Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or it's characters. If I did, the Originals would never have happened, Kol would be alive and happily causing mayhem somewhere, and Klaus and Caroline would be travelling the world and sexing it up.


Alaric has his game face on when she settles the laptop on the table in front of her, sinking into one of the comfy kitchen chairs.

"Talk to me about your progress." He demands right off, not really leaving her room to begin their conversation.

She tells him everything, leaving nothing out, including the minor setback she'd had the previous fortnight when she'd gone to see Enzo. She'd thrown herself back into her training at the gym with a steady determination each day, and she'd seen a clear change already, both physically and mentally.

As she suspected, given her previous levels of fitness before her injury it hadn't take her long to get back into a rhythm. She'd always loved exercising, loved the rush it gave her, how happy it made her feel.

She didn't have to give a shit about anything at the gym, could just chuck her hair back into a messy top knot and do her worst. She wasn't there to pick up guys, so she didn't really care about what they thought of her, sweaty and with not a lick of makeup on her skin.

Alaric purses his lips together but doesn't make any moves to interrupt her.

"Honestly, it was better than I was expecting Caroline. It sounds like you're in an okay place, the goal is to keep you there, and then when you're ready, get you to that better place."

"Okay." She agrees with Ric, lifting a hand to wave at Kol who was on his way out the door. Kol calls something out to her that she doesn't hear, and she makes a mental note to text him a little later to check that he doesn't need her to pick up anything for dinner today.

"Alright so to qualify for the Olympics, you need to compete at the P & G championships, and you need to do well. It's not a big deal if you don't medal, but it would be great if you could. They're held towards the end of June next year. It's only October now, so we have plenty of time for recovery, but it'll be crunch time when you start choreographing new routines for competition season."

"And then trials are in mid July." Caroline fills in the next sentence for him, watching as he nods once in confirmation.

"Yes. We need you to be be in fighting form by then. This is the biggest test that you're going to face, possibly in your entire career. Although there are a lot of people on your side, there are also a few naysayers, and unfortunately if you don't score well they're going to pass you over for someone younger, in better shape. I know it's not fair, but if you're not worth the investment, they will cut you from the team. You and I are not going to let that happen."

"No sir." She replies immediately, wrapping her arms around her middle, trying to imagine that crushing disappointment after months of hard work and rehabilitation and recovery.

"They're already eyeing off a young up and comer. Hayley Marshall. Lots of natural talent, but her technique leaves a lot to be desired. You can bet your bottom dollar that she's going to be training her arse off if she thinks she has a shot at taking your place on the team. The Captaincy will probably go to Gilbert if you don't get in."

"I'm sure she's good, but she's going to have to wait her turn." Caroline pronounces firmly, adding another reason to her list as to why she needs to get back in fighting form.

"That's the spirit sweetheart." Alaric remarks with a smile. "I've got a surprise for you." He adds, before shifting to the side, calling over his shoulder for someone.

She can't help but let the grin overtake her face as Elena, little Vicki Donovan, and April wave at her from the other side of the world. When you go through so much, live with your teammates, they become bonded to you, something different to family but almost as close.

The girls crowd around the screen, chattering over the top of each other, Vicki going on about how she'd nailed a particularly difficult combo on the bars the other day in training, April gushing about the latest thing her boyfriend had surprised her with.

She had missed these girls, even Elena with her crazy Salvatore boy drama.

"How are you guys?" She finally asks once the chatter has slowed somewhat, and the other girls reply with a chorus of positives, Elena flashing her a wide grin.

"We've missed having you around Caroline. How's your knee going?" Vicki asks sympathetically, hand pressing up against the screen.

"It's been better." She admits out loud. "But the physiotherapist is really positive about how things are going, and it looks like I should be fighting fit for Championships in June."

"That is excellent news." April replies. "It's wouldn't be the same with you as our fearless leader. And god knows having that bitch Hayley around is not helping matters. She's walking around like she's already going to the Olympics next year. Insufferable really."

"This is why we need you, I think I would murder her if I had to bunk with her at Buenos Aires." Elena declares with a roll of her eyes. "She really is a bit of a diva."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you guys. I think a sea change has done me some good though."

"Very good, if the DailyMail is any indication." April remarks somewhat teasingly. "Tell me, is Klaus Mikaelson as gorgeous in the flesh as he is on camera?"

Caroline laughs a little at her team mates line of questioning.

"Nice try, but we're just friends April. He's really sweet though. Whoever his girlfriend ends up being will be lucky girl I'm sure."

April doesn't look convinced, but nods along anyway.

Vicki looks over her shoulder at someone off screen, pausing to listen to whatever they were saying before turning back towards her somewhat regretfully.

"Care, we've got training in about ten minutes, so we've gotta go." Vicki smiles apologetically. "But we insisted on saying hello when we found out that Alaric was talking to you. Keep us posted on how things are going?"

"Definitely. Bye guys!" She calls, talking to the trio of girls in general, a sudden pang of home sickness in her stomach.

She and Alaric talk for a few more minutes, and she updates him on what she's got planned for the next few weeks before finally signing off.

With a rival gunning for her position and her back to the wall, it seemed that she had work to do.


"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Enzo asks as he holds open the heavy glass door for her. She steps into the gymnasium and it's like she's home.

The blue sprung floors, the set of bars, the beam and the vault are all nestled within the massive space, all achingly familiar to her.

She grips the strap of her sports bag tightly where it's slung over her shoulder and nods.

"It's now or never, I think." She replies as she steps further into the gymnasium. There were a few gymnasts practicing in the space, and she steps carefully around other sports bags before stepping up to the front desk.

The woman's eyes land on her, and it takes a few moments before they're lighting up in recognition.

"Caroline Forbes." Is all the woman says before she's nodding as a way of reply. "Welcome. Is she one of yours?" She directs this question towards where Enzo is standing just behind her.

She sees him nod out of the corner of her eye.

"You know the rules then, Augustine." The woman replies, handing her over a pass that will allow her to swipe in and out of the gym during opening hours. "As a quick crash course for you Caroline, normal gymnasium rules apply."

As foreign sounding as that may be to anyone else not overly familiar with this kind of training facility, the words are at once wholly familiar. To put it simply, you respected the equipment, and you respected the other girls who were training. No equipment stealing, and don't mess up the space with chalk.

"Got it, thanks."

Enzo steers her over to the bleachers, where she drops her bags and starts taking off her shoes.

"How are you feeling?" Enzo asks, watching her carefully as she takes off her jacket to reveal her training leotard. It had felt strange, slipping into the revealing garment earlier.

It was Enzo that had insisted on the leotard after she'd suggested tights, mentioning that he needed to see how her knee was performing, and he couldn't do that under a layer of fabric. He had a point, and he was the expert, so she had conceded.

"It's a bit weird. Unfamiliar but familiar at the same time." She finally replies as she begins taping up her wrists.

They wouldn't be doing anything too strenuous today, definitely no tumbling. She was still weeks away from tumbling.

But taping her wrists had become one of those rituals that she'd told Klaus about all those weeks ago. It was soothing motion more than anything.

She can't help but think about Klaus, about their time together the other weekend. She can't help but feel like they'd taken a step forward with whatever their friendship was turning into. He'd been away travelling for a couple of games lately.

"Are you here Caroline?" Enzo asks teasingly, waving a hand in front of her face. She lets out a startled burst of laughter, completely caught out.

"Sorry. I'm good, promise."

"Excellent." Enzo replies, a grin spreading slowly across his face. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

They avoid the sprung floor in the centre of the gymnasium. She wasn't ready to step back onto those particular mats just yet, and Enzo seemed to know this just as well as she did.

They didn't go to the vault either, knowing that her knee wasn't quite ready to face the explosive sort of power needed to complete the intricate twists and turns that a vault usually required.

She never had liked the beam much. It was the hardest apparatus by far to master, and one bad fall was usually enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the most fearless competitors. She'd actually broken her collarbone when she was younger taking a tumble off the beam, at one of her first big meets.

But she wasn't the beam specialist on their team, so as long as she completed her routines relatively unscathed she didn't usually have to worry about it. But Enzo had insisted, mentioning that the beam would be the least stressful on her knee given the gentler movements that usually took place on the apparatus.

Enzo stands beside her as she mounts, watching as her knee bends and flexes as she finally gets to a standing position.

"How did that feel? I need you to be completley honest with me through this whole process." Enzo remarks lightly as he puts his hands in his pockets and cranes his neck to look at her.

"It was fine actually." She says, a little surprised at just how easy that had been.

Enzo looks pleased, if not a little proud.

"Good. You're obviously doing the right things at the gym. Continue please." He says a little bossily, waving one hand towards the beam.

She pauses, not sure what to do next. She remembers every single one of her routines that she'd ever performed on this apparatus, from the basic to the difficult.

It seems natural to walk forwards into a handstand, balancing her body for a long moment before dipping her legs out into a split. This was something that she could do, she realises with a grin as she bends her right leg before coming back to her feet.

"That looked impressive." Enzo points out with a chuckle. "Now try a leap. Let me know if it hurts."

She backs up a little, muscle memory coming back to her in bits and pieces as she takes her stance, arms floating around her just like old times.

It's with another breath that she starts forward, a simple split leap to start things off. The sound of her feet landing back on the beam with a slam echoes around the space, and she can't help but be a little startled, wobbling slightly.

"You're doing good. Okay?" Enzo asks in concern as she takes another breath to centre herself before she nods.

"Yeah it was fine. Want me to try another?"

Enzo nods as she takes another step forward, building up the power needed for a scissor leap. This one was slightly harder than the split one she'd done previously, but she still manages to complete the movement, her feet landing back securely on the beam as she pivots with a smile.

"Ta da!" She does some jazz hands as Enzo laughs.

"Alright then you show off. How about you show me what you've got on the bars?"

They spend another hour in the gymnasium as she goes through some of the movements, reacquainting herself with the equipment as she blocks out her surroundings.

She's dripping with sweat when she's done, but she's proud of herself as she finally dusts the chalk off her hands. No matter what anyone said, today had been a massive step forward for her today, and she wouldn't let anyone ruin that happiness.

Enzo seems to agree, clapping her on the shoulder.

"Great work today Caroline, really." He remarks as they step across the mats towards her gym bag.

"I'd have to agree, she looks great out there." Another, very familiar voice drawls as she looks up in shock.

Klaus is perched on the bench above her gym bag, elbows resting on his knees as he grins at her.

"When did you get back?" She asks, leaping up the bench and bending down to give him a hug. She smells his cologne as he returns the hug before she takes a step back.

"Got in last night, spent most of today sleeping. We're through to the finals, which is always good." Klaus flashes her a quick grin, and she smiles in return, seeing how happy he is about that. "Bekah mentioned you might be here." He adds, beating her to her next question.

"Mikaelson, good to see you. How's the knee holding up?" Enzo asks, reaching up to shake Klaus' proffered hand.

She turns to look at him in shock as he winks at her somewhat sheepishly. Klaus had had a knee injury? And he hadn't told her?

"Better than ever mate. No trouble this season so far, knock on wood." Klaus raps his knuckles against the bench beneath him. "I didn't know that you were in charge of Caroline's physio. You couldn't be in better hands sweetheart."

"Don't I know it." She replies with a quick grin towards Enzo, who just rolls his eyes playfully at her.

She sits down on the bench next to Klaus, knocking one of her knees against his as she bites at the tape around her wrists.

Klaus glances at her in dismay before taking one of her hands and unwrapping the tape, carrying on a conversation with Enzo simultaneously. She just sits there, absolutely dumbfounded, trying to figure out what to do as Klaus unravels the tape and drops her wrist.

He glances at her and she sighs, holding out her other wrist as he repeats the motions, answering a few more questions Enzo has about his recovery and how he's been doing since then.

She can see Enzo packing up, spinning his keys around his finger as he grins at Klaus with a lazy smile.

"Well, I think my work here is done for the day. Are you okay to get home Caroline?"

She glances sideways at Klaus, pulling on her sweatpants and pulling her sneakers towards her.

"Oh I"m sure I'll be able to hitch a ride with somebody." She replies nonchalantly as Klaus lets out a soft laugh.

"Very well then. Same time Thursday?" Enzo enquires after a pause.

"I'll see you then!" She flashes a grin at him as Enzo leans over to give Klaus another hand shake before turning and making his way across the gymnasium.

"So what are you doing here?" She asks once Enzo is out of earshot.

"Well if you're like me after a tough session, I figured you'd probably be pretty hungry. Want to get something to eat?"

She doesn't hesitate before telling him yes.


She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting when Klaus steered her towards the building on the corner, but the homey pub she found within certainly wasn't it.

"This is nice." She admits out loud as Klaus pulls a chair out for her, before sitting opposite her and shrugging off his jacket. He's wearing a henley underneath that clings wonderfully to his chest and shoulders, and she can't help but let her gaze linger a little bit.

Klaus' lips curl upwards in amusement, as he watches her watch him, and she drops her eyes to the menu in front of her, pretending to read the wine list.

"You said you were in the finals now?" She asks cheerily, breaking the odd sort of silence between them.

Klaus nods, fingers tapping against the wooden tabletop.

"A hard fought game, but yes. We have a week off, so we'll be headed to a training camp in Spain day after tomorrow. We'll be back in England in time for the next game."

"Congratulations." Is all she can say in reply as her eyes roam the dinner menu.

"Thanks. You'll be there at the the next game?" Klaus asks lightly as her eyes meet his. He looks hopeful, a little vulnerable, and she doesn't hesitate in answering him.

"Of course. There's nowhere else that I'd choose to be." She reassures him, watching his face light up at her response.

"Good." He nods to himself as the waiter pauses in front of their table, a somewhat star struck look on his face as he realises just who is sitting in front of him.

"Are you ready to order?" The younger boy asks nervously. "I'm a big fan by the way. That goal you scored in the last game was magic."

Klaus smiles lazily up at the boy.

"Thanks for watching lad. I think we are ready to order. Caroline?" He directs those blue eyes to her and the waiter pivots, a somewhat apologetic smile on his face as he realises that she's sitting there as well.

"I'll just have the salad, and some water. Thanks." She tells the boy, closing her menu and handing it to him. Klaus rattles off his order and does the same, and then they're left alone.

"That poor boy, looked like he was going to faint on the spot." She remarks with a soft laugh once the waiter is well and truly out of earshot.

Klaus smiles bashfully.

"It's probably one of the more extreme reactions I've had. Far better than the ones that try to kiss me or the mothers that invite me home to dinner to meet their daughters."

Caroline covers her mouth with her hand, muffling her laughter.

"No." She finally gasps out incredulously as Klaus nods.

"I'm not kidding. It's only happened once or twice, but it's still happened all the same. Luckily I was still with Tatia both times it happened, so I've had the perfect excuse to respectfully decline the invitation."

She can't help but notice that Klaus is subconsciously mirroring her posture, one hand resting on the table, leaning in closer to her over the din of the pub.

"It seems you've made some progress as well since we last met sweetheart." Klaus points out, turning the conversation back on her.

"Yes, definitely. Enzo has been fantastic in helping me with recovery. You didn't tell me that you had a knee injury though. When did that happen?" She asks, trying to change the subject without him noticing.

It doesn't work.

"I'll tell you about it another time. But I want to talk about you. Things seem to be going well?"

"Yeah they are." She nods in agreement. "A lot of progress. Although…" She trails off, biting her lips as thoughts of Hayley Marshall fill her mind.

Klaus touches her hand gently, bringing her back down to earth.

"What's wrong Caroline?" He asks, brow furrowing with concern.

"There's this girl back in America. She's younger, the next big thing in my sport. Ric thinks that if I don't compete well enough, if I don't get better in time, then she'll take my spot on the team. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't something that I had anticipated having to deal with on top of everything else."

"You'll be fine." Klaus reassures her. "I have great faith in you and your ability to do amazing things Caroline Forbes."

The rest of their meal passes in contemplative silence, each of them occasionally commenting on something random they'd been waiting to tell the other about. It's easy, comfortable, not at all awkward despite the curious glances that Klaus is getting from the other patrons on the regular.

Once they've cleared their plates Klaus challenges her to a game of pool. She doesn't turn him down, picking up their drinks and following him over to one of the recently vacated pool tables.

He breaks and she keeps an eye out for how he plays, trying to see if he's one she can beat. They banter in between shots, and she tries not to make it obvious that she's kicking his arse. In fact, Klaus only seems to realise that he's lost when she sinks her last ball and sticks her tongue out at him somewhat playfully.

"That was ruthless sweetheart." He remarks accusingly as he comes to stand next to her, bumping his hip against hers. "I don't think I've lost quite that bad in some time. Promise you won't tell my brother? I'd never hear the end of it."

"Your secret is safe with me." She replies with a grin as she plucks Klaus' pool cue from his hand and replaces it on the rack. "I actually have to go. But I had fun tonight. Thanks for covering dinner."

"Pleasure. Let me walk you out, get you a cab." Klaus falls into step with her as she grabs her purse, a hand on the small of her back when they navigate through the more crowded sections of the pub.

The cold air hits her like a slap to the face, and she can't help but do a full body shiver at the sensation. Klaus notices, stepping towards her with a sigh as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his chest.

He's throwing off an incredible amount of heat, leather jacket repelling most of the cold air. She laces her fingers where they rest at the small of his back, pressing her cheek into his shirt.

"Better?" He asks amusedly, glancing down at her before returning his gaze to the street, looking for a cab for her.

She nods, fingers tightening against the muscle of his back as another gust of cold wind blows. Klaus tucks some of her hair behind her ear as she glances up at him with a quick smile. He's looking away from her, hailing a cab that screeches to a halt on the pavement in front of her.

"Thanks." She remarks lightly, going up on tip toes to press a kiss to his stubbled cheek. Klaus' eyes widen in surprise as he catches her around the waist.

He's about to kiss me. Caroline realises all at once as Klaus ducks his head, thumb swiping over her cheekbone.

His lips hover over hers, so close but so far at the same time. All it would take is for her to rise up on her toes, close that distance…

The blare of a horn makes her jump, and she turns as the cabbie at the wheel winds down his window.

"Are you coming or not? I don't have all night to wait around for you." He says a little rudely.

Klaus laughs but lifts her hand, pressing his lips to the back of it.

"Off you go then love. Message me once you're home alright?"

She swallows audibly, stepping away from Klaus as he opens the door to the taxi for her. She slides into the backseat, Klaus closing the door with a snap as he steps back up onto the kerb.

The taxi lurches away from the pub and she gives the driver Kol's address somewhat absentmindedly, leaning back into the seat.

She's helpless to stop the smile from creeping across her face.


AN: Hi guys! I know it's been awhile on this one, but I'm hoping now that Growing Strong is complete I'll be able to focus on this one a little bit more. I've also been chipping away at Up All Night Til The Sun's rewrite in the background. I want to get a few chapters ahead before I start posting, but hope you guys will love it!

Caroline starts to make leaps and bounds with her training, and discovers that she has a rival back home in the form of Hayley Marshall. Klaus' team are through to the finals- we'll see another game of his in the next chapter or so. He's also leaving for a week for a training camp in Spain, so he may not be as present in the next chapter.

Next up, Rebekah, Caroline, and Katherine go to ballet class, and Kol is his usual, delightful self.