. I mean I'm here to prove to him he's the father of my child, right? Neither of us would b e here otherwise. I need to give this a chance. Caroline was pulled out of her thoughts when the person in the driver's seat of the car she was currently sulking in spoke to her.

"Earth to Care. Hello? You in there?" Stefan asked, even going so far as to wave a hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention as she stared out of the window of the car. "Hm?" She finally met his gaze, though there was a distracted light in hers. Stefan just rolled his eyes slightly, an amused grin on his face. "I just asked if you were planning on getting out any time soon unless, of course, you're too busy staring at Klaus over there." He tacked on at the end, shooting her a knowing look. "Hey!" Caroline immediately exclaimed, her full attention now on her friend, desperately hoping he wouldn't notice the red tinge of embarrassment on her cheeks. "You know it's not like that I just I don't know. Maybe I never should have told him." Her friend lost his teasing expression, suddenly turning serious. "Care, you did the right thing, ok? You may not have gone about it the right way" She shot him a semi annoyed look at the reminder of her little outburst at the bar, even though she knew he had a point. Stefan only smiled in response though, shaking his head. "You did the right thing..." He reaffirmed. "So stop second-guessing yourself and get out of the car. I do have other things to do besides being your chauffer, you know?" Caroline looked down at her lap for a moment before meeting Stefan's eyes with a smile. "Thanks. I needed that." She told him. "I know." Stefan replied with a smirk. "Now go before you make me even later." "Yeah, yeah." Caroline rolled her eyes before leaning forward and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "See you later, grumpkin." She laughed lightly at her friend's mock annoyed face before getting out of the car. Caroline was grateful that he had come all this with her to make she was all right going through with this. She waved him off as he drove away, probably a little longer than necessary, still trying to avoid going to Klaus, whose eyes she could feel on her back. "Caroline." His familiar voice called. "There you are, sweetheart, I was worried you would be a no show." The blonde took a deep breath before turning to face him, a tight smile on her face. "Well, not all of us can be like you." She told him mockingly, not being able to stop herself despite her previous resolve to be nicer. Immediately after she said it, she winced internally. Great start, Caroline Really. Luckily, Klaus didn't seem affected as he approached her, amusement dancing in his eyes. She found her own eyes scanning him as he approached, taking in his casual appearance, the necklaces he wore reminding her of their night they spent together over five months ago, of the way she had used them to pull him down to her lips. It was hard to believe he had his own business. "My, aren't we feisty today?" Klaus commented with a wide smirk, interrupting her thoughts. Caroline didn't deign to answer that. "Look, maybe we should just go in now, ok?" The blonde said instead, eyeing the door to the clinic warily. It might sound odd but Caroline was not actually the biggest fan of going to the doctor's even though, being a nurse, she constantly worked around them. She didn't like being the patient; she preferred to be the one taking care of the patient, making sure they were comfortable, keeping them as healthy as they could be. Just like she had done with her father all those years ago "After you." Klaus invited, pulling Caroline out of her melancholic thoughts. She snapped her gaze up to him, startled by his interruption. She found his eyes staring steadily back at her, blue and sparkling, strangely grounding her. There was none of his usual snark in his face now. In fact, Caroline couldn't quite read him; the face that at first she thought was a simple open book now seemed like much more of a mystery to her. Before she allowed herself to analyze this any further, the blonde nodded tersely and walked up the steps to the door, trying to convey confidence. She tried to ignore the fact that she felt strangely more at ease when she noticed Klaus' hand hovering over the small of her back, a silent sign that she wasn't alone in this.

Caroline stood nervously at the reception desk, the twirling in her stomach for once not caused by the life that was growing there. She knew she was being ridiculous; she was a nurse for crying out loud! She should be in her element she dealt with similar situations daily. But being on the other side of this situation... she wasn't quite sure how to deal

with that. Caroline frowned, only half listening as Klaus stepped forward to talk to the receptionist. Luckily the blonde was paying enough attention to follow the both of them as they were led to the small room where she would finally be able to put some evidence behind her claims. As she walked beside Klaus to the room, she noticed the young woman leading them giving her barely concealed dirty looks. What the hell is her prob lem? Finally, they reached their destination and the receptionist opened the door for them, a huge fake smile on her face. "Here we are Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson." She trilled in an exceedingly shrill voice, her eyes drilling angry holes through Caroline's skull. Wait! WHAT? "Um I, uh" Caroline stumbled over her words, completely bewildered. Why would she think that? As soon as her first thought ended, her mind went on a whirlwind, suddenly realizing why the girl was acting to weirdly to her. Ohmygod! Is that why she's b een giving me those looks this entire time? We're going in for freaking paternity test - she must think I cheated on him or something and that why we're getting the thing in the first place! Damn it, I really shouldn't have let Klaus do the talking. But, seriously, where does this b itch think she's coming from? She should just keep her judgy little looks to herself and do her job . How does she have the freaking nerve to think she's knows my entire life story from just one conversation? Oh, she is so getting it. Seething, Caroline found herself already forming a biting reply when Klaus suddenly put an entirely unwelcome arm around her waist, hand resting lightly on her swollen belly, and her response died on her tongue. She snapped eyes up to the man, her glare shifting from little miss bitch to Klaus' annoyingly calm face. What's he doing? With a charming smile, Klaus spoke with barely veiled patronization. "I'm afraid it's just Mr. Mikaelson for now, until I can convince Ms. Forbes here otherwise." For once, what Klaus did was actually a pleasant surprise and Caroline found her glare melting away into a look of astonishment. It was because of this that when he looked down at her and gave her a decidedly saucy wink, Caroline's lips actually twisted into the smallest of smiles. "She's really a keeper." Klaus continued after a moment, looking back to the receptionist. To the Caroline's somewhat sadistic pleasure, the other woman wore a look of offended shock and before that blonde could even so much as smirk at her, Klaus stepped forward, pulling his arm from her waist as he did so, and closed the door on the receptionist, effectively dismissing her. Caroline had to fight really, really hard not to let the amusement show on her face. She could say a lot of things about Klaus, but he was nothing if not unexpected. He continuously surprised her, especially his willingness to back her up. First Tyler, now this girl. She wasn't sure exactly sure how she should be reacting to this but she was grateful for his actions. Of course, she wasn't going to let Klaus know that. So, she did the mature thing; she wacked Klaus on the shoulder Hard. "What was that?" She exclaimed, referring to the pretend-couple thing that's he's already done twice. Naturally, Klaus remained unfazed and simply grinned at her amusedly. "Come on, sweetheart, live a little." "In case you haven't noticed, I'm living for two now and quit with the 'sweetheart' thing." Caroline hissed, though it was without her usual viciousness. Klaus' grin widened as he chuckled. "Alright, love." "Ugh!" The blonde threw up her hands in exasperation before turning away from him and sitting down heavily in one of the chairs, waiting impatiently for the doctor to come in so they could get this over with. Why is he so infuriating? I should just stop talking to him I b et then we could get along spectacularly. Caroline almost snorted at her own thoughts, crossing her arms over chest. She ignored Klaus as he sat next to her, that stupid smirk still on his face. It was going to be a long appointment.

She wouldn't realize until later that he had managed to stop her nervous thoughts over visiting the doctor in the first place.

It had been just over a week since Klaus and her went in for the paternity test and since then Caroline had thought of nothing else. She analyzed and analyzed and analyzed every moment, from her little encounter with the receptionist to Klaus' teasing manner... To the way he had stood silently by her side when the doctor collected amniotic fluid by the use of a very large needle. And she thought constantly of the results, waiting nervously for them. She was pretty much driving her friends crazy with her nervousness. She wasn't even sure why she was so nervous; she knew what the results were going to be, after all. So why would it be bothering her? Maybe she was just anticipating Klaus' reaction. Much as she hated to admit it, she knew that what Klaus thought and how he would react was actually really important. She realized that her baby needed a father; Caroline couldn't imagine what her life would have been like without the time she had spent time with her own father. It was because of these reasons that Caroline hesitated when she received the envelope that held the news. It's not news. I know what it is. I know what the answer will b e. But Caroline was still nervous. Taking a deep breath, she ripped the envelope open, pulling the papers out of it quickly, her eyes scanning the small font until they found what they were looking for. DNA markers identified similarities. father Niklaus Mikaelson. Caroline froze, unsure of what she should be doing now. She had been right, of course she had been right. She'd known it all along. Then what was this odd suffocating feeling in her chest, this pressure on her heart? With a heavy sign, Caroline sat down in one of her comfortable armchairs, rubbing her face gently. What's going to happen now? There was a whole lot of emotion running through her right now that she wasn't sure where or even how she would begin. One thing was odd, however, she was not disappointed with the results; she not was disappointed that Klaus was the father of her child. Which, in itself, was definitely shocking, after all there was no love lost between the two of them. But I have seen his calmer side; he may tease the heck out of me and annoy me b ut mayb e mayb e we don't have to do this with all the hate and tension. Mayb e we can work this out as friends well, acquaintances. With that more positive thought on her mind, Caroline reached for her cell phone, thumbing through her list of contacts until she came to the name she was looking for. She didn't allow herself to hesitate, knowing that if she paused for even a moment she would most likely lose her nerve. She dialed. And the phone rang. And rang. And rang. Until finally a voicemail message came up. "You've reached Klaus Mikaelson. I am currently attending to some b usiness; feel free to leave a message if it's important." Caroline sighed to herself, relieved and yet strangely disappointed. Soon enough she heard the telltale ping signifying that she should begin her message. "Hey, Klaus" She paused, thinking of what she could say. "Um, so I got the paternity test results back and I guess you did too so I suppose you know Look, just give me a call ok?" She hung up quickly, knowing that she would likely start to ramble if she kept talking.

When Caroline had contacted him in order to inform she was going ahead with the paternity test, also telling him that he needed to give a DNA sample at some point, he'd been wary and filled anticipation. He could tell that she didn't want him there with her, of course; Caroline wasn't as subtle as she seemed to think and Klaus wasn't completely clueless. He was a businessman, after all, it was part of his job to see through people's bullshit. So, instead of following her unspoken demand, Klaus did exactly what she didn't want him to do. He showed up at her appointment, with a smirk on his face, planning on doing nothing but riling her up. There was just something about getting Caroline worked up that appealed to Klaus. But then she had to go and get that look on her face as she stared up at the door of the doctor's office. The look that

made her seem like she had seen too much life; sadness laced with nervousness and even some fear. And the next thing Klaus knew, he was helping her out. Again. He'd thought helping her get rid of her ex was a fluke on his part, that something like that wouldn't happen anymore. But then he defended Caroline against that annoying secretary. Klaus simply didn't understand why he did that. It was not that Klaus was a bad person, per se, but he wasn't exactly a good person either. He wasn't the type to help out someone unless there was something in it for him. And he definitely wasn't the type to get so protective over a woman he b arely knew. What was wrong with him lately? Klaus didn't know. So he naturally did the most responsible thing he could do. He ignored all thoughts of this and dug his head in the sand or, in his case, drank copious amounts of alcohol. The only thing he didn't avoid thinking about was the actual paternity test and its results. He had mixed feelings about, to say the least. Klaus wasn't even sure if he would be able to describe what he was feeling. All he knew was that he needed to get those results now. So, when he finally did get that all-important envelope, he didn't wait a second to open it and look. And now, here Klaus was, holding paper in his hands, staring down at it in wonder, shock, and fear. The baby was his. Caroline's baby No, their baby. He was going to be a father. It was real And Klaus was suddenly overwhelmed. This entire time there had been a chance that this whole thing was a simple fantasy concocted by one of his crazy many one-night-stands. But Caroline wasn't crazy and this fantasy turned out to be a reality. Caroline. Klaus supposed he would be spending a lot more time with the woman now. Since first reading the news he had decided that he wouldn't be an absent father. No, he would try to be there for his child, his baby; he would try to be a good dad. But doing so meant he would have to interact with his child's mother. The blonde was different. Different from any other person he'd met. Unpredictable but dependable. Frustrating but strangely hypnotic. She was the expectant mother to their child. And he was surprised to find he was protective of them both, despite Caroline's often less than pleasant behavior towards him. Our child, Klaus couldn't help the tiny smile that lit his face as the thought popped in his head. My child. But then Klaus began to doubt. Yes, his plan was to support his child, to be there for him or her. It was his responsibility, wasn't it? Isn't that what he should do? What he wanted to do? But, should he be a father? Wouldn't he be a horrible at it? The only father he had ever had was Mikael, and god knows he was not a good example. Where would Klaus even begin with parenting his own child? The sound of his phone vibrating nearby shook him out of his thoughts. He was quick to grab the phone from the coffee table in front of him but, noting the name on the screen, he decided not to pick up. He needed a moment to process this new information fully and if he talked to Caroline now, he knew he wouldn't be able to do that. So, sighing, he closed his phone and sat back in his couch, rubbing a tired hand over his face. Klaus was going to be a father. He was going to have a child. He was going to have a child with Caroline, the one woman in the world he wasn't sure what to think of. Clearly, this was going to go well.

She sat across Klaus in the small caf, exhausted after having just finished an overnight shift but buzzing with new nervous energy. Klaus had finally ended up calling her back about four hours after she'd left her voice message. Their

phone conversation had been awkward, stilted, but at least they'd managed to set up a meet for the next day. And now here they were. Caroline sent Klaus a hesitant half-smile as she sat, playing with her fingers, trying to get out from under the weight of this silence. Klaus seemed to be doing the same thing as he stared at her, his blue eyes electric as they examined her, full of sharpness. "So, what now?" Caroline finally asked, wincing internally at her somewhat confrontational tone. Damn it, Care, tone it down. Just relax, he's here with you and you two need to act like adults ab out this. "Now," Klaus leaned forward on the table, still staring at her, "now we figure this out." "You're sticking around?" The blonde exclaimed in return, unable to hide her surprise. She'd thought that mayb e, at b est, he would pay child support and perhaps even ask for visitation rights every once in a while. But really staying? And helping out? Is that what he wants? "You have to ask?" Klaus asked, annoyance clear in his tone in response to Caroline's own haughty one. This time Caroline really did wince. I guess, I should really just stop with all the judgy-ness. "Well, can you blame me? I barely even know you and what I have seen" She trailed off with a small shrug, tentative again. She didn't want to mess this up. Klaus may not be her most liked person, and yeah he may frustrate her to end, but he was still the father of her child and she didn't need to be egging him on. Caroline may not like to admit it, but she hadn't exactly been making it easy on either of them. "You don't think I'm good enough, that I can do this." Klaus' voice was monotonous; his face devoid of emotion but his eyes a stormy blue. "I'm not trying to start an argument and I wasn't saying that." Caroline replied quickly, stopping this fight before it could begin. "What I was saying is that I just don't know. I'll admit, I was quick to judge you before, and probably a little too harshly." She took a deep breath, finding it harder to admit all this out loud than she thought it would be. "My opinion of you didn't change because I didn't want it to change." She turned her eyes away from Klaus, looking at her hands instead. She could still feel his gaze on her, however, feel it burning into her. "And now?" He asked her after a moment, his voice less harsh than it was before. When Caroline looked back up to him, she saw that his eyes were less troubled and more curious. "Like I said." Caroline spoke quietly. "I don't know you well enough, so maybe I should actually get to know you before I form an opinion." Finally, the tension around them broke when Klaus suddenly smirked widely, amused. "Well, well you've certainly done some real thinking about this haven't you love?" "Don't push me, Klaus, I'm giving you a chance here." She replied smartly, though her tone was teasing rather than annoyed. "I know." His smirk changed into a small smile. "Now I can't promise that I will be the best of fathers, but I will promise that I can try." For once, everything about Klaus was completely sincere and Caroline found herself actual liking this version of the man. "That's all I ask." She smiled at him now, a real smile. "Caroline?" He asked after a moment, trying to sound nonchalant though she could see the interest in his expression. "Why are you doing this? Giving me a chance?" "Like you said, our child deserves have b oth its parents." She paused, not having anything left to say on the matter. She'd had the conversation she'd wanted to have and she was pretty sure she couldn't do any other sort of planning now, considering the fact that her eyes seemed like they would close at any moment. I'm so freaking tired. I really shouldn't have agreed to do this after my shift. "Look, I'm going to get going, how about I call you later so we can figure just exactly what we're going to do?" Caroline offered, not wanting Klaus to think she wanted to avoid him or anything else like that. Klaus, for his part, only nodded in assent. "Sounds like a plan." The blonde sent him a small smile, standing up slowly. She hesitated as she turned to walk away, looking down at the still seated man in front of her. Well this isn't at all awkward. "Ok, um bye." Caroline could have died in embarrassment at her complete and utter ineptness as she turned around abruptly and headed for the door.

She wasn't so fast that she missed his farewell, however. "Goodbye, Caroline." Klaus called after her. Caroline tried to ignore that odd feeling in her stomach at the way her name rolled off his tongue. Again, I just want to say sorry for being so incredibly late with this chapter! I am so, so, so, sorry! You have no idea! I swear the next one WON'T take so long. Also, I'll be finishing the epilogue of The Scars Not Seen soon ;) About the paternity test I am not a doctor or expert in the area so I can't guarantee that anything above is any way correct. I only used what I found on the internet (and we all know that there are often inaccuracies). According to my 'research' I found that there were different types of prenatal paternity tests which is why my own description of it is rather vague. I hope that didn't bother anyone or mess with the believability of the story! Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think! RW

*Chapter 6*: Friends

Thank you to GGirlxoxoA, sunshinegold, MurphMurph98, Guest, Lilyzinha, KCer, Jen, bloodysirebond, foreverwishing (x5), zohrax3, Sylvia, veronica, OKBooey31, redbudrose, Guest, vulnera-sapientia, keiko-uchiha, jojem, Sophia Chase, babyvfan, MurphMurph98, shadowfaxangel, ilovetvd, Jackizn, DreamsBeatReality, jessinicole, Ellavm18, elijahlover, EmmaRedVelvet, mscyanide, and klarOlinelOver17 for reviewing! As you might notice, this fic has new cover made by the wonderful and incredibly talented approvesomuch (from tumblr). It's just gorgeous and beautiful, just like the rest of her work. Big thank you to her! And, as always, thanks to carasedrin for being such a huge help ;) Disclaimer: Don't own TVD :( Chapter 5 Friends "It's amazing that we got this far. It's like we're chasing all those stars, who's driving shiny b ig b lack cars." "Wow, so he's really the father, huh?" Bonnie commented when she was finished examining the paternity test papers, her tone conveying some disbelief. "Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed, shocked that her friend still thought that there had been someone other than Klaus, when she'd told her so many times that there hadn't. Her friend had the decency to look at least somewhat abashed. "Sorry, I'm just saying." She put the papers down slowly, joining Caroline on where she was lounging in one of the living room sofas. "What are you going to do? What's he going to do?" She asked. "He said he wants to stick around, help out." The blonde shrugged, her eyes shifting to her hands as she thought about the encounter she'd had with Klaus yesterday; it had been surprisingly not horrible, not even unpleasant in all honesty. "What? Really?" Bonnie exclaimed, sounding completely shocked. "Yeah." Caroline nodded, looking back up to her friend in confirmation. The other woman seemed to take a figurative step back, looking at her friend appraisingly. "Wow, it's just from the way you talked about him" She paused, not sure how she could continue without saying some probably offensive things, even if she didn't intend to do so. Luckily, Caroline perceived her own mistakes enough that she knew when to take over. "I've decided to give him a chance, maybe not judge him as harshly as I've done before." She said quietly, still slightly ashamed at how she's been handling the whole thing before. "Looks like our little Care's all grown up." Bonnie teased after a long minute of silence. "Shut up." The pregnant blonde rolled her eyes dramatically, whilst cracking a wide smile that quickly gentled when her friend spoke again. "No but really, I'm glad you've had this change in heart." Bonnie said sincerely, reaching over to give Caroline's hand a quick squeeze, showing her support. "I think you might've regretted it later on otherwise." "I know. Thanks, Bon." She replied softly, completely agreeing with the other girl. It was true, of course. If she hadn't opened herself up enough to give Klaus a chance, her baby might've ended up never knowing his or her father. Caroline wasn't completely sure whether or not Klaus would stick around now, but at least she knew that that was what his intentions were. And for now that was enough for her. Caroline cleared her emotion-clogged throat abruptly, wanting to put her mind of the subject for a bit. She clapped her hands together, immediately gathering Bonnie's attention to her as she sent her a bright smile. "Now, how about we try to get pregnant girl's mind here off the topic of babies and fathers and onto something a little less responsibility-filled?" The blonde suggested with her usual level of snark. Bonnie laughed lightly, standing up and heading to the DVD cabinet. "Well then, I'd say we're long overdue for another one of our movie nights."

"Definitely. Should I call Stef too?" "You can, but I think he's got the night shift today so he might not be able to make it." Bonnie shrugged, shuffling through their movies, pulling a few possibilities out here and there. Caroline smiled and settled deeper into the couch. "Ok, well then it looks like it'll be girl's night." Her hand shifted to her swollen belly, laying it gently there. Well, girl's night plus one.

It had been nearly a week since she had seen Klaus when Caroline finally got up to the courage to call him again like she said she would. It wasn't that she was angry at him or anything like that, it's just he confused her, made her nervous in a way that she shouldn't be. It was Klaus, after all; it's not like she was calling him to ask him out on a date or anything like that so this should definitely not be feeling this way. At all. Ever. Luckily, Caroline managed to get passed her raging hormones enough to dial his number and hold the phone to her ear. Of course, she was contemplating simply hanging up now and turning her phone off, thereby detaching herself from the entire world But, before she could make her decision, he picked up. "Klaus Mikaelson." The deep, gravelly and familiar voice came from the other end, sounding crisp and professional. Caroline swallowed dryly, attempting to quell her nerves. "Hey Klaus. It's"Caroline." His tone conveyed warmth as he cut in smoothly; the blonde could practically see the way her name rolled of his tongue. She felt a shiver run through her and briefly wondered if she was perhaps coming down with something. I should really get that checked; can't b e good for the b ab y. "Um, yeah." She replied. "I was wondering when you would contact me." Klaus said, rather cockily. No surprise there. She rolled her eyes, nervous spell broken. "Of course you were." Caroline said wryly before continuing somewhat unsurely, but more confidently than before. "Look, I was just thinking that maybe we should get together sometime this week and talk about things" Trailing off, she found herself shrugging, beginning to wonder why she was calling him. Come on, Caroline, get your head in the game, you idiot. "I have some time tomorrow if you're willing." The reply came quickly, assuredly. "Really?" She asked surprised at his keenness, and hating the way her voice kind of squeaked when she said it. Clearing her throat again, she tried very hard not to be awkward. "Um, ok, great. When?" "My lunch break is from one onwards." "Yeah, that's fine with me. Same caf as last time?" Caroline questioned, referring to where they went when they first found out the results of the paternity test. She heard him shuffling some papers around as he answered. "Sure. I'll pick you up, love." He said firmly, still shuffling. "Klaus, that really isn't necessary. I can make my way to you on my own." She replied sharply, trying not cringe at how that last bit could be taken. Yeah, that could have gone b etter. Klaus' tone went suddenly serious. "I've no doubt, Caroline, but it'll go much quicker if I simply come and get you, for the both of us. And quite a bit more comfortable too, I'd wager." He tacked on at the end, his voice still conveying his firm resolve in the matter. Caroline sighed after a long moment, deciding to pick her battles. As much as it bothered her that he felt obligated to do this, she didn't want to get into an argument about it right now. And, really, a ride wouldn't be that bad; at least she could give Stefan a break from being her chauffeur. "Fine, fine. Whatever. I'll text you the address." She ended up saying, her mind staying on the perks of a ride instead of the anxious tumbling of her stomach; a tumbling that had nothing to do with the life growing near there. "See you soon, sweetheart." Frustratingly, Caroline could practically feel Klaus' smugness, even after he hung up shortly after.

Cocky ass. Still, there was a fond smile on her face before the thought even had a chance to leave her mind.

When the sleek black car pulled up to her measly apartment building, Caroline suddenly wondered why'd she given into Klaus so easily. She didn't recognize the make of the car or anything like that but she could tell it must've been pretty damn expensive, considering the loud but smooth roar of its engine and the insignia at the front. How in the hell? No wonder he's so arrogant. She waited impatiently for it to stop in front of her, her previously good mood already darkening. If that isn't a sign then I don't know what is Soon enough, the car rolled to a stop and out stepped a very good-looking and very frustrating man. Klaus waved in greeting to her, sending her a half smile that Caroline couldn't help but feel obligated to return, though a tad less enthusiastically. She approached him slowly, taking a deep breath to calm herself and get her head straight. It was definitely not the time to make things between them any worse; they were in this together (for now at least) and the both of them would have to adjust to that. Including Caroline. Of course, that outlook quickly dimmed at Klaus' first comment. "Well, well so this is where the illustrious Ms. Forbes lives. How very" Klaus began after he reached over to open the car door for her, watching her as she stepped in. "Say anything derogatory and you're signing your own death sentence." Caroline glared at him, cutting him off, as she adjusted herself in the annoyingly comfortable seat. Why does everything he has have to b e so damn perfect? "I was going to say charming." Klaus replied with a wide smirk, his eyes dark with mirth as he glanced towards her. "Oh." The blonde startled at this, not expecting the sincerity in his voice. Klaus and surprises, a riveting new romance, Caroline found herself thinking sarcastically, her frustration shifting to herself; why couldn't she for once keep her cynicism and doubt about Klaus down a little? She would likely scare him off if she kept acting so standoffish towards him. Naturally, however, there was a little voice in her mind that was reminding that Klaus was a big boy, and that if he couldn't handle a little mockery, he clearly wasn't ready to be a father of any caliber. For once, Caroline decided it might be best to ignore that voice. "Well thank you. I'm glad you think so." She ended up saying, in earnest. "Do you really, love?" The Brit replied with doubt, raising an eyebrow in her direction as he started the car and pulled away from her apartment building, eyes focusing on the road in front of him. She rolled her eyes, sighing slightly; two things she seemed to do quite often in his company. "Are we really going to do this whole back and forth bickering thing right now?" "I quite enjoy it." Klaus said with a chuckle, his voice low with something Caroline did not want to identify, did not even dare to. So she, of course, replied in the best way she knew how, with derision. "Yes, well, some of us are actual adults, so" Klaus chuckled again, amused and surprisingly undeterred at her usual spitfire attitude towards him. There weren't very many women that were like that around him. "Very well then Caroline. Onto more mature subjects if we must How have you been feeling?" He ended up asking, noting her stunned expression from the periphery of his vision. Suddenly feeling somewhat intimidated by the whole situation (you know being alone in a car with Klaus), Caroline found herself rambling nervously, one hand idly playing with a blonde curl, the other protectively over her stomach. "Good, I've been good. This little guy has been keeping me up quite a bit but other than that everything's been surprisingly-" Luckily, she was interrupted before her case of awkward word vomit got any worse. "Good?" Klaus finished for her, teasing her. The blonde nodded briskly, not wanting to show the sudden thrill of something she'd felt when he was so casual and carefree with her. Something more like nothing, she tried to convince herself. Yes, nothing. "Yeah." Caroline finally answered curtly, trying to get out of her increasingly frustrating circling thoughts. "Well, for that I'mglad." Klaus smirked at her, loving to see her riled up as she was now. Still, he decided to give her a break and stay silent for a little bit. She was carrying his child, after all; chances were Caroline could use some relaxation. "Ah, here we are." He only spoke again when they arrived on the street where the caf was, parking smoothly. With the

same odd masculine grace he always had, he swiftly got out and went to the other side of his car, wanting to help the very pregnant blonde he had with him. Of course, said blonde was very independent as well, and tried to exit the low car by herself. Which, naturally ended with her nearly falling flat to the ground, had Klaus not been there to quickly catch and right her. "Alright there, love?" He asked quietly, looking down into surprised blue eyes. He felt the ends of his lips tug into another smirk when he noticed the embarrassed blush stain her cheeks. "Fine." Caroline replied, a bit shakily, before pulling away from him, the arm that had been encircled around the small of her back falling away. Then, with what he was beginning to realize was typical Caroline attitude, she strutted towards the caf entry, her blonde curls bobbing up and down. Klaus shook his head as he followed behind her, his smirk turning into an indulgent smile.

"So what was it you wanted to discuss then?" Klaus asked after they settled into their seats, the waitress having gotten their orders, Klaus going with his usual coffee and Caroline abstaining from everything caffeine considering her state. Chocolate, however, she was definitely not abstaining from. The blonde was pulling her coat off as she answered. "I don't know, I just thought we should both know a bit more about this and each other so we can move forward with everything" Caroline trailed off, suddenly very uncertain about this whole thing. It had been her idea but This was going to be a lot harder than she thought it would be, she realized. "You're certainly right there." Klaus conceded, surprising her with the lack of mockery in his tone. Ok, mayb e it won't b e that b ad. "I am?" She let out in shock, before her cheeks reddened and she cleared her throat, not wanting him to see how he flustered her. "I mean, yes, I am." She nodded firmly, internally wincing at her words. I just can't keep it together around him, can I? Klaus simply raised a brow at her before, thankfully, moving past her awkwardness without comment. "I'll be honest with you Caroline, I myself don't really know how we're supposed to continue from here." He shrugged, leaning back slightly back in her chair. "I'm quite unfamiliar with fatherhood." He admitted lightly, though sincerely. Caroline smiled, some of the tension around them breaking. "You and me both. Though, in my case motherhood." She elaborated after a moment, her foot-in-mouth syndrome continuing. Still, it seemed like Klaus might actually have some class when he again just moved on, only giving her the smallest of amused glances. "Well then, maybe we should start by getting to know each other a little more." He said, once more agreeing with her, much to her shock. "We may have had some rather intimate moments, but I really know nothing of you. And I gather you do not know much about me either." "Not really." Caroline replied, deciding not to let his little insinuation get to her as the waitress brought Klaus his coffee and a hot chocolate for her. And, of course, the waitress just had to make sex-me-now eyes at Klaus; he, however, ignored them and only focused on Caroline. She wasn't going to admit how much that pleased her. Take that coffee-girl. "How about this; we play a little game. I ask you a question, which you must answer, truthfully, and then you can ask me one. Simple." Klaus suggested, his voice deep with command, before taking a sip from his steaming coffee. The blonde across from him considered it for a moment. It wasn't exactly the most conventional of methods but when had either of them during this whole ordeal been conventional? So she nodded, assenting. "Fine. But the minute either of us decides to stop answering, the questions stop too. Deal?" She said, adding her own conditions, and cornily holding her hand out for him to shake. Klaus looked at if for a moment, before humoring her and taking it strongly in his own. Caroline felt a sudden thrill rush through when his calloused palm touched hers. She met his blue eyes for only an instant before having to look away because of the intensity of his gaze. Klaus finally shook her hand once, firmly, and pulled away from her; Caroline let out a small smile of relief when the penetrating feelings she was having floated back into the background. "Where were you born?" Klaus started after a long moment, leaning forward onto the table, his eyes once again trying to catch her gaze. Caroline, for her part, did not need the distraction and avoided them. "Mystic Falls, Virginia. You?" She answered quickly, copying his movements and leaning forward as well. "Near London. England of course. Birthday?" Klaus questioned, cocking his head curiously.

"October 10th, 1989. What about you?" They were gaining a rhythm now, going back and forth. "May 16th, 1984. Only child?" "Yes." The blonde nodded firmly. "You have any siblings?" "Several." At Klaus' answer, Caroline almost snorted. Well that satisfyingly vague, wasn't it? Is he trying to keep some intrigue or something like that? "Current employment?" He continued, cutting through her thoughts. This time Caroline really did snort, because really? What kind of person asks what someone's 'current employment is', instead of just asking them what their job is "What is this, an interrogation?" She replied snarkily, before moving on with no little amount of Forbes sass. "Yes I am currently employed. As a nurse, actually." Klaus nodded, watching her intently. "When did you start your business? Mikaelson Art & Antiquities, I think it was." She continued quickly. "I started it a couple years after I graduated from Business School." He answered steadily. "Now, how are you enjoying life as a nurse?" "It's tough, but rewarding, cheesy as that sounds. Did you always want to go into business?" "Not particularly, but it's just a job." Klaus said, once again being exasperatingly vague. "Hobbies?" "Singing, I guess." Caroline shrugged. "You?" "I dabble in a few things." Here we are, another non-answer. "Are you any good?" "Can't say." Oh, yeah, two can play at that game b uddy. "Are you going to answer my questions straightforwardly at all?" The blonde raised a brow as she crossed her arms, only succeeding in making Klaus' eyes shine roguishly. "Perhaps" Caroline looked at him balefully, just causing him to grin widely. Even though her look turned into a glare, Klaus continued with his next question, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand. "That bloke that drove you to the clinic the other day boyfriend?" Who's he-? Oh. Stefan. The blonde let out a small laugh at the carefully (and very transparent) curious expression Klaus wore, seeing right through it. "More like best friend." Caroline replied after a moment, before cocking her head at him coyly. "And really, Klaus, do you honestly think hooking up with someone else after being knocked up is a good idea?" She asked, shaking her head slightly. I know where my priorities are. "I was just curious, love." Klaus said before quickly moving on and not letting them linger on the topic. Looks like I'm not the only one who's feeling the tension. "And that ex of yours, Tyler, is he going to bother you anymore?" She immediately froze, her friendly feelings freezing over at the mention of her former boyfriend. She really didn't think about the guy right now. Not after the way he treated her. "No. He won't." She said shortly, her frigidness conveyed on her face. Klaus noticed and seemed to back up a bit. "What about you? Any crazy exes I need to worry about?" Caroline swiftly went to her next question. The man only smirked back. "Not particularly." The blonde could have rolled her eyes at his response, internally berating herself for forgetting whom she was talking to. Right. Womanizer. "Would you like our baby to be a girl or boy?" Now that question threw her for a loop. She'd have thought Klaus would work around this particular topic. Guess not. "I don't actually know. Either." Caroline suggested with a nonchalant shrug. She didn't feel the need to explain her reasoning to him, particularly not when his own answers were so vague. Klaus chuckled sardonically. "That was diplomatic." Caroline flicked her blonde curls over one shoulder, sending him her thousand-watt smile. "What can I say? I'm a natural-born public speaker." She said, laying her sarcasm on thick as she batted her eyes at him. "I'm sure." This time the laugh was real and even Caroline found her smile gentling, turning friendlier. "And you Klaus, what do you want?" She asked quietly as she referred to her-their baby, her expression serious. Klaus watched her carefully for a moment, seemingly contemplating how he should answer. He was surprisingly hesitant, which, Caroline guessed, was not a usual state for him. "I just want to know my child. Make sure she or he is safe, I suppose." He ended up saying, his eyes shifting away from hers. The corner of her mouth tilted. "And happy?" She tagged on, seeing through his seemingly flippant attitude; Klaus,

Caroline was starting to understand, wore a careful faade for the world. Maybe their situation would allow her to see though that mask, at least a little bit. Klaus half-smiled, coming as close as she expected to admitting it, before masterfully deflecting it. "That was more than one question, love." He said, his grin shifting seamlessly into his usual smirk. "Guess that means game over then, Mr. Mikaelson." Caroline teased gently, smiling at him in understanding. Maybe all the nervousness and drama of this whole thing was worth it, because she was finally seeing a little more of the other side of Klaus, the side that helped show her what type of father he would be. Caroline had the feeling that he might actually take to fatherhood. Klaus returned her teasing with a mischievous grin. "I suppose you are correct, Ms. Forbes." He said, playing along. They sat in silence then for a little while, both of them finishing their drinks until he looked down at his watch, pleased grin turning into a sigh. "My lunch hour is just about over." He admitted, looking to meet her eyes. "I'm afraid it's time to depart, love." He stood quickly then, dropping a few bills on the table before she could argue against it and swiftly moving to her side, pulling the chair out. "After you." He invited, face close to her ear, before moving to stand before her, hand held out. Caroline looked to his eyes for the slightest moment, hesitating, before reaching and taking his hand, allowing him to pull her up. She didn't comment when he held it a tad longer than strictly necessary.

By the time they reached her apartment again, Caroline was feeling quite satisfied with their little meeting. They hadn't gotten to talk too much about arrangements for their situation and such but at least she was getting a bit more of a feel for the father of her child. This whole trying not to judge him (key word; trying) was actually kind of working out. "Thank you, Klaus." Caroline said sincerely when they came to a stop in front of her building. She turned to him with a small smile, for once not using her usual snark and sass. "You're welcome." He replied, voice gravelly as his eyes drilled into her. The blonde nodded in acceptance after a long moment, before smiling one last time at him in farewell. She opened her door and got slowly out of the car then, managing not to have the same mishap as before this time. Just as she was about to shut the car door in triumph, Klaus' voice made her pause. "Caroline, love, I have a question for you." The use of her full name caused Caroline to freeze for a moment before she turned back to him, bending down slightly and looking at him with a bit of confusion. "What you didn't ask enough before?" "I could never ask enough questions about you." Klaus replied, turning on the charm as he sent her a suggestive look. Caroline just rolled her eyes, used to his comments by now. "Ok. What is it?" He gestured to her building. "Do you think you'll have enough room for the baby?" Though his tone didn't suggest offense or any such thing, Caroline still took some, hating the mere thought that she couldn't support herself and her baby. "Yes. Of course. I mean I'll make room." She replied defensively, glaring at him now. I'm not helpless; I can do this. I could do this even without you. "Alright, I believe you sweetheart" Klaus replied, placating, but he still moved on with the topic, much to her annoyance. "But I feel living arrangements are something we should discuss." He spoke firmly, pinning her where she was with his stormy blue eyes. "Well obviously the baby will stay with me, seeing as I am the mother." Caroline replied, her voice strong and resolved. Don't even try it. "Oh there's no doubt about that." Klaus said like it was obvious. "I'm just wondering if that flat of yours is the best location for the b oth of you to stay." Now that comment puzzled Caroline. "Wait, Klaus, what do you-?" However, before she could even finish her question, Klaus was reaching across the front seat to her door, pulling it towards him. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart. Until then try not to trip to your death." He teased, referring to her two earlier cases of stumbling, before firmly closing the door to his car and starting the engine.

"Klaus!" Caroline exclaimed, bewildered and somewhat annoyed. But it seemed she went unheard because the next thing she knew, Klaus was driving off, all the while throwing her roguish wave, a wicked smirk present on his face. And Caroline, overwhelmed as she was, could only watch him go, her thoughts swirling. What the hell was he even going on ab out? I mean, where does he come off? Thinking my place isn't good enough? I mean, is he actually is he actually suggesting that I move away? Mayb e I'm looking too much into it b ut is he suggesting I move in with him ? What the hell? So this gap between updates wasn't nearly as long as the last but still longer than I wanted it to be. Luckily, most of the work I had to do for school is now finished so I should be able to devote more time to my writing ;) Next chapter, some of Klaus' POV and a surprise visit :D Thanks for reading and let me know what you think, RW

*Chapter 7*: Family

Thank you to GracoTaco, GleePotterTwilightFan, Jenny P, ashlytorres24, Maiqu, Aubrey, maryplak yourloved, Guest, ilovetvd, Veronica, duchessduchie, elijahlover, Venus88, winxgirl1997, bloodysirebond, narelclollie, klaroline4everlove, NikMik, mscyanide, Helzz-on-Earth (x6), Lou, Guest, crimsonseer12, addicted to klaroline, caritobear, KlarOlinelOver17, mycutehamlet, CrazyLazyAlien, daisiella13, Cevangelyn, OKBooey31, chillwithJyl, Mystery Girl3, Dodge1989, Guest, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, EmmaRedVelvet, Ellavm18, jessnicole, Sophlove, and MsCindz for reviewing! Also, I want to thank the lovely people PM'd and messaged me about this story; I haven't forgotten, don't worry! I apologize for not replying all the time, school got in the way. Just been extremely busy with exams and such! There is one thing I would bring up which has been mentioned to me a few times; how do you guys feel about bumping this story to an M rating? I'm hesitant since I've never written anything of that caliber, so I don't have much experience with it. I don't know, but I'd love to hear everyone's opinion about it! Just let me know :) And from those of you who have already suggested it and sent messages about it, I will try and get back to you soon! Disclaimer: As always, TVD is still not mine. Chapter Six Family "This time don't need another perfect lie. Don't care if critics ever jump in line. I'm gonna give all my secrets away" Despite the fact that three days had passed since she'd last seen him, Caroline could not, for the life of her, stop thinking about Klaus. Well, stop thinking about what he said that is. Oh she was sure there were plenty of other girls out there who pined over the man (I mean, come on, that accent and Caroline wasn't b lind, she knew he was ridiculously easy to look at) but she was definitely not one of them. Nope. Not at all. Still, the guy was constantly on her mind, his frustratingly vague words swirling around in her head. I swear, every time I try to convince myself to stop letting him b other me, he just b others me more. What was it with him? He seemed to have some stupid power over her. Caroline despised it. And, in typical Caroline fashion, she was solving her problem by avoiding any contact with Klaus. Yes she knew she would have to talk to him eventually but, hey, even she was allowed to avoid her responsibilities for a little while, right? Well, regardless, she was doing so. In one of her many ploys to find distraction, Caroline decided to make a probably long overdue phone call to the matriarch of the rather small Forbes family. The increasingly further along blonde was currently pacing around her living room, trying, in vain, to patiently wait for the ringing to stop. The second it did, she opened her mouth and the words came flying out. "Hi, Mom." She practically squeaked it out, much to her embarrassment and horror... God I just can't seem to keep it together lately... Stupid Klaus... Luckily her mother decided to ignore her daughter's rather odd tone of voice and managed to interrupt Caroline's little inner rant as well. "Hi, honey. How are you? How's my first grandkid?" Liz Forbes' voice conveyed nothing but warmth, her questions sincere. It may have taken her a little bit to get used to the whole idea of a grandchild at her somewhat young age, but now she was simply ecstatic about the whole thing. It had been much too long since there had last been a child in her life. "Both well for now." Caroline replied after taking a breath to center herself a little. She smiled as she thought of her mom, sitting in her uniform back at the station, probably with a half empty cup of coffee in front of her. The younger Forbes really missed her. "Well, that's good to hear." "How about you?" Caroline continued as she quit her pacing and finally settled in on the couch. When she'd been in her teens, her mom's presence tended to rile her up more than anything. Now, however, the opposite was true. "Oh, I've been fine. Being the sheriff in a small town is surprisingly boring." Liz admitted with a pleasant chuckle. "Mother!" Caroline gasped in mock shock. "Are you telling you actually want some poor citizen of Mystic Falls to break the law?" The younger Forbes practically tutted, faux disappointment ringing all through her tone.

"I would never." Came her mother's indignant reply, playing along. Caroline let out a surprised laugh, shaking her head, her spirits already immensely lightened. "Well, seeing as you seem bored enough to commit crime, maybe you should come visit me again sometime soon." Liz let out an exaggerated sigh. "I don't know Caroline. I have so much work to do." "Mom." She rolled her eyes as she spoke, even despite the fact that the sheriff couldn't exactly see it. Still, she had the feeling Liz would know. "Yes, yes fine. I'll try to see if I can schedule something for next week." Her mom promptly replied, her tone long-suffering. In any case, Caroline found herself breaking into a wide smile. "Thanks, Mom. Let know when you can. I really can't wait to see you! Love you!" "Love you too, honey. Be careful, ok? It isn't just you anymore." Liz went from teasing to mother hen in all of two seconds; not that Caroline minded in any way, of course. "Yes ma'am." She laughed again. "And you take care of yourself too. What would Mystic Falls do without their Sheriff?" "Alright, alright. Don't tease your poor mother." "Yeah, yeah, whatever the Sheriff says goes. Bye!" "Bye, honey." As her mom hung up, Caroline found that she already felt immensely better. It was actually quite surprising that Liz Forbes could have such a positive effect on her, especially when you considered their rather rough past. Now that she had successfully taken her mind off Klaus for a grand total of about five minutes, Caroline realized that maybe she should stop avoiding the problem. But she also knew that if she went straight to the man now, she might not be able to get out what she wanted to say in the right way. Luckily, she had the perfect solution for her little issue - she needed impartial ears to listen to her for a little a while. With another small smile, Caroline picked up the phone again.

When the shrill ringing of his phone woke Stefan Salvatore from his much needed sleep, he wanted nothing more than to just ignore it and roll back over. He'd had to work yet another overnight shift and felt he deserved to sleep the day away. But his phone just had to keep ringing. In the end, of course, he decided to just give in and pick up, grumbling despite himself. "Hello?" He greeted, not bothering to hide his cranky tone. "Stef! How do you feel like having a Game of Thrones marathon?" Caroline's cheery voice replied immediately, her tone hopeful. Any further plans of sleep Stefan had instantly disappeared; were it any other person, he might've simply hung up, but Care had best friend privileges after all. Besides that, the blonde was always meticulous when it came to knowing his and Bonnie's schedules; it was unusual for her to call him at a time she knew he would likely be resting. Stefan had the feeling something else was going. Well, she's already pregnant, what else could she surprise me with? "Sounds awesome." He finally replied, forcing himself to sit up in his bed, much to his body's protest. "When do you want me?" He asked, glancing at his bedside clock. Eleven in morning... Guess that's as good as it's going to get. "Ten minutes ago?" His friend replied said, laughing a bit, as if trying to relieve some tension or the like. That all but confirmed it for Stefan. Something's definitely up. "On my way, Care. See you in a bit." He said firmly, leaving no space for doubt. He hung up immediately after, before allowing himself another small moment of piece, simply sitting in his bed. If he were being honest, Stefan had been quite worried about Caroline lately. It was not that he doubted her ability to deal with her pregnancy, or her impending motherhood, it was more that she hadn't really been herself in a long time. Ever since the last few months of her and Tyler's relationship, really. Stefan had tried everything to get her back to her usual bubbly self; it was the least he could do, considering the way she'd helped him through the whole Elena debacle. Not to

mention she'd been his best friend, no scratch that, his family since high school. But, even so, there was only so much he could do. However, he had noticed a bit of a change in her in the last couple of weeks. She seemed more alive, feistier, like she had been before. Her eyes tended to light up more, with more feeling. And all this was due to one Klaus Mikaelson. Stefan didn't trust the guy at all. And that was saying it lightly. But Stefan also wasn't the type of guy to give final judgment about a person he barely even knew. So, he supposed he'd have to give him a chance. He'd only seen Klaus twice, but he'd definitely heard a lot about him, and not very much of it painted him in a good light. Lucky for Klaus, Caroline didn't needed someone impartial in her life, someone who would just listen to her and give unbiased advice. They all knew there was no way Bonnie would be able to fill that role, or Katherine when she decided to make her presence known. So it fell to Stefan, not that he really minded or anything. Still, this Klaus guy better be worth all this constant drama. He might not be able to stay so impartial if he disappointed Caroline any more, or, worse, broke her heart.

The good thing ab out Stefan, Caroline found herself thinking several hours later, is that he is the most patient person in the history of the world. They'd already watched the four first episodes of their favorite show, and were planning on watching quite a few more, but Caroline also realized that Stef had probably known that she had other reasons for wanting him here since the beginning. So, when the credits rolled, she really wasn't surprised when he turned to her and paused the DVD, looking at her expectantly. "So tell me what you really need to talk about, Care." She almost considered denying everything but one look from Stefan stopped her in her tracks. "I've known you since high school, if I didn't know how to read you by now, I wouldn't be much of a friend now would I?" He added dryly. She, in return, gave him a bit of a sheepish look. But instead of smirking back at her like she expected him to do, he was still gazing sincerely at her, waiting as patiently as ever. So she told him. She told him what happened just three days ago, the events still fresh on her mind. She told him all about Klaus' odd attitude and the vague way he answered all of her questions in their little game. She told him of her doubts about him. But, most of all, she talked about the drive back home, about Klaus' subtle little comment about her living arrangements. "I mean, he basically suggested I move in with him." Caroline was saying now, shaking her head in annoyance. Stefan seemed to be deep in thought, his prominent brow creased. "I wouldn't say that." He spoke, considering, choosing his words carefully. "I mean, he never put it like that, did he?" Well, he does have you there, Caroline's traitorous thoughts told her. "No" She trailed off, feeling oddly ashamed about this whole thing. She didn't like to admit it, but Klaus just had this way of getting under her skin with everything he did. Klaus... I swear that man is just... something. He's just something. "Then I wouldn't worry too much about it." Stefan replied, satisfied. "Maybe he wants to move you to a better neighborhood, maybe he wants you to get a bigger place or something. I don't know But what I do know is that you tend to put too much thought into little comments." He gave her a knowing look to which she had the decency to blush in slight embarrassment. "All I'm saying is don't start freaking out too much about something that hasn't even been suggested yet." "Ok. Fine." Caroline conceded, kind of hating the way Stefan always had to make sense. "You have a point as usual. I swear, sometimes I feel like I should just hire you to be my personal assistant or something." She muttered, crossing her arms and sending her friend a small glare. Stefan snorted. "Why pay for something when you can get it for free." Caroline immediately cracked a smile and laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Very true." She replied. Very true.

Damn it, I really should have just waited for Stefan and Bonnie and caught a ride with them, Caroline thought the next day as she tried to walk through the heavy rain and get to the bus station. You're such an idiot, Caroline. Sometimes, the blonde really cursed her luck. Of course it had to freaking storm the one day she didn't bring an umbrella

and the coat she was wearing wasn't rainproof. And of course this had happen on one of the few days where both her friends ended their shifts at the hospital a few hours later then her. And of course she just had to be stubborn and refuse to wait for them. But she had been beyond exhausted and the beds in the on call rooms weren't in any way comfortable, especially now that her abdomen had grown so substantially. What was she supposed to do? Well, maybe she shouldn't have walked into the freaking storm. I am, without a doub t, the b iggest idiot. Ever. I am why the whole 'dumb b londe' thing exists. Her thoughts went nonstop like that as she continued to make her way to the bus station, her clothes getting soaked through and causing her to practically freeze to the bone. She was just about ready to turn back to hospital and warmth when she heard a voice she really had not expected to hear. "Caroline! Caroline!" She turned quickly only to see a figure in a fitted suit and dry-looking coat fast approaching her, an umbrella held over his head. "Klaus? What are you doing around here?" Caroline asked, shocked, the rain getting into her eyes even more as she stopped in her tracks. Despite her talk with Stefan yesterday, she hadn't planned on seeing him right away, wanting a couple more days to gather her thoughts. And yet now, here he was, and she was caught completely off-guard by it. "I was coming to see you, of course." He replied when he reached her side, immediately shifting his umbrella so it was over her as well. Caroline was relieved at the momentary reprieve from the rain, pushing her wet hair from her eyes and looking up Klaus' smirking face. "You have yet to return my call." He continued, giving her a look, causing the blonde's face to immediately warm. Ah right, she should've guessed he might appear after the fourth time she let his calls go to voicemail. For the first time, she found herself thanking the rain, knowing it was the only thing from keeping her cheeks going completely red. She cleared her throat, telling herself to calm down; she really was unprepared for this to happen right now. "Sorry, it's just been really busy lately." She said, knowing her excuse was utterly lame and transparent. Still, she barreled on. "Look, maybe we should do this another time." She added on quickly, rubbing her numb hands against her arms, trying to regain some warmth in them. God, I really hate the cold. Klaus looked at her almost disapprovingly, purposely looking over her shivering, soaked body. His roving eyes caused the warm feeling once again return to her face. God, how can he look this good in this weather... I must look like a complete trash b ag next to him... Before she could contemplate where the hell that thought came from, Klaus was speaking again. "Don't be ridiculous, love. It's pouring rain out here. At least let me take you somewhere, anywhere you need. My car is right around the corner." He offered, in that rare sincere way of his, his blue eyes staring right at her, only succeeding in making her feel even more uncomfortable than she already was. She sighed as her thoughts ran away from her again. Klaus seemed to take it as a sign she needed more convincing, however. He came a little closer to her, now looming over her smaller frame. "You wouldn't want to get sick now of all times, would you?" He spoke rather quietly, almost too quietly for her to understand in the heavy rain cascading around them. She met his eyes again, angry at first that he would think she didn't know that But instead of seeing the mocking and condescension she had been expecting, she saw a kind of heartbreaking concern, making her anger melt away. For a moment she thought perhaps that his worry was solely for their child, but with the way he was gazing at her, without his usual teasing, she thought that maybe, just maybe it was for her too. So she sighed again, though this time it was more about herself than it was about Klaus. Always getting under my skin. "Ok fine." She spoke, her voice a bit shaky from the cold. "Let's just go." Klaus smiled in what, in any other person, Caroline would call relief. "Fantastic." The next she knew, he had his arm secured around her waist and was pulling her quickly through harsh rain. She was about to protest their close contact when she nearly tripped, the only thing holding her up being Klaus. So she decided to just going along with it; after all, she could already barely see and her wet, clinging clothes were making her even more clumsy than usual. Besides that, she wasn't shivering that badly anymore. In all honesty, it was the warmest she'd felt all day.

Unfortunately for Caroline, that warm feeling went away very quickly when they made it to Klaus' car. He helped her in (though a part of her again wanted to protest, another was flattered at the rather gentlemanly way he was treating her)

and soon they were off into the traffic, heading to her apartment. She began shivering again, the heater that he had put on full blast not doing much due to her still very soaked clothes; even her coat was heavy with water. She tried to stop being so obviously freezing, not wanting any more unwanted attention from Klaus. Sadly, it just wasn't her day today and she could feel his eyes flicker over to her practically every other second. The blonde stared desperately out the window, wanting to be anywhere else but here. Why did I agree to this again? Oh right. I'm an idiot. It wasn't that she didn't like Klaus' company or whatever, but it was always so tension-filled, so heavy. She couldn't just be there, couldn't forget where she was when she was with him. It was like she aware of his every movement, even when she didn't want to be. It made her stomach flutter nervously (and no, she didn't mean the baby). Still staring out the window, Caroline noticed they were going excruciatingly slowly, the traffic at a near stand still. I have the worst luck. EVER. Not to mention, I'm still shivering. "Caroline, I realize I promised I would take you anywhere but at this rate it will take maybe twice as long as it normally would to reach your flat, and you, sweetheart are shivering like a leaf." Klaus' voice broke through her self-berating thoughts. "If I may, I can propose another option. Why don't we go to my home, get you dried off and warm and then I can drop you off." Caroline sighed, having shut the idea the second he'd finished saying it. "Look, Klaus, as much as I appreciate what you're doing, I really should just get home." She said, trying to sound firm but failing utterly on account of her trembling. She knew she was being a bit stubborn about this whole thing, refusing him at every turn, but she couldn't help it! "Love, your teeth are chattering." Klaus said dryly, though completely serious. "I do believe you should take my offer. If not for your sake than for the baby's." He tagged on at the end. The blonde glowered. The b ab y card, really? She almost refused simply out of principle. But she could also see his point and, as much as she hated to admit it, her health was the most important thing right now. God, this guy... "Ok fine." She replied shortly, wincing a bit at her rudeness. He's just worried "But then you owe me food too." She decided to add on the offering, not wanting to seem like too much of an ungrateful bitch. Not really doing too good a job of that. "That, dearest Caroline, won't be a problem at all." Klaus replied with a wide smile, looking much like the cat ate the canary. It was only when he veered off course into an unfamiliar street that Caroline realized the gravity of the situation she was about to step into. I can't b elieve I'm agreeing to this. This is going to end b adly. Shit. I am so not ready for this. I am not ready to b e alone with Klaus in a place I don't know. I can b arely deal with him in pub lic places. Caroline nearly groaned out loud. Damn it. I am an idiot.

Caroline had to grudgingly admit that Klaus had been right about going to his place; it did take significantly less time to get there than it would have going to her apartment. Though that was mostly because they seemed to driving down mostly deserted roads into the outskirts of the city where there was a whole lot less of traffic. In another situation she might have been somewhat worried about the direction he was taking, however Klaus might be a bit of a pompous jerk but she was pretty sure that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. That revelation was a bit more shocking than she thought it would be; perhaps it was because it represented a step forward into their tentative friendship. Caroline trusted Klaus now, at least to an extent. The blonde was so caught up in her rather disconcerting thoughts that she didn't even realize when they'd driven up to a gate, Klaus quickly opening it with the remote he had sitting in his glove box. Once they drove up the long driveway and she could see the house for the first time, however, she definitely noticed. It was hard to miss, even amidst the storm around them. Caroline felt her eyes widen shock but luckily had enough of her wits about her that she kept her mouth from dropping. The place was huge. Practically palatial. You could find a place like this in Richmond? Granted, they were in the outskirts, but come on. Seriously? Are you kidding me? No wonder he thinks my apartment is stupid; he lives in freaking mansion! Klaus pulled the car as close to the front door as he could get, parking as Caroline continued to gape. Vaguely, she heard her companion getting out of the car and coming round to her side, opening the door for her. He helped her out

and for once she didn't protest, even internally, knowing she needed the assistance. He kept his arm around her even as she stood beside him, holding the umbrella firmly over her head as she continued to stare at his home. "You live here? This is your house?" The blonde exclaimed, bewildered, finally ripping her eyes away from the building in front of her and turning to Klaus. He was staring back down at her, blue eyes filled with mirth at her reaction. "I should think so. My name is on the gate." He smirked widely, obviously teasing her. Caroline glared back but allowed him to pull her along through the rain, the umbrella over their heads doing little for them now. "Fancy douchebag." She muttered under her breath as she tried to keep up and not trip. She had the feeling she wouldn't fall again, regardless, not with Klaus' arm around her. She glanced back up to his face, seeing he wore an expression of amusement. Caroline's cheeks immediately colored, realizing he must have heard her little comment. "Come on, let us get you inside." Is all he said though, keeping her firmly to him as he pulled them both to the front door and into his palace. This day could not get any weirder, I swear.

As soon as they were inside the house, Caroline found her eyes widening again, seeing that it was just as grand as the outside. But, she also noticed it felt rather, well, cold (and no, that's not just because she was shivering and freezing in her still soaked clothes); it was more like the kind of cold that permeates your mind, the lonely kind. She didn't have very long to contemplate this new information, however, when Klaus indicated she follow him. For a second she hesitated, not want to, you know, drip everywhere but really he didn't seem to mind. Besides, the smaller, more vindictive part of Caroline couldn't help but want to take revenge for his taking her so off-guard again. The blonde followed Klaus in silent awe, her eyes roving all over the house as they walked together in silence. Soon enough, she was brought to what looked to be a small sitting room (she knew for a fact it was small because they walked past plenty much bigger rooms). This space, contrary to most of the rest of the house, seemed rather cozy, only holding a couple of older, though surely comfortable couches. The dcor was also less extravagant, much more tasteful. One entire wall was made of large windows, allowing them both to see the heavy rainfall. There was also a large set of double doors which led to what she assumed was a small-ish library, judging by what she could see through the glass panes of the doors. I'd really like to see what he has in there. Klaus briefly told her to that he would be right back, before disappearing back into the hallway. She continued looking around the room, only pausing in her intense scrutiny in order to send a quick text to her friends, telling them not to worry about her being in the storm and that she managed to find an alternate method of transportation. She also mentioned she wouldn't go home for a little while, knowing it was likely they might stop by, but not explaining why. It'll b e easier to just tell them everything in person They won't believe this, that's for sure. Caroline was startled out of her thoughts when suddenly she felt a warm presence behind her. She whipped around, finding herself face-to-face with Klaus, barely a few inches of space between them, her swollen belly already touching his abdomen. He was looking down at her, with those fathomless eyes sparkling in amusement. The blonde was simply thankful that her cheeks didn't color again; she'd done enough blushing lately, thank you very much. Caroline cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly before stepping back, only causing Klaus' mouth to widen in smirk. They stared at each other for a moment longer before he held out something to her. Questioningly, she took it. "Here, perhaps you could wear these while I put your clothes in the dryer." He said quietly, an odd sort of intensity in his voice. Looking down again, Caroline found she was holding a pair of soft sweats along with a dry, warm cotton t-shirt. Something swelled in the blonde's chest, honestly touched at the thoughtfulness of it. She smiled up at him, a real smile, before giving him the barest of nods. Klaus' face softened slightly at the look, nodding back. It occurred to her that it was quite intimate for her to be wearing his clothes after all, this was something that happened between couples. But Caroline decided to simply push to this to the side and accept it as a gesture of friendship rather than anything else. There really didn't need to be more complication in her life right now. Klaus explained how to find the nearest bathroom, asking if she wanted him to 'escort her', in his exact words. The blonde declined quickly, not wanting to be too much more trouble, her heart a little wracked with guilt at her rude behavior towards him thus far. So before she left the sitting room, she hesitated in the doorway that led to the hallway. Caroline turned back, calling to her friend. "Hey Klaus, look I know I've been a little less than grateful for all of this..." She paused, her throat a little dry. "But, you know, thank you." She mumbled at the end, looking down at her feet, face warm. She could feel Klaus' eyes on her, scorching through her. For a moment, she thought he would say nothing, that he would dismiss her 'thank you' However, he once again surprised her.

"You're welcome, love." He said, his rich voice filled with something she dared not identify. She lifted her eyes to his face again, finding him staring back at her with a large smile, dimples and all. Caroline, as she had been quite a lot, smiled back.

The sweats, Caroline found out later, were almost scandalously comfortable. Luckily it had enough stretch that they fit right under her belly. The shirt fit as well, though it was rather snug around her stomach; no one would doubt the fact she was pregnant in it, that's for certain. Either way, she was glad for the clothes; the dry material felt wonderful against her skin. She took her time in the bathroom, wringing out her shirt and pants a bit, trying to get out some of the excess rain. Her coat was still hanging in the hallway; it too was pretty much soaked seeing as it wasn't meant against rain, it was probably ruined but she supposed she would just have to deal. Still, it's my favorite. Sighing, Caroline examined her appearance in the wide mirror. She frowned, looking at the horribleness that was her hair right now. Knowing there wasn't much she could do about it though, she ended up pulling it back into a ponytail. She quickly cleared her face of all traces of makeup, relieved that she hadn't put on too much this morning. Panda eyes were the last thing she needed right now. Without another glance, she quickly made her way out of the bathroom, taking her wet clothes with her, heading to the sitting room. Once there, Klaus was quick to grab them from her, barely sparing her a glance as he explained he'd quickly go put them in the dryer. It was only when he returned several minutes later that she noticed he'd changed as well. Gone was the obviously tailored suit and instead Klaus wore his usual jeans and Henley combination. For some reason this made Caroline feel somewhat less uncomfortable, after all this was the Klaus she was used to dealing with. He sat down next to where she was perched at the edge of one of the sofas, handing her some pamphlets he'd had clutched in one of his hands. "What's this?" She asked, taking them from him. "I promised you food, didn't I?" He smirked, gesturing to what she now knew to be delivery food menus. He told her to pick whichever one and Caroline was quick to chose the Italian place, craving some carbs. They both picked out what they wanted and Klaus placed the call soon thereafter. The two sat in awkward silence as he finished the call. Finally, Caroline broached the tension, wanting to be rid of it. I wonder how long it will take until I'm actually comfortab le with him. "I would never have guessed. Klaus Mikaelson eats pizza." The blonde teased, turning her gaze to meet his. "Yes, well, I may a bit of a, what was it you called me, 'fancy douchebag', but I am still a human being." Klaus replied with his usual snark. Caroline immediately blushed as he confirmed her suspicions that he had indeed her little dig at him earlier. He didn't seem to mind though, his expression conveying mirth rather than anger. "Really?" Caroline replied with mock doubt, continuing their banter. Bantering was nothing new to them. It was comfortable. Safe. Nothing like that actually being nice to each other thing they were doing earlier. Klaus gave her a look to indicate his sheer boredom at the comment, decidedly not amused at the whole thing. Caroline let out a laugh, before nodding her head, conceding. "Ok then." "I'm glad you're not arguing." He replied, deep voice playful. The blonde raised a brow at him. "I try not to get into arguments I'm not sure I'm going to win." She said, leaving no room for doubt. Neither party mentioned the fact that, in a way, this was a compliment to him. Caroline was finally starting to see Klaus a man and not a good-for-nothing bastard as she had before. This time when they collapsed into silence it was no longer awkward. Both were simply lost in their thoughts, wondering how they got here of all places. "Hey, Klaus, do you mind if I ask you question?" Caroline spoke quietly after a while, looking to the man beside her in curiosity. "Wasn't that already one?" He replied sardonically, briefly registering her not amused face that was so similar to his own before grinning at her and moving on. "Go ahead." He said with a bit of a chuckle. "What did you mean? The other day about my apartment?" The blonde asked quickly not wanting to lose her courage, releasing a long breath when she did the deed. It had been on her mind for days and she couldn't keep her curiosity to herself any longer. She wanted a straight answer, not something vague. "Ah, so that's why you have been avoiding me." Klaus replied knowingly, causing Caroline to duck her head. "I'll start off by saying I really meant no offense by my comment." He continued after taking a moment to organize his answer. In truth, he wasn't completely sure what he meant by it himself. "I simply wanted to express my concerns about our child's living

arrangements." "You're worried that where I live isn't good enough." Caroline intoned, still looking away. "I mean I can see why." She gestured to the room around them. Klaus shook his head, putting a hand on her knee to get her to look at him again. Only once her eyes were locked with his did he continue. "Caroline, that is not in any way a testament to your character. I have no doubt that you will be a good mother." Her heart skipped a beat at his admission. He thinks I'll b e a good mom? I I never expected that, not after how I've treated him. "But you must admit that sometimes even the best of mothers are unable provide..." Her flattered thoughts immediately turned to outrage as she interrupted him with a heated glare. "What?" She hissed. "Opportunities?" How dare he think I would b e unab le to provide for my child? Klaus, surprisingly, only shook his head patiently, without a mocking or sardonic look in sight. "No, security." He pressed, causing Caroline's outrage to freeze in place. "I may not exactly be father material, but the least I could do is help with that." He muttered. Caroline looked at Klaus closely, finding nothing but sincerity in both his words and expression. He has a point, I guess. I will always do everything for my child in order to give him or her a chance at anything, all the opportunities in life. But, at least financially, I'll never b e completely secure. It was hard to admit all of this to herself but she knew she had to be sensible for their baby; even Klaus was attempting to do so. Her anger further calmed as she contemplated the points he'd brought up, leaving her with a bone-deep tiredness. "You've thought a lot of this, haven't you?" She asked after a while, glancing over to him. His forearms were braced on his knees, face completely closed off from her. His jaw was slightly clenched though, indicating that he was having no easier time of this than she was. Another wave of guilt his Caroline. I really should stop doub ting his every move. He's b een good to me, at least lately. I should put more faith in him. "I'll be honest, I've thought of little else." Klaus admitted tiredly, still not looking at her, his gaze somewhere far off. "Yeah, me too..." Caroline whispered in return. Suddenly she smiled at him; it was a small one, barely noticeable but it was directed at Klaus in all sincerity, which didn't go unnoticed by either party. "You know what, Mr. Mikaelson, I am beginning to think I may have been a little wrong about you." She told him softly, her smile still firmly in place. Finally, Klaus looked back at her. "Likewise, Ms. Forbes."

Klaus was smiling to himself as he made his way to the front door, already getting money out for the pizza. He and Caroline had actually been talking civilly for a long period of time, and not just that, they talked easily and about everything. He didn't think this kind of friendship would be possible with her this soon, if ever. Oh, they still bickered constantly but now it lacked the hostility and was done more out of familiarity. He'd been worried before. Klaus was no idiot so when the blonde hadn't replied to his calls in the past three days, he knew she was avoiding him. They seemed to work it out for now, however they would likely have to talk more about certain arrangements soon. At least now Klaus was confident they would be able to get through it like adults, maybe even as friends as well. His thoughts drifted to the clothes Caroline was wearing now, his clothes. When she'd first entered the room in them, Klaus' heart had frozen in his chest. There was just something about seeing her in them, it made him think of what things could have been like if everything was different. It was like a glimpse into another life; another life that made Klaus oddly envious. Regardless, he pushed those feelings to the side and focused on the good things, such as the fact that Caroline and he were friends, tentative friends, barely friends, but friends nonetheless. And that would have to be enough. With a pleased smile still on his face, and his thoughts finally less tumultuous, Klaus opened the door. Of course, he was completely taken by surprise by what he saw on the other side. "'Bekah 'Lijah." He said, shocked. His two siblings looked at him, his sister with a smirk and his brother with an exasperated sort of look. He didn't even get to register what the hell was happening when his arms were suddenly full of blonde girl. Rebekah barely seemed to notice his shock as she dashed forward and gave him a quick hug. "Surprise, brother! Happy to see us?" She pulled away quickly, looking over his expression to see his reaction.

"Of course." Klaus said, somewhat recovering from his shock, enough to wipe the flabbergasted look he was sure had been on his face. Still, seeing two of his siblings was so utterly out of place, he still could not process it. "I must apologize, Niklaus." Elijah stepped forward, his older brother ever graceful in his movements. "I wanted to inform you of our visit but I'm afraid our sister is rather incorrigible when she feels the need." He spoke with his normal formality, though his eyes showed a more informal fondness. Klaus nodded in consent, trying his best not to get angry. They're my family, they should b e allowed to surprise me. Still, Klaus liked to be in control of everything around him, so surprises tended not to go well with him. "Isn't that the truth?" A third voice spoke up, before an irritatingly familiar brunette stepped out from behind his older brother. "And Katherine." Klaus added dryly. He and his brother's girlfriend, now fiance, had never gotten along. "Aw, Klaus, there's no need to look so happy." Katherine Pierce mocked, a smirk covering her face. Rebekah quickly interfered with a roll of her eyes. "Well, aren't you going to let us in, Nik?" She asked, directing the question to Klaus, who froze in response as he finally realized what that would mean. Caroline I haven't told them yet. Immediately, he tried desperately to save himself from the confrontation that was sure to come. He'd come too far with Caroline to ruin it now by letting her know that that he hadn't even told his family that there would be another addition soon. Why did they have to come now of all times? "Perhaps we should go..." He began to suggest another plan, when Katherine forcefully interrupted. "What, go out, in this weather?" She said with no small amount of mockery. Though the storm had calmed down some, enough for his family to stand at his front door without getting soaked, it was clearly not the type of weather you would want to go out in. Bloody rain, Klaus cursed to himself. "Now, now Kat, I think my brother might have brought home a girl and is too ashamed of his family to introduce us." Rebekah said suddenly, knowing him well enough to see he was trying to avoid something. When Klaus looked at her in annoyance, he all but confirmed it for her, causing her lips to widen in a delighted smirk. "A shame we aren't good at doing what we're told." Katherine replied, too casually. "Yes, a shame." His sister confirmed before suddenly pushing right past him, Katherine following right behind. "'Bekah!" Klaus growled threateningly, to which the youngest Mikaelson only laughed. "Like I said. Incorrigible." Elijah said in amusement, before his family's example and entering his little brother's home. This must b e a nightmare. "Hey, Klaus. You ok over there?" Caroline's voice called, announcing her presence to both himself and his family. Oh wait, I was wrong. Now it's a nightmare. Klaus nearly groaned aloud, but fortunately he had more composure then that. Well, usually. "What's taking so long?" He heard her footsteps approaching, and knew she'd be here within the second. Even so, he wished she would simply turn away. But that didn't happen because the next thing he saw was Caroline herself stepping around the corner into the front hall, wearing his clothes and, well, pregnant. There was definitely no way out of this now. "Oh" The blonde froze in shock, looking from person to person in bewilderment, "that is not the pizza man." "No. It definitely is not." Klaus said tensely, watching his siblings' jaws practically drop in shock. Even Katherine looked beyond surprised from where she stood by Elijah's side. None of them seemed to move for the longest time, everyone's gaze glued to Caroline who by this point looked utterly confused and quite embarrassed. "And who, my brother, might this be?" Elijah asked, his jaw tight as he turned his hard eyes towards the younger Mikaelson. He could feel Caroline's eyes on him as well now, probably shocked at the revelation that yes, they were related. He cleared his throat rather awkwardly, which in itself was painful for him because Klaus Mikaelson was never awkward. He gestured to his blonde companion. "This is-" "Caroline Forbes." Now it was Klaus' turn to be shocked as Katherine bloody Pierce stepped to the side, allowing for Caroline to get full few of her without Klaus' back obstructing it. They know each other? "Kat!" Caroline exclaimed, finally shaking herself out of her stupor as she rushed forward. "Oh my God, what are you

doing here?" Completely and utterly confused by what was happening, the Mikaelson siblings all watched in surprise as the two women embraced. "Me? What are you doing here? And how did that happen?" Katherine exclaimed, sounding unlike herself, as shocked as the rest of the room. Everyone was stunned into silence. Finally it was Elijah who broke it. "Well." He said heavily, his eyes moving from Klaus to Caroline. "It looks like we have a lot to discuss." That's it for now! Long chapter for you lovely people this time :) Also want to apologize for yet another late update. We had a very serious medical emergency within my family which led to my brother being hospitalized, as I'm sure you all understand, I have been a but preoccupied. Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Happy New Year! RW

*Chapter 8*: Foes

Thank you to Guest,Guest, Racheal, JennyP, Jenny05, Layla, foreverwishing, klarolineeuphoria, Sparkle85, addicted to klaroline, bloodysirebond, yourloved, CrazyLazyAlien, klaroline4everlove, NikMik, Lullaby, KlarolineMyMockingjay, mysticgirl125, ashlytorres24, ilyreid, OKBooey31, mycutehamlet, batgirl2992, Ellavm18, Venus88, KlarOlineOver17, MurphMurph98, jessnicole, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, MissJayde, TheMiseducationOfB, Ouat-in-vampirediaries, lltulgestke, Quills and Inkwells, MissCindz, SweetyK, J-D, Mystery Girl3, EmmaRedVelvet, winxgirl1997, LoveDeb, and Avengers4ever for reviewing! Just wanted to update you on the whole M rating thing; for the most part, people seem to want it to happen. As of right now, however, I'm still a bit on the fence with it but, it will likely happen. Thanks so much for all the feedback on it! A lot of you were wondering about how Katherine knew Caroline; it has actually been mentioned before (way back in chapter 3, 'Breathe') Don't worry, though, it has been fully explained in this chapter again :) Also, huge thank you to carasedrin who made this all possible. Disclaimer: No TVD for me. Chapter 7 Foes "Oh, tear ducts and rust, I'll fix it for us. We're collecting dust b ut our love's enough." The five people occupying Klaus' front room stood in complete silence; all of them dealing with their own separate cases of shock. There weren't many moments that Klaus could safely say were completely and utterly awkward; however, this was definitely so, and near the top of his list. First he comes home with woman who was carrying his child, the woman who had been on his mind nonstop since he met her, then that same woman had to wear his clothes and they were actually getting along... But, of course, the next thing he knows two of his siblings are at his front door with bloody Katherine. And if that wasn't enough, Caroline and Katherine actually seem to know each other. A part of Klaus was still convinced that this was something cruel concocted up by his imagination. But no matter how many times he blinked, he couldn't seem to wake up. So, instead, Klaus did what all good businessmen should be able to do. He stood straighter, regained his composure, and put all traces of emotion to the side. "How do you two know each other?" He asked, surprisingly calmly, even he did say so himself. He looked between the two women who had previously been locked in a tight embrace. Caroline was standing steadfastly by Katherine's side, her blue eyes on his own, still stunned into silence by today's events. For some reason, Klaus felt the need to offer her some form of comfort, but luckily he managed to refrain from doing something so inappropriate. Katherine glanced at him haughtily, her eyes carrying accusation. "We've been friends since the sandbox, of course." She said, rather mockingly. "That's unexpected." Klaus muttered, honestly surprised by that. Katherine and Caroline just seemed so different. "Klaus. This entire situation is unexpected." The brunette replied, snapping at him, and he found himself glaring at her in return. What's her right to judge me? To judge Caroline? She knows nothing of the situation. Klaus was just about to say so, when another voice stopped him. "Niklaus, could we have a moment with you please?" Elijah spoke, his voice strained. Klaus turned his gaze to his elder brother, finding him staring back at him, a certain sort of disappointment in his eyes; this pained the younger Mikaelson deeply, having been at the other end of that look far too many times from their father. Klaus' anger rose in response, hating that his family always made him feel so much, so much rage and self-hate. "Alone." Elijah pushed, cutting through his brother's rebellious thoughts. The two Mikaelsons were stuck in a stalemate, neither making a move, their sister remaining silent and unmoving by their side. The tension in the room was suddenly palpable, the air even more uncomfortable than it had been all day. Katherine shifted her eyes to her fiance, knowing what he wanted her to do. She gently took Caroline's arm and pulled her away from the siblings. "Come on, Care. You need to tell me how and when this happened." She said softly and so un-Katherine-like that Klaus almost doubted it was her. He didn't break his brother's gaze to check, however.

"Oh, ok." He briefly heard Caroline murmur, sounding as confused as she looked. Her he spared a grief glance for. She looked back over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes full of conflicting emotions. The blonde only met his gaze for a second before ripping her own away and allowing Katherine to guide her out of the room. She didn't look back at him, and, for some reason, in that moment Klaus felt he lost something. Something important.

Caroline barely remembered following Katherine into the same sitting room that she had been in previously. Her mind was in a state of clouded confusion. Her old friend was surprisingly gentle as she forced the blonde to take a seat in one of the comfortable couches. She nodded her thanks, causing the older of the two Gilbert twins to give her a tight smile. Caroline was truly grateful to have a familiar face around in that moment. It may have been months since she'd last seen her childhood friend but even then it was comfortable between the two, despite the rather uncomfortable situation they found themselves in. Then again, she supposed that this was perfectly normal when you've known someone since you were barely four year old. Caroline still vividly remembered the day she had met the Gilbert twins. Katherine and Elena, though identical, had always been completely different; Caroline and Bonnie had naturally been drawn to them. Bonnie had always been closer to Elena though, just as she was closer to Katherine. All the way through to high school, they had been the best of friends, the 'popular' girls of Mystic Falls. They'd used to receive envious and sometimes even hateful stares from all directions. Of course, no friendship was perfect, and theirs had become strained when the whole Salvatore debacle happened. Basically, what started as a normal couple (Stefan and Elena) ended up becoming a love triangle (Stefan, Elena, and Damon), which was actually a love square (due to the fact that Katherine had been harboring a huge crush on Stefan since the beginning). Naturally, things kind of exploded and in the end Elena chose Damon and rode off into the sunset with him. Caroline had tried to be supportive of their relationship, and for the most part she could be, but a large part of her still couldn't forgive all the heartbreak her friend had caused. After Stefan and Elena's break up, Katherine and the younger Salvatore had had a thing, but Kat broke it off pretty quickly when she realized he still held a torch for her twin. It had been unfortunate, but they'd departed as friends. There wasn't any remaining tension between them now, which was definitely a good thing because, if there was one thing she hadn't wanted to lose during the whole thing, it was either Katherine or Stefan's friendship. The two simply meant too much to her. Sadly, her relationship with Elena had suffered, but that too had faded quite a lot with time. Caroline's thoughts eventually left the past, no longer able to avoid the situation at hand. She almost laughed out loud at the fact that she wanted to go back to that time. I never would have thought that there was an even harder situation than that, b ut here I am Why does this all have to b e so hard? So confusing? Finally, she looked at Katherine again, finding her friend looking back patiently; not many people saw this side of Kat, the caring side. Caroline was one of the lucky few. "Those two people you came with" The blonde started, wanting to get all of the explanation and answers out of the way. Her tone was monotonous, all emotion drained away into exhaustion. "They're related to Klaus." It wasn't a question but the brunette answered anyways. She nodded in affirmation. "Yep, little Beks is Klaus' younger sister and 'Lijah is the eldest of the Mikaelson brood." Katherine lounged back in the sofa, one hand twirling one of her thick curls. Caroline vaguely recognized the gesture to be one of her nervous habits. This is. This is so I don't even know. Klaus has a b rother and sister A b rother and sister that apparently don't know ab out me. Well, he did say he had sib lings. Her thoughts were running wild in her head, disjointed as if they were happening outside of her body. "Huh. Ok" The blonde muttered, trying desperately to focus, her scattered mind working against her. She cleared her throat awkwardly, needing to get her next question out. "Why were you with them?" Katherine smirked, though her eyes were still dark with concern. "I told you I was engaged." She said, her tone full of her usual Katherine-sass. Still, Caroline could hear the uncertainty in it. "To Elijah?" The blonde asked now, honestly surprised at the coincidence. Can that even happen in real life? I mean,

what are we, in a movie? This is so surreal. "Yep." Kat said, purposefully popping the p, as if wanting to alleviate the awkward atmosphere settling over them. "That's well This isn't exactly how I thought I'd meet your fiance." The brunette let out a sardonic laugh. "And this isn't at all how I pictured our reunion." Caroline felt a sad smile come to her face. "Yeah." She muttered, looking intently at her hands. Suddenly, Katherine leaned towards her, a burning curiosity in her brown eyes. "How did you meet Klaus? Is he the?" She trailed off, sending a pointed look to Caroline's very pregnant belly. The blonde hesitated a split second, not sure how her friend would react. Caroline had always been the 'good girl' of the two, the one with the plan, the valedictorian. Katherine on the other hand had always been a bit more risqu, more prone to do things because she enjoyed them rather than because they were her responsibility. Now, Caroline didn't consider what happened bad or some such, beyond everything it had been her choice. It just wasn't a choice she would normally have made, is all. And she wasn't quite sure how her friend would react to that. Finally, Caroline nodded, putting all doubt behind her. Now is not the time to hesitate. What happened, happened. There's nothing I can do to change it and mayb e I wouldn't want to change it anyways. "We met a week after Tyler broke up with me I wanted to loosen up a bit, you know. Went to a club, drank some, and the next thing I know" The blonde tried to explain, struggling to find the right words. How can I really explain what happened that night? Impatient, Katherine interrupted her. "You know, Care, I don't speak knocked-up-by-womanizer, so why don't tell me what happened. Explicitly." The brunette said firmly, brown eyes leaving no room argument. Caroline steeled herself, took a deep breath, and let everything out. She told her and Klaus' story as best she could, laying it all bare. Katherine, for her part, merely listened, every now and then inserting a sarcastic comment. It brightened Caroline up that they could talk like this again; she'd grown sick of only being able to email and occasionally call. Finally when her story ended, Kat looked at her with some wonder, but something was clearly hanging over her. "Why didn't you tell me before?" She asked, annoyance clear in her voice. The blonde winced. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you but you've been gone for ages, Kat. And I couldn't exactly write the whole thing in an email." She said, trying to make her reasons seem justified. The brunette seemed to consider it, before nodding. "Ok, fine. I guess you have a point. I still can't believe the baby daddy is my soon-to-be brother-in-law though." "You know, when you told me you were engaged to a foreign guy with knack for suits, I really didn't think you would disappear on us for six months." Caroline admonished her. It wasn't just my fault we haven't kept in touch as well as we could have; she didn't say this out loud though, knowing it would only cause pointless conflict. Kat was here now, that's what was important. "Yeah, it wasn't exactly planned or anything, 'Lijah and I just got caught up in everything. We travelled for a while and I've been living with him for a bit back in England." Katherine admitted, her tone firm but her eyes unsure; she didn't want Caroline to be angry with her for it. "England? Really?" The blonde found herself asking, astonished. Well, as excuses go "Yep. You should really come to London sometime, the shopping there is just the best." The brunette boasted, already back to her usual, arrogant self. "Yeah I'll do that, Kat." Caroline replied dryly, gesturing to her stomach. Her friend rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Well, ob viously, not now." "So you're really going to stay in Europe." "For now. Though I think Elijah might want to come out here soon."

"Elijah, or you?" The blonde raised a brow. Katherine smiled widely. "Both." Well, Caroline thought, at least there was some good news today. Still, despite the lighter atmosphere in the room, the blonde couldn't stop her thoughts from returning to one thing. Why didn't Klaus tell his family ab out me?

As soon the footsteps of the two women were no longer heard, Elijah broke the silent challenge between him and his brother. "The girl-" He started heavily, surprised when Klaus immediately corrected him with a glare. "Caroline." He said brusquely. "Caroline." The elder Mikaelson conceded after a moment, sending his brother an odd look at his behavior. "She's your friend?" "Yes." The younger asserted with a bare nod, not giving any more information. Why should I? This has nothing to do with him. This is b etween Caroline and myself, not my family. "Really? Because you and her really do not seem to be just friends, Niklaus." "We are just friends, Elijah." Klaus insisted, refraining from the desire to his brother. Hard. "And she is currently carrying a child." It was ob viously not a question, merely a statement of fact. For some reason Klaus began to get angry, that his own brother would make such a scene about a situation he knew nothing about. "Are you going to continue stating the obvious, brother or do you have a point?" He growled, eyes narrowed. Elijah looked at him blandly, that same disappointment from earlier present on his face. "Is the child yours, Niklaus?" Klaus didn't hesitate, not allowing his brother to define how he felt about his child. "Yes." "I can't b elieve this!" A feminine voice exploded from beside them. Rebekah's shout reminded her brothers of her presence and they both turned to look at her. "'Bekah-" Klaus' attempt at rectifying the situation didn't even get past the name stage as his sister decided to interrupt him again. "No, don't you dare 'Bekah me." She hissed, glaring at him with blue eyes identical to his own. "God Nik. You think you would have learned from the first time! I just, ugh, I can't believe this. Can't you ever just keep it in your pants?" Her voice was dripping in venom and accusation as she glared at her 'favorite' brother. Whereas Elijah had only succeeded in bringing out Klaus' anger with his almost mocking tone, Rebekah's shouts hit closer to home, reminding him of things he'd rather not think about. All of the anger in him suddenly turned to regret. "I know, 'Bekah, believe me I know. But this time it's different. This time it's real." He pressed, looking at his younger sister almost pleadingly. "How do you know she's not lying to you too?" Rebekah replied, ignoring his silent request of leaving it alone "I know." He insisted, trying to remain steady. Please don't b ring her up. Once again, his request went unanswered. "Yeah, like you knew with Tatia." The comment caused him to lock in place. Tatia. Klaus didn't want to think of the woman he had once loved, so many years ago. The woman who had tried to force him into marriage by pretending she was pregnant. The woman who had wanted nothing more from him than his money The woman who who A cold fury filled Klaus from top to bottom as he thought about it. He glared at his sister, hating her in that moment for bringing up one of his most painful memories, one he tried to keep buried at all costs. Forcing himself to take a calming breath, Klaus did not let up in his cold glare, but managed to sound somewhat civil as he next spoke. He needed to get this through to his siblings, and he knew he'd have to be calm to do it; yelling at them never seemed to work, he had found out in recent years. "Look I know, all right? Caroline got a paternity test." Rebekah

already looked less doubtful, though not completely so. "I'm the father." He went on, leaving no room for argument. "Besides that, she told me that there weren't any other men around that time and I'm inclined to believe her." The truth in his words shocked even Klaus himself. Since when do I trust her so much? He quickly pushed the thought to the side, needing to stay focused on the situation at hand. Rebekah was looking at him with a renewed respect, much to his relief. Klaus couldn't say this completely surprised him, of course. His little sister had always been his most steadfast supporter. Oh, she would throw her tantrums, cry and scream, but in the end, she was always by his side. Klaus, though he didn't make a habit of showing it, had always appreciated this. The youngest Mikaelson was looking at him more calmly, shaking her head lightly. "Oh Nik. How do you get yourself into these situations? Have you thought of other options?" She asked hopelessly. "Of course I have. Caroline and I, we both have. But, what we're doing, what we plan on doing, sticking around for our child... It's what right. And it's what I... what we want." Klaus tried to explain, once again surprised at the truth of his words. Rebekah examined him for a while longer, as if deciding what to do. Finally, she smiled at him, a small smile, but enough to know that he was forgiven and once again fully had her support. "What are you thinking, 'Bekah?" Klaus asked when he saw the mischievous light shining in her eyes. She let out a small laugh. "Nothing... It's just I never thought I'd see the day that my idiot of a brother actually made some sense." Rebekah said mockingly. Instead of making the expected retort, Klaus found himself smiling a little, glad that his sister remained so unchanged over all these years. The youngest Mikaelson only rolled her eyes in return, taking her brother's arm and propelling him forward. "Now come on, let's get back to your friend before we risk becoming soft." She commanded him in that very 'Bekah way of hers. Klaus let out a chuckle. "As you wish then, sister." Unfortunately, before they could get any farther, Elijah decided to speak again. Klaus had to suppress the urge to send an annoyed growl in his direction. "Little sister, if you don't mind I'd like to keep our brother a moment longer." The eldest Mikaelson said, his eyes solely on said brother, who was glaring back menacingly. Rebekah looked between the two of them, clearly deciding whether she should step in to help Nik avoid the confrontation or to just let it happen and get everything out in the open. She decided the latter would be best, considering that, should she decide otherwise, it would likely lead to a very long and awkward night ending in a full-blown fight anyways. So, reluctantly, she nodded at Elijah and made her exit. She just hoped they wouldn't turn to their fists (well, she hoped Nik wouldn't feel the need to sock their older brother in the face); she likes this house, it would be a shame to see the lovely dcor ruined by a petty brawl.

Klaus watched his brother warily; once again they stood in silence, waiting to see who would make the first move. Now that Rebekah had left (presumably to join the other ladies), there was no one to referee them and the younger of the two brothers knew that could lead to disaster. He just hoped he would be able to reign in his temper, just this once. I don't want Caroline to see me like that. "So Niklaus." Elijah began, as always the first one to break their vow of silence; the man might be more patient than most of the planet, but his younger brother was a strategist, he knew when best to make his move, and now was not the time for it. So, instead he listened. "Now that our dear sister has departed, I must begin with what on god's bloody earth do you think you're doing?" Elijah looked him straight in the eye as he spoke. "And why, might I ask, weren't we informed before?" He continued berating his younger brother. Klaus clenched his fist in response, trying desperately to keep his temper in check. Calm, stay calm. There are others here b eside yourself and 'Lijah. Caroline Caroline is here. She wouldn't want to see you explode. Calm. "Now, I know my fiance's best friend is just your friend, but it seems that Rebekah's lashing out at you made the truth come out..." Elijah trailed off, raising an eyebrow as he referred to Klaus' admitting that he trusted Caroline. "Brother, Caroline is my friend, nothing more." Klaus replied tightly, his fingers still curled into a fist by his side. "And yet she is carrying your child." Elijah pressed.

"I don't deny it." "But you would deny it if I asked you if she was your girlfriend, or anything of the sort?" His older brother asked, a brow raised in his direction. Klaus almost gave into the childish urge to roll his eyes. "Yes." He hissed. "How did this come to be? Let me guess, you had a one-night stand. Why must you always continue in this behavior? Have you no pride, Niklaus? Honor?" Elijah berated him, frowning but not yelling. For some reason, his calm tone angered Klaus even more than if he would have yelled. Elijah had long disapproved of Klaus' lifestyle, often finding ways to undermine it. Deep down, the younger Mikaelson was aware that this came from a place of concern and love; really, his brother supported him, in his own way. But there were times like this where Elijah's concern grated on his every nerve. "Do not presume to lecture me, Elijah. You have no right." Klaus growled, approaching his brother until they stood very close, mere inches apart. "No right?" The elder Mikaelson looked honestly surprised. "I am your brother, your family. If I haven't the right, who does?" "No one!" He bellowed in return. "I am an adult; my mistakes are my own." "And Caroline is one of them?" The frustration became too much for Klaus, his careful hold over his temper snapping. "Yes!" There was that disappointment in Elijah's eyes again; Klaus forced himself to take a deep breath, wanting to make sure he explained this properly. It is not Caroline herself that is the mistake, he must understand that. "But, not in the way you might assume. My mistake lies within the fact that I was so unsure of her before that I just let her walk away from that night" He trailed off, shaking his head to clear from all of his regretful thoughts. I don't need this right now. Klaus turned away from his brother, watching as the everlasting rain hit his windows. The front hall was eerily silent as they stood together, neither saying a word. The younger Mikaelson couldn't stand to see any more of Elijah's bloody disappointment. "I see." His brother intoned after a while, a sort of hidden amusement in his tone. Klaus seethed. "What, Elijah?" He whipped around, expecting more disappointment and mockery but finding, of all things, pride. The turn around in mood was disconcerting and definitely more than confusing. However, before he could question Elijah about it, his brother spoke. "It is nothing, Niklaus. Come, let us get back to the others." The elder of the two put his hand on Klaus' shoulder; a sign of apology, he realized. For a moment, Klaus considered ripping it off and demanding he truly apologize, but he knew that's just not how their relationship was. So, with a begrudging sigh, he nodded and let Elijah keep his bloody hand. "Very well." He didn't dare to mention, or even think about his relief and Elijah's sudden change of mind and support. Because, as he said, he was an adult. He didn't really need it right?

The brothers entered the sitting room in amiable silence; their issues hadn't been resolved, per se, but they had been put to the side for the time being. It would have to do for now. However, Klaus felt a lot less at peace with himself when he noticed a very important blonde missing from the room. He frowned, turning to where his sister sat next to Katherine. "'Bekah? Where did Caroline run off to?" The youngest Mikaelson gave him a pitying look. "She left, Nik. I'm sorry." Before he could wonder what she meant with that tone, the brunette next to her the opportunity to get up out of the sofa and into his face. "What did you do to her?" Katherine hissed, looking positively livid. "What are you talking about, Katherine?" Klaus glared at her in annoyance. She lifted her hands up in the air, speaking mockingly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I was talking about the fact that I just saw

my pregnant best friend run outside because she wanted nothing more than to be away from you." He felt his eyes widen as the words sunk in. Why did she want to get away? Why did she did she hear us? Oh no Instead of allowing himself to feel his sudden fear and insecurity, Klaus turned to a more familiar emotion; anger. "And you let her?" He growled, sending a fierce glare down at the brunette. "Don't blame me for this, Klaus!" She hissed back, with as much bite as she could muster. Red with rage, he grabbed her upper arms and shook her once, harshly. "You fool! You let her run off into this storm?" Don't you know what could happen? Are you really so idiotic? "Niklaus!" Elijah bellowed, immediately on the defense as he witnessed his brother almost harassing his fiance. "That is enough." He commanded, stepping forward, showing that he would intervene if he went any further. Klaus, for his part, felt the immediate shame that came with inadvertently harming someone. He let go of Katherine as if her skin burned him, instantaneously turning away. He didn't notice her oddly sympathetic look she sent him as he rushed to the door, needing to get out. I have to get Caroline. "Where are you going, Nik?" Rebekah called after him. "I'm going to get her." I have to fix this.

Caroline hated the tears in her eyes. She hated that she had fallen for it. She hated that she had given Klaus so much of herself that she now felt his betrayal a thousand times more than she had before. It was like someone was stabbing a dagger into her heart and constantly twisting it, deeper and deeper. I'm a mistake. Nothing b ut a mistake. No wonder he didn't tell his family. She hated that she was starting to regret having heard it in the first place. She hated that she wanted to go back and live in her world of delusion. Why am I so weak? When Caroline had decided to check up on Klaus and his brother, wanting to have a moment with the father of her child alone, the last thing she'd expected was to hear that. When did I get so stupid? How could I let my guard down again? It never helped anything b efore. I am such an idiot! The blonde barely felt the spatter of tiny raindrops falling against her, the wind running through her hair as she ran as fast she could, wanting nothing more than to escape. But with her swollen belly and her wounded heart, she found it was slow going, especially considering the fact that each step she took away from the house, from Klaus, the dagger twisted again. How could I have ever b elieved- How could IHow? Why? When the tears finally fell from her eyes, Caroline found that she hated herself even more. Mistake. Weak. Mistake. Her pacing slowed even more as she tried to pull herself together. All I need to do is get to the end of the driveway, to the gate. Then I just need to call a taxi and I can go home. Everything will b e fine. Except that it really wouldn't. Her fragile trust was shattered completely now, and it would never be the same again. Not after this. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, her still wet coat not doing much for the wind and rain hitting her. At least my, no his clothes are dry. That inexplicable and red-hot fury rose up in her again. It only continued to rise when she heard the voice of the one person she didn't want to see. "Caroline! Love, wait!" Klaus called out to her, sounding out of breath as he ran to her. She turned around with a hateful glare, almost wanting to attempt to flee but knowing that he would easily outrun her in this state. "What? What do you want from me, Klaus?" She spat venomously as he came to a stop in front of her. He made to grab her forearm but she pulled back as if his touch would burn her. She registered the brief flash of hurt in his eyes as she denied him. For the slightest second, Caroline felt guilt well in her stomach before she realized that he deserved none of her goodwill or sympathy.

"Please, let's not argue now. This is not the place." Klaus said now, trying to appear calm as he attempted to shelter them both a little more from the rain by moving them under one of the trees that were on either side of the driveway. She glared at him when he really did take her arm to do so, even despite her clear desire for him not to. Klaus' face had hardened in determination and he hadn't allowed her to stop him, much to her building fury. None of her anger was mirrored in his eyes however, he only looked incredibly and undeniably miserable. Good, Caroline thought vindictively. "No, you're right. It's not." She said in response to his statement. This really isn't the place. For a moment he looked relieved, until the blonde abruptly turned away from him again, rage in her every movement. "Good riddance." Nowhere is. I've had enough of all this. Caroline had barely gotten a few feet away when Klaus called out again. "Why must you always walk away from me and avoid me?" He yelled, anger present in his voice now as well. Good. Anger anger I can deal with. It's familiar. "Can we not settle this as adults?" He asked her as she gazed back to him. "Come on, Caroline, give me at least a chance to explain." He urged her, the anger in him dissipating as quickly as it came, much to Caroline's own annoyance. Why is he acting like this? Why isn't acting like he always does? "What?" The blonde spat at him, suddenly approaching him and pushing him hard in the chest. "That I'm a mistake? That our baby is a mistake?" She screamed, absolutely furious at everything, at him. "You're putting me out of context." Klaus said calmly, too calmly, barely flinching at her assault. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I have the 'context'. You didn't even tell your family! If you wanted me gone, you should have just said so from the beginning." Caroline told him in quiet menace, just wanting him to react like she was, be angry, yell, b reak things, anything but that annoyingly touching understanding in his blue eyes. "But that's not what I want." Klaus replied with quiet determination. "Don't lie to me!" The blonde's yell was broken and, to her shame, she felt that excruciating wetness in her eyes, the dryness of her throat. Please. No more lies. "I'm not!" He bellowed, the sudden loudness and pain in his voice, shocking her to stillness. "The mistake I was talking about was ever letting you out of my sight in the first place!" He told her with a hiss, his hands subconsciously grabbing the top of her arms tightly, pulling her closer. Wh-what could he possib ly mean b y that? Letting me go? His voice dropped low now as his stormy eyes burned through her, into her very soul. "We had something, Caroline, something different." He whispered, his eyes going from anger to a strange sort of wonderment. "Even you, with your stubborn pride, must see that" He paused, pain crossing his face as he hesitated with what he wanted to say next. "Why did-Why did you leave that morning?" When she didn't answer right away, Klaus gave her a gentle shake to regain her attention, kind, pained eyes focused solely on her. "Hm?" Caroline took a long, shuddering breath, steeling herself. "Because it didn't mean anything." She whispered, closing his eyes so she wouldn't have to see the hurt she caused. I can't tell him I can't I just I just can't It doesn't matter It doesn't matter She felt a calloused hand against her cheek causing the blonde's eyes to open in shock. Klaus stood even closer to her now, towering over her as his lips twisted into a sad shadow of his smirk. "Now look who's lying." He replied quietly, that rough hand still so soft against her skin as he stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb. Caroline shook her head, not wanting to hear it, needing to be able to deny it all and push herself back into her protective shell. "Just-Just stop it, alright Klaus? Just stop." She pleaded. Now his other hand went to her cheeks as well, cupping her face between them and forcing her to look up at him. "I won't. I won't stop until you believe me until you see this for what it is." He told her fervently, eyes dark with determination. "It's a mutual agreement" She muttered, still shaking her head, "a simple understanding, we're fr-" Klaus interrupted with a sardonic chuckle. "Friends? This is what you deem to be a friendship?" He asked her seriously, raising a brow at her. Caroline slumped in his arms, her hands going to hold his wrists as the fight went out of her. I can't do this anymore. I can't b attle myself or him. "Why are you doing this?" The blonde whispered brokenly. Klaus gave her a half-smile, his fathomless eyes seemingly far away. "Because we can't live in a world where we are constantly lying to each other, to ourselves." His eyes focused on her again. "Not with a child on the way."

Caroline looked up at him. How do you constantly surprise me? How am I always so wrong ab out you? "Why can't you- Why do you have to be so-?" The blonde stumbled over her words, her throat clogged with unshed tears, frustrated at herself with her continually fluctuating emotions. "So what?" Klaus pressed, looking down at her curiously. "So you." She whispered. And it was the truth. It was true because Caroline, in her own way, had tried to define Klaus as one thing or another. Whereas the opposite was the truth; Klaus had never been just one thing, he was a complicated mixture of several. He was simply Klaus, and there was no other accurate way Caroline could think to describe him Because it was Klaus who challenged her, pushed her to the extreme, forced her to think about her opinions Looking at him, she was surprised that she could read his emotions so easily. She watched as a belated happiness and relief passed over his face. He smiled down at her, a wide and genuine smile that blinded her. "Caroline." Klaus simply said, with awe. The next thing she knew, he had pulled her fully into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her torso as if he couldn't bear to let her go. Caroline, for her part, returned his embrace just as fervently, burying herself deeper into him. For the first time in a long time, Caroline sensed a warm feeling of peace settle over her. And, for once, she didn't question it. That's it for now! And it wasn't even that long a wait for this chapter! Hopefully this will be the same for the next :) Next chapter we will have some other POVs (like Elijah) to explain their thoughts a bit more about the who KlausCaroline-Baby thing ;D Also, despite the ending there will be some friction between our favorite pair as well, ehehe ;) Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think! RW