Hello again, sweethearts! I am so sorry for not updating for about a month! I've been a busy bee lately! I had to catch up on two weeks worth of uni work and I was sick for another 10 days on top of that, so there was even more stuff to catch up on. Anyway, I've been working on this chapter in between all of the chaos, and it's finally done! Have at it sweethearts!

Chapter 7: Secrets & Lies


Caroline was up bright and early the next day and prepared herself for the day ahead. She knew Alaric was going to call her and Katherine first thing in the morning with whatever information Vaughn was able to uncover, so she wanted to be ready for whatever it was she had to do right after the phone call. Katherine had stayed the night, having pretty much invited herself to stay, but Caroline didn't mind. They had stayed up to watch a few episodes of Arrow that they both needed to catch up on, but had eventually fallen asleep while halfway through their marathon.

Caroline had put the bacon in the frying pan to cook over the stove before she decided to go back into her room and attempt to wake Katherine. When she walked in, Katherine was still dead to the world, buried beneath a mountain of pillows and blankets. All Caroline could see of her friend was the mess of chestnut curls splayed across the white pillow. Caroline reached over and shook Katherine's shoulder lightly.

"Kat? Kat, get up. Alaric's going to call us with an update soon." She said but Katherine didn't budge. Caroline put her hands on her hips and looked down at her friend as she shook her head, contemplating how to get her up. Eventually she just decided to strip the blankets away from her and sit on her. Naturally, Katherine retaliated and slapped her.

"Get off of me, you bitch! I'm sleeping!" Katherine shrieked.

"You're not sleeping anymore!" Caroline laughed and flounced off before Katherine could hit her again.

Caroline made her way back into the kitchen, followed by a bleary-eyed Katherine. Caroline attended to the bacon and eggs on the stove while Katherine ran her fingers through her hair, trying to remove the knots from her chestnut curls and put some volume back into them. Just as Caroline was putting the food on the plates, her phone rang. Katherine picked it up from the table and put it on loudspeaker.

"You're on speaker, Saltzman." Katherine said as she placed the phone back on the table while Caroline put down the plates of bacon and eggs for them to eat.

"And don't forget to acknowledge the man who done the research, ladies." An Irish voice said through the phone. Katherine rolled her eyes and Caroline giggled at her reaction.

"How could we forget you, Vaughn?" Caroline said. "It's good to hear your voice again."

"And yours too, Caroline. Katherine, not so much."

"Okay, greetings are over." Alaric interrupted. "Vaughn, tell them what you've got."

The two girls sat quietly as they ate their breakfast and listened to what Vaughn had found out about Klaus and Stefan Salvatore, the two of them desperate for information on their ever-growing assignment.

"Well, turns out that Mister Salvatore here has an older brother." Vaughn said and the two girls shared a look of curiosity. "His name is Damon Salvatore. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, I'll send you girls a headshot of the guy once we're done here. It seems that the Salvatore brothers have a tendency to move around a lot. They've been all over the globe from what I could find last night. Maybe they were interested in the scenery, if not on the run, who knows? But these boys have travelled like they are on the Amazing Race." Vaughn said which earned a snort from Katherine.

"Anything on the list?" Katherine asked.

"Only the fact that everyone on that list is dead."

Both Caroline and Katherine's jaws dropped.

"What?" Caroline said in complete shock. "Everyone?"

"Yep." Vaughn confirmed. "Everyone. The most recent death was Sophie Deveraux, which was two days ago, but they are all pretty recent. All of them have died within the past three months. Before Sophie, it was Atticus Shane who was found dead in the wine cellar of his own restaurant two weeks earlier."

Caroline pressed her fingers to her temples as she thought, Katherine listening intently as she chewed on her bacon.

"So that's it?" Katherine said. "He's done with his hit list?"

"I wouldn't think so." Alaric said. "This Klaus guy has been New Orleans' most wanted criminal for about a year now. These are only a handful of the deaths he has had part in. I'd say he's going to have a new hit list very soon and I suggest we take him down even sooner. He's quick and efficient with his murders."

"Okay, okay." Caroline said, trying to take it all in as best as she could first thing in the morning. "Anything else we should know?"

"Actually, there is something." Vaughn said. "I did a little research on this Klaus guy. There's only so many people with a name like that, so it didn't take too long to find out who the guy is."

Katherine and Caroline exchanged a confused look. "What are you saying, Vaughn?" Katherine asked.

"I'm saying I have found out his surname. It's Mikaelson. Niklaus Mikaelson."

"What?!" the two girls shrieked in unison.

"Mikaelson?!" Katherine yelled. "Fucking Mikaelson?!"

"I can't believe this." Caroline said with a hand on her forehead. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Seriously?"

"Yeah…" Vaughn said, the confusion clear in his voice. "May I ask why you're reacting this way?"

"Because Mikaelson is the surname of the guy Caroline is working for at the bar." Alaric added in, piecing the puzzle together. "The owner is Kol Mikaelson."

"Woah, woah, woah, hold on a second. That means Rebekah is related to that bastard too!" Katherine said and Caroline groaned in frustration. Katherine slammed her fist down on the table, rattling the cutlery. "I always knew she was a bitch at heart!"

"Kat!" Caroline gasped. "She's our friend!"

"No she's not!" Katherine spat angrily. "She's a suspect."

"Girls, calm down!" Alaric yelled through the phone. The two women fell silent. "Vaughn hasn't finished yet."

"There's more relations." Vaughn told them and Katherine rolled her eyes and groaned. She felt the need to just bang her head against the table. Their mother couldn't have put up with going through childbirth that many times, right? Right?

"They also have three other brothers."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"KATHERINE!" They all bellowed. Katherine sighed dramatically and sunk back into her seat.

"Anyway, as I was saying, they've got three other brothers. The youngest of the Mikaelson's is named Henrik. He is sixteen. Next is Rebekah, Kol and Klaus who you obviously already know. Then you have Elijah Mikaelson, th–"

"Woah, woah, woah, hold the phone." Katherine cut in, holding her palms out. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Did you just say Elijah?"

Caroline's jaw dropped then. As if there already weren't enough bombs being dropped this morning, this one was of another whole new level. Surely it wasn't the same Elijah that Katherine had been chasing after, but then again, it did make sense…

"Yes, I said Elijah. Why?"

Katherine was stunned into silence. She had lost the ability to speak. Caroline, knowing that her friend needed a moment to process the news, sighed and answered Vaughn's question.

"We know him too." Caroline said gloomily, though she didn't say anymore, knowing that Katherine would probably kill her if she spilt the beans about her private life to Vaughn and Alaric. "And I also know about Henrik already, I guess. Rebekah told me about him when we went out for coffee the other week."

"Even better. You can keep a closer eye on them that way." Vaughn said and Katherine looked like she was about ready to murder someone. "As I was saying, after Elijah, you have Finn. But here's a bittersweet piece of news. You won't need to worry about Finn Mikaelson because he is deceased. He passed away last year."

"What's the cause of death?" Caroline asked.

"Unknown. He was found dead in his apartment. It's suspected that it was murder."

Both Caroline and Katherine's minds were on overdrive, trying to make sense of everything Vaughn had told them. It was so much for first thing in the morning. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet.

"Is that all, guys?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, that's about it." Alaric said then sighed. "Look girls, I know this is a tough gig, but you've been chosen for a reason. The Government could have assigned anyone this job, and they chose our team. They only pick the best, and I know you have the potential needed to succeed, so don't stress, okay? I've got nothing but faith in both of you."

Caroline couldn't help but crack a smile at that. Katherine on the other hand, pretended to gag.

"Thanks Ric." Caroline said.

"No worries girls. Now go about your mission as planned. We'll send you a copy of the information ASAP." And with that, he hung up.

Caroline sat back in her chair and ran her fingers through her blonde curls as she processed everything Vaughn and Alaric had just told them. Katherine was back to eating her breakfast, though at a much slower pace due to her shock from the new knowledge about Elijah. Katherine was abnormally quiet. It wasn't like her to be silent or caught by surprise for the matter, but she was stunned into silence after that bombshell Vaughn dropped. Caroline sighed and stood up from her chair, deciding to give her friend a moment to come to terms with the possible criminal identity of the man she had been fawning over the past few weeks.

"I'm going to go check if I have any mail in the lobby. I'll be back in five." Caroline told her and Katherine just nodded in response. Caroline grabbed her mail box key from the kitchen bench and headed to her front door. When she opened it, she was greeted with a beautiful fresh fragrance. She looked down at the ground and on her doorstep was a large bouquet of white roses.

Caroline looked up and down the hall to see if anyone was still around that might have put them there, but the halls were empty. She picked up the bouquet and inhaled the sweet smell of the roses before the sound of something light hitting the floor caught her attention. Caroline looked down and saw a small square envelope with her name written on it in masculine handwriting. She picked it up and opened it curiously, holding the bouquet with one arm and silently read the contents of the card.

These roses are almost as beautiful as you.

Klaus

"Oh my God." Caroline said breathlessly and felt her cheeks burn bright red. She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to keep the smile from appearing on her face. He left me roses… He actually left me roses! A small squeal of excitement passed through her lips and she bounced up and down on her toes which caught Katherine's attention.

"What is it?"

Caroline quickly composed herself and turned around to face her friend. She waved the bouquet and the card around for Katherine to see.

"Guess who just got roses and a card calling them beautiful from a sexy British man?" she said, not able to help the grin that crossed her face.

Katherine raised a brow at Caroline then frowned. She didn't want Caroline to get too absorbed with this guy. They were assigned to kill the bastard soon. It wouldn't be wise for Caroline to get attached.

"You do realise you aren't actually dating him for real, right?" Katherine reminded her. Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I know, but let me enjoy it while it lasts." She said and cradled the bouquet in her arms affectionately. "You only come across a hot British gentleman who spoils you rotten once in a blue moon. Let me have my fun."


By late afternoon, Klaus had found himself making his way towards his brother's bar. Klaus had more free time than per usual as of late, his schedule not that busy at all now that he had managed to make his way through his list of victims rather quickly. Those people wouldn't be bothering him or his family anymore now that they were buried cold in the ground. Just to make it even better, he had so far succeeded in getting the attention of the young blonde who had arrived in New Orleans only a couple weeks earlier. He had made his interest in her known almost immediately, not wanting to miss a chance with such a stunning woman as her. Sure, in the past he had never been able to keep a stable relationship, nor was it ever his intention to, but something about Caroline Forbes had intrigued him. Klaus couldn't quite put his finger on it. She came across as bubbly like every other woman, but he couldn't help but feel like there was more too her than what she was letting him know. That, and the fact that he liked he was able to get under her skin so easily.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into the bar, he heard the blonde's contagious laughter. He searched for the source of the sound and his eyes fell on the tall, slim figure with the golden curls falling down her back. She was standing by a table with that chaotic brunette she claimed to be her friend. Katerina was openly flirting with Elijah while Caroline was engaged in conversation with his sister Rebekah, who was sitting at the table with… was that Marcel? Klaus clenched his teeth and scowled in distaste at the sight of the man. Supressing the dislike he had for Marcel, he made his way over to them and put on a smile as he approached Caroline.

"Caroline, love," he said and she spun around to face him, her blonde hair whipping around her shoulders, "I was hoping to see you today."

He was pleased to see a bright smile light up her face at the sight of him, and her obvious nerves when she reached up to fix her curls back into place. He didn't say anything about it, but he could tell that she knew he had noticed. Her cheeks evidently turned a light shade of pink at that.

"And I was hoping to see you too." She said and he watched as she bit her bottom lip before reaching up and placing a kiss on his cheek. He couldn't help the smug smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Thank you for the flowers." She said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear. "They were beautiful."

"It was my pleasure sweetheart." He said honestly. "I'm glad you like them."

"I have a question though." She said and hooked her thumbs into the front pockets of her jeans. "Why white roses? Do they have a special meaning or something, or did you just like the look of them?"

Klaus raised a brow at her question. "Why are you asking?"

"Because I know you're all artsy and I just assumed that maybe you chose white because you're into all of that 'meaning behind everything' stuff." She said with an innocent smile as she rocked back and forth on her heels. Klaus chuckled lightly at her observation.

"If you must know, a white rose means several things. It can mean innocence, purity, I'm worthy of you." He raised a brow when he told her the last one, waiting to see her reaction, and he wasn't disappointed. Her jaw dropped and her breath hitched. The surprise was clear in her big, round blue eyes and her flushed cheeks. She looked as if she were about to reply to him, but Rebekah cut in.

"Earth to Caroline. Hello? Are you going to talk to me or stare at Nik all day?"

Caroline looked over at Rebekah, her cheeks noticeably going even redder. It only assisted in making Klaus feel even smugger than before.

"Right, yeah, sorry Bekah." She said then turned back to Klaus before gesturing to Rebekah and Marcel. "Rebekah was just introducing us to her boyfriend Marcel." Caroline said casually and Klaus' mood instantly darkened. He felt his blood boil as he slowly moved his gaze from Caroline to Marcel. He narrowed his eyes into a deadly glare at the charismatic man sitting with his baby sister.

"Boyfriend?" he said, his voice dangerously low. "Is that so, Marcellus?"

Marcel looked momentarily uneasy, though he shook it off with a grin and a laugh. "It seems so, Klaus. I'm practically one of the family." He said gesturing widely to all of the Mikaelson's around him. Klaus set his jaw as he eyed Marcel, and he could tell that everyone could see he wasn't pleased.

"Apparently so."

"Nik, be nice." Rebekah warned him, but he swiftly dismissed the disapproval in her voice. He saw Rebekah shoot Caroline a silent but temporary glare before looking back at him. Klaus looked over at Caroline and saw that her face had paled. She clearly looked uncomfortable.

"Wow." Katherine interrupted, breaking the silence. "You can actually feel the awkward in the air." She said and grabbed at the air in front of her. Klaus was about to throw a snarky remark her way, but Elijah grabbed onto his arm and dragged him away from the group. Once they were out of earshot, Elijah turned Klaus around to face him.

"I know what you're plotting in that mind of yours, Niklaus." Elijah said, looking him dead in the eyes. "Don't even think about laying a finger on the boy. Our sister deserves some happiness in her life."

"She thinks she's in love with any man who gives her fifteen seconds of their attention." Klaus retorted before looking over at Marcel where he was speaking with Rebekah once again. "Marcellus and I have a rather sketchy history. I don't want him pulling Rebekah into it. I should have killed him long ago when he almost told the police I was The Hybrid." He said in a hushed voice.

"Well he didn't, so spare him for our sister's sake."

"I'll not endure him."

"He shall be endured." Elijah replied harshly. Klaus responded with an irritable noise and ran a hand through his hair before looking back at his older brother and pointing an accusing finger at him.

"I will not stand for this. I won't put up with him any longer." He said through gritted teeth.

"Then put up with him for Caroline."

Klaus was taken aback by his brother's request momentarily before narrowing his eyes at him. "Caroline has nothing to do with this." He said, his voice dangerously low. "Leave her out of it."

"Niklaus," Elijah started, using a calm voice to try to ease his brother's temper, "Do you honestly think you can try to have a stable relationship with the girl if you lead a life like this? A successful relationship doesn't have secrets and lies in it, and you have plenty of those. You will only be hurting the girl in the near future because of your dishonesty and these life choices you've made, and you'll be hurting yourself."

Klaus felt his blood boil. He took a step toward his brother and put a hand on Elijah's shoulder, gripping it tightly just to prove how angry he was truly getting.

"Leave Caroline out of it, unless you want your precious Katerina to be next to go." He threatened. He watched as Elijah set his jaw at his threat, and Klaus couldn't help but smirk at his brother's silence, knowing that he had gotten his message across. Klaus patted Elijah condescendingly on the shoulder as he gave him a sadistic smile. "Nice chat, brother. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

Klaus left Elijah standing there feeling conflicted. Elijah wanted his brother to stop his murderous ways, but he also wanted to keep Katerina safe. Could Elijah do that without the cost of Marcel's life? He did not know and he sure didn't want to find out.

Klaus made his way back over to Caroline who was back to chatting enthusiastically with the group. Klaus noticed Katherine eyeing him suspiciously as he walked back to Caroline's side before going over to speak with Elijah. Klaus shook off the brunette's intense glare and turned his attention back to Caroline, intentionally choosing to ignore Marcellus as if he were non-existent.

"Caroline," he started and rested a hand gently on her arm, "I was wondering if I could have the pleasure of your company again tomorrow afternoon, if you would so kindly accept." The blonde smiled at the offer and he could feel goose bumps rise on her skin as he started rubbing small circles on her arm with his thumb.

"Yeah, sure." She said with a nod of her head, her eyes shining. "I'd like that a lot."

Klaus smiled, pleased with his efforts and brought her hand to his lips for a kiss. "I will see you tomorrow afternoon sweetheart, but for now, I must go." He said and spared a glance in Rebekah and Marcel's direction. "I have some business to attend to."


Oooh, what business do you need to attend to Klaus? I think we all know what business he's talking about!

Thank you for reading, my dears!

Celeste xoxo