It also scared the living daylights out of her.

For that reason alone, before his lips could even graze hers and the cymbals could appear, Caroline pulled back. She sat up straight, to his disappointment, and began to reach for the door handle. Even she was disappointed, as the thought of his fingers gently pressed against her delicate cheeks was ever so inviting.

"Okay, now I really should get going," she said with a firm nod. It was hard for her to believe her own words, but deep down she knew it was best.

Klaus took hold of her free hand as the door fell open slowly.

"Caroline."

"Klaus," she released a heavy sigh, "I really think that us being friends is for the best. If you're looking for more then...go on a date with Cami! She'll be way more interested and you have her number now, so that's half of the journey."

He smiled downheartedly, nodding, "Of course."

Caroline sucked in a breath, gazing at their hands locked together. If his fingers were to trail up her arm in such a manner as the night before she may have gone back on her word completely. It was mind-boggling that, for a man she had only met, and then slept with, less than twenty-four hours prior to that moment, she was feeling so wrapped up in him mentally.

It took a second but the two let one another's hands slip free.

"Don't be a stranger," she replied with a reassuring tone, her legs dropping out of the car one at a time. He gave a small salute as she glanced back before exiting the car altogether.

Caroline clung to her phone and she watched his black vehicle move off into the distance past the long row of houses. Her gaze lingered even after the car had left her view, but soon her eyelids fluttered as if to shake her out of the moment. She had a long exhale, stepping off of the pavement and along to the front door.

Her phone buzzed aggressively on the nightstand and she murmured, stretching her hand out carelessly. Multiple attempts were had but without her eyes on the phone, her hand was finding empty spaces of the side-table. Before she could even touch the edge of her phone, the buzzing had stopped. Content once more, Caroline rolled over and hugged a large pillow. The feeling did not last long. The buzzing started up again, which felt even more annoying the second time around.

She groaned loudly and sat up, pulling her phone off of the side and to her ear, "Hello?"

With a slightly disgusted look, she wiped off some drool from the side of her face. She supposed it was better than choking on it. Either way, it was not glamorous.

"C-Caroline," a shaky voice spoke. She heard the person on the other head sniffling in between teary breaths.

Now fully awake, Caroline replied with a more urgent tone, "Elena? Is everything okay?"

"Uh–" another sniffle, "Can you come over soon?"

Yanking the covers off of her legs, Caroline replied, "Of course! I'll bring us our favourite coffee from the cafe on the corner, yeah?" She heard an almost silent 'uh-uh' and made her goodbyes before hanging up.

The blonde racked her brain for what could possibly be wrong, but aside from an argument with Damon, there was nothing she could think of. It had been weeks since she had seen the two together at the baseball field but it was hardly a tense atmosphere between them. In fact, they were their usual giggly and flirty selves. On top of that, whenever she saw Elena out and about, she seemed happy. She felt that usually she could tell when something was wrong. In this instance, it was not the case.

Caroline tied up her hair into a loose ponytail and changed into a pair of sweats. Unable to find anything else, she was forced to wear hot pink sweatpants that read 'hottie' on the butt. It was not her finest moment in college. At the time they were all the rage, and without a pair, she would have been behind socially. At least, that was what she believed back then.

Not that she had wished to look like that on a Saturday, but looking in the mirror, she felt that it was not too shabby as far as early morning looks went. Once she had pulled on a pair of oddly coloured, red sneakers, there was a rush out of the door.

The bell rang at the moment of her entrance. The rusty, golden bell rattled against the top of the door frame. Like many establishments in the town, 'Coffee Corner' was long known by the locals and a well-kept secret when it came to any passing tourists, although, that was a rare occasion, if ever.

Elena and Caroline were teenagers when they had started stopping by the cafe. Every morning before school, they knocked rapidly on the door so they would open a little earlier for them. Soon, it became a given that they would make their daily trip and the place had moved its opening time to half an hour earlier. Of course, once high school was over and done with, and college was on the horizon, they did not make their usual trips, but whenever they could, they would pick up a latte for one another, especially in times of need, like when Tyler had brutally dumped her. Not cool in the slightest.

Although Elena annoyingly continued to believe that she and Tyler would get back together, she was there for her. She picked her up in her hand-me-down pickup truck and took her to the coffee shop immediately after. Caroline thought that times like that were the most important.

The blonde hummed gently as she entered, feeling to make sure her phone was secure in her pocket. She made a b-line for the counter, taking note of the food behind the glass case.

"Hey, Gus," she greeted happily, fingers curled over the top of the display case.

Gus was an older gentleman, with an awkward amount of beard that even a hipster would be astonished by. His build was large and he wore his signature 'I'm trying, okay?' apron. She hoped that he washed it considering how much he had it on.

"Two lattes with extra foam to go, two danishes, and two slices of that amazing looking cheesecake," she said in a friendly manner, showing her excitement when mentioning the last item.

"Got it, Caroline."

"Caroline? Hey!"

She did not recognise the voice that projected from across the room. It was a woman but that was all she could gather. As Gus tended to the coffee machine, pulling out the cups, Caroline turned to the person who was calling her.

Sat across the room at a small table, was Cami. It made sense that she did not recognise the sound since it was something she usually chose to drown out. She could count on the conversation ending somewhere on the topic of psychology. Saying 'wow, fascinating' was the go to response and worked ninety percent of the time.

"Cami, hey...and..."

Her eyes scanned across the table. Cami had a bottle of water and a croissant, but opposite sat a single black coffee and the thorn in her side.

"Klaus," she finished, strolling up to their table. A face she had not seen for weeks, nor heard from for the same amount of time. Once she had left that car and said goodbye, there was radio silence. She did not think much of it. It was just the way life worked; people had things to do and no time to do anything else. Caroline herself was working on a pageant diligently.

"Caroline," Klaus replied shortly.

"I didn't know you two were hanging out," she started, her face set in a surprised expression. Caroline analysed them as she waited for a reply. Cami shrugged and had a goofy smile on her face, while Klaus looked almost like a dog being told off for urinating on the carpet. It was not the guilty kind of expression, but the 'yeah, I did it' one.

"Well, he called me a couple weeks ago but I had so much work that we couldn't meet until now," Cami replied.

She rocked a little in her seat before suddenly widening her smile, "Actually, you know, you and Elena went on about this place so much that I thought it would be perfect for a coffee date."

"A couple weeks ago?"

Caroline paused.

"Wow. Fascinating."

"You're not spying on us, are you? Nice look, by the way," Klaus piped up, grinning in his quip.

She frowned, looking down at her bright pink pants, before laughing forcefully, "Of course not…and I was in a rush for my morning coffee."

"It's…three P.M., isn't it?" Cami raised her chin, looking at the two for clarification, and glanced at the brown watch secure around her wrist.

Caroline froze a little, staring into space with the biggest smile she could muster up, "Hah, it's always someone's morning somewhere."

It seemed it had never occurred to her to actually check the time before she ran out the house looking like a poster girl for the mid-noughties. Nevertheless, she would still make an attempt to act like she knew what she was doing.

"Caroline. Your order."

The awkwardly-dressed blonde smiled at the pair, "I'll be going. Enjoy your…date?"

"Well—" Cami began but Caroline quickly walked back to the counter, taking the paper bag of food and the two coffees sat snugly in their holder. All she could think was: 'don't care'.

"Thanks," she said as she paid, quickly ambling to the exit once she was done.

The bell rang behind her but before the door could hit the frame she heard the bell ring a second time. The ring felt a little aggressive that time and the door fell a little harder.

"Caroline, wait," Klaus said in a firm manner.

"What, Klaus?!" Caroline spat, spinning around. The paper bag flung over into her right hip, and the coffee whirled about in their cups.

"Whoa," he held his palms up, "Why are you acting like this?"

Admittedly, Caroline did notice that in saying her words, she was less than welcoming to the man before her. There was a hint of regret in that regard, but unfortunately it had been said already. She reminded herself of the annoyance he was causing her and settled on sticking to the unfriendly manner in which she spoke.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Are you jealous?" he asked plainly. Klaus stood tall in his jacket and jeans. He was dressed similarly to how he had been at the baseball game. The same necklace was dangling from his neck. On one hand, Caroline preferred the more casual look as it made him seem like an actual human being, but on the other, ripping his dress shirt open was hardly a thought she could wipe from her mind.

The blonde scoffed, "Obviously not. The question is: Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"I believe it was you who told me to call Cami," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would actually do it, Klaus."

"Why is it a problem whether I go on a date with her or not?"

Caroline's jaw clenched and she was at a loss for reasons. Perhaps there was a hint of jealously, but that was not what had her riled up.

"You're the one who wanted to be just friends—"

"And we are, aren't we?" she attempted to clarify.

"Well, I don't know. 'Don't be a stranger' is awfully dismissive, love," Klaus said, shoving a hand into the pocket of his black jacket. In the sunlight, she noticed undertones of red.

"Are you kidding me?! Is that why you decided to call her? Because you felt like I was being…dismissive?"

He shrugged, a smirk playing at his lips.

"You're a child."

"And you are jealous."

Caroline huffed, "You know, I'm not going to be jealous. Once again, I realise that we are not going to work. So, I have to admit: Elena was right. Speaking of, she's expecting me now." She turned on her heels, taking a couple steps.

"Funny."

"What?" she asked with her back to him.

"Once again," he started mockingly, "I realise you care way too much about what Elena thinks."

The irritation was all over her face and evident when she strutted up to make direct eye contact with him.

"Yes, I care what she thinks because yes she is my friend, even though sometimes it doesn't seem like it—"

"Like when you say she isn't."

"Yes."

It felt weird to admit it out loud. She did, of course, care what Elena thought. Even after everything, she knew Elena cared for her and that was why she was so conscious of her opinions. For their prom, Elena had told her how much the colour blue suited her so she wore a blue dress, and countless other times she straightened her hair because Elena did. It wasn't a planned decision. It just felt like she had to do it.

Klaus glanced back at the coffee shop. The windows were half-covered by a set of brown shutter blinds, a consistency of one odd blind appearing on every window. When Cami mentioned the coffee shop being a favourite of the other two's, he supressed the excitement within that he may have been able to see Caroline.

"Caroline," he said. This time, his speech was softer and she could barely tell but the guilt was seeping through.

"I have to go," she replied, mirroring the toned-down voice he had, "Call me when you grow up."

Klaus clenched his jaw, his eyes piercing as he stared at her back.

"Call me when you stop caring about others' opinions."

Caroline pressed her lips together and closed her eyes once she had moved away from his sight, quickening her pace to avoid any unnecessary conversation. The moment he had said her name, something tugged at her heart. He had her falling for his words but at the same time, she just became increasingly irritated every time she looked at him.

"Elena?"

The walk had not taken her long as the café was situated at an almost equal distance between their houses. While she received one or two odd looks over her choice of clothing, she maintained that she was still pulling it off even if secretly, she knew no one could pull it off. Except for maybe Paris Hilton, but even now the trashy taglines on the buttocks of neon coloured sweatpants were too much for the heiress.

The front door was unlocked, left slightly ajar. Caroline stepped through, making sure to shut the door and put the lock on. The lamp on the hallway table's light was flickering a number of times. The yellow light was a dulled in comparison to the last time she had been there. She pulled gently on the chain cord to turn it off. Knowing what time it was, now at least, she suspected Damon would be out of the house to attend baseball practice.

Clinging to the coffee holder, she took gentle steps up the creaking brown staircase. Old photographs were hung diagonally on the wall. They mainly consisted of Elena and Damon in vomit inducing 'candid' poses, or Elena and her brother as children. She adored the baby Elena and Jeremy photos; the cuteness could not be resisted. In actual fact, Jeremy entering a relationship with their friend Bonnie meant that their friendship group had three pairs of siblings. Sometimes Caroline would forget this but really, he had never 'joined' the group; he was always there from birth.

By the final step onto the landing, there was a cluster of small, slightly damaged photos. The edges of a couple had slight tears and their corners were creased. Two of the photos were of the whole Gilbert clan: Elena, Jeremy, and their mother and father. The other two were just of Elena and her parents. One in particular was sweet: Elena was sat in her mother's lap, clinging to a doll that every five-year old at the time had begged for. The last of the photos was the most recent of Elena and her parents. She did not view those photos as enthusiastically as the baby photos.

"Care?" a small voice appeared in the corner of the hallway. At the end was stood Elena, pyjamas on and halfway out of the door to the bathroom. Even from afar, Caroline noticed the paleness in her usually warm skin.

Caroline frowned empathetically, walking up to meet the girl by the door. She gestured for them to enter the bathroom. Once she had set the coffees down on a small plastic box and the bag of food on the floor, Caroline sat herself next to the bag by the edge of the bathtub as Elena crouched opposite. She held out one of the coffee cups to the brunette and smiled sadly. Elena accepted it with a shyness that Caroline had not experienced before.

"Is everything okay?" Caroline began before rambling, "I mean—everything is obviously not okay since you were crying and well, you don't look good. Not that that's a bad thing. Sometimes we have rough days. Did something happen with Damon?"

Before she could continue her lengthy monologue Elena reached for couple of small, white sticks that were perched on the middle of the toilet seat. It was something that Caroline had completely missed as she had walked in. The white sticks were indeed a shock to the blonde's system. It was not something that could be unrecognised. Was Elena pregnant? She felt a rise in panic, but as soon as she did, she noticed the single red line on both of the sticks. There was calm again in her mind. However, she glanced back and forth between the sticks and Elena, whose facial expression had been unmovable from the moment she saw her face.

"We've been trying for the last few months," Elena confessed. On the last word there was a crack and the girl blinked harshly, avoiding eye contact.

There was more surprise for Caroline. She was shocked at her friend's sudden fragility, one that she had never really witnessed even in situations much worse. Despite this, Elena was trying for a baby with Damon and she had not told her. Not being told was not a big deal to her, but trying for a child alone was enough for her to nearly do a spit-take. The girl did not strike her as the type to want children, nor did Damon.

"Sweetie… I had no idea," Caroline managed to reply, despite the initial shock. She placed the tests back on the side and scooted closer to her friend. Elena was not the hugging type but she wanted to show her support in some way.

"I was hoping to tell everyone once it happened…but it's not happening," she breathed out her words, trying to conceal her pain.

"Oh…"

The blonde mentally gave herself a slap across the face. Even before she replied, she knew that 'oh' was not exactly the most comforting response. Still, it was all she could seem to unravel from her frozen thoughts. She sat up with more purpose, smiling sympathetically.

"Well, it doesn't happen overnight, sweetie," she said carefully, trying not to crack the egg shells she was treading on, "You're young, there's plenty of time."

"That's the thing. What if there's not?"

Caroline swallowed, thumbing at the flimsy cardboard wrapped around her coffee. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out what she was getting at, especially as she could see the fear written across the brunette's face.

"Mom was everything to me, Care," she sighed, "And Dad… Jeremy and I…"

"I know," the blonde nodded slowly, her head drooping sadly.

Elena took a long sip of the coffee in her hands, closing her eyes as the warm liquid cascaded down her throat.

"That's not going to happen to you, though."

Caroline reached to hold Elena's free hand that rested on her thigh. She squeezed gently, her eyes locked on friend's. Elena set the cup aside, taking hold of Caroline's hand fully with her other hand. Caroline felt the extra touch of her coffee warmed hand balancing out the cold in her opposite.

"Isn't it? What if something does happen? What if…what if I die…like them. They—"

"You're not."

Caroline put her coffee down next to her feet, placing her hand on top of Elena's. She spoke with such conviction, keeping a tight grasp on her. There was no moment in their relationship that Elena indicated such strong feelings. When their car had run off the bridge, Elena was under the water for so long that one would have thought that recovery would be a long road. However, not even a few months later, Elena returned to school for their junior year. There was no talk about the accident. Whenever mentioned, she would just say that she was 'fine'. At the time, Caroline was so blindly unaware that the girl was hurting, but as the years went by, the moment had passed for serious talks about the issue. Clearly a talk was needed and Caroline immediately scolded herself internally for not realising that sooner.

She could tell that Elena did not believe her words. There was a gentle nod from her as if to express agreement but her eyes did not express the same.

"Look, I brought you some food as well," Caroline brightened up, scooting back to take the paper bag and set it between them.

"What did you get?" Elena asked, pursing her lips.

"The best pastries, of course, and then cheesecake for dessert!"

Elena cracked a smile, "The obvious choice."

"And every time, Gus lets me tell him my whole order even though it's never going to change," Caroline laughed, handing her a danish before taking one out for herself.

"Well, would you have it any other way?"

The blonde paused before grinning, "He might think he knows the order but what if he forgets?"

Elena laughed and took a huge bite of the pastry. She had not eaten much throughout the day, being so worried about the prospect of a single line appearing on the pregnancy tests.

"Thank you, Care," she changed the subject, chewing slowly as she spoke.

"We're best friends. I wouldn't be a good friend if I wasn't here for you at times like this," Caroline replied. She said it again: friend. This time, she even said 'best friends', a step up from what she had aggressively told Klaus not long ago. However, it was the truth no matter how much she frustrated her with the obsessive matchmaking.

Elena smiled once again, soothing Caroline's worry over the matter.

"It's fine anyway, Damon doesn't even really want kids," she told her matter-of-factly. She resumed biting off huge chunks of the sweet pastry, licking the stray flakes off of her bottom lip.

Caroline had opened her mouth to begin eating her pastry but stopped before it could touch her lips.

"What?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I guess he's not really the parental type."

"Has he said anything?"

"Not really. He just doesn't seem interested whenever I mention it."

"But you want them?" Caroline asked for clarification.

"Yes, but if I can't even have them, then there's not much else to say or do."

"You can keep trying," she reassured her, "It's not easy to get pregnant for anyone."

Elena leaned against the bathroom door, humming, "I guess…I'll keep trying."

"Patience is key," she replied, her mouth full of pastry.

The brunette rolled her eyes playfully at the girl's optimism, finishing up her own food.

"So, I bumped into Klaus and Cami at Gus' today…on a date," Caroline trailed into the new topic, hoping to cheer her up.

Elena gasped, "Really?! Oh my gosh, I told you they would be perfect together."

"You know, I agree," Caroline nodded firmly, smirking. She liked to imagine that at that café, Klaus felt a pin to his heart at that exact moment. There would be a clenching of the jaw and a childish response from him in an attempt to seem like the dominant one in the conversation.

"You really are a great matchmaker."

Hey, guys! Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you've been enjoying the story so far! What was your favourite part of the chapter?