"We are a cover band for the Gypsy Kings and we mostly stick to their songs but we could try other artists, as long as they have that gypsy flow about them." a man with really long straight black hair said while waving a hand heavily ornamented with golden rings in all of his fingers.
Caroline glanced over to Kol.
He gave her his best satisfied smile. "Perhaps a little demonstration would please my friend?"
The man immediately began to sing in a very husky voice, he did a Spanish version of Hotel California and Caroline waited until the chorus to start clapping entertained with the show but the man clapped with more energy and force than her, he also stumped his foot on the ground loudly and dragged his voice with a lot of flair.
Caroline flinched touching her lips, the man seemed possessed, shaking his long hair giving feeling to his surprisingly good voice and she waited a few more seconds to make sure that the man was really done with his song, then she cheered with an enthusiastic clap of her hands.
Kol joined her blissful reaction. "That was fabulous Pablo."
The man moved his hand stopping their cheers at once. "I thank you very much."
"Yes… that was truly… inspiring." Caroline added.
The man took her hand and left a wet kiss on the back of it. "It was my pleasure to serenade such a beautiful woman."
She retrieved her hand with a smile. "I would save some of that charm for the wedding."
He laughed loudly and scribbled a few numbers on a piece of paper that he then handed Kol. "This is what we charge and we only drink red wine."
"I will make sure to add that to the menu." he replied serious and shook hands with the man wearing all black.
Caroline couldn't contain her smirk seeing the black cowboy boots under the attire as the man walked away.
"How perfect is he?" Kol sneered at her pleased with his findings.
"I don't mean to offend anyone but the word tacky comes to mind." she giggled. "Where did you find him?"
There was a pause from Kol, then he pulled an eyebrow up. "I went out with his sister once."
Caroline laughed. "Does she sing?"
"She makes one mean impersonation of JLo!"
Caroline laughed louder but she couldn't linger with Kol, she had a lot of things to do today at the Gallery.
Caroline arrived in a hurry and took her big sunglasses with a smile when she found the surprising guest waiting for her at work. "Bon!"
Bonnie beamed when she saw her friend. "Hey, I know that you are a really busy woman but I need to talk to you."
"I'm never busy for my best friend." Caroline assured her as they headed for her big office, unlike Bonnie's office, this one was filled with light that came through the big windows.
Bonnie sat on the big white sofa and twisted her fingers nervously, she touched her modest engagement ring, she couldn't sit still and stood from the sofa pacing around. "I kissed Kol."
Caroline held back her big smile and leaned against her desk. "How was it?"
Bonnie rubbed her forehead. "Wrong, very wrong. I'm engaged to someone else." she waved her hand at Caroline.
"Who is very cheap, I hate that ring." Caroline mumbled.
Bonnie stopped her motions to give her a judging look.
"I'm just being honest and we both know that Kol would get you a fine Cartier engagement ring."
"God…" Bonnie sat down again covering her tired eyes. "He has to stop kissing me."
"So this wasn't the first time?" Caroline was enjoying this conversation so much.
"He kissed me when he proclaimed his love for me." Bonnie faced her with a tight chest. "And then he really kissed me the day we went to the church."
Caroline played with her long earring. "And judging by the slight change of breath, the dreamy look in your eyes and the doubts he planted, I'd say the ability to kiss remarkably runs deep in the family."
"He's a really good kisser." Bonnie admitted in a whisper.
"Oh Bon… wait until the sex, that will really blow your mind."
Bonnie clenched her lips upset again, judging Caroline with her eyes harder.
"Just being honest." Caroline defended herself and came to the sofa, she sat next to her friend with a warm smile for her. "Do you really want to keep denying that you love Kol and not Luka?"
"I love them both." Bonnie weakly said.
"You are my closest friend and I just want you to be happy but Bonnie... I don't understand why you are being stubborn about this, specially now that Kol woke up to life."
"If I don't go through with the wedding, Luka will never speak to me again and I will lose his friendship as well; as for Kol… I'm scared that this is only a phase and that he will move on to the next blonde soon… or doctor."
Caroline tried to conceal her excitement over Bonnie's jealousy. "I am a bit worried about this Rose person… she has that entire I saved your life vibe about her."
"And the accent and the sophisticated clothes." Bonnie grumbled looking down at the only decent pair of Denim she owned.
"How are things at the shelter?" Caroline asked sad that Bonnie always refused her help and her money.
"A wreck, like my life."
It broke Caroline's heart all the sadness in her friend and she took upon herself to at least make her smile a bit, even if that implied deviating from the master plan. "We are going out tonight." surely Kol would understand her reasons when she explained.
"What do you mean, out?"
"I like to call it a girls' night out." Caroline's eyes sparkled in sheer excitement.
"I'm not sure…" Bonnie staggered with her words and her obvious lack of enthusiasm.
"Think of it as your bachelorette party."
"I'm not wearing anything on my head and there will be no silly pranks." she ferociously warned Caroline.
"But you could wear that nice dress I gave you for your birthday..." Caroline tilted her head adorably smiling.
Bonnie gave up shaking her head, how could one fight Caroline?
Besides she absolutely loved that dress and sadly never had a chance to wear it.
"Yes, I know where it is... don't worry Care, I'll be there." Kol ended the call returning to the kitchen where the family was having a meeting.
"Everyone agrees then?" Elijah asked formally and looked around the table. No one was objecting but he already counted on it and asked April to prepare all the legal papers that Esther had to sign in advance. "After you sign these, we will set a meeting with Bonnie and make things official."
"Finally that dreadful enormous house is having a purpose." Rebekah left the table starting to gather her things for college.
"You could volunteer at the new shelter." Esther sweetly told her daughter who looked at her with a frown.
"I'm not very nice mother."
"Finally she admits the truth." Kol said under a quiet laughter from the rest of the siblings.
Rebekah smiled at them without meaning it. "You are all a bunch of pricks and I hate you all."
They all gave her a perfect smile that she shrugged off with a roll of her eyes.
"I will need someone to paint the house and to help with a few minor carpenter details." Esther eyed her strong men.
"Why can't you hire someone to do it?" Finn asked uneasily.
"Because that costs money and I'm already using a big portion of my savings on the new furniture Finn…"
"Well Nik is the artist, have him paint the house." Elijah said handing the papers to his mother.
"And I suppose you won't help because God forbids you might get your suit tainted." Nik grumbled upset.
"I already did my part with the paperwork and Finn can help you with the carpenter work, he is married and I'm sure he is used to fix things around his house." Elijah smiled at his older brother.
"Or maybe Sage is the one doing the housework because he faints at the sight of blood so he is eternally frightened to cut his finger." Nik dropped looking at Finn.
Finn winced appalled. "Have Kol do it, he is the one trying to impress the girl."
"Oh precious!" Kol complained annoyed that they were now all looking at him like it was all his fault.
Esther dropped the papers on the table with a big motion which pulled back their attention. "I did not raise four men to be this lazy and callous."
They all looked down on the table embarrassed and Rebekah smirked but it didn't last because Esther looked at her next. "And as for you young lady, you will find time after college to help because I did not raise you to be this detached."
Rebekah opened her mouth but she knew better and pouted picking up her bag, slowly accepting her fate.
"I will come over to the new house after work." Finn was the first to break and stood up. "By the way I think we have a name for the baby." when everyone looked at him he smiled. "Noelle, because we made the baby over Christmas."
Esther made a really cute sound clutching her chest evidently supporting the choice.
"Finn… you big sentimental." Kol teased him triggering an annoyed grumble from his brother as he left the house.
"I need a ride to college so I'm going with Finn." Rebekah went after her brother.
"Are you staying for lunch?" Esther asked the remaining three.
"I have a lunch meeting with the vineyards from France." Nik left the table and the house without a proper goodbye which was usual in him.
"I need to speak to Kol." Elijah said looking at their mother who encouraged him with a nod and then left them alone in the kitchen.
Kol narrowed his eyes suspicious. "What did I do?"
Elijah smiled being sent back to when Kol was a teenager and Elijah took the father role, even though Finn was the oldest, the role always seemed to fall into Elijah's lap naturally. "It's what you will do afterwards that worries me… there's a delicate subject that tomorrow will be on every newspaper and I wanted you to know about it firstly from me…"
"Ease up on the cryptic side and just hit me with it Elijah." Kol urged him.
There was a sigh and then he carried on. "Luka is going to be formally indicted tomorrow along with a few other detectives in his precinct by Internal Affairs, it's regarding some incidents that reportedly happened for the last months."
"What kind of incidents?"
"You know that I can't go into details with anyone about the case but… it appears there has been some power abuse and manipulating from him and a few others that formed a team dedicated to investigate and deal with gang wars." As he spoke Elijah knew this look on Kol, he was facing the table and concern was spreading to his features, he was worried about Bonnie. "Kol… it is just an indictment, just like in any other case, there is evidence to be analyzed and everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty without a shred of doubt in a court of law."
Kol shook his head silently, he wasn't buying that.
"And I will be defending Luka and his squad." Elijah cautiously added.
Kol shot his head to Elijah perplexed. "Why would you take that case? If anything, you need to be the one on the other side proving how he misuses that power he was given and how much of a corrupt he is."
"Try to tame your temper and remember that his father is a good friend of mine. Judge Martin is like a mentor, he is an honest and fair man who fights injustice without being bought like most judges in this city."
"He is not Luka and his son is not only a dirty cop, he is also set to marry Bonnie in less than a week."
Elijah raised his hand but Kol was already storming away from him. "We don't know if he did this Kol."
"He smashed my tail light in plain daylight and prior to all that, he told me to leave New York before he found a way to get me into some trouble that you wouldn't be able to help me with, he specifically told me that he would lock me up and that he would frame me so hard that I wouldn't be able to ever leave prison."
Elijah closed his hand in a hard fist. "You never spoke to anyone about this."
"Because I didn't know better and I was always in Clubs and partying so it wouldn't be that hard for Luka to come up with some wrongful drug accusation or something on those lines, besides... I was so upset that Bonnie was with him that I just left." Kol snapped. "And out there I had time to think and realize how much I always relied on you and the others to get me out of the amount of trouble I got myself into."
"If the Accusation finds out about this, they can use it to profile Luka and to set his personality in court…" Elijah started thinking about all the ways this could unfold.
"Stop thinking like a lawyer for a minute and help me out here Elijah, you can't take this case."
"I'm sorry Kol but I gave my word to Judge Martin." he said truly regretful.
"What happened to family? Don't we always stick together through it all?" Kol opened his arms. "Bonnie is about to go live with this man, if he uses that badge to his own profit what will he do to her the first time she doesn't agree with him on something? It's not like she can turn to the police for help." he was exasperating.
"Perhaps it would be wiser to stay away from him…"
Kol knew his brother well. "Perhaps I counted on my brother to help me protect the woman I love."
Elijah dropped his fist on the table silently as Kol left the house upset and hurt with him.
Rebekah made sure her hair was looking flawless before she knocked on the door of his office, she offered Vaughn a big smile when she came inside. "I have a draft, it's not much but I was hoping that you could tell me if I'm going in the right path."
Vaughn smiled taking the notes written in perfect handwriting. "I'll let you know."
"I wanted to thank you for the crazy assignment, it really messed with me at first but now I'm excited about it."
"I like excited students." he said in his thick accent.
She could tell he was flirting with her. "How many other girls are doing this precise assignment?" she asked keeping her eyes on his.
He only smiled and it was nothing short but a bastard smile. "I will email you tonight with my opinion." he dropped her draft on top of the table.
"I'll be waiting excited for it." she launched a flirt his way as well before exiting his office.
Rebekah was on a lust trip when someone showed up in front of her and kissed her without warning, she barely answered it even though she recognized the smooth lips. "Matt..." she breathed out when he released her lips.
He gave her a huge smile. "I was called to try out for the main team."
"Really?" she asked with a smile, she knew how important this was to him.
"If I impress them, I will be set for the rest of college, the professional scouts all come to the big games and I might just get picked up." he was so keyed up about it that Rebekah wanted to cry.
Why was she coveting after a teacher that would never be hers when she had the perfect boyfriend that she should be supporting and loving back as much as he loved her?
Rebekah collected herself pushing Vaughn out of her mind. "Well… now I really have to go to all the games and keep the cheerleaders away from you." Matt's answering smile was so warm and innocent that it broke her heart.
"As if I have eyes for anyone else, Beks."
She took his cheek and leaned over kissing him. "You better keep it that way or I'll remove them." she stated without a smile.
His hand found her neck and he powerfully pulled her closer to him so he could kiss her properly.
Bonnie rushed, she was still looking for her good shoes, she knelt next to her bed taking a box from under it, it held that one good pair of shoes that she kept for special occasions.
When there was a knock, she raised her head surprised.
She had one shoe on and the other was going on her foot when she opened the door. "Luka." she was definitely surprised. "I thought you were doing the night shift."
"I am but I had to talk to you." he came inside like he owned the house.
"What happened?" she pulled her long fringe to the side trapping it behind her ear slowly, he seemed upset.
"There will be some lies out tomorrow in the press that I need you to ignore."
She folded her arms resting her hands on her shoulders. "What do you mean?"
He looked coldly at her. "That someone is making up lies about my team and that you can't believe any of it."
"What did you do?" she asked him quietly but it instigated him to shout at her.
"I just said that they are lies!" Bonnie took a step back immediately and he could read her body language all too clear, she was scared of him. "I'm sorry…" he sort of calmed down.
Bonnie moved one arm across her chest like someone shielding. "If you say that you are innocent, I'll believe you." she simply said.
Luka sighed and neared her, even if she was stiff as he cupped her face, she didn't move away from him and he stroked her cheeks. "I'm sorry for shouting, I'm just under a lot of pressure because of this silly witch hunt that they are launching against us."
She smiled without showing how really frightened she was. "It's ok..."
"And I promise to make the time to go meet the priest and all that next week."
"It would be nice if you knew where we are getting married before the day of the wedding." she tried to sound funny.
He smiled at ease. "This marriage thing will help with the case, they tend to go easy on the ones with a family and I'm lucky to have the really altruistic girlfriend."
The comment left Bonnie a little uneasy. "When did you suspect that these lies would see the light of day?" Luka's eyes were cold and she could read all that unspoken truth in them, it did not match the smile he was keeping on his lips.
"Just now."
Bonnie smiled with a small nod, she didn't buy any of it and finally his urge to get married so fast made sense to her.
"I have to go back on patrol, I only wanted to warn you about this." Luka tried to relax her. "Expect the next few days to be crazy but the good news is that my father has some fancy lawyer defending us."
"We shouldn't worry then, if you are innocent and if you have a good defense…"
"Exactly." he pulled her closer so he could kiss her.
Bonnie kissed him back but there was no fire in her, she found it hard to remember if the same fire she felt when Kol kissed her was ever there for Luka.
He was very different from Kol, he was passionate but in a way selfish, he kissed her taking what he wanted not really caring if she was kissing him back with the same will.
When he was done shoving her tongue with his a few times he pulled away from her and released her face that he had been holding, Bonnie smiled again like she was expected and she only fully relaxed when he left the house.
When the door closed she realized she had been shielding from him the entire time, her arm was across her chest and her hand clutching her own neck, she closed her eyes wanting to erase the other perfect kiss from her mind knowing it was so different from what expected her in the near future.
"You came!" Caroline shouted excited at Sage.
Sage had the biggest smile as she arrived to the table Caroline reserved for them at the exclusive Club. "It's a chance to get out of the house so hell couldn't keep me away from here tonight."
Caroline barely contained her happiness. "Bekah and Bonnie are on their way already, this is going to be so much fun."
"Let's just hope that tiny Noelle doesn't decide to show up now that she finally has a name." Sage rubbed her big belly under the beautiful bright blue tunic.
Caroline touched her belly and Sage smiled moving it enough for Caroline to feel the baby kick. "I think she likes the music."
Caroline's eyes were wide and bright. "She's moving."
"She's dancing the disco right now." Sage sighed looking at the table. "You are having Midori? Oh Lord, how I miss alcohol."
"I got you some weird herbs stuff that is all organic and is supposed to taste like Midori." Caroline handed her a glass.
Sage took a sip from it. "It's… close."
Caroline took her green glass and made a toast with Sage. "To Bonnie."
"And evil plans to destroy weddings."
"How…" Caroline slumped her shoulders.
"Nothing happens in this family without becoming public knowledge."
Caroline sighed. "I hope Bonnie doesn't say yes to Luka and realizes that Kol is the right man for her."
"Like, is she on drugs on something? How can she resist a Mikaelson?" Sage took another sip from her special drink.
"I know..." Caroline widened her eyes in agreement.
Sage shook her head and the really long straight red hair moved with it. "I tried resisting Finn for two heroic months and now here I am five years later, with a baby on the way and the biggest smile on my face. Esther did an amazing job with these boys, they all know how to respect and make a woman happy."
Caroline knew a thing or two about that and held her drink with a sigh.
"Is it safe for you to be here?" Rebekah asked Sage when she arrived to the table.
Her sister-in-law looked at her with a raised eyebrow, they could always count on Rebekah's blunt ways. "I'm still two weeks away from my expecting time, so it's safe Bekah." Sage answered and moved her head to look at the shy girl coming to the table. "Hey Bonnie."
"Hi..." She smiled raising her hand and pulling her dress down a bit.
"Bon, you look so hot." Caroline said in wonder, the short dark green dress fitted Bonnie like a glove, it left one of her shoulders free and the small sleeve on the other one made sure the dress hugged her petite curves perfectly.
Bonnie blushed fighting with her fringe and clutching the handbag that once belonged to Caroline. "Thanks…"
"She looks stunning." Rebekah sat next to Caroline. "But so do you, miss I can wear a plastic bag and still look fabulous."
Caroline grinned, she knew she looked good in her tiny skirt and ruffled shirt but Rebekah was rocking a red dress that was tiny and had a single strap in her back. "We all look amazing."
"This is like that show about New York and sex." Sage said realizing the amount of style and beauty around the table.
"Different drink but same feel to it. I miss Sex and City." Caroline twirled her straw around her glass.
"I miss sex." Sage said ending her drink.
The girls laughed fully aware of the talks Finn had about the subject as well.
Bonnie mostly smiled and had her drink silently, she only listened as the talk unfolded and Caroline looked at her friend wanting nothing more than to see her happy one day and to see that exact smile that took over Bonnie when the hidden ace of tonight's plan arrived.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a sparkle in her eyes that one had to be blind to miss it.
"Am I not one of the girls?" Kol asked mystified.
"Best friend to the bride qualifies as a girl." Sage said in her married wisdom voice.
Caroline and Rebekah beamed with their new ally.
Kol sat next to Rebekah and across Bonnie. "You look searing B!"
"Shut up..." she blushed and then smiled into her glass.
"It will be hard to keep the male stripper away from you."
She jolted her head at him. "The what? I said no pranks…" she stopped because of the giggles coming from Caroline and Kol's smirk. "Ah ha, very funny."
"I did suggest one but Caroline was indecisive over the firefighter or the Cowboy fantasy, since police officer was out of the question."
Bonnie tossed a fiery scowl at him. "You are so inconvenient."
"But if you really insist on it, I could wear my military uniform and undress slowly for you." he leaned over the table bluntly poking her.
She looked away from his hazel eyes but her heart was racing, the unsettling image of Kol wearing a formal uniform made her dizzy.
"Or you could just move so I can go dance before I vomit all over you." Rebekah shoved him so she could get away, she pulled Caroline's hand taking her along with her.
The two girls immediately stole attention before they even reached the crowded dance floor.
"Wonderful idea, let's go dance B." Kol grabbed her hand but she looked at Sage.
The other smiled resting her feet on the seat in front of her and rubbed her belly happy. "She's dancing and I'm moving my head so we're good. Go have fun kids."
"We won't be long." Bonnie assured her concerned to leave her alone.
The older woman sent them away with both of her hands and then picked Caroline's glass smelling the alcohol with a loud moan. "Oh my sweet baby Jesus, how I miss you." she whispered with her eyes closed.
Elijah sat in a chair that he moved closer to the window, he sat there watching the busy city under his feet, he then loosened up his tie without taking it off and opened the first buttons of his shirt.
The noise of ice hitting a glass made him snap away from the silent talk he was having with the night, he looked up at the hand waving the glass at him and then at the owner of such beautiful fingers.
"It's not green tea." she waved the Scotch again.
Elijah took the glass silently.
"He will call you tomorrow and invite you for lunch and everything will be ok again among the Mikaelson Clan."
"Kol is stubborn and determined when he is upset." Elijah was happy with the drink once he started drinking.
"So you will be defending Luka... I understand why he isn't happy but this is your job Elijah."
It was adorable the way she was trying to defend and cheer him up at the same time. "In a way he is right, I am turning my back on the family and choosing my mentor over them." he was so conflicted about all this.
But she was not pleased and started tapping her black stiletto against the floor. "Elijah, it is not your fault that your baby brother didn't make a move on that girl before and now he is being unfair because you are literally left with no choice here. So stop this pity trip and let's get our hands dirty."
Elijah glanced up to her confused.
"It's obvious that you can't say no to the Judge but he can't be mad at you if you have someone on the Accusation like Katherine Pierce making your attorney life impossible…"
Elijah stood up slowly. "What did you do April?"
"I casually befriended Katherine's secretary and the other day when we were at the coffee shop I went to the bathroom and left a file on the table…" April smiled happy with her roguish ways. "Guess who sizzled her way into the Internal Affairs office the next day, claiming that she would crucify Luka and every bad cop in town?" she waited for some reaction but Elijah was simply staring at her. "Are you mad at me?" she asked worried.
Elijah left his drink on the chair and softly came closer to her, he stroked April's cheek with a smile and she returned it happy that he wasn't mad after all but Elijah took her by surprise next, he leaned over and kissed her lips.
April closed her eyes in heaven but too weak to do more than simply move her lips against his.
Elijah smiled when he pulled away, she had her lips slightly pursed and a very dazed look on her eyes when she opened them.
"My apologies for stealing our first kiss, do I have your permission to kiss you again?" he sweetly asked her.
She nodded eagerly at him so Elijah cupped her face and rested his other hand on the crook of her back, his thumb stroked her cheek as he leaned for another kiss.
April rested her hands on his chest and answered his kiss, parting her lips sweetly for him and this time doing more than just following his lead.
The girls were having a blast, finally Bonnie relaxed and started having fun, she was actually a good dancer, she just rarely went out since Luka hated Clubs.
They formed a small group in the middle of the crowd and danced with each other, Caroline danced back to back with Rebekah making a lot of the men stare and drool but they were immune to it by now and raised their hands in the air while Kol was having his own dance with Bonnie.
He twirled her around and she laughed without a care in the world, she wasn't even covering her mouth like she painfully did for the last year, she wasn't hiding her happiness or shielding from Luka's volatile temper.
Tonight she was happy with Kol.
The song changed into the chorus and everyone started clapping but Bonnie didn't, she shook her hair letting go for once of all the bad things that filled her life, she was so caught up in all of it that she missed someone bumping into her, when she staggered forward Kol caught her easily, he watched her with a strange awe that he missed before and she laughed with big sparkling eyes, toying with him.
His smile reached his enamored eyes and he moved his hand to her hair messing with her fringe which made her laugh but instead of pushing him away she danced closely to him, she moved her body perfectly in sync with the music and with his own body, he was an extraordinary dancer and for one night she forgot everything and everyone else.
She wasn't the everlasting friend with a crush on him and he was just a really hot guy dancing with her.
The guy at the bar watching her flirt with the Mikaelson boy took a picture with his phone sending it to his partner.
Luka growled enraged with the new message, he was right in his suspicion about this silly night out, that's why he asked his partner to follow her and now here she was, dancing dirtily with Kol and touching his neck like some cheap woman.
He put his phone away and took out his anger on the kid they caught today, too bad for him that he resisted the arrest.
At least that's what he was going to write on the report.
Soundtrack:
Got 2 Luv U – Sean Paul ft. Alexis Jordan