Building a Facade
Chapter 1
Author's note: I've gotten some more requests to turn this one-shot in Chapter 35 from my series, A Beautiful Symmetry, into a brief multi-chap, and I finally figured out a way to do it. I hope you enjoy it!
Original vampire Klaus has returned to Mystic Falls to retrieve the moonstone he conveniently hid in a dilapidated old mansion. Who knew a heated encounter with a feisty building conservationist would turn into such an inconvenience?
"'A house can have integrity, just like a person,' said Roark, 'and just as seldom.'"
― Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead
All he wanted was the moonstone — that's how it began.
But not how it would end.
Klaus considered himself a creature of patience. He had waited more than a thousand years to break his curse and become a powerful hybrid, and he was confident that he could wait another thousand if necessary to achieve this lofty goal. However, in the next few moments, if he couldn't find the seam he had carefully hidden in this antique plaster, he was going to use his considerable Original vampire strength to punch through the ornate ceiling medallion until it revealed the moonstone.
He growled in frustration as he perched precariously upon the two-story scaffold, directly underneath the enormous decorative ceiling medallion. He had designed this mansion and commissioned its construction back in 1900, and carefully sculpted the medallion in the grand foyer to cunningly hide the moonstone, one of the key pieces to be used during the ritual to break his curse. He hadn't returned to Mystic Falls since then to avoid raising suspicion. However, now that the doppelganger had been found, almost all of the pieces were in place to perform the ritual and free his wolf.
He wiped away beads of sweat that had started to form as he carefully ran his fingers across the expertly crafted swirls that fanned out in nearly perfect geometric symmetry. He was so intent upon his exploration that he was startled by an indignant shriek from below. "What the hell do you think you're doing up there?!"
Angry that a mere human had caused him to nearly topple off of the scaffolding, he felt his monstrous face emerge, black veins clawing their way to the surface of his pale skin as his fangs unsheathed. He snarled threateningly at the woman below, expecting her to scream in terror. Instead, he was met with a most curious sight.
A stunning blonde woman of ethereal beauty stood with her hands on her hips, craning her neck to glare up at him. However, from the way she was squinting, it appeared that she couldn't quite see his vampiric visage. "Did you just hiss at me," she asked incredulously, "like a cranky, spoiled housecat?" As he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off by holding up one hand. "Never mind. Who the hell are you and what makes you think you have the authority to manhandle this historic property?"
Flabbergasted by the brazen woman, Klaus found himself charmed as he heard her muttering under her breath, "When I figure out where I put my glasses, I'll glare at you properly, you presumptuous asshat."
Allowing his vampire features to retreat, he chuckled, calling out, "I've been compared to many things over the years, but housecat is a first, I must admit." He reminded himself to move at a slower, more human pace as he unfolded his long, lean frame from the scaffolding and made his way down the wobbly metal ladder. He was delighted to see how her bright blue eyes flickered briefly with interest as she tried to subtly admire him, and the unmistakable blush that tinted her ivory skin made him feel unexpectedly pleased that he had caught her interest.
He took her by surprise as he kissed her knuckles, breathing in her sweet fragrance of honey and vanilla. "And I'm Klaus Mikaelson, owner of this property, which I assume affords me some measure of authority, love."
Her blue eyes narrowed unexpectedly, studying him carefully. In a clipped tone that belied her mistrust, she told him, "And since I'm Caroline Forbes, Director of Heritage Assets, I oversee the restoration of the Niklaus Mikaelson mansion here in Mystic Falls, and I know for a fact that this historic property has been in a trust for decades without an individual owner." She stubbornly crossed her arms in front of her chest, telling him flatly, "So, you want to try that again?"
Rather than be irritated by the audacity of this human, Klaus found himself enchanted by her boldness. He smirked, his dimples flashing as he explained, "I can assure you that I really am Klaus Mikaelson, owner of this estate. I went through the proper channels and notified the appropriate authorities prior to my arrival." When Caroline scoffed at this, he couldn't help needling her just a bit when he said, "Perhaps your authority only reaches so far, sweetheart, considering no one thought it prudent to inform you?"
Grumbling to herself, she whipped out her phone, tapping a contact while glaring at him from underneath her dark lashes. He couldn't help but be amused by the flames of her gaze, wondering what it would take to turn that exasperating energy into something with more...heat.
Holding the phone up to her ear, she tersely said, "Mayor Lockwood, it's Caroline. I found a frustratingly obnoxious intruder at the Mikaelson estate claiming to be the owner." She listened for a moment to the mayor's reply, her blue eyes flashing dangerously as she answered through gritted teeth, "Seriously? I'm the director of this town's historical building restorations! Next time I better be your first call when an owner of one of my projects shows up!" She abruptly disconnected the call and flung her phone back into her purse, scowling.
"Quite brave of you to yell at the mayor like that, love," Klaus ventured, a hint of admiration in his accented voice.
Caroline snorted, "She keeps me around because I'm not afraid to tell truth to power. You should see the sycophants she packed in her office. It's a wonder anything ever gets done around here." She shrugged, adding, "Also, she keeps irrationally hoping I'll take back her dimwitted son after I caught him cheating on me last year."
She stomped her foot in aggravation, the slim heel of her pearlescent sandal scraping against the maple hardwood. Her lovely face took on a comically horrified expression as she immediately fell to her hands and knees to study the scuff mark more closely. As she tentatively rubbed at the mark, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god. We can buff that out. You have no idea how difficult it is to source reclaimed maple from the early 1900s that exactly matches this patina of wear."
Klaus shook his head, trying to rid his overactive imagination of the alluring image of Caroline on all fours under much more favorable circumstances. Finally regaining control, he knelt down on the floor beside her, his voice carrying a note of admiration as he asked, "You seem to be inordinately invested in this property, sweetheart."
Her blue eyes lit up with excitement as she answered, "The Mikaelson estate is more than just a property. It was designed by Niklaus Mikaleson, one of the most talented and forward-thinking architects of the late Victorian era! His innovative designs are reminiscent of Carolean Architecture, quite possibly the best specimens in North America," she finished, practically swooning.
He felt himself grow uncomfortably warm at her unwitting praise. It had been folly to emerge from the shadows for a decade or two during the Victorian age and design structures under his actual name, but he had been feeling the weight of his years and melancholy had slipped in. He had wanted to be remembered.
Caroline interrupted his thoughts with, "You're 'Klaus'; so you're named after Niklaus? He must have been your great-great-grandfather or something, right?"
"Or something," he mumbled, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. He flicked his gray eyes around the room and commented, "Your restoration team has done a lovely job on the pediments over the windows. I can see the finely etched details of the tympanum from down here."
She arched an eyebrow, making an impressed noise. "You have an interest in historic design?"
He smirked, "You could say I'm a fan of architecture."
Her enthusiasm was infectious as she told him excitedly, "I've read everything I could find about Niklaus' work, and I've studied his buildings extensively. I'm fairly certain that he based the design of this mansion on Belton House near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England."
His eyes widened at her admission. To his knowledge, no one else had ever made that connection between the estates in England and Mystic Falls. Belton House had been built in the late 1680s, and his family had sought refuge there while on the run from Mikael. It was one of the few times he could remember that they had all been together in one place for an extended period of time. However, he had ensured that not so much as a whisper connected the Mikaleson name to that estate, so he was curious how Caroline discovered the association. "While I have passing familiarity with Belton House, love, I'm not sure I see the similarities."
She rolled her eyes, scooting closer to him on the dusty maple floor. She gestured toward the ceiling medallion high above their heads. "You obviously don't know your great-great-grandfather's work as well as you think. He clearly derived inspiration from the Belton House ceilings and you can see similarities in the fanned edges and curves of the plaster medallion here." As her finger traced invisible patterns in the air, her voice took on a note of awe as she added, "The artistry found within such geometric precision is simply amazing."
Klaus was elated by her unexpected praise, and felt his heart give a funny little leap as he confessed almost shyly, "It's my favorite aspect of the house as well." Unable to help himself, he told her, "I happen to know a bit about the history of Belton House. The lawyer who built it supposedly took in a group of wayward siblings for a few months. Some stories say that one of the brothers thought himself a bit of a prankster and dressed a barkeep in luxurious fabrics and stuffed him in a stolen gilded carriage, spreading rumors throughout the village that King William III had come for a visit. To this day, the rumor persists that the king stayed at Belton House, but the stories I've heard say that it was actually a cross-eyed barkeep named Cuthbert."
Caroline giggled, nudging him playfully with her elbow. "You made that up! Belton House was part of my thesis project on historic preservation, and in all my hours of research I never came across that story."
"Well then, you clearly are the expert, sweetheart," he said with a smirk, leaning forward to add in a seductive whisper, "who am I to argue with such sound logic?"
She shook herself, as though suddenly noticing how close they had become. Clearing her throat, she moved back slightly, hastily changing the subject with, "So if you're named after your famous architect relative and you said you're a 'fan of architecture', do you ever wonder if you look anything like Niklaus?"
Klaus nearly swallowed his tongue as he made a slight choking noise. He carefully arranged his face in a neutral expression, commenting lightly, "To my knowledge, there are no pictures of my elusive relative. I always heard he was a notorious recluse."
She nodded, a small sigh escaping her as she said, "Artistic geniuses usually are." She didn't seem to notice the stunned expression on his face, as she appeared to be thinking hard about something. She abruptly asked, "Would you like to go get some coffee?" She tucked a few blonde curls behind her ear as she continued somewhat embarrassedly, "I'd love to hear your thoughts on the revival of Carolean Architecture in the South if you have time."
Klaus felt his heart flutter in that unmistakable way that Caroline seemed to inspire. He gave her a dimpled grin as he reassured her, "I have plenty of time, love."
He was an immortal creature, he reasoned. The moonstone would still be there tomorrow.
Tomorrow found him inexplicably standing at the front door of the mansion, an enormous sunflower in his hand as he shuffled his feat awkwardly on the stone steps. He was more than a thousand years old. And his palms were sweating.
When Caroline opened the door, her brilliant smile put the sun to shame and he bashfully gave her the flower, smirking when she accidentally smeared a trail of mustard-yellow pollen across one cheek. He carefully brushed it away, delighting in the slight tremble of her skin at his touch. He was startled when she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, practically dragging him down the oak-paneled corridor and into the parlor.
"You're just in time," she squealed with excitement, nearly bouncing on her toes as she pointed to the enormous fireplace in the corner. "I just finished detailing the carved hearth with boiled linseed oil and gum turpentine! Doesn't it look amazing?!"
He gazed fondly at the familiar piece, recalling the tremendous amount of time it took to painstakingly sculpt the detailed forest with the majestic wolf standing guard. "Magnificent. You did an outstanding job restoring the carvings to their former glory," he told her, the admiration evident in his voice.
Blushing under his compliment, Caroline looked at the wolf fondly. "Records indicate Niklaus carved the hearth himself. Your ancestor was such a rare talent," she praised. Sighing, she added, "He's a beautiful creature, but he just looks so forlorn."
He blinked in surprise at her observation. "I never thought of it that way; perhaps he's simply dispassionately surveying his kingdom with stoicism?"
She scoffed, "Please. None of the wolves I've met could ever be called 'dispassionate'. Noticing the incredulous look on his face, she giggled, clearly joking.
"You've clearly been consorting with the wrong wolves, sweetheart," he said with a cheeky smile, causing her to blush once more.
"Then you'll just have to introduce me to the right ones," she retorted, leaving the parlor to answer her phone.
As Klaus followed, his gaze wandered to the grand foyer, where he knew his moonstone lay hidden just beneath the ceiling medallion. Hearing Caroline's melodious voice calling his name, he shrugged his shoulders, and instead headed back to answer her.
There was always tomorrow. He had plenty of time.
Except as the innumerable opportunities kept presenting themselves to reclaim his moonstone, he couldn't seem to take advantage of them. Every time he considered compelling Caroline and taking the moonstone, or waiting until after she and her restoration team left for the day, he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was ridiculous —he had everything in place to move forward with the ritual — he had the doppelganger tucked away safely along with the other ritual ingredients. He was so close to achieving everything he had ever wanted. And yet he did not take the moonstone.
A month in Caroline's company had passed by with barely an acknowledgment and Klaus had never been happier. He would stop by the mansion while she was overseeing restoration, gently teasing her until she blushed, starting off discussing historical architecture and design elements that slowly bled into something more meaningful.
They attended quaint events that small Southern towns like Mystic Falls seemed to have in abundance, from charity picnics and auctions to founding family celebration balls, and each time he could feel pieces of his soul embedding themselves a bit more deeply into this stunning, vibrant woman.
The little fictions he had to tell her about his life he reasoned was a small price to pay to get to know her better. Experience taught him that nothing good could ever come from bringing a human into his world; but no matter the countless lies he told Caroline, the biggest lie he told was to himself.
Something was off at the mansion. He could feel it the moment he stood on the stone steps. Not bothering to lift the heavy cast iron door knocker, he flashed inside the grand foyer, just in time to see Caroline take a delicate sip of tea...while sitting across from his mother, Esther. Confused, Caroline asked, "Klaus? Where did you come from? It's like you just appeared out of thin air!"
Esther chuckled, her hazel eyes darkening with malice as she commented, "Almost like magic."
Smiling, Caroline said, "Klaus, this is Esther, a specialist conservation contractor on loan from the university. She was just dropping off historic building assessments and statements of significance about the mansion."
"Don't forget the lovely tea, dear. Mayor Lockwood mentioned your penchant for milk oolong and I couldn't resist showing off my personal collection," Esther lightly admonished, unable to hold back an evil grin as Klaus seethed in silence. "Also, I needed to bribe Caroline since I'm not quite done writing my statement on items of significance regarding this property. As the current owner, Niklaus, do you happen to know of anything significant about the mansion we should address? Any little hidden gems of information we could bring to light," she asked with an oily tone that made his fangs itch to dig themselves into her throat.
Klaus stepped forward, a low growl in his throat. His first order of business was to protect Caroline. Once she was safe, he would go after his mother and end her again, just like he did all those centuries ago.
The sharp-eyed woman sensed his intentions and quickly stood up from the small table where she and Caroline had been working. "Don't bother, my son. I'll just collect what I came for an be on my way. We can finish this another time."
Caroline set down her empty teacup, frowning at the confusing exchange. "Wait — Niklaus? Son? Esther, what's going on?"
Klaus felt his heart drop as he forced himself to look at the woman he had come to care about so deeply. His thoughts were racing as he tried to think of something to say that would somehow explain his lies and justify his selfishness for putting her in such danger. And somehow convince her to continue to want to be with him.
Esther distracted him by chanting in a dark voice, raising her arms over her head as the mansion trembled on its foundation. He watched in horror as a crack appeared in the ceiling medallion, briefly revealing the opalescent moonstone before it tumbled down into her waiting hand.
Klaus flashed to his mother, gripping her throat as he bared his fangs. "You think I will allow you to take what is mine, mother?!"
Caroline shakily stood, looking between the two of them as she clearly struggled with what she was witnessing. "What the fuck is going on," she demanded, her voice vacillating between fear and anger.
Esther managed to force enough magic through her body to loosen Klaus' grip. She flashed a vicious smile at Caroline. "Don't worry your pretty head, pet. In a few moments you won't remember anything of what you've seen."
Terror flooded his body as he began to grasp the meaning behind Esther's words. He glanced down at the table, taking in Caroline's empty teacup. "What did you do," he raged, gripping his mother's throat again as he raised her from the floor.
Choking on her words, she managed to answer brokenly, "Deadly nightshade-laced tea. Not enough to poison her. Just enough to make her forget you. Forever." His horror caused his fingers to slip, releasing Esther once more. She carefully massaged her throat, nodding in Caroline's direction. "With the amount she imbibed, she only has a few moments left before her memories of you disappear. I suggest you don't waste them pointlessly chasing after me, Niklaus." Without another word, she vanished, tightly clutching the moonstone.
Klaus immediately forced his vampiric features to recede, sweeping Caroline into his arms as she started to cry. "Sweetheart, this is all my fault and I'm sorry for what has happened. I don't think we have much longer, so please just let me say this."
He took a deep, shuddering breath, desperately trying to summon everything he felt for Caroline into something as simple as a few token words that she wouldn't remember. "Our time together may have been short, but every moment has meant more to me than I can say. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you, Caroline. I promise you, I will find a way to restore your memories of me. Of us."
Caroline's blue eyes went wide at his revelation. She opened and shut her mouth several times, seemingly unsure of what to say. In a small voice, she finally asked, "And when you make me remember, will you explain the fangs and your magical earthquake-causing bitch of a mother?"
He gave a surprised laugh, taking her lovely face in both of his hands as his fingers brushed a few stray tears. "I promise."
Nodding slightly, she asked brokenly, "But what if you can't get my memories back?"
"Then we'll create new memories. Even better ones, love," Klaus vowed, kissing her with a desperate, feverish passion as he saw her beautiful blue eyes begin to glaze over.
She pulled away, breathless, and shakily whispered, "Klaus, I love —"
He watched, heartbroken as she looked at him with a dazed expression. Shaking her head, she gave him a bright, but distant smile. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Summoning every bit of strength he could, he stepped away from her, clearing his throat several times as he answered in a dead, hollow voice, "I was just dropping off some paperwork. But I imagine I'll see you around."
His tears had dried by the time he caught up to Esther in the forest. She seemed surprised to see him, but not as alarmed as he expected. Clearly, his mother had more surprises in store for him. She waved the moonstone at him, the object glowing a milky white under the stars. "So persistent, Niklaus. I had thought you would want to mourn what you lost with poor Caroline a bit longer."
"You do not speak her name, vile witch," he yelled, flashing over to her, fangs unsheathed.
She wagged a finger at him, smiling vindictively. "Careful, my son. You kill me, you kill your only hope of becoming a hybrid. And we both know that's what you truly care for, not some poor girl you've told nothing but lies to." With a wicked gleam in her eye, she revealed, "I've tied my life to that of your doppelganger. Any harm that befalls me will be visited upon her as well. If your doppelganger is injured in any manner outside of the ritual, you lose any chance of breaking your curse."
Lightly tossing the moonstone back and forth between her palms, she boldly looked him in the eye as she coaxed, "Of course, I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement where we can both achieve our goals. If you allow me to perform the ritual, I can siphon just a bit of magic to bolster my power. In return, I pledge to restore your wolf so that you can embrace what you've always wanted — to become a true hybrid at last." Giving him a confident smile, she declared, "Unlimited power will be ours, Niklaus. All you have to do is say 'yes'."
Klaus listened to Esther dispassionately, and when she finished presenting her offer, he plunged his fingers into her chest, ripping into soft flesh and breaking through ribs with sickening cracks. He didn't glance down at her heart as he pulled it from her body, dropping it on the ground as she lifelessly crumpled at his feet.
The gleam of white against the dark earth caught his vacant gaze and he knelt down to pick up the moonstone. He turned it over in his hand, thinking of how he had covetously guarded this object over the centuries. It represented everything he had wanted. With a soul-rending cry of anguish, he reduced the moonstone to a fine powder in his fist, sinking to his knees as he gave into the weight of his loss.
Klaus had visited every witch he could find, used every magical connection at his disposal, but to no avail. Caroline's memories of their time together would never be restored. It was with trepidation that he returned to the mansion, his heart pounding furiously as he walked inside. Her familiar scent of honey and vanilla filled his senses, making him slightly dizzy as he realized that she always would smelled like home to him.
"Hi, can I help you," she asked in a friendly tone, the lack of recognition on her beautiful face making his heart ache.
Taking a breath, he stepped forward, grazing her knuckles with his lips as he tried not to blatantly stare at her sapphire dress, the one that made her eyes a blue found only in the deepest seas, the one that she once confessed to him was her favorite. "Actually, I'm here to help you, love." His gray eyes flicked up to the broken ceiling medallion high above their heads. "I can start with repairing the damaged plaster." Licking his lips nervously, he noted how she followed the movement with interest. "Mending things is a recent specialty of mine."
Her blue gaze held a slight flicker of heat as she asked, "Really? Do you have an interest in historic design?"
Smirking, he answered, "You could say I'm a fan of architecture."