A/N: GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS! Have you seen the TRAILER for Null and Void made by one and only M. Aka all-thedevilsarehere going by The MarauderNo5 on youtube? CHECK IT OUT! I'm freaking out because it's amazing. My dreams came true.

Kudos to CowboyswithDimples who suggested a gift in a review for chapter 7. :)

Thank your for so many kind words. You inspire me to write more and more, guys. I owe you.

Plus, a lot is going to happen in this chapter, and I hope you won't find it too rushed or anything.

chapter 9

:-:

prius quam exaudias ne iudices:

before you hear, do not judge

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She opens her eyes expecting every bone in her body to hurt. She expects to feel the hard bathtub bottom, but she doesn't. She wakes up like a princess, in a king-sized bed with a mattress so soft she's practically drowning in it. In Klaus' bed. Without naked Klaus by her side.

It's 8 am, and from what she hears Caroline can deduce the family is already up. The maids are running around taking orders, and she can hear Rebekah's voice coming from the other end of the hallway.

Klaus' absence makes Caroline wonder. He must have carried her to bed after she'd fell asleep. She really thought he was going to teach her a lesson and leave her in that bathtub. Not to be self-loathing or anything, but Caroline admits—she deserved to be left there. She shamelessly paraded into his house and befriended his family under false pretences. They say revenge is sweet, but she doesn't want it served this way. Not when people you tried to deceive pay you back with kindness. Caroline will deal with Klaus, but she makes a firm resolution to make sure his family doesn't end up as collateral damage.

Lifting the bed covers, she sees that the spot next to her is crumpled, which means he was sleeping right beside her. So where is he now? Caroline hops out of the bed and grabs her suitcase. She needs to pick some clothes to change and her dress for tonight. It's elegant yet hot, and she She unfolds the pink material, and screams. "NO! No no no!" She clutches at her head, tearing her hair out. Her dress is stained with foundation fluid she was carrying. She remembers tossing it into the suitcase minute before leaving her apartment because she forgot to pack it earlier. And now half its content is out there on her dress!

"SERIOUSLY?!"

Well, Karma's a bitch, Caroline.

:-:

One sharp stroke of a brush after another, Klaus is so engrossed in his artwork that he doesn't notice the blonde that sneaks into the cellar behind his back. It's always been his safe haven. No matter how crazy things got between him and the rest of his family, the cellar was his—and his only. The room is in a state painters call an artistic chaos. There's a heap of brushes and old palettes in one of the corners, and the floor is a minefield strewn with huge drops of paint. The sound of Klaus' steady breathing is the only thing that can be heard in the otherwise silent room. He looks like in a trance. Caroline watches him paint, her eyes following the abrupt, angry movements of his hand. The painting is dark and depressing—an angry face or a shadow, she can't tell. But it's hypnotizing.

Suddenly he turns away, and Caroline instinctively takes a step back. There's a tired look in his eyes and vast smear of paint on his shirt.

"How did you find me?" He asks, his voice colder that the stone walls of the cellar. Caroline's jaw clenches, but she doesn't back off.

"Rebekah showed me the way."

"Of course. My silly little sister that craves attention and friendship." He turns to the canvas again and brings the brush to its surface. "Whatever you want, I'm not in the mood, love."

"Look, I get that you're having personal issues, but I have a real crisis on my hands. My dress is stained! Devastated! Ruined!"

Klaus snorts, "I'm sure getting a new dress is well within your substantial manipulative capabilities. Rebekah the sycophantic minion will be glad to share one of her many ball gowns."

"But I don't want someone else's dress!" Caroline throws her fists up in frustration and turns on the spot like a spoiled teenage girl. "I want to look hot! Like red-carpet-hot!"

Even though he is so angry at her, he can't hold back a smile. He really tries to remain serious and gloomy, but seeing her old control freak side take over makes Klaus burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" Caroline stomps her foot.

"I know, I know." He covers his lips with his hand. "A tragedy indeed."

"I need your credit card."

This makes Klaus stop laughing at once. "No."

"Please. Klaus." She stares at him pleadingly.

"No."

"It's the only chanc—"

"I said NO." His tone is sharp and uncompromising. Caroline frowns at Klaus and clenches her fists. This is the maximum level of her willingness to beg him. If he doesn't care about her appearance at the ball, she won't worry about being an embarrassment to him either. Why did she care in the first place anyway?

"Fine. So be it." Flipping her hair, she stomps out of the room. Klaus watches her go and cringes when the door slams after her.

:-:

"Can you help me with this?" The moment Esther catches Klaus in the hallway he knows there's no escaping her. She just tends to do that – casually strolls around the house and gets to you in the least expected moment.

"I want to hang this painting here." She points first at a picture that's propped against the wall and then at the place where she wants it to be. Klaus' eyes dart back to the painting and grow wide when he recognizes it as his own.

"Where did you get this?" He hisses crossing his arm, irritated. It's the picture of their garden Klaus painted from memory just after he arrived in Chicago for the first time. It was a moment of weakness, when he felt lonely and nostalgic. He spent a few days over it, carefully touching it up till it was nothing but perfect. Homesickness was a crippling burden that finally disappeared from his shoulders. He remembers he felt extreme joy, he felt at home. He spent many evenings staring at the painting with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

And when he learned the truth about himself, he gave it away to Marcel. The garden no longer felt like home.

"It's an anniversary gift from Caroline. She's a real treasure." Esther announces proudly. "And, I think it's time for this painting to return home where it belongs. And so do you." Klaus flinches at her words. He will never belong here. Plus, Caroline's definitely pushing her luck. How dare that blonde she-devil buy one of HIS paintings! How dare she buy a part of HIS intimacy and give it away to THEM!

His mother takes Klaus by the hand and squeezes it reassuringly. "She will fall in love with you eventually." Klaus' eyes are fixed on his mother's calm face. He's so stunned by her words that it takes a while before everything sinks in. And when Klaus realizes what his mother is referring to, he's one step from getting a heart attack.

"How do you—"

"Don't worry, Niklaus." An enigmatic smile lingers on Esther's lips. "Fate works in mysterious ways."

:-:

"Caroline!" Rebekah knocks frantically at Caroline's door and bursts inside. Why should she wait to be let in when it's her house, right? Caroline's lying on her bed, playing Veggie Ninja on her iPhone. (As soon as she beats her record she'll switch to Fruit Ninja, because life is a never-ending challenge.)

"What are you doing?" Rebekah shakes her head. "Come on, we don't have much time!"

"Time for what?" Caroline muses while fervently cutting an onion with a samurai sword.

"For shopping?" Her sister-in-law raises her hand holding a credit card between two fingers. Caroline's jaw drops. So Klaus does have a heart.

"Hurry up!" Rebekah laughs at her. "The dress won't find itself, sister!"

:-:

"WHAT?!" Caroline gapes at Rebekah. "You mean, Stefan Salvatore?! Seriously?!" She's really grateful that it's Dean who's driving, because she's so excited she shakes poor Bekah like the girl was made of jell-o.

"You know the guy?"

"Of course I know him! He saved my life at Kat and Damon's wedding. I would be bored to death without Stefan Salvatore." Caroline rolls her eyes at the memory of Matt passing out in the gents. "He's a great guy!"

"Then looks like I'm not good enough for him, because he never called back." Rebekah sighs. Her short romance with Stefan in Chicago didn't end well. In fact, it didn't have an ending at all. She went to visit her brother, and he took her to a party at the Salvatores'. Katherine and Damon were already married, Stefan was brooding (with a cool hairdo), and Rebekah was intrigued. He didn't notice she was desperately looking for love while carrying on with her typical feisty attitude. He just liked the crazy, fun Rebekah. They were doing what felt good. Drinking, dancing, sex. And talking—they talked all night. She, an aspiring journalist-slash-fashionista fell for his gentlemanly charm and that special something only writers possess. That craving for experience. That pressing need to feel. Then she woke up in an empty bed. Later Klaus told her about his awkward encounter with Stefan when the younger Salvatore was snaking out of her room. He said he was leaving, and she hasn't heard from him since then.

"I know where he is!" A lightbulb lights up above Caroline's head. "I remember Kat or Damon saying he went to—oh my God!—He went to Mystic Falls!"

"What's Mystic Falls?"

"A small town in Virginia. He's writing a book there, in a secluded cabin over a lake, and taking care of Drogo."

"Who's Drogo?" Rebekah sounds jealous.

"It's Kat and Damon's dog. A pug."

"Damon. Eww." The grimace on Rebekah's face tells Caroline that Klaus's friend didn't exactly catch Rebekah's fancy. "He used to hit on me every time I went to visit Klaus. Before he married Katherine, of course."

"Now he's a perfect husband, can you believe it?" Caroline cocks an eyebrow at Rebekah.

"I'm sure my big brother is better." Bekah winks at Caroline, who swallows hard. "He is, right?"

There's a small puff of smoke, and tiny Loki appears right over Caroline's left shoulder, and chuckles. "Feeling guilty, are we?" Caroline purses her lips. "Liar, liar, lacy pants on fire." He teases.

"I'm just trying not to break Rebekah's heart. Klaus' family shouldn't get involved in this." The lawyer explains.

"You should've thought before you set foot in their house. Now you just have to play along for a while, I guess." Loki grins mischievously at her and pats her on the back.

"Where's Thor? He's supposed to be here and nag me to tell the truth."

"He got stuck." Loki nonchalantly smoothes down his hair. "In a bathroom."

Caroline sighs and gets back to reality. Rebekah is still staring at her, waiting for the answer.

"Yes," Caroline says with an uneasy smile, "he's pretty great."

:-:

Klaus the awesome husband is furiously banging his fist against the bathroom door. "Caroline! If you don't come out right now I'll switch rooms with Kol!"

"Just give me five minutes!"

"You said that twenty minutes ago!" God, this woman will drive him crazy. He'll end up at a psychiatric ward rocking slowly in a straitjacket. And all the nurses will look like Dolly Parton. He hears the sound of hairspray being sprayed all over her head, which is a signal that she's done dolling herself up.

Three...

Two...

One...

Caroline shows up in the bathroom door and Klaus turns into a pillar of salt, his mouth hanging open. He's staring at her mesmerized and dumbstruck, feeling his heart quicken. She's looking stunning in a glamorous nude dress ornamented with a web of pearls. It accentuates her curves, and a low bun shows her long, delicate neck. Klaus just gapes at her, spellbound, his throat getting dry. She looks gorgeous. A vision. A star.

Caroline stands there with a shy half-smile on her face, unsure whether he went quiet because she doesn't look good enough or because she dressed to kill and her husband got shot.

"And...? How do I look?" Her question is met with a wall of stunned silence on Klaus' part. "Klaus?"

"You look..." His tongue runs absently over his lower lips. "Breathtaking." It's true—he feels like his lungs just can't take more air and he's choking. "Really." Her smile widens. He looks great in a tux, but let's face it—that handsome bastard would look good even in a potato sack.

Caroline heads to the door when Klaus grabs her by the elbow and she spins around surprised.

"Wait." He says and starts rummaging in his pocket. To Caroline's astonishment he finds a small oblong box. Klaus gently takes her right wrist and clasps something around it. Caroline can't believe her eyes. It's an infinity bracelet encrusted with diamonds.

"If you want to pass for Mrs. Mikaelson, you ought to wear it." He explains, sounding both dead serious and a bit embarrassed. "Every one of us gets something that belongs to the family and should be passed on to our spouses. It's an old tradition."

She wants to say, but I'm not a real Mrs. Mikaelson. She wants to say, I'm not your wife. But when she looks down at the bracelet, she can't help but feel special. One day some woman will become truly special to him. But just for tonight, she wants to feel someone's first choice for a change. He will pretend, and she will let him. Just for tonight.

"Thanks."

:-:

Glasses of champagne are being raised as Esther stands proudly next to her husband on the main staircase in the hall. Peeking through the crowd, Caroline has a chance to finally take a look at the infamous Mikael Mikaelson. She can easily see who Elijah got his dignified bearing from. Rebekah's got his penetrating stare. And Kol... Kol got that quiet arrogance and confidence he exudes. Casting a sidelong glance at Klaus' tight jaw she wonders what traits he got from his father.

"Welcome." Esther graces the guests with the kindest smile they have ever seen. Caroline's impressed by the number of people that came tonight in their fancy clothes. (Oh my God, is it Colin Firth right there in the corner?) And she thought she's seen many designer dresses at Carol Lockwood's parties! Esther Mikaelson brought fancy to a whole new level.

"Thank you for joining us tonight. It was a tradition that every year when my family and you, me dear friends, gather here, my husband and I used to inaugurate the ball with the first dance. This year, however, we would like to confer this honour on our son, Klaus, who surprised us—and made us incredibly happy—by getting married two weeks ago." Klaus raises his eyebrows, not believing his ears. There's an excited roar coming from the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, my son Klaus and his amazing wife, Caroline!"

"What?" Caroline casts a frightened look at Klaus. People circle the couple, rapturously applauding them while the song drifts lazily through the room. He keeps a poker face on and leads her to the dancefloor. When his hand sneaks around her waist as he pulls her closer, Caroline takes a sharp breath.

I can do what I want, I'm in complete control

That's what I tell myself

I got a mind of my own, I'll be alright alone

Don't need anybody else

It's like Vegas all over again, or even worse considering she's sober. Being around this irritating, arrogant, nasty piece of work is like a turf war. But being pressed tightly against his handsome, smooth, alluring self—well, that's quite a different kettle of fish.

I give myself a good talking to

No more being a fool for you

I remember how you made wanna surrender

Klaus makes a full turn with her and their eyes meet for a fleeting moment. His gaze is steady, unreadable, and Caroline's confidence suddenly melts like sugar in water—theoretically it's still there, yet unrecognizable.

Damn your eyes

They're taking my breath away

Making me wanna stay

Damn your eyes

For getting my hopes up high

Making me fall in love again

Damn your eyes

Klaus likes holding her. He likes the feeling of her hand in his hand. He likes the way she sways along with him, her shoulders and hips following the slow rhythm. Other women, they were always but a distraction. Touching them felt like touching moon-white, cold statues. Touching her feels like home. He's surprised it hasn't scared him yet, the way he treats her like a real part of his life. It should scare the hell out of him, but he gets caught in the moment. Klaus Mikaelson is caught in the moment... for the first time in his life. The guests are watching them closely with sighs, awws, and oohs. Klaus feels the stares burning into his back, but somehow it doesn't bother him.

And then there's a loud hiccup coming from the crowd, and Kol's drunk voice resounds in the room.

"YOU— MAY— KISS THE BRIIIIIIDE!" He cheers on the newlyweds, enthusiastically raising his glass and spilling half of his champagne on some woman's head. People start clinging their glasses, encouraging the dancing couple to kiss. You would assume the Brits are too stuffy and reserved to do that. However, looks like the royal wedding whetted their appetite for romance.

Panicking Caroline lifts her chin, "God, this is awk—" but it's too late as her voice gets muffled by a tender kiss Klaus places on her lips. It's a gentle one, almost shy, but in no way is it lacking dexterity. If they hadn't kissed before Caroline would have thought it's their first romantic kiss. Klaus' eyes are closed, and so Caroline closes hers... and kisses him back.

Fall completely under your spell

Damn your eyes

Taking my breath away

Making me wanna stay

Damn your eyes

They break the kiss and come back to reality only to find that the crowd is still cheering, his family is clapping, and Kol is grabbing some girl's butt.

"Enjoy the party and don't forget about donating to charity!" Esther announces.

Kol gets slapped across the face.

The kiss lingers on Caroline's lips as she brushes them absently with her index finger.

Music plays on.

:-:

Just after the first dance Esther grabs her son to dance with her, leaving Caroline at Mikael's mercy.

"Forgive me, we haven't been properly introduced." He says with a wry smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Caroline." She nods and smiles back trying not to look perturbed by his shark-like stare. Why are all the Mikaelson men so intimidating?

"So, what is it?" Mikael muses as they waltz. "Money? It must be money. Too bad he's not mentioned in the will."

"Excuse me?" Caroline frowns at Mikael's insinuation.

"Klaus won't inherit anything. You chose the wrong Mikaelson, darling."

Caroline's blood starts to boil in her veins. She's been fighting with condescending men like him all her life. She made sure no one would make assumptions about her looks, her IQ, and her choices. Her upper lip twitches in disgust.

"Or is it the gypsy gene he's got? His big-bad-wolf facade? Women and their tragic weakness for bad boys, really." He shakes his head letting out a fake, worried sigh.

Caroline licks her lips preparing to parry his argument. "You know what's tragic?" She asks slyly. "That you will never know. You'll see it's not money, you'll see it's not fatal attraction, but you'll never know the truth." She's so angry at Klaus' father that she could stay married to Klaus till the man dies just to keep him guessing. (Yes, it's really astounding what people would do just to spite the others.)

Klaus takes a break from dancing to get a drink. His eyes are following Caroline's every move. Looks like she's not enjoying Mikael's company. His father doesn't look pleased either, which means the blonde spitfire isn't taking any shit from him. No matter how hard he tries to hide it, a tiny smile of satisfaction appears on Klaus' face.

"Married life does you good, Klaus Mikaelson." He hears a sultry voice behind his back. Of course the vixen wouldn't miss the party.

"Tatia." He turns to her. She does look beautiful. She was a girl then, now she's a full-blown woman who emanates sex-appeal. "Long time no see."

"Too long if you ask me." She pouts. Red lipstick on her lips matches her dress. That's probably the one thing that would never change. Tatia and red lipstick. Right now her red lips twist in a grin. "You've changed."

"Ten years tend to do that to people." He explains flatly and takes a sip of champagne.

"To the point they get married?"

"You look surprised."

"I am. She's nothing like me."

"Exactly." Klaus smirks triumphantly. "And I'm not stupid like my brother to pine after a liar for ten years." He turns to look at his brother who's watching Klaus (or rather Tatia) from the other side of the ballroom. The family has been trying to make Klaus forget about Tatia when the truth is, it's Elijah who needs help. They misattributed the lovesickness to Klaus, the impulsive one, while it's been Elijah all this time.

"Ah yes, poor Elijah. I might actually grace him with my attention again. Married life gets boring eventually, you'll see it yourself."

"Not when you marry someone like her." Klaus' eyes get fixed on Caroline, and he smiles to himself. She'll give him hell for that kiss during the first dance. This time she probably won't sleep in the bathtub. She'll throw the bathtub at him instead. But whatever she'll do in retaliation—the kiss was so worth it.

Mikael catches Caroline glancing towards Klaus and a brunette in red. "How does it feel to be the second choice?" Caroline narrows her eyes at Mikael. He raises an eyebrow seeing he might have hit a nerve. "How does it feel when the glass slipper doesn't really fit, Cinderella?"

"Oh, I crushed the glass slipper long time ago. And this," Caroline sassily flips her hair, showing the bracelet Klaus gave her, wiping Mikael's cynical smile off his face, "this feels like a winning ticket."

She's dying to know if Klaus still loves Tatia, but she won't give Mikael the satisfaction. She'll keep her chin up till she's alone with Klaus and he tells her the truth. Oh God, Caroline mentally slaps her on the forehead, why does she even bother? Why does she care about his love life? What the hell is wrong with her? Did she catch some weird suddenly-I-care-about-my-fake-husband virus or what? Today it's care, tomorrow it's breakfast together, and who knows what will happen next week! No, she tells herself, nothing will happen.

Klaus leaves sour-faced Tatia and walks up to Mikael and Caroline. "You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" He extends his hand to Caroline.

Mikael's about to throw a venomous retort when Esther appears by his side. "So you've met Caroline!" She beams at her husband. "Isn't she stunning?"

"Indeed." Mikael mutters as Klaus wraps his arm around his wife, casting his father a challenging look. "Striking, I'd say."

:-:

They stand on the balcony leaning against the handrail, champagne glasses in their hands. A breath of fresh air was very much needed. The night is warm, and Caroline enjoys the view over the garden. Klaus' painting does it justice.

"So, how's Tatia?" Curiosity takes the better of Caroline, and not thinking twice she lets it slip.

"What do you know about Tatia?" He asks staring at the bubbles in his glass.

"Everything, I guess."

"So you know nothing, Caroline."

She frowns at him in disbelief. "Seriously? Have you just Jon-Snow-ed me?"

Klaus turns to her, amused. "A Game of Thrones reference coming from you?"

"So what? He's cute." Caroline shrugs, blushing. She wasn't supposed to reveal her secret crush on Jon Snow. Treacherous champagne.

They stare at each other for a second or two before bursting out laughing. Looking at Caroline, Klaus feels a sudden hit of deja-vu. Last time she was genuinely laughing with him was the same night they got married in Vegas. Watching her laugh becomes another thing on his "What I like to do with Caroline Forbes" list. Or rather, with Caroline Mikaelson. His wife.

"What's the deal with your father?" She bites her lower lip. It's not her business, but champagne is fulfilling its perfidious mission in more than just one way.

"He's not my father."

"Shit." Caroline's speaks her mind, obviously. But maybe it's the best moment to tell her about his family's turbulent history.

Esther and Mikael got married at a very young age. Reason? The simplest of them all—a baby. They were both from rich upper class families, so no mésalliance was made. They turned out to be quite well-suited for each other, and so after Finn came Elijah. Mikael, a young businessman that was about to take over his father's company, left his family for a year's contract in Australia. Esther stayed in London, feeling alone and overwhelmed by two small kids and life on her own. And as it always happens in the movies, she met a charming, mysterious, wild Nicabar, a gypsy painter. He was getting popular in London's artistic bohema and had eyes only for her. It was a crazy summer for Esther Mikaelson, but two months before Mikael's return Nicabar died in a car accident leaving Esther with a newborn on her hands.

"Why didn't Mikael leave your mother?"

"Because he loved her." It's the most bitter thing that left Klaus' mouth. "He forgave her. Not without some drama, of course, she told me as much, but he loved her too much to let her go. He couldn't hate her, so he channelled all the negative emotions at me. And as much as I hate him, I have to admit, he's a good father to the rest of us. Rebekah's his favourite. He does love them. And I'm just a walking reminder of his wife's infidelity."

"How Catelyn Stark of him." Caroline muses and brings the glass to her lips ignoring the look Klaus gives her.

"Does your mother know about us?"

"I don't think she remembers she has a daughter." Caroline's eyes darken. "She always made me feel guilty, so I should be happy left alone, really. But no one is better off without their parents." There's a heartbreaking tune in Caroline's voice that makes Klaus want to hold her till she feels happy again. But he doesn't, because she wouldn't want it anyway. He takes the bottle of champagne that stands on the floor and fills her glass instead.

"To family bliss." He raises his glass with a puckish smile on his face. Somehow it manages to make Caroline brighten up and chuckle.

"Cheers."

The glasses clink.

:-:

"There you are!" Kol hiccups as he approaches Klaus and Caroline on the balcony.

"Go to bed Kol, you're drunk." Klaus rolls his eyes, angry that his brother disturbs the rare moment of ceasefire between him and his wife.

"But I need some entertainment!" Kol slurs spreading his arms. Klaus groans and drags a palm of his hand across his face. What a nuisance, his naughty brother.

"You've had enough."

"Actually, I haven't. You know why? BECAUSE YOU LEFT ME AND WENT TO CHICAGO!" Kol's resentful voice echoes around the garden. "You were my big brother, Nik! I trusted you! I was idolizing you, for god's sake!" Kol takes a swig from a bottle of whiskey he's holding. "And they sent me to a rehab! And Bekah was crying over you, blaming ME for your departure. I was the bad brother!" Kol is swaying on his feet. Caroline is shocked to see him hurt. Not pretending, not fooling around, but truly hurt by Klaus' leaving. Hurt, and furious.

"You've never told me this." Klaus shakes his head.

"You've never bothered to even think about that!" Kol takes a few steps forward, getting dangerously close to Caroline. "You found a new home, and got yourself a wife, too." He throws Caroline a threatening glare that sends shivers down her spine. Suddenly the air gets cold, and she wishes she could go inside. But Kol wraps his arm around her shoulders, taking another swig from the bottle. "And what a wife! I've googled her up. So recently engaged to one and only Tyler Lockwood, the mayor's son! What did you do to steal her from that jerk, brother? And wedding in Vegas? It doesn't sound like you at all."

Klaus sees how uneasy Caroline's getting around Kol. He starts to scare her.

"You know what? Let's make a deal. I won't tell anyone that your marriage sounds like a very shady business, and you'll share Caroline with me." He pulls Caroline even closer, a wolfish grin spread on his face. Klaus knows Kol doesn't think straight and just wants to irritate them, but his fists clench nevertheless. "She doesn't look like she would mind."

A second later everything becomes a blur. Caroline gets shoved to a side, and there's a sound of glass being shattered on the ground. Klaus' fist collides with Kol's nose quite painfully for the latter, but Kol isn't drunk enough to pass out from a blow. He gets up and lunges at Klaus with an angry yell. Caroline watches in horror as he punches his older brother hard in the face, and Klaus hits his head against the handrail. With blood streaming from his cut eyebrow, Klaus grabs Kol and throws him across the balcony.

"Hell yeah brother, feels like old good times again!" Kol's laughing like a maniac. He lands on the floor but is picked up by Klaus the moment after. They exchange some punches and kicks before Klaus pins Kol against the balcony balustrade and the unruly Mikaelson ends up leaning dangerously over it.

"Apologize to the lady." Klaus growls clutching at Kol's neck. Caroline notices a small crowd gathered down in the garden, watching the whole incident. Esther's covering her mouth in shock.

"What are you doing there, you bloody idiots?!" Rebekah yells at her brothers. "Klaus, leave that arsehole alone!"

"Apologize." Klaus hisses at Kol.

"fine! I'm— sorry!" Kol chokes out and takes a deep breath when Klaus lets him go.

"You will not speak to me or Caroline again. Grow up, Kol, and stop being a cunt." With those words Klaus turns away, offers his arm to Caroline, and they both leave.

:-:

"It might sting a bit." Caroline warns Klaus as she pours some peroxide on a cotton pad. Her husband rolls his eyes at her, but when she dabs at the wound he suddenly pulls back, flinching. Caroline almost spills the rest of peroxide. "Whoa! Easy, Kung Fu Panda."

Klaus glares at her. Even in the gravest of situations Caroline can blurt out something so ridiculous. He's about to comment on her Burrito of Shame drunken alter ego when she reaches for his face and strokes it gently. He looks up at her, thunderstruck by the unexpected display of... Affection, could it be?

"I'm sorry." Caroline sighs. "I shouldn't have come here. I had no right to meddle."

Klaus can't take his eyes off her. He just gapes at her, his head tilted back, like he was a small boy staring for the first time at a jet cutting across the sky. Caroline's worried, guilty face is hovering above his. Her hands on his cheeks have the sour smell of disinfectant. He totally does not care.

She will fall in love with you eventually.

Will she? Because right here right now he doesn't want anything else. Against his better judgement, against his uncompromising persona, against the grain. He wants her like a starved dog wants a bone, and he would chew on his own leg if it meant having a bone.

"It's fine." He musters. "Truth be told, I'm glad you came."

Caroline nervously moistens her lips and sits down on the bed next to Klaus, slouching out of exhaustion. "It's been a roller-coaster, I admit." Then the corners of her mouth curl upward into a shy smile. "But I really like your family. Your mom's herbal tea rocks. And London is great."

He raises his eyebrows at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Go on. Don't let me stop you."

She sticks her tong out at him. "You're not getting compliments from me tonight, Jackie Chan."

Klaus rolls his eyes. God, she could spend all day inventing nicknames for him.

"Hey, I defended your Burrito honour."

"And so you are allowed to sleep in the bed tonight. That's rewarding enough."

"Rewarding? Are you kidding me? You snore."

Caroline slaps him playfully on the arm. "I don't!"

"Yes, you do!" He laughs when she grabs a pillow and hits him on the back with it.

"I. Do. Not. Snore!"

"Like a little funny pig!"

"Go to hell, Jet Li!" Caroline gives up and falls on the bed, hiding her face in the covers and letting out a yawn. She can barely keep her eyes open, but she doesn't stop smiling.

:-:

Even though adrenaline and alcohol make a soporific mix, neither Caroline nor Klaus can fall asleep.

Neither of them can stop thinking about the kiss they shared. Caroline replays that scene over and over again in her head, hoping (to her own surprise) that he wasn't thinking about Tatia. Klaus tries to recollect every detail of their kiss—the softness of her lips and their eagerness when she kissed him back. Because, mind you, she did kiss him back.

The clock is ticking hours away while they keep tossing and turning from one side to another.

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A/N: Look at the cute review button below! Clickety click! (Your opinion, whether good or bad, is really important to me.)