Much Ado About Caroline

This is a contemporary version of Much Ado About Nothing. It's hard to modernize some aspects of this story, because people don't do stuff like this in real life, but hopefully it's entertaining. As always, don't take this too seriously.

I've had to modify almost all of the relationships quite a bit (Stefan and Damon aren't brothers for example,) but I've always thought Klaus and Caroline had some Benedick and Beatrice in them, so I'm using the premise to see what happens.

I'm planning a five-shot, just like the original play.

If this turns out to be a terrible idea, I'll just delete it and pretend it didn't happen. Hooray!

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Act I

Alaric Saltzman was in the Gilbert living room with Caroline Forbes and Elena Gilbert. He was expecting some guests to entertain for the weekend and he'd just received word they would be arriving in a matter of minutes. The text had come while the ladies were chatting about what classes they would be taking next semester. They were home enjoying summer break.

Looking over at the couch, he observed the two friends. They were inseparable from middle school to college, but complete and total opposites.

Elena was a quiet brunette with sweet brown eyes and a shy smile. She had been prom queen. Everyone was Elena's friend and she always had a hand out to those who needed it.

Caroline was a blue-eyed curvy blonde who never failed to speak her mind. She had been Miss Mystic Falls and was a classic overachiever, taking over communities one organized event at a time.

Together they were devastating. They were beautiful, smart, and would do anything for one another. Caroline was very protective of her friend and Elena was Caroline's number one fan.

Alaric was Elena's guardian. Her parents had been tragically killed in a car accident eight years prior. As a close family friend, he gladly took on the responsibility of raising Elena, an only child. Caroline's mother, Liz Forbes, a single mother herself, became a good friend of his and provided some guidance on child-rearing during the early years.

Both Alaric and Liz had jobs which kept them busy. Alaric was the principal of the local Mystic Falls High School. Liz was sheriff of their small Virginia town.

A home grown entrepreneur, Elijah Pedro, was considering a large donation to Alaric's school. Elijah had grown up in Mystic Falls and was returning from some months in New York where he had finished acquiring a new company that made him millions. He traveled with a group of childhood friends, living life to the fullest. They had a bit of a reputation of working and playing hard.

Alaric was willing to do whatever it took to get the generous contribution, including hosting the group for some dinners and parties.

He read the text out loud to the women giving them the updated time for their guests to arrive.

"Is the Original Troublemaker going to be gracing us with his presence?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms over her chest, not thrilled with this potential development.

"She means, is Klaus Mikaelson going to be coming?" Elena said with a smile, resting a hand on Caroline's forearm in comfort.

"Yes, I believe he's part of the group, Caroline."

"How much destruction has he left in his path back to Mystic Falls?" Caroline huffed.

"He's not that bad. You don't give him enough credit." Alaric smiled at the dramatics.

"Enough credit? Maybe he helped an old lady cross the street once when a priest was watching, but that doesn't mean he's a good person. He probably then sweet talked her into giving him all of her money."

Elena smiled at Alaric. "You know Caroline and Klaus have a bit of a snarky rivalry going on Alaric. Don't mind her."

"The last time I saw him he was speechless after I let him have it. Thank you very much." She gave a smug grin, very pleased with herself, and amusing the other two.

"Well you'll get your chance again soon. I believe Stefan will be joining them as well and they should be here in the next ten minutes or so. We've talked about this, so get ready."

He pretended not to notice when Caroline quickly checked her hair and makeup. She even tugged her red tank top down a little further. Elena was used to Caroline's antics, especially when it came to Klaus, and gave her a nod of approval on her appearance. She looked great all right.

Right on time, the doorbell rang and Alaric greeted the group of men.

There was Elijah, his half-brother Damon, his protege Marcel, and his old friends Klaus and Stefan. Each one was beautiful. They made quite the impression wherever they went.

Elijah was all grace and kindness as he led the men into the Gilbert home. He was an elegant man. He seemed to always be dressed in a suit, but despite his imposing presence, he had an unexpected sense of humor. He was an inspiration to many of the younger kids in Mystic Falls having moved on from the local high school to college and then business school. His appearances at several high profile events with supermodels certainly made an impression on the teenage boys.

Damon was more mysterious. He didn't grow up in Mystic Falls with Elijah, so they didn't know as much about him. He was incredibly handsome with dark brown hair and piercing light blue eyes, but he mostly looked cold and disinterested. Elijah always stood up for his brother and the others begrudgingly accepted him.

Marcel was Elijah's gorgeous vice president. His dark skin and darker eyes drew in the women, especially when he flashed his huge smile. He had an amazing mix of charm and supreme efficiency. Anything Elijah needed, he could get done.

Elijah greeted Alaric warmly and apologized for not being able to advise of their exact arrival time without more notice. Their flight had been slightly delayed by some summer storms.

"You're always welcome here, Elijah. I have some good memories of your last visit and hopefully we can make some new ones. You remember Elena?" Alaric enquired, bringing her forward to shake hands.

"Nice to see you again Elena," he nodded at the young woman and clasped her hand briefly.

The others came through for greetings as well, although most had met each other in the past.

Never missing an opportunity to be the center of attention, "Alaric, old friend, you don't have to remind us of Elena here." Klaus smiled as he greeted her, glad to make an impression on the group and pretending not to notice the beautiful blonde standing across from him.

Klaus was a confirmed bachelor even at his young age. He was gorgeous, although Caroline would never admit it. She hadn't noticed his sexy British accent either. Nope. He had blond hair which tended to curl if left too long, bright blue eyes, and dimples that let you know he was up to no good. He was the love em and leave em type, with more leaving than loving.

"Good thing you're here to clarify," Caroline mocked. If he was going to start, she was going to keep up. No one liked hearing himself speak more than Klaus Mikaelson. He was The Worst.

"Caroline Forbes. Is that you? I hadn't noticed." He turned to her, relishing the chance to fully look upon his comely opponent, "The one woman immune to my charms. All women love me. Every one but you." He looked up from under his long lashes, giving the look that had women falling into his bed all over the world.

"It must be due to my cold heart and not due to your hot air," she chided and moved a hand up to her chest for dramatic effect. "Not all women do love you then and I'm proud to refute your claim of all women's love. They'll thank me later. I have sworn off all men, at least for a cleanse period." She avoided his blue eyes and turned up her nose, ignoring how fast her heart was pumping when finally able to use her sharp tongue against a worthy adversary.

Elena kept her smile in as Caroline was anything but cold and had men chasing her all over campus. Those relationships never seemed to last though. She just didn't return their affection, so things inevitably fell apart after a month or two. She wasn't exactly sure when Caroline decided on this "cleanse" and how long it would last either. It was news to her.

"Those Whitmore men are very lucky then that such an opinionated woman like yourself is abstaining." He smirked and she narrowed her eyes, not liking the implication her big mouth was keeping the men away.

Elijah coughed. Everyone had been wrapped up in the classic battle of the sexes that these two never let go of.

"Before Klaus and Caroline get into one of their battles, Alaric. Thank you again for hosting us this weekend."

"We have a few things planned for your visit. Get to see what Mystic Falls is like today and what the contribution would mean to the school. I know you're looking at a few other schools, but I think it would mean the world to these kids. We also have a few lighter things planned. Mystic Falls does like to host a party. We can get to that later. Can I offer you guys something to eat or drink?"

Everyone but Klaus and Stefan left to relax and reacquaint themselves out on the deck.

The pair moved to the kitchen to grab a beer and some chips their hosts had left out.

"Did you notice Elena?" Stefan spoke up for the first time.

Stefan Salvatore was the most reserved of Elijah's group. He had known Elijah and Klaus for a long time, but hadn't been a part of their inner circle for very long. He was a few years younger than them and was an up and coming investment banker.

Klaus gave him a look. "I noticed her."

Stefan leaned an elbow against the counter. He certainly noticed Elena Gilbert. She was looking more beautiful than ever. He'd met Elena before, but something was different this time. He almost felt an electric spark shooting through their hands when they touched. That hadn't happened before. She had such a comfortable way about her, but there was still a hint of the strong woman underneath. It was such an interesting combination that he couldn't get it out of his mind.

"What do you think of her?"

"Do you really want to hear the answer to that?" Klaus gave him a look. "I'm not interested in her."

"No, tell me what you really think." This probably wasn't the best idea Stefan had, but he wanted to know if he was the only one who noticed a difference this time around.

Klaus looked at his friend who was taking this much too seriously.

"She's pretty," Klaus noted.

"I think she's beautiful." He sighed.

"I have perfect vision, but her friend there, if she didn't have such a temper, would be one of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, not Elena." He hated to admit it, but it was true. If Caroline had fallen under his spell like so many others, he would think quite differently of her. "Elena Gilbert looks like the kind of woman who dreams of a white picket fence and children and commitment." He said it like it hurt him to utter and gave an exaggerated shudder. "You're not thinking of asking her out are you?"

"As if wanting those things is a bad thing." Stefan continued, "If she would say yes, I would."

"I don't think you're thinking clearly, mate, but here's Elijah. Maybe he can prevent you from doing something stupid."

Elijah grabbed a beer and joined the others around the kitchen island.

"What plans have you two been concocting in here and how worried should I be?"

"My friend Stefan here has fallen in love since we walked into this house. With who? Elena Gilbert." He made a face. Who did things like that?

Elijah smiled at both Klaus' and Stefan's expressions.

"I think she's an amazing woman, Stefan." He tipped the bottle towards him.

Stefan perked up, but wasn't sure if Elijah was being serious or not. These guys were known to pick on him as the baby of the group. "Are you playing with me?"

"No, I mean it. She's kind and generous. Any man would be lucky to have her in his life. That's my opinion," Elijah confessed.

"And I gave you mine. The bachelor life is where it's at Stefan." Klaus was not going to see his friend get sucked into the whole domestic routine without at least trying to convince him it wasn't worth it.

"Klaus, you can appreciate beauty, but other than that you're terrible with women," Elijah replied. He and Stefan laughed, waiting for a speech from Klaus.

"I thank my mother for raising me. I thank all women for giving my eyes something beautiful to look at. I thank some women for letting me sleep with them," he grinned. "I won't let women betray me, by not giving them my trust to betray. See how easy it is? I will live the bachelor life forever. I find like-minded women and everyone leaves happy."

Elijah sighed at Klaus' often repeated declaration. He knew it came from Klaus getting his heart broken by his first love. He had been burned by her infidelity and ever since then, never got into a relationship he couldn't talk his way out of at the first hint of commitment.

"Before I die Klaus, I will see you love sick and married," Elijah vowed.

"You can see me sick, hungover maybe, but not love sick." Klaus was firm on this and took a big swallow of beer.

"It will happen one day, Klaus. One day." Elijah was trying to keep in the smile that wanted to break free.

"If it happens, you're allowed to tell me 'I told you so' and I'll tattoo it on my chest. It will read, 'Elijah was right. I believe in true love 4eva.'" Klaus used hand gestures to emphasize each word and then threw his arms out wide as he continued, "The problem is Elijah, it won't, so you can't." No way, no how was he ever falling in love and getting married.

Elijah wasn't giving up on Klaus, but rather than have this circular conversation again, he asked him to double check with Alaric what time their dinner reservations were.

Stefan wanted to get back to their prior conversation. Klaus' cynicism aside, he couldn't get Elena out of his head.

"What else can you tell me about her?" he asked trying to appear nonchalant and not desperate to hear what Elijah could tell him.

Elijah knew who Stefan was talking about.

"I'm not sure I know more than you do. Alaric has told me she's planning on going into a nursing program. She's volunteering at the local library during the summer. You've met her before, what's different now? Why did Klaus say you're already in love?"

Stefan thought it was a good question and tried to explain it as best he could. "We met before I joined you on the New York trip. I was impressed by her and liked her, but I was so focused on how we'd be gone for a few months that I didn't let myself think about a local college student. Now that I've seen her again though, all those feelings I had before have come back tenfold." He admitted, "I also don't remember her being quite as striking as I found her today."

"If you're serious, I'll talk to Alaric and feel him out, make sure Elena isn't involved with anyone else. I say you should pursue it though if you feel so strongly." Stefan would be staying locally as their big acquisition was over and it seemed like an ideal time to make some connections.

Stefan put down the empty bottle. "The only thing is, you're so much better with words than I am. I've seen you approach women and get phone numbers. They laugh and smile with you. I'm awkward and get too nervous. I'm not sure what I'd say to her."

Elijah was a problem solver. It's how he became so successful. He pondered the issues for a moment.

"This is pretty unconventional and sounds like something out of a movie, but tomorrow night there is a masked party. I can wear your mask to speak to Elena as you to charm her a little and then you can take over. You know I could always help you out in other ways though, like giving you some confidence which is key." Elijah offered.

"Would you really do that? Talk to her on my behalf? I know it's awkward." He was frustrated by his own insecurity. "I think if Elena is interested in me, I can take it from there. I mean I want to get to know her and not just through what you repeat back to me, but if you speak to Alaric and then use your eloquence to get her attention, I'd really appreciate it." Stefan's speech was slow as he thought about how this could work.

The two men discussed plans and Stefan told Elijah what his heart felt already and Elijah would use his way with words to express it to Elena. Stefan knew it was stupid, but he was a little awestruck by her and grabbed a hold of the lifeline Elijah offered him. He wouldn't let it go on more than a little while, but he needed help at the start.

In the meantime, Damon had left the Gilbert house and returned to the furnished house he was renting in town. He couldn't spend one more minute with those grating people. Putting on his semi-pleasant face was killing him. His friends Tyler and Enzo were already there. They were the only ones Damon actually trusted in this one horse town.

If he hadn't been trying to get an executive position within Elijah's company he wouldn't bother, but he felt it was the least Elijah could do for him. After all, their father had an affair with Damon's mother, resulting in him, yet he never grew up with a father, Elijah did. Elijah got the life Damon felt he was entitled to. Elijah owed him.

If he had to smile at Alaric and Elena to please Elijah, he would, but he wouldn't like it and he would find some way to get what he wanted.

"How was it Damon?" Enzo asked as Damon laid back on the leather couch.

"Terrible. How did you think it would go? These people have never gone more than ten miles from where they were born. They aren't exactly exciting conversationalists."

Enzo and Tyler exchanged a look. Damon in New York was one thing. Damon in Mystic Falls was turning into something else.

"I learned something that might interest you," revealed Tyler.

"That Farmer Bill's cow won a blue ribbon? Unless it has something I can use with Elijah, I'm not interested, Tyler." Damon had no patience left. He had a headache.

"No, I think you're going to want to hear this."

Tyler had everyone's attention now.

"A little bird told me there's a new romance brewing here in town."

Damon motioned for him to keep going, because this wasn't newsworthy so far at all. Taking a nap or getting drunk sounded better than listening to the sad love lives of Mystic Fall residents.

"Elijah's young friend Stefan is going to make a play for Elena Gilbert."

This could be something, thought Damon. How could he use this though?

"Get this," Tyler leaned in. "These idiots decided that Elijah would pretend to be Stefan at the masked party to woo Elena on Stefan's behalf." Tyler couldn't help but laugh at their terrible plan.

Enzo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think we can use this Damon."

Damon agreed. If they could embarrass Elijah and leak it to the press, maybe he would cut down on those losers hanging around him and give Damon some responsibility, with a healthy salary of course. It was a start. Win. Win.

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Not enough Klaroline, I know, but if you're familiar with the story, more will be coming.

What do you guys think?