AN: Thank you all so much for the kind words, follows and favs. I feel much more confident in posting more of this story. I do want to address one thing that will disappoint most of you, but I feel it's necessary for Caroline's character. Klaus is not Layla's father. I promise that I will reveal who Layla's father is in a future chapter and you will know the whole story behind Layla. Please be patient and stick with me. I can't promise it will be the most riveting story you will ever read, I can promise to give my all. Thank you, again!
"Wow." Caroline wasn't sure what to say. And that rarely happened. "Um, so…." Caroline looked at Kol sympathetically. She knew Mikael Mikaelson was a tough man to love and even tougher on his kids. Finn and Elijah, the oldest Mikaelson children, were by far his favorites. Rebekah gained favor by being the only girl. Klaus and Kol, however, both had it rough growing up. That was why Kol decided to go to college in the states, instead of England like his siblings. "I'm surprised Klaus is working for your dad. I guess that makes you the final recruit."
Kol chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, Nik finally came to his senses when he couldn't get a job in all of England, unless he worked for my father. Mikael's a prick like that." Kol checked the time. "How are those pancakes coming, Care? Apparently, I have to play chauffer to my big brothers today. I can't be late and be a disappointment." Kol said sarcastically.
Caroline had just finished flipping pancakes onto three plates. "All ready. Layla, turn the TV off. It's breakfast time!"
They finished breakfast and Kol hopped in the shower, while Caroline helped Layla get dressed for the day. When Kol was done, Caroline took her turn in the shower, while Kol colored with Layla. After five years, they were a well-oiled machine when it came to getting all three of them dressed and out of the house on time. Caroline and Layla left for the store to get some school supplies, as Layla would be starting Kindergarten in a couple weeks.
Kol got to JFK about ten minutes before the plane let out. He just paced, waiting to see his brothers. Though he saw Elijah a couple of times since he moved to NYC, Kol hadn't seen Klaus in six years. He wondered just how much Klaus had changed. Finally, Kol saw them. He furrowed his brow and squinted because each of his brothers had a woman on their arms. His furrow turned into a broad smile as he realized Elijah's arm was linked to none other than his twin sister.
"Kol!" Rebekah shouted as she ran the best she could in her designer 4 inch heels.
Kol immediately scooped up his sister into a huge bear hug. "Bekah, baby sister! I didn't know you were coming too!"
Rebekah scoffed at Kol calling her his baby sister. She was younger by ten minutes and he never ceased to remind her. "Did you think I would stay in London, with Finn? God no!" Kol laughed. They all loved Finn, but he was just not fun.
Elijah walked up to Kol and patted his shoulder. "Kol, it's good to see you brother. I've missed you."
"Lijah, it's good to see you as well. I trust your flight was good." Elijah nodded. "Nik." Kol looked at Klaus. "It's been a long time, big brother."
Klaus smiled and pulled his little brother into a fierce hug. "Yes it has. Too long."
"And who is this?" Kol asked, smirking at the beautiful brunette standing beside Klaus.
"This is my girlfriend, Tatia. Tatia, this is Kol." Klaus introduced them, as he put one hand on Tatia's lower back as a sign of possession and used the other hand in a sweeping gesture between his girlfriend and brother.
"Wait. Is this the same Tatia you have been dating for 2 years?" Kol was shocked. His brother had changed.
"3 years." Tatia interjected.
"You've gone soft, Nik." Klaus just shook his head at his brother. He used to live like his brother, taking a different woman every night, but when he met Tatia, he decided to try settling down. It worked, for the most part. He had many temptations to stray, mostly in the form of women at the office. Especially his personal assistant, Genevieve. Klaus wouldn't say he loved Tatia. No, his constant flirtations with other women and his dalliances with Genevieve would prove that he wasn't in love. A man in love wouldn't let his personal assistant give him blow jobs. However, Klaus knew he cared for Tatia. Enough to keep her around and want to keep her happy, despite his less than faithful behavior. This is why he quickly agreed to having Tatia accompany him to NYC. She was a teacher and could easily get a job here. Plus he couldn't very well bring Genevieve with him and not his girlfriend.
Klaus smiled at Tatia. "Not soft, brother. Just matured. Some day you will meet someone worthy of giving up the womanizing lifestyle, too." Tatia leaned into Klaus. She loved how romantic he could be, when he wanted to. She knew his eyes strayed and she even had a feeling he had a few itches scratched by other woman, mainly his slutty assistant. But he always came home to her. Unless he was away on business, they always spent the night together. It was what Tatia hung on to. Someday he would tire of the other women and finally propose.
As the group grabbed all their luggage, Kol realized something. "So, where are you guys staying?"
"With you, silly." Rebekah winked at her twin.
"Uh, um…. Well. I…" Kol stammered. He had to come up with a quick lie. No one else knew about Layla. And he was sure Caroline didn't want them finding out just yet. "My roomie is really private. I don't think they'd like the intrusion." He finally managed to say. It wasn't an all-out lie either. Caroline was very private and protective of Layla.
Suddenly, Klaus, Tatia, Rebekah and even Elijah started laughing. Kol looked from sibling to sibling, quite confused. "Do you really think we would make plans to expand our business in NYC and not already have bought places to live?" Elijah asked.
"But now I really want to meet your roomie. Cuz you got way too flustered. How weird is he? Or are you hiding him from us? Why? Are you ashamed of us?" Rebekah began spouting questions off a mile a minute. "Wait, is he hot and you are afraid he is going to fall madly in love with me?"
"Hold up, Beks." Kol put a hand on her shoulder. "You know I love you all and I am most definitely not ashamed of you. It's just…it's hard to explain." Kol said with a shrug. How would he explain Layla, without giving away Caroline's past?
They all loaded into Kol's SUV, with Kol and Elijah in the front and Klaus sitting between his two best girls. "Okay, who's first?"
"You can bring Bekah and me to this address." Elijah handed Kol a piece of paper. It belonged to a beautiful brownstone town house. Of course Elijah would want something with history and culture. It was just like him.
"Decided to bunk with Lijah, eh Beks?" Kol looked back at his sister as he pulled up to the curb.
"At least with Elijah I don't have to listen to moaning all night long. I spent one night with these two," She pointed at Klaus and Tatia. "And I'm scarred for life." She shuddered remembering how for most of the night she heard her big brother, whom she idolized, pleasuring his girlfriend, whom she was not the biggest fan of.
Klaus chuckled and pulled Tatia into an intimate embrace. "I remember it being a really good night. I slept like a baby." He winked at his girlfriend and she caught his lips in a heated kiss that caused everyone else in the car to groan and exit.
Kol helped his sister with her bags and told Elijah to text him the location of where to meet Monday morning for his first day of work. He climbed back in the driver's seat and honked the horn. The loud, unexpected noise pulled Klaus and Tatia out of their passionate make out session. "C'mon Nik. This is my roomie's car. Can't you wait just a few minutes until I get you guys to your place?"
Klaus nodded at his brother and tried to pull away. Tatia had other ideas. She knew most of the office that would be relocated, Genevieve included, wouldn't be arriving until Tuesday or Wednesday. She had Klaus all to herself and she planned to make the most of it and show him that he didn't need other women.
Kol pulled up to a posh and very high class apartment building. He smiled knowingly. If the brown stone fit Elijah to a tee, something high class, extravagant and expensive fit Klaus. He liked to prove he was the "alpha male", as Klaus called it growing up, by showing just how much better he was. "Home sweet home, love birds." Kol called out and he pulled up to the curb of the building.
Tatia's eyes widened a bit. She was used to Klaus' excessive lifestyle, but this a bit more over the top than usual. He really wanted to make a splash in NYC. The doorman helped them with their bags and the couple said their goodbyes to Kol. As they ascended the elevator, Tatia looked at Klaus. "I have an interview on Monday at an elementary school. Someone who works for my cousin set it up. I should be a shoo-in. I'll know by the end of the week and then we can celebrate our new start in NYC."
Klaus eyed Tatia. "You're rather confident, huh? If you get the job, then I promise we will celebrate all weekend long." He said with a smirk as they stepped off the elevator into their new apartment.
Tatia stood by the huge picture window and enjoyed the view as Klaus came up behind her. "I believe you need to finish what you started in the car, my dear."
Tatia looked up at Klaus with lust filled eyes. "Which room should we christen first?" She winked and pulled off her shirt.
Kol dragged himself into his apartment and genuinely smiled for the first time all afternoon. He loved his family, but they were exhausting. The view he came home to was what made him happy, all the time. The TV was playing some cartoon movie about a princess, he never really paid attention. Layla was curled up on Caroline's lap and they both were sound asleep. He sat on the couch and nudged Caroline's knee. She grunted a bit and opened her eyes, looking groggily at Kol. "Hey." She said softly, careful not to wake the sleeping child in her arms. "How are your brothers?"
"Well, it wasn't just my brothers." Kol said cryptically. He knew Caroline and Rebekah hadn't had much contact since they were 14. He also knew that Caroline had had a massive crush on Klaus for the better part of 4 years. "Bekah came with them." He watched Caroline's reaction. She beamed.
"Really? I guess I'm not entirely surprised. The Bekah I remember would follow Klaus to the ends of the Earth and back again. Maybe I can reconnect with her. You didn't tell her about…." Caroline trailed off, looking at her precious daughter.
"No, Care. That's your news. I don't think she would judge you." Caroline raised her eyebrows at Kol. "Or pity you." He said softly. "But the stranger thing is," Kol took a deep breath. "Nik brought along his girlfriend." Caroline looked shocked, but didn't respond. "Of 3 years." Kol added for good measure.
Caroline looked out the window for a minute. She had thought that she loved Klaus when she was a teenager. She had felt slighted that he never tried to contact her when he left. It kind of broke her fragile 14 year old heart. "3 years, huh?" She looked back at Kol, who had a thoughtful expression. "I'm happy for him. You know, I didn't ever think he would settle down, from the stories you would tell me. I hope she's good for him." Kol nodded in agreement. He needed to tread carefully. "What's," Caroline paused and sighed. "What's she like?" Caroline figured she might as well just rip the proverbial band aid off and find out what it took to secure Klaus' heart.
"Well, she's hot." Caroline gave Kol a pointed look. "But not nearly as hot as you." He winked at Caroline and she just shook her head.
"Nice save." She shoved his shoulder lightly, as Layla was still sleeping.
"I don't really know. I didn't talk to her much. But they were, like really all over each other. I mean, we left them alone for like 10 minutes and I thought they were gonna go at it in the back seat of your car." Kol shuddered at the memory of Tatia all over his brother.
Caroline scrunched her face up. "Ew, too much info, Kol. Really. Too much." Caroline tried to wipe the picture of Klaus and a model-like woman having sex in the back seat of her car out of her mind.
"On to more important topics," Kol stood up and smiled at Caroline and a now awake Layla. "I declare tomorrow a 'zoo day'." Kol bounced around the living room wildly.
"Eee, Yes!" Layla shouted excitedly. She lept from her mom's lap into Kol's waiting arms. "We haven't had 'zoo day' in forever." She said, dramatically.
Zoo day had been instated back when Layla was just a baby. Some times when Kol and/or Caroline got too stressed about the grown-up things in life, they decided that a zoo day was in order. This gave them a day to focus on the important things in life. Like family, fun and enjoying this crazy life. Layla loved the zoo and seeing her smile, always put things into perspective for Caroline and Kol.
Caroline smiled at her daughter and Kol. "Good thing our schedule is wide open tomorrow. Central Park Zoo, it is."