Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or it's characters. If I did, The Originals or Steroline wouldn't have happened, Kol would be alive and happily causing mayhem somewhere, and Klaus and Caroline would be travelling the world and sexing it up.
"I think I've decided on a date for the wedding." Bonnie announces one night over dinner, Kol's eyes lighting up in excitement at this.
She swallows around her mouthful of food as she blinks at her oldest friend. Kol and Bonnie had been engaged to closer for a year now, and together for about three or four beyond that, the entire way throughout university, actually.
According to Kol, they'd been trying to decide on a date for months now, as it was largely dependent on Bonnie's schedule at the hospital and when she had an uninterrupted stretch of dates available, or when she could qualify for some annual leave.
"That's great Bon." She tells her best friend excitedly. "When are you thinking?"
Bonnie puts her knife and fork down on her plate, placing them together in the universal signal that she was done eating.
"I know it's quite soon, but I was thinking next April. I'll be able to take some leave for the wedding and the honeymoon."
She mentally counts backwards the date in her mind, calculating how much time between now and then…
"That's five months babe. Are you sure that's going to be enough time to pull everything together?" Kol asks in concern, a frown creasing his brow. "Not that I'm absolutely thrilled, but I don't want you to be stressed over this anymore than you have to.
"I've been speaking to your mother actually." Bonnie tells Kol quietly. She's offered up the gardens at Wiltshire for the ceremony and reception. Are you okay with getting married there?"
Kol reaches for Bonnie's hand, squeezing it gently.
"Of course. The gardens are stunning. Mother will be thrilled that someone is making use of the space."
"She said that she'd help with most of the planning as well. You don't mind do you Caroline?" Bonnie asks, eyes landing on her in that moment, her hand still clasped with Kol's.
"No of course not. I'm happy to help if you ever need me though. You know that. And I expect to come with you when you go dress shopping. I won't tell Rebekah if you don't."
Bonnie smiles at her gratefully, nodding in agreement.
"Deal. So how did your date with Klaus go? As I recall correctly, you didn't come home?" Bonnie arches a single eyebrow as she tries and fails to stop herself from blushing.
"It was good." She replies, tapping her fingers against the wooden tabletop.
Kol perhaps sensing her uneasiness with discussing Klaus in front of him, rises from the table and begins clearing the dishes, moving towards the kitchen and away from them.
She leans forward, dropping her voice to just above a whisper.
"It was really good. I think we're together now, officially. We didn't really have a chance to discuss it?" She phrases it like a question as Bonnie smirks, leaning over to pour her some more wine.
"Drink up Caroline. I have a feeling we're going to need more wine for this."
"Hold still." Rebekah instructs her bossily as she crouches at the skirt of the handmade gown, sewing a few more seed pearls into place, securing them tightly.
She follows the other girls instructions to the letter, fearing the sharp jab of a needle should she not. Even she had to admit that Rebekah had outdone herself on this gown, it fit her like a dream and it was absolute perfection.
She actually felt like a princess, in the hand beaded creation that Rebekah had no doubt been slaving over for the past couple of weeks. She had no idea how much a gown like this would usually retail for, and to be honest she was a little afraid to ask.
Rebekah hadn't volunteered the information, and she had followed the other girls lead.
"Okay, done." Rebekah pronounces, straightening and stepping back with a relieved sigh. She watches as Rebekah tilts her head to the side, gaze taking her in from head to toe.
"You look beautiful." Rebekah finally pronounces with a self satisfied smile. "Klaus is going to love it."
"I love it." She tells Rebekah honestly, finally turning to get a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror, stepping off the small podium that Rebekah had positioned herself on before. "Thank you."
The dress itself was a pale ice blue, a high sheer neckline with delicate beading providing a modicum of modesty, something Rebekah had assured her would be suitable for tonight's event.
The skirt was full and floaty, weighed down only by the dozens and dozens of beads and crystals that were layered across the skirt in beautiful patterns, evidence of Rebekah's artistry when it came to dressmaking.
She supposed that's why Rebekah's label was a favourite of the Royal's and British high society alike. She'd also began to see some success in the US, when a young up and coming starlet had recently worn one of her ready to wear gowns to an exclusive industry awards show.
Hair and makeup people that Rebekah knew and trusted had come and gone hours ago, and she has to say that although she doesn't wear a lot of makeup outside of competitions, she's pleased with the overall result, with the smokey eye and the neutral lip.
"You're welcome." Rebekah replies, coming to stand next to her in the mirror. Rebekah is wearing another dress of her own, a beautiful forest green that she'd also whipped up in the last few weeks. The silhouette was modern and edgy, and it clung to her curves and the outline of her body wonderfully.
"Does Klaus know that you're bringing Enzo?" She asks curiously, nudging the other girl somewhat playfully.
Rebekah's lips curl up into a wicked smile.
"Oh no. I thought we could surprise him. Are you ready to go? Klaus and Enzo both said they'd meet us here. We can go separately."
The click of her heels against the wooden floor of Rebekah's atelier gives off a strange sort of echo before they're stepping out into the afternoon air.
Klaus and Enzo are standing side by side, both looking a million bucks in sharply tailored tuxedos, bow ties present around both of their necks.
She sees Klaus' sharp intake of breath when he sees her, and can't help but feel flattered as she descends the short set of stairs, taking his proffered hand as he bends down to press a gentle kiss to her cheek.
"You look beautiful." He remarks sincerely, squeezing both of her hands between his for a moment before dropping them. "Are you ready to go?" He asks, looking over her shoulder in surprise.
She turns, just in time to see Enzo greet Rebekah with a kiss. She hides her laughter at the stunned look on Klaus' face, tugging him towards the Maserati as he regains his composure and moves in long strides to open the door for her, holding her hand as she settles into the low vehicle.
It's only when Klaus has settled into the drivers seat and has buckled up his seatbelt that he turns to her.
"How long has Rebekah been dating Enzo?" He asks her, surprise still evident in his tone.
"Oh no, this is a conversation that you need to have with your sister. But she really likes him, for what it's worth. So do I. So go easy on him?" She replies as Klaus weaves through the traffic.
"I'll talk to Bekah later." Klaus promises, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "I don't like surprises, but as long as she's happy."
And that was that. They fall into easy conversation as they drive, even though the question of what they are exactly is hanging tantalisingly out of reach. She supposed that they were making things official enough if he was willing to take her out somewhere so public.
Sooner rather than later, they're approaching the venue, and Klaus twists in his seat to face her as the car slows to a crawl.
"There are going to be press photographers here tonight. Are you okay with that?" Klaus asks carefully, the unspoken question possibly the one that he's most seeking the answer to.
She squeezes his hand once from where it's resting on the gearstick.
"Let's do this, shall we?"
Klaus' answering smile is like the sun.
In all honesty, it was a lot easier than she thought it would be. The paparazzi were slightly less invasive than what she'd been subjected to previously, when she didn't even know that they were there.
She does her best to smile and make it seem genuine, even if she is shaking with nerves inside. She's used to being on a public stage thanks to her sport, but this was on another level entirely, and was surprised with just how confident Klaus was with everything.
Then again, he was the captain, and he had been doing this for quite some time now, probably just as long as she had been.
She sends a silent thankyou to Rebekah for making her dress so comfortable to stand and move around in, because the fabric and the beading gives her absolutely no trouble as they move along the red carpet and up the steps to the venue, Klaus' hand resting comfortably on her lower back as he lifts a hand in greeting to one of his team mates.
Klaus takes her hand once they're inside, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
"Okay sweetheart?" He asks quietly, bending his head towards hers so their conversation goes unheard. It's a sweet gesture, surprisingly intimate despite the fact they're surrounded by people.
She lets out a breath, whole body relaxing now that they're away from the bright flashes of the cameras.
The ballroom of the hotel is absolutely stunning, all marble and beautiful flooring, the decorations elegant and tasteful. Well dressed waiters circulate the room, trays of champagne and hors d' oeuvre's seemingly floating through the crowd.
Rebekah spots them from across the room, and it's with a somewhat determined look that she grabs Enzo's hand and drags him after her. Enzo looks faintly amused at the apparent forwardness of Rebekah, but lets himself be towed along until both of them are standing tall in front of Klaus.
She can't help but wink in reassurance towards Enzo, who gives her a quick smile before turning a careful gaze towards Klaus. Klaus has mostly ignored him, and is currently engaging in the stare off to end all stare offs with his younger sister.
"Are you happy?" Klaus asks suddenly, not turning his gaze away from Rebekah as he grabs two flutes of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter.
Caroline can't help but jump when Klaus presses one into her hand, fingers brushing against her wrist where fabric meets her skin.
"I am." Rebekah replies with a somewhat defiant tilt of her chin, her slender figure drawing the attention of many in the room tonight.
Klaus finally relaxes, smiling at his sister.
"Then I'm happy. It's all I ever wanted for you Bekah." Klaus dips his voice low, leaning in to brush a gentle kiss to Rebekah's temple. "I'd get you to introduce me but Enzo and I are well acquainted already."
Rebekah rolls her eyes at Klaus' theatrics but can't stop the smile from spreading across her face.
"I'm stealing your girl then Nik. I'm sure you're eager to interrogate Enzo. May as well do it now. Like ripping off a bandaid." She tells Enzo, who nods and tries to hide his laughter.
Klaus downs his champagne, and gestures for Enzo to follow him to the bar.
"Shall we then?"
She and Rebekah watch as the two men melt away into the crowd.
"Do you really think that Klaus is going to try and terrify Enzo?" She asks Rebekah once they're safely ensconced in the bathroom.
Rebekah just pouts at the mirror, reapplying a coat of lipstick and inspecting her appearance from every angle.
"He can try, but I like to think that Enzo is made of sterner stuff than that." Rebekah replies with a fond smile on her face.
"Your really like him, huh?" She asks of the other blonde, leaning up against the vanity and sipping at her champagne. "I mean, I don't blame you. Not my type, but he seems sweet. A gentleman."
Rebekah lifts a shoulder, tugging at her dress as she stows her lipstick away in her clutch.
"Yes, well I've very quickly discovered that they are very hard to come by, especially in London. I'm hoping that this will be a nice change from other guys that I've dated. Of course, it doesn't exactly hurt that he spends most of his time with you. If he gets the Caroline Forbes seal of approval, then that's enough for me." Rebekah tells her softly, and she can't help but smile to herself, at the fact that her good opinion means that much to Rebekah.
"Alright, enough sappiness for one evening. Let's go and find Katherine and get sloshed on expensive champagne!" Rebekah declares.
They exit the bathroom just as they're ushered towards their table, where Klaus and Enzo have already seated themselves, chattering away like the best of friends. She doesn't miss the pleased expression on Rebekah's face as Katherine rises, pressing a careful kiss to her cheek.
Katherine as always, looks absolutely amazing in a dress of jet black, the sheen of the fabric outlining every curve of her body. She's accompanied by a somewhat distinguished looking man. He's all dark features, classically handsome, and she can't help but suppress a shiver when that dark gaze is turned on her.
"Caroline, this is my fiancé Elijah Mikaelson. Bar Henrik the only other Mikaelson sibling that you haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting. Lijah, this is Caroline Forbes, Nik's girlfriend."
"A pleasure Ms Forbes." Elijah tilts his head towards her politely, but makes no further move to greet her. Taking her cues from him, she returns his nod with one of her own.
"The pleasure is mine Elijah. I've heard a lot about you, both from Kat and from Klaus. All of it good." She hastens to add, not sure why she's seeking to reassure him, when he looks so confident and self assured.
"I could say the same Caroline." Elijah surprises her with the use of her first name. "All of my siblings seem to speak very highly of you. Although it is probably long delayed of me to say so, please accept my well wishes for your Olympics campaign. I'm glad that you seemed to have made a somewhat speedy recovery all things considered."
"I can't take all the credit." She steps forward as Elijah pulls out a chair for her next to him, pleasantly surprised when he pushes it in for her. Chivalry certainly wasn't dead when it came to the Mikaelson men. "I do have a very good team surrounding me."
"So I've heard." Elijah replies with a faint smile, that dark gaze turning towards Enzo. "You vouch for Augustine?" He adds, waiting for her answer patiently.
"Of course. Both in a professional capacity and in a personal one." She replies firmly, recognising that Elijah was well and truly fishing for information when it came to Rebekah's new man.
"I'm glad to hear it. Tell me more about your recovery. A torn ACL is a rather hard injury to bounce back from, especially when it involves the use of explosive movement." Elijah drapes a napkin elegantly over his lap as the waiter sets a salad in front of him.
"It's been a long road. Still a long way to go, before I'm in fighting form to be able to compete. But I have a certain motivation to do well as it were." She tells Elijah honestly, really not willing to go into the whole Hayley Marshall drama back home. She made a mental note to get Elena to give her an update on the sly, Alaric would kill her if he knew that she was bothering herself over the upstart.
"I see. Has Niklaus told you anything about his own injury?" Elijah asks her, cutting into his meal with precise movements, long fingers wrapped around his utensils.
"I've seen the scar. I assume it was pretty bad, but he's been fairly tightlipped about it all. I'm guessing it was a pretty dark period for him, if my own feelings and emotions are anything to go by during those few weeks where I was unsure of my future."
"He was a shade of the person he is now." Elijah replies bluntly. "You are correct in assuming that it was a dark period for him also. I think though, that being around you has helped him immensely."
She can't help but turn her gaze towards Klaus, who is still chattering animatedly away with Enzo, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.
"His injury was recent?" She asks incredulously, because she never would have guessed based off Klaus' demeanour.
Elijah looks surprised at her question.
"It happened 18 months ago, Caroline." Elijah tells her quietly as she finally picks up her own cutlery and begins to attack her own salad. "He was out for half a season. Still blames himself for the fact that his team lost the final."
She sits and processes this information for a moment. Elijah just smiles at her gently.
"As I said, since your presence in his life we've seen a great change in Niklaus."
Klaus bends down to press a kiss to her cheek about an hour later, the scent of his cologne tickling at her senses. He smells divine, and she can't help but turn and press her face into his neck, eliciting a chuckle from him.
"I feel like I've been neglecting you this evening. Dance with me?" He asks softly as she balls up her linen napkin and places it next to her plate.
"Of course." She agrees readily, pushing her seat back and standing. The jazz band in the corner had struck up a tune some time ago, and she recognises the song somewhat absentmindedly as Klaus leads her onto the floor with other couples and pulls her into his arms.
She goes willingly, pressing her cheek against him, her other hand resting on the back of his neck.
"I thought I'd also see if you needed rescuing." Klaus tells her as he steers them easily around the dance floor towards a less crowded spot. "I know you've not yet met Elijah. I understand that he can e a little… intense."
"He's lovely." She reassures Klaus, glancing over at the older brother in question. "I didn't see it right away, but it's easy to see why he and Kat are so well suited. He obviously cares for you a great deal." She adds with a quirk of her eyebrows as Klaus smiles.
"We've always been close." He replies. "And what, pray tell, were you talking about so earnestly before? As thrilled as I am that the two of you are getting along so well, it didn't escape my notice."
The band switches to a slower track, notes blending in seamlessly as the transition between songs occurs. Klaus' hand slips down her waist, resting at the bottom of her spine.
"He told me a bit more about your injury." She remarks to him honestly. "I didn't realise that it had happened so recently."
A shadow passes across Klaus' face, perhaps in remembrance of the struggle and the hardships that came with rehabilitation.
"I thought that was it for me." He begins quite suddenly. "The prognosis wasn't fantastic from the outset, and everyone was treating me like kid gloves. Except for Enzo."
She remains silent, content to let him talk, sensing that he needs to get this all out.
"He came to visit me in hospital, demanded to the EPL that I be referred on to him. He was quite a cocky little bastard actually, said that he was the only person that could give them a chance in hell of having me on the mend and playing in time for a new season."
She can't help but let out a chuckle, trying to imagine Enzo facing down a room full of suits, daring them to give him access to one of their top players.
"They took a chance on Enzo. They'd never heard of him. He'd been doing great stuff in America, but had only recently returned to England. True to his word, he pushed me more than anyone else on my team. I'm in his debt for getting me back to my previous form."
"Do you find yourself more cautious now? Apparently it was a slide tackle that went wrong."
"Much more." Klaus allows, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, brushing his knuckles against her cheek almost reverentially.
She can't help but lean into his touch, squeezing her eyes shut as he tilts her chin up with gentle fingers.
"And what else did Elijah say?" Klaus asks, barely a hairs breadth of space between them. Her heart is stuttering in her chest and even now she's amazed at the effect that he can have on her.
"He said that you'd changed quite a bit in the past few months. Since I've been in your life." She replies quietly.
Klaus takes a step back and smiles at her, hands still held in his.
"I have. You've changed everything for me Caroline Forbes."
"I seriously thought that Klaus was going to figure out a way to murder me." Enzo tells her as he holds open the gymnasium door for her the next morning. They proceed into the foyer, Enzo slinging his sports bag over his shoulder.
She smiles to herself at Enzo's admission, signing in on the piece of paper with a messy scrawl before tossing the pen on the counter top.
"Oh come on, the guy can be seriously intimidating when he wants to be. That was a serious thousand yard stare he had going on. Thought I was going to be torn apart limb from limb. Don't even get me started on Elijah."
She turns to glance at him in surprise as Enzo lets out a nervous laugh.
"What about Elijah? I thought he was lovely."
"Klaus might be a little more obvious in his threats, but that doesn't make Elijah any less effective at delivering them subtly. They're both very protective of Beks it would seem."
"She's their baby sister. Of course they're going to be super protective. From what I hear, Bekah hasn't really made some great choices when it comes to the men in their life. But for what it's worth I don't think you have too much to worry about with Klaus and Elijah. Break her heart though…"
She trails off warningly as Enzo lets out a bark of laughter.
"Great, now I have to worry about you as well." He grumbles to himself as she gives him a beatific smile.
"Come on mr grumpy pants. I have a bar routine that I want to work on today. Then I thought we could maybe do some basic floor exercises, if you feel so inclined."
Enzo waves an arm for her to lead the way, and she pushes open the heavy gymnasium doors, stopping short at the sight of the brunette woman sitting patiently on the stairs waiting.
Waiting for her.
"Caroline Forbes." The woman drawls, unfolding her tall form from the steps and coming down to the gymnasium floor. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Alaric will be so pleased to know that you've been so dedicated to your training. What time is it, almost 11am?"
She squeezes her eyes shut momentarily, willing the woman standing across the way to be nothing but a hallucination, a side effect perhaps of her late night and late start this morning.
Isobel Fleming was Alaric's ex wife. She was also a stone cold bitch, but one of the best coaches currently on the Team USA roster. Isobel herself had been an ex gymnast for Team USA, competing in the Olympics in 1992 and 1996 before retiring and becoming a coach.
She and Isobel had always clashed personality wise, and she didn't necessarily agree with the methods that Isobel employed to get results from her gymnasts. It had ended in tears from her more times than she could count, when she was first vying for a spot on the team.
"I had a late night last night. I've been training hard all week, a late start isn't going to kill me." She replies stiffly, stalking across the sprung floors. Enzo trailing behind her, unsure as to how to handle the situation, if he should even intervene.
"Yes, did you have fun at your little function last night?" Isobel drawls, foot tapping against the wooden floor. "I did hear whispers that you'd netted yourself a boyfriend, but I didn't think you'd find one quite so high profile. I see you haven't learnt from your mistakes with Tyler."
"Don't mention his name." She hisses at Isobel, wrenching her gym bag from her shoulder and tossing it onto the nearest seat. "What the hell are you even doing here?"
"Trust me Forbes, the thought of spending the next couple of months stuck in this god forsaken country chills me to the bones. But here I am all the same. Someone's got to get you up to scratch in time for the World Championships."
"And Alaric just happened to decide that the perfect person for the job was you? He knows that you and I don't get along. Could he have not sent Jenna?"
"Jenna's good, but not good enough to whip you into shape in the short time frame that we have. You know that as well as I do." Isobel stares her down for a long moment. "You've changed. You wouldn't have been able to look me in the eye a year ago."
"Yeah, well, I guess I've learnt that a stone cold bitch is nothing but that. Should have left that bullshit behind in high school Isobel."
Enzo moves silently next to her, a show of solidarity as he gazes at Isobel, expression perfectly calm, perfectly blank. She's glad that he's here with her.
"Who the hell are you?" Isobel asks amusedly, red painted lips curling up into a smile.
"Enzo Augustine. I'm her physiotherapist. I'll be observing her training sessions, making sure she doesn't push herself too hard."
"That won't be necessary." Isobel waves him away like she would an annoying fly.
To his credit, Enzo stands his ground, planting himself down in the seat next to her gym bag.
"Actually yes it will." He replies lightly. "If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with Alaric. My instructions were clear and I intend on following them to the letter.
Isobel raises an eyebrow but doesn't bother to argue further with Enzo, instead turning to her.
"Well then. Shall we get started?"
AN:
Happy holidays guys! I wanted to get one more chapter of this bad boy out before I went away for Christmas with the family. I'll do my best to get something on How It All Ends as well, but can't really make any promises at this point.
I have no idea how long this sudden flash of inspiration is going to last for, but I'll ride it out as best I can.
Hope you all enjoyed- how many of you thought it was Tatia waiting for Caroline in the gym? ;)
Are any of you guys Shadowhunters fans? I've been writing a one shot for the Malec pairing and am toying with the idea of turning it into a full length fic. As much as I dislike Cassandra Clare, I do like where they've gone with the show.