The first time she truly realised the depth of the Mikaelson wealth was less than a year after she married into the family. Sure, she knew they were rich. After a thousand years, it was hard not to be rich in every term of the word. Rich in power, in knowledge, in money. But the latter had never occurred to her because (with the exception of Klaus with her influence) she rarely actually saw them pay for anything. Things were either fetched for them or they used compulsion to get what they wanted. Only Rebekah spent actual money on their shopping trips, but even then Caroline was sure it was simply to placate her. Yet, it's not until she crashed Kol's limited edition, less than 3 months' old, black Lamborghini that she had seen the fruit of all their riches.
They had been on their way back from a shopping expedition in Baton Rouge. Caroline had only accompanied him out of sheer curiosity and boredom as Klaus had had hybrid plans that day and his other siblings were elsewhere preoccupied. She had always gotten along well with the youngest brother, though he was hardly ever around long enough for them to spend any quality time together.
After what had been a great day out in the other southern city, filled with fun and laughs (and a lot of shopping), he had insisted she drove back to New Orleans in his precious car. Caroline had snagged the keys out of his hands before he could say another word.
They were halfway back when Kol yawned and remarked on the setting sun. "We'll miss all the fun tonight at home if you don't step on it," he teased her.
"I'm already going as fast as I can," Caroline retorted, eyeing the speedometer, which was pushing 100 mph as it was. Having such a smooth car racing down the roads of Louisiana, trees blurring past as the cool air fanned lightly at her hair through the cracked window, was thrilling. But she was still a sheriff's daughter and speeding had been instilled into her as something bad.
"This car can go faster, and I don't see anyone on the roads," Kol taunted, peering around dramatically before smirking in her direction. "What are you scared of? You're already dead."
"I-" she began before cutting off when she realised that even her mother's teachings had applied to her human life. Her reflexes were quicker now, as was her ability to heal. She was quickly coming to see Kol's point, and unconsciously, began pressing down in the accelerator. "Let's go then."
He had chuckled at her actions and Caroline couldn't help the grin at the sight of the needle rising as they sped down the highway. She wasn't sure if she had ever travelled so fast in a car before. Klaus sped like a maniac, but he was a safe driver (something she was sure was due to her), and she wondered if she had been missing out on something so amazing out of a hint of worry. Once they got home, she'd let him know, she resolved. There would be no more 'safe' driving. She wanted more of this hurtling down a road. Maybe she'd grab Rebekah one day and go wild in her open top vintage car, too.
Before she could even contemplate how Klaus would take it, headlights shone in her eyes and out reflex, Caroline slammed onto the brakes and turned right. She vaguely heard Kol curse under his breath as they crashed through the wooded area next to the interstate, the car failing to stop until it hit a tree head-on 100 feet down the hill.
Groaning, Caroline straightened her neck with some effort, willing the dull ache to go away. If she was human, she was sure it would have been broken. The smell of blood penetrated through her dizzy mind first, grounding her with instinctive actions to find the cause of said bleeding and to stem it.
Looking over to Kol, she swept her eyes over his form, making sure he was ok. Apart from a dislocated shoulder and a piece of a branch through his thigh, he was fine.
Caroline stopped when she saw his eyebrow rise when he took her in too, pausing at her stomach, which slowly began to ache as the adrenaline within her ebbed away. Glancing down, she almost sighed in resignation at the sight of glass penetrating into her. It wasn't too deep, but it was big, and she ended up cutting her fingers too when she pulled it out.
"Ouch," she murmured, dropping the bloodied shard onto the floor next to her before tugging her seat belt away. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, darling," Kol brushed off easily, having fixed himself too. "This car is another matter though."
"Sorry," Caroline murmured abashedly, copying him in shoving open her door. The ground was wet and uneven, and it took a few steps before she could balance herself steadily on it.
"Don't worry about it," he remarked, joining her by the driver's side of the car and surveying the damage with her. To say it was a complete write-off was putting it nicely. "At least we're fine. I doubt Nik would stick with a dagger when he's got the white oak stake."
Caroline rolled her eyes at his casualness about such a dire matter. Though, deep down, a gnawing in her told her he was right. It had been her own fault, but Klaus would never see it that way. If anything had happened to her, Kol would have had to answer for it.
"Right, let's get going. If we run, we can still make it home within the hour," he announced, brushing away the last of the dirt on his jacket before running a hand through his disheveled hair. Unconsciously, Caroline did the same; patting down her curls in hopes that it would tame it.
"What about the car?" she asked as they eyed out a path back up to the road.
"Get one of your minions to deal with it later," Kol laughed before beginning up the hill.
They had taken a few steps away when a thought hit her and she suddenly stopped. "Wait! Our shopping," she exclaimed, making her way back to the car. Just because the vehicle was a lost cause didn't mean the stuff they had bought was too. In fact, her purse was in the back seat and she didn't want to leave it behind for anyone to find.
"Great. Baggage," Kol grumbled even as he dutifully took some of the bags that she handed him. Hitching her handbag onto her shoulder, she picked up the last of the shopping before nodding assertively for him to carry on with their initial journey.
Running at vampire speed all the way home left Caroline breathless, but in a good way. The adrenaline that had coursed through her after the crash had come back as the night blurred past her. She followed Kol, not knowing where she was going otherwise, pushing with all of her strength to match his pace. It was only when she stumbled through the door, having overtaken him after he had slowed down at the gates of their home, that she stopped and felt her muscles burn like they hadn't in years.
Giggling loudly at Kol cursing her from outside, she all but froze when Klaus appeared on the staircase in front of her, breath hitching at his intense stare.
"What the hell happened?!" he growled in both concern and anger as he approached her. Caroline dropped the bags as his hands went to the ripped fabric of her top before diving underneath to brush over where her wound had been. She involuntarily sucked in a breath at his warm touch; the calloused fingers against her smooth skin was a feeling that still managed to elicit such a reaction. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," she quickly assured him, gripping onto his forearm when his hand retreated out from under her top. "We just had a little accident. Nothing our vampire bodies couldn't handle."
"I could smell your blood from down the street, Caroline. I don't think it was anything 'little'," Klaus snapped, setting his well-adjusted glare on her.
"Well, the car had a bigger accident than we did," Kol announced as he entered the house, shutting the door softly behind him. "But we came out alive."
Klaus scowled at him and made a move to get at him, but Caroline tightened her hold onto his arm to keep him in place. "Seriously, no big deal. It was kind of fun," she tried to play down, but all it had done was bring his incredulous look to her.
"'Fun'? Caroline, you could have been killed, sweetheart," he said in his deadly low and steady voice that left no room for arguments. Not that his baby brother wouldn't try, of course.
"C'mon, Nik. She's a vampire. We're pretty hard to kill," Kol shrugged off, being daring and coming up to stand next to her, dropping the rest of her bags by her side.
"No, you're pretty hard to kill," Klaus retorted, jabbing a finger in his direction. "A road surrounded by trees is a death trap for everyone else, vampires included."
Deciding to stop the argument before it even started (Caroline had long take over the role of peacemaker between the siblings), she sighed heavily and gently swiped her thumb across the taut muscle under her fingers. "Look, we both came out of it ok. Can't we just leave it at that?" she reasoned, tugging on his arm to pull his attention back to her. "Klaus?"
There was a pregnant pause, one in which she was slightly worried he would actually say 'no'. Instead, he exhaled and she could physically feel him having to restrain himself. "You're absolutely fine?" he asked, eyes rounding onto her and she got the feeling that he was searching deep into her soul for the correct answer.
"Perfectly," she supplied for him, smiling softly to add to the comment. It took a moment but Klaus finally nodded, trustingly accepting her words.
"I'm fine too, if anyone cares. Though you do owe me a new car," Kol piped up, grabbing his own bags and making a leave for the stairs. "Either one of you, I'm not fussed."
Laughing, Caroline ran her hands up Klaus' arms to rest upon his shoulders briefly and used them to push herself onto her toes so she could press her mouth to his. "Maybe I'll get one too," she mused when she pulled back.
"Yes, because your experience this time round ended fantastically," Klaus replied sarcastically as he lightly rested his hands onto her hips.
Rolling her eyes, she shoved him gently on the shoulder but kept her smile in place as the excitement about what she had experienced still ran through her. "It was thrilling, Klaus! That adrenaline high, the quick reflexes, the rush of doing something so dangerous-"
"You would know about that, wouldn't you?" he commented slyly, the double entendre fully understood. Caroline had to bite back a grin at the words and fought the pooling pleasure deep in her stomach.
"I could always know some more..." she replied seductively. Klaus grabbed her around the waist and had her in their room before she could even blink, her shopping long forgotten.
A week later, a black car very similar to the one she destroyed stood in their driveway, with a matching one in white next to it for her.
Caroline inhaled the crisp, winter London air from the balcony of their Knightsbridge penthouse. Overlooking Hyde Park, she smiled softly to herself as she watched the bright lights of the Winter Wonderland carnival shine, dazzling against the darkened evening.
Klaus had stuck to his promise to show her everything the world had to offer. From short weekend breaks in the Caribbean to months away on a tour of the Asian continent, he made sure she saw and experienced everything in its purest and most beautiful form.
They always traveled in style. On roadtrips, they'd have one of his extravagant cars (which she convinced him to let her drive every once in a while). Occasionally, they'd ride on a motorbike. The first time she had seen Klaus on one, with his standard dark outfit and shades to finish the look, she had fallen deeper in lust with him.
They utilised the first class cabins in the international trains to the fullest, and even more so if they were sleeper trains (especially the ones on mainland Europe). She kept his mind preoccupied when they travelled by boat (as per her wishes to see what it was like), stopping him from going on a bloodied rampage either out of cabin fever or simple irritation at the slow pace.
But mostly, he would whisk her away in their private plane. Not the family's, but theirs specifically. And boy, was she glad for that. Caroline wasn't sure if she could ever meet his siblings' eyes if they were to ever accompany them on the jet. As a couple, married and before, they had done a lot of couple-y things on the plane. Though it had first started off as a way to calm her down and take her mind off of flying (she had never even been out of the Mystic Falls area before she left for college), their trysts had become almost a ritual. From joining the mile high club (as well as the 'wheels up' and 'on the tarmac' clubs), to balancing precariously on the bike seat as he made her see metaphorical stars along with the real ones, the journeys were just as exciting and magical as the rest of the trip.
The luxury extended to their accommodation. No matter where they were or how short notice it was, there was always a spectacular house, villa or penthouse awaiting them with the most breathtaking views. Caroline personally loved the fact that the Mikaelsons owned most of their lodgings, allowing her to make it her home with a long-term plan. She'd add her own style, move around certain things and usually bring the property into the modern era. Luckily for her, no one else seemed to mind. Elijah was always happy to talk about renovating, Rebekah would gladly accompany her on any shopping trips, Klaus simply allowed her to take over (with an occasional input on anything he felt strongly about) and Kol never cared.
However, their place in London had been decorated and furnished to perfection. The only thing she could do was to add her presence in Klaus' room (now theirs) the first time she had visited. She fell in love with the sleek black glass and leather decor; the monochrome toned rooms and pure white bathrooms; the cherry wooden floors and the lusciously soft carpet like clouds against her bare soles. From the crystal chandeliers to the ceiling to floor windows, there was nothing like this home of theirs.
"Are you ready to leave, love?" Klaus asked from behind her. Turning slowly, she smiled at the sight that he presented. Dressed in a suit (including a tie this time), he waited for her by the threshold of the living room balcony with her coat in his hands.
Sighing, Caroline shrugged. "I guess. I wish you'd tell me where we're going so I'd know what to wear," she replied, running a hand over her indigo floor length dress. It had lace sleeves with a sweetheart neckline, and very little work or design on it. Simple but elegant.
"The whole point of a surprise, Caroline, is to keep it a secret. You look absolutely gorgeous, however," Klaus told her, eyes unabashedly running from her peep toe silver heels to her curled hair.
"I won't be out of place?" she asked, stepping closer to him and allowing him to help her into her winter coat. Even though the drop in temperature barely affected her, she still had to keep up appearances. Besides, it was never a chore to wear her favourite Dior fur lined coat.
"Impossible," he murmured when she faced him. He swooped in for a chaste kiss before she could even reprimand him, grateful for the invention of smudge proof and transfer free lip-gloss. As great as the light pink glittered on her lips, she doubted it was a look that Klaus would want to pull off.
He ushered her into their private elevator to take them downstairs, where a town car awaited them. The driver politely opened the door for her, and she slid in first. By the time Klaus had joined her and the car was making its way, Caroline spotted the first flakes of snow for the evening. It still managed to mesmerise her, knowing that when she woke up in the morning, the city would be in a whole other world to what it was now.
The journey was short, made quicker by the banter that they shared in the back seat and Caroline having to slap away Klaus' hand whenever his touch became a tad bit too inappropriate. By the time they pulled up at their destination, the snow was falling steadily and the suspense was killing her. As much as she loved surprises, she still hated not knowing.
The building was Victorian, but the museum it hosted was much older. Caroline had frequented it a couple of times on her visits to London before, usually with Klaus and usually after it was closed to avoid the crowds.
"An art gallery? Isn't this usually where I take you?" she joked half-heartedly, accepting his hand as she stepped out of the car. The lights were still on inside and she could hear the murmurings; this wasn't one of their usual visits. He never asked her to dress up for those, either.
"I thought I'd repay the favour," he teased, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm and leading them up the stairs into the building.
The atmosphere was sophisticated, with people dressed up to the nines and the smell of champagne and caviar invading her senses immediately. Shedding her coat at the cloakroom, Caroline glanced around as she followed Klaus' lead further into the gallery. However, instead of making their way into the main area where the rest of the crowds seemed to be, he guided her down a dimmed hallway towards a set of secured double doors guarded by two security men.
"I think the exhibition was that way," Caroline pointed out, jerking a thumb over her shoulder before dropping her voice when the two men ahead of them eyed them suspiciously. "I don't think we're meant to be here, babe."
"Its fine, Caroline. We can go where we want," he simply said, confidence exuding from his words and posture as he merely nodded at the guards and the doors were opened for them. She pursed her lips at the smug smirk that pulled at his mouth. "I just want to show you something first," he added, coming to a stop in front of a piece of art that was currently covered by a shroud of cloth. Without a word, he left her side to step up to the work and grab at the corner of the cover.
"Wha-?" she stopped abruptly when Klaus unveiled the artwork. Eyes widening, Caroline gasped and exploded in shock. "Oh, my god. That's mine! That's my painting. But how?"
He joined her side to look at the painting from her angle, but she barely noticed, still not taking her sight off the work she hadn't seen for over 5 months. "I had it flown over with us, and then spoke with the curator who is more than happy to put it on display. If you will allow it, of course."
Caroline paused at that, not sure what to make of the situation unraveling in front of her. She could still recall the first day she had began the painting. It had been almost two years ago, and after watching Klaus become so intensely absolved with his artwork for decades, she had decided to try her hand at it. Donning an older top of his and shorts, which she turned into her painting outfit, she had stood in front of a blank canvas ready to begin.
Never been an artist before, she had listened to Klaus when he had told her to start with something she was passionate about. Realising that she couldn't do him such an injustice (because her memory wasn't that great and she doubted he'd be able to pose for her for hours on end), she had settled for her second passion in life; New Orleans. The twilight view of their city was perfectly captured on canvas after many months of hard work and concentration. It was a mix of day and night; light and dark; the human and the supernatural. She'd work on it for continuous hours, taking the image from the windows of Klaus' art studio. As busy as the French Quarter was, its historic significance meant that it barely ever changed.
Caroline had been proud with her end product. She had 'finished' the painting many times before stepping back and frowning, realizing something was off. Back to her mixing palette, she'd conjure up the correct shade of blue or the right hues of red that had been missing. The seventh time she had completed it, it had looked like it had before her and she had smiled in content.
Throughout the process, Klaus has spent many days simply watching her paint (and had his own artwork of her doing so). She knew it was enthralling from the experience, but she knew he did it more than to simply enjoy her. The first few times, after she had chosen her subject and had settled into a routine, he had approached her and tried to subtly help her out. When he began to dictate to her what she should do, Caroline had banished him to the couch. As much as she appreciated that he knew what he was talking about, and was probably right with his suggestions, she couldn't help her neurotic side from making an appearance. This was her project. She might have needed his push in the beginning to decide where to start, but with a game plan in mind, she hadn't wanted any disturbances.
Mentally shaking her head, she turned towards him and waved a hand out at her painting. "On display? This? I don't even want it hanging around in the house. Why would I want it here?" she asked in confusion, furrowing her brow. As proud as she had been of her work, she knew it didn't even begin to compare to anything that Klaus had done. After finishing it, it had sat on the easel for a fortnight before she had tucked it away into the corner of the studio, both to keep it out of sight and to keep it from fading. Art was definitely not her forte, regardless of how much she had enjoyed it. Perhaps in a few centuries she would revisit it.
"I just thought-" Klaus began, suddenly cutting himself off and clearing his throat, but it had been enough for her to catch the flash of hurt that passed through his eyes before he shut it down. Caroline bit her lip at the sharp sting of guilt that hit her stomach, berating herself for being so abrupt and turning down a gift he clearly put much effort into; a gift that was truly surreal. "You know what? Never mind. It was a silly idea. I will have it transported back home again tonight."
Reaching out, she grasped onto his hand when he took a step away, no doubt to cover it back up again. "Klaus, I didn't meant it like that. I just don't understand who would want to see it in a gallery. It's so amateur in comparison to some of the stuff here," she told him honestly, shrugging lightly to play off the insecurity that rose up once again.
He exhaled heavily but softened his features as he returned the grip on his hand with both of his. "Many people would want to see it. Don't sell yourself short, my love. It is a fairly marvelous painting. Fresh and simple, but detailed to a point of perfection."
"Yeah, vampire eyesight and my tendencies to overdo things," Caroline rolled her eyes. Seeing that Klaus wasn't laughing, or even had a ghost of a smile, at her attempt at a joke, she sobered up. Glancing at her landscape of New Orleans, she lowered her voice as she asked shyly, "You really think it's worthy of an art gallery? In London of all places?"
"I do," Klaus reassured her without missing a beat.
Nodding, Caroline sighed and smiled softly. "Ok. But on one condition." He cocked an eyebrow at her in question. "I don't want it to be in my name. Use a pseudonym."
"I'll let them know," he told her, reciprocating her grin as she tugged on his hands to pull him up close to her.
"Thank you. I never thought I'd ever have anything hanging up in a gallery before," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Hey, now we're both recognised artists!"
Klaus laughed but pointedly ignored her last statement (something she filed away to bring up again at another time). "You're welcome, Caroline."
"Did you have to compel them? To have it in their collection?" she question earnestly, squinting her eyes slightly at him, which only made him laugh.
"Not at all, love. I take my art very seriously, you know that. I merely have an interest in this gallery and may have funded several restorations and acquisitions over the decades," he told her, leaving her side to return to the painting and covering it back up again. "But rest assured that the curator is a passionate art expert herself and would not have even considered your piece if she didn't think it was good enough."
"That does make me feel better. At least you didn't just throw money at it until it happened," Caroline said, accepting his hand when he offered it. His fingers slid in between hers and curled around her knuckles possessively, the tips twisting her diamond engagement ring around her finger almost unconsciously and her heart clenched with the reminder of how lucky she truly was.
"I wouldn't have the patience for it sweetheart," he said honestly before tugging her back towards the double doors. "Let's head back to the main event. I believe there was champagne."
One of the best things about having a thousand year old being as a travel companion (or a companion in life) was that Caroline never got bored. He knew all the best places to visit, and all the stories and history that went with it. If she asked about a certain country or city, they could be there in under 24 hours. But with Klaus, he'd always go that one step further and show her things that only the natives or historians would know. Luckily for her, he was both.
They travelled far and wide. She made him walk the Inca Trail with her to take in the history and the ruins of Machu Picchu, whilst he made her go to many classical music concerts in Vienna until she could recite her favourite on the piano they had in their New Orleans home (after years of practice). The world was literally at her feet when they climbed Ayers Rock in the outback of Australia, and gazed down at Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain. He taught her about architecture at they stood in the Taj Mahal in India, and explained the practicalities behind the Great Wall of China. But her favourite had been exploring the pyramids in Egypt; with every mention of their age, she would smirk amusingly at the fact that they were older than him. It had been the base for endless jokes and teasing, which Klaus took with a roll of the eyes and a light chuckle.
In the end, however, they always found themselves at their villa on a small island in the Pacific Ocean. The island was theirs; it had been ever since Klaus had discovered that there was a private island that could be owned in the archipelago called the 'Caroline Islands'. He had found it hilarious and called it the perfect reason to invest in their own land. It became theirs within a day, and less than a week later, they had flown out to check it out themselves.
Over the years, Caroline had decorated and personalised the villa, making it their own to the point where she sometimes preferred it to their more permanent home. It overlooked the white sands and crystal blue waters on the north side, whilst on the south, there was a path that led into the thriving greenery. It was peaceful and quiet; their own personal haven for when they needed to escape and had enough time to get away for longer than a couple of days.
"You reckon we'll still be coming here in another 25 years?" Caroline asked as she fell back onto the plush pillows that decorated their bed, the extremely high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets cool against her naked back and flushed body. She squirmed at the fingers that stroked up her leg with a feather-light touch, starting from her ankle all the way up to her hip until she was forced to buck them when the ministrations stopped halfway up her body.
"I can't find a reason why we wouldn't," Klaus replied with a self-satisfying smirk at her reactions. Shaking her head mockingly, she tugged on his shoulder to bring him up to her, pinning her body (and her hips) down with his own as he crawled up to meet her face to face and skin against skin. His mouth brushed against hers, noses bumping and breathing now in sync as she shifted gently to part her legs and cradle him in between them. "Got everything I need, right here."
"Hmm, good point," she smiled, capturing his lips with her own as her arms came up to lace around his neck to keep him with her until she was well and truly satisfied. "Happy anniversary, baby," she murmured between two small kisses, pushing back the hair from his forehead when he pulled away slightly so she could see his own downright sinful smile.
"Indeed it is," he muttered whilst following the line of her jaw with his nose and pressing hot kisses to the column of her neck. He knew all of her turn-ons and erogenous zones, and as he sucked and gently nipped at her collar, she groaned at the thought of how he wasn't afraid to use it against her.
Threading a hand into his hair, she scratched at the back of his head softly to reclaim his attention away from her body and back to her face. It was hard to miss the lust that shone in his eyes (she was sure the same was in her own) when she wrapped a leg around his waist and pressed him tighter against her. "I love you, Klaus."
"And I, you," he replied before they succumbed to their passions for the rest of the night once again.
x
A little bit of indulgence for 'For Richer' hehe. Hope everyone enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who has been reading my fic, and commenting. They really do make my day/week/month! Keep them coming? :)
Many thanks to ssklarolinewrites for her beta'ing skills!