To say the very least, Caroline Forbes was pissed. Getting ready for her own welcome home party had been a disaster. She had argued with the cleaners until they had decided to go look for the dress she had dropped off two weeks prior. After an hour of searching they had found it.

Then to top it off she had only an hour to get ready for what she considered hell. She had ran to Bonnie's hurried in the shower, not even having the time to wash her hair. The dress that she had picked out was a killer though.

It was a small, sleeveless red dress with a beautiful black slash that wrapped around her waist perfectly into a small bow. She had always loved the way it fit perfectly to her body shape. Caroline wasn't the curviest of girls, but she worked with what she had.

Caroline had straightened her hair earlier before she had went into work, so she figured that she would just leave it at that. She applied some mascara and a dull red lipstick that brought out her eyes. As she stared back at herself in the mirror she wondered what the hell she doing. She was about to see some people she hadn't seen in years and quite frankly didn't plan on ever seeing again.

"Caroline, are you here?!" Caroline smiled in relief at hearing Bonnie coming down the hallway. She opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out waiting for Bonnie to come around the corner. "Care I've got to hurry and get-"

Bonnie's eyes widened and a bright smile appeared on her face. Caroline grinned, that was exactly the reaction she had been hoping to get. "Oh my god, Caroline Forbes! You look so… hot!" Caroline did a little twirl in the hallway and the placed her hands down the dress smoothing out the wrinkles.

She looked up at Bonnie and sighed "You don't think it's over kill do you? I mean, I just wanted to look good and I- I don't know... is it too much?" Bonnie shook her head enthusiastically, "No Care. You look great, what shoes are you going to wear with it?"

Caroline and Bonnie quickly decided on a gorgeous pair of vintage black shoes Caroline had bought overseas. "I've got to go Bonnie, the party starts in twenty minutes. Are you going to be there?" Caroline's head snapped at Bonnie waiting for her answer.

Bonnie bit her lip for a minute before laughing, "Of course I'm going to be there. Let me go find a quick outfit and I'll be right back and we can share a cab. Caroline nodded placing her favorite perfume on her wrist and rubbing them together.

She waited for a moment listening to Bonnie banging stuff around in her room till finally there was silence. "Hey Bon, you okay?" Caroline shouted out loud enough for Bonnie to hear through the wall. "Yeah! I'm almost done!" Bonnie's shriek came back.

Caroline got lost in her thoughts about the party and didn't notice Bonnie in the doorway. "Bonnie Bennett! You look amazing!" Bonnie was wearing a sleek black jumpsuit which made her look sexy but professional.

Bonnie threw her a smile over her should as she headed down the hallway "Thanks! C'mon Care… if we're late Kat is gonna kill us."


"You guys are late!" Katherine screamed at them. A confused looked passed between Caroline and Bonnie, then they checked their phones. "Umm Kat we're actually thirty minutes early…" Caroline meekly replied. Kat's face turned red and her nostrils flared.

"I said to be here at six, not six-thirty! Do you know stressed I already am? I need someone to check with caters and the services will be here in fifteen minutes! To top it off I still need to get dressed!" Caroline jerked back as the massive wave of curls whipped around in her face.

Bonnie and Caroline looked at each other for a moment shrugged, but hurried after Katherine. "Kat, go upstairs and get ready and I will take care of everything down here." Bonnie tried to reassure her, but they could both tell Katherine was about to snap.

"If that catering truck isn't here by the time I get back… I'm personally walking my ass down there and giving them a piece of my mind!" Katherine's brown eyes flashed in anger as she stormed off towards a flight of stairs.

Once she was gone, Caroline took a deep breath. "Well… I'm glad we can still count on Kat to be hysterically about nothing." Bonnie gave a light laugh, "Yeah, some things never change." Caroline looked around at the workers that were preparing the dining room as the dance area.

She was still completely nervous about seeing Elena and Matt since Graduation… not that she wanted to, but she did. "Caroline, people should be arriving soon. Can you do me a teeny, tiny little favor?" Bonnie grinned and Caroline knew she would do whatever she wanted.

"What do you want?" Caroline slowly said. Bonnie walked around the counter and place a stack of cards and envelopes in front of her. "These are the thank you cards that Kat insisted we have to give in order to be perfect hosts. I don't know, she's crazy but if you want to deal with her when she comes back then by all means be my guest."

Caroline looked at the cards for a moment, before picking them up and sitting in a booth and working on them. She didn't want Katherine to feel anymore stressed out than what she already was, so if thank you cards was what she wanted then she was going to get them.


The party was in full swing and all Caroline could feel was extremely alone. Katherine had ran off to "talk business" and Bonnie was busy making sure the servers and food was being kept up with. Caroline had talked to numerous people from their high school which only made her anxiety triple.

Somewhere along the lines she had found Stefan at the bar. "Stefan! How have you been?" Caroline shouted over the loudness of the music. He had given her one of his charming smiles and gestured to the seat next to him.

She wasted no time sitting down next to him scared that someone from high school would walk over and try to make small talk. "I'm good, waiting for someone to come talk to me... thankfully it's you. How are you? Enjoying the party?"

The look Caroline threw at him was enough to make him laugh. "I'm trying to avoid people. I don't know why Kat wanted to have this damn party. She's been sucking up to the bosses all night, no offense." Stefan grabbed his bourbon and took a sip, "None taken. So why are you still here?"

Caroline rolled her eyes but before she could speak Stefan interrupted. "Hey my boss is here, which is odd… give a minute and I'll be right back." Stefan stepped away from her and Caroline sat there with a frown on her face. She was lost in her own thoughts for a moment when a voice she hadn't heard in a long time came from behind her "Caroline Forbes?"

She could feel her whole body stiffen but she turned around none less. Standing behind her was Elena and Matt Donavon. Elena hadn't changed much expect for the normally straight hair that she had in high school had a slight wave to it. Matt had lost his boyish charm but his striking blue eyes still remained the same.

The both gave her a small smile as she stood up and took a few steps towards them. She didn't know if she should hug them or shake their hands. This is what she had been afraid of. They hadn't even said anything but the situation was extremely awkward and she didn't know how to get herself out of it.

"Well, you look great. How was life in France?" Elena asked her. For a moment Caroline could only focus on the shiny diamond ring on her hand but quickly snapped out of it. "I was actually in London, and it was great. I miss it." Caroline felt so incredibly stupid just standing there. She didn't know what to say and it felt like any second she could go full blown into a panic attack.

When things couldn't get any worse she felt someone walk up beside her. She let out a breath of relief, happy that the attention could be taken off her. When she looked up at the man who had 'saved her' she felt confused at first.

Caroline blinked a few times trying to remember where she had seen the man before. He gave her a small smile and that's when it hit her. The asshole from the plane ride a few weeks back. Caroline just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, this night couldn't possibly get any worse.

She watched as her extended his hand to Matt and introduced himself. "I'm Caroline's friend… Klaus Mikaelson." Caroline could feel the anger pouring from her in waves. She wanted to be anywhere but right there.

"So… are you and Caroline dating?" Elena asked looking at her and then at the jerk. She nearly laughed before he answered, "Oh we just recently met, right love?" Klaus said to her with a sly grin. Caroline could feel her blood pressure rising with every second. "Yea-Yeah…. Just recently met." Caroling choked out.

Elena and Matt shared a look between each other before turning back to the pair. "Oh… so how did you two meet?" Matt asked. "Well, it's actually a really funny story… see-" Before Klaus could continue Caroline cut in. "Matt, Elena please excuse us for just one moment."

Caroline grabbed Klaus' forearm and pulled him after her. She quickly hurried behind the counter, still tugging him along. When they got back near the cooler Caroline shoved his arm away and sharply turned towards him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Caroline yelled at him throwing her arms up in the arm. Klaus looked at her innocently for a moment, "I believe I was saving your ass, sweetheart." Caroline could feel the migraine building as she rubbed her temple.

She glared at him, "Why are you here? It's just the perfect moment for you to show up… Oh god, why me?!" Caroline felt like stomping on the ground and she would have if he hadn't of been there. She was allowed one childish moment of her life and right now seemed like the perfect opportunity but she would never let him of all people see her like that.

"My sister invited me here and I have no idea, maybe its fate." Klaus said with a charming smile. Caroline felt like she was going to be sick. She cleared her head and looked him dead in the eyes, "Look… Klaus, is that right? Okay, that's my ex and his new wife out there… which also used to be my best friend. I'm already stressed as it is and I don't need this… whatever this is anyways" she shouted waving her arms at him, "to make it worse. Do you understand?"

Klaus stood them for a moment admiring her in the dim light. He remembered from the plane trip she had killer legs, but in this dress and those heels he was amazed. He barely even knew what she was saying let alone how she felt. "Yes, I understand Caroline. I just… you seemed like you needed help and I'm the type of gentleman to help a friend in need."

Caroline scoffed at his remark, "We are not friends, and if I needed your help I would have asked… but I didn't and I won't." She didn't want to hurt his feelings but the guy needed to be put in his place. She was no damsel in distress and she sure as hell didn't need a knight in shining armor.

"Alright… please do forgive me. I didn't mean any harm." Caroline shook her head at his words. "I know, I have to go…" She made her way past him, but not before he gently grabbed her arm. "Are you sure you don't need my help?" Klaus quietly asked.

Caroline pulled her arm away, "No, but thanks. Now we got to get out of her before Kat find us, which promise me… it won't be good." They sneaked past the catering company throughout the kitchen and ended up near the entrance to the dance floor.

Caroline could feel Klaus behind her so she continued to walk pushing past the moving bodies. She finally made her way through the crowd when she felt like all the wind was being sucked out of her. Caroline knew that he had seen her and was even walking towards her but she couldn't move. The night was already bad with Elena and Matt and there was only one other person seeing her that could have made it worse. Tyler Lockwood.