Klaus' Porsche pulled into the studio, and Caroline was practically bouncing up and down from excitement. Well, almost. She remained seated like a big girl, trying to be nonchalant after displaying her earlier eagerness to get to his work. Normally, she wouldn't have cared so much, since she had been here plenty of times before when they tried to steal a quick make out session. But with the prospect of being officially Klaus' girl, and no signs of a Tatia reoccurrence, things seemed so much brighter. She still missed everyone, since she didn't see the group as often as she did when she worked for him.

Almost as soon as they pulled into the parking lot, a loud screech could be heard beside Caroline's side. She snapped around to see that it was just Kol in his customized golf cart. The very golf cart that had caused everyone more trouble than relief.

Caroline got out of the car to greet him, but he was already on his knees, hugging her tightly around the waist. Her arms shot up, not prepared for the greeting. It's not like she had been gone that long. He had seen her many times.

"YOU'RE BACK," Kol exclaimed dramatically. "And glowing, might I add."

"Kol, I've been coming here since Christmas," she said dryly, choosing to ignore his comment about her glow. Her shower sex that morning had been rather incredible.

"Don't ruin the moment," he sniffed with exaggeration, "I just missed you."

She smiled, and patted Kol's head affectionately. Caroline almost thought the confession was sweet, until his hands gradually slid down her backside, and his palms were on her ass.

With a quickness that almost gave her whiplash, Klaus had Kol by the back of the neck, and pulled him up. He shoved his younger brother toward the golf cart, and put his arm around Caroline protectively.

"Do that again, and I'll go find Sage," Klaus warned. "I'm sure she has some sort of problem on her hands that you caused."

"Don't be such a spoil sport," Kol complained, putting one arm around the back of his seat. "I was having fun."

"Go have fun with Anna," Caroline suggested playfully. Kol's eyes narrowed, and she wondered if she had hit sensitive territory.

"Anna and I are in a bit of a fight," Kol informed them. "She thinks the handcuffs I used were too tight."

"We're leaving," Klaus said quickly, dragging Caroline along with him. She couldn't stop giggling, and had to turn around briefly to wave goodbye to Kol. But she was surprised to see he was following in his golf cart.

"Oh come on! Let me give you two a ride at least?" Kol offered.

"I don't want to hear anymore about what you do behind closed doors," Klaus muttered, trying to ignore Kol.

"I won't say anything else!" Kol argued, almost running into a passerby because he wasn't watching where he drove. "Please?"

"Let's give him a chance," Caroline whispered to Klaus, giving him her best set of puppy eyes. "It could be fun."

"I doubt that," he mumbled back to her, but nodded nonetheless. "Fine."

Caroline smiled, and heard the recognizable screech of Kol's cart. Together, they hopped into the back, and held on when Kol sped off toward Klaus' trailer. As Kol began humming to himself, and being as happy as could be being the chauffeur, they passed the Salvatore brothers walking idly by. The two hurried to catch the roving cart before it got too far. Damon took the passenger's side, and Stefan hopped up onto the back with Klaus and Caroline.

"Happy to see you back, Caroline," Stefan smiled.

"Happy to be back," she agreed, leaning into Klaus.

"Before you all get sickeningly sweet," Damon said from the front, "Alaric wanted me to tell say that he's looking for you, Klaus. Something about preparing you for your next scene."

"Ah. Almost forgot," he said quietly, placing a kiss on Caroline's forehead, and then standing up on the still moving cart. "Time for me to leave you folks. I'll see you in my trailer shortly, love."

With a bow of his head, he waited patiently for a good time to jump off, and then made his leap. Caroline didn't know what in the hell he was thinking, but he landed with only a little staggering. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and watched him laugh all the way to Damon's trailer. He could still be such an asshole.

"That's not the first time he's jumped off of Kol's cart," Stefan told her, chuckling quietly.

"You all are idiots sometimes," she sighed, shaking her head. Caroline leaned her head against the palm of her hand, and stared at Stefan. "How are things with Rebekah?"

"Really good, actually. I've uh…been thinking about asking Rebekah to move in with me."

"Oh god," Damon groaned.

"Oh my gosh!" Caroline clapped, turning completely to face Stefan. "When are you going to ask her?"

"Can we not talk about my sister's personal life? I'd rather not know," Kol added, obviously disgusted at the turn the conversation was taking.

"Shut up, Kol! If I have to hear about kinky handcuffs you use, I can listen to Stefan and Rebekah's cute story."

"I think we've reached your stop then," Kol said, screeching to a halt, jolting all of them unexpectedly.

Caroline huffed, and got up from her seat, hitting Kol on the back of his head as she passed him. She heard Stefan laugh as he got off as well, leaving Kol and Damon to go off to wherever they needed to be. Together, Stefan and Caroline walked off to Klaus' trailer, where they could have more of a private conversation.

"Okay, time for girl talk" Caroline said, plopping down on Klaus' couch. She curled her legs up on the sofa, and looked to Stefan attentively. "Tell me things."

"There isn't much to tell!" Stefan laughed, taking a seat beside her. "I just…I want to take the next step. I want to wake up with her and not have to leave, you know?"

"Don't I ever," Caroline sighed.

"So how do I ask her then?"

"Have you thought about hiding the key somewhere she could find it and be surprised?" Caroline suggested.

"Yea, but where do I hide it? I think Rebekah knows something is up, and I'm worried she's expecting an engagement ring. What if I disappoint her?"

"You won't disappoint her, Stefan," Caroline assured him, patting his shoulder gently. "Rebekah loves you. Even I know that."

"So if I just left a little…I don't know…maybe a trail for her to follow? Like a scavenger hunt? And leave little clues around for her to go find it with?"

"Oh," Caroline cooed, unable to hold back the sheer cuteness of Stefan's idea. "That is adorable!"

"It's not that unique. And would it be too soon to ask her?"

"But it's cute! Do it," Caroline demanded. He couldn't just say that and not do it! Rebekah might be hard to please, but that would surely be something she'd like. "As for if it's too soon, do it only if it feels right. I can't tell you that."

"Now you've gone and given my girl high expectations," Klaus said from the doorway, leaning leisurely against it. "How am I ever going to please her now?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Stefan laughed, leaning back on the couch. "Done already"

"Or he could take notes," Caroline suggested nonchalantly.

"Or Stefan could stop placing ideas in your head," Klaus countered, moving further into the room and sitting beside Caroline. "And makeup doesn't take long when your working with perfection."

"Yea. Sure. And I guess this is my cue to leave. But I'll think about what I told you, Caroline." Stefan gave the two a final nod, and strolled out of Klaus' trailer. Caroline felt bad that he decided to go, but she did say she would rehearse lines with Klaus. Which had a high possibility of leading to other things. Hell, she might become more of a distraction than help.

"So, Debbie Downer," Caroline remarked, reaching for the script lying on the table. "Is this what we should be looking at?"

"That would be the script, love."

"What is the movie about?" Caroline skimmed through the pages, noticing that it looked like another action flick. Klaus really needed to branch out more, but she doubted he would go for a romantic comedy anytime soon.

"It's about a man and a woman who work for an agency that fights crime."

"Sounds cheesy," she teased. "And isn't that what your last one was about?"

"No, we had to fight against a curse in that one," Klaus reminded her. "But your words inspire such confidence. I assure you, it's not as bad as it sounds."

"Right. So who has been cast as your leading lady?"

"Why so curious?" Klaus smirked.

"I was only wondering. Just want to know whom you'll be spending time with."

"Well, I'll have you know—"

"Klaus," Katerina called as she swiftly marched into Klaus' trailer, without feeling the need to knock. Caroline jumped at the sudden intrusion, and realized they would need to lock that door more often. The last thing she needed was to be walked in on while her and Klaus did…activities.

"Nice to see you too, Katerina," Klaus said sarcastically. "Don't worry, it's not like knocking would have been more polite."

"Interesting," she noted, pretending to care. She dropped another stack of papers onto the table, and went right back to the door. The girl didn't even bother staying after her interruption. How rude.

"Who gave you that?" Klaus asked. He seemed confused by why she was delivering his most recent gift.

"Sage is busy cleaning up after Kol, so I got to play messenger," Katerina sighed, strutting out of the trailer without so much as a goodbye.

"Does she always do that?" Caroline asked, her brows knitting together.

"Unfortunately," he answered, picking up the stack of papers and handing them to Caroline. "This is yours."

"What?" Was this a joke? Caroline carefully took them, and flipped through the pages. It was another script. For the movie he was going to be in.

"Got you an audition, but you're going to have to do the work. Prove to them that you're worth taking a shot on. Which, I know you can do."

"Klaus…I don't know what to say."

"Thank you, you're the best, something along those lines?"

"I was thinking more…oh I don't know…what the hell?!" Caroline flipped out, smacking him with the packet of papers.

"Ouch. Not the reaction I was expecting," he said quietly, more to himself than to her.

Of course she wanted to be happy about this, but was this seriously happening? Had he honestly gotten her an audition for a role? How was she supposed to act in a movie opposite of him? She couldn't act! No matter how much exposure she had gotten, nothing had truly prepared her for the Hollywood lifestyle. Bonnie was slowly going somewhere with her singing career, and Elena was working on her book, but Caroline still hadn't decided what she was going to do. And she wasn't entirely sure acting was that path she was supposed to take.

"I mean…this is so sweet, Klaus…but I don't know how to do what you do," she tried explaining.

"I'll teach you," he said proudly. "Most people would kill for that lesson by the way."

"I don't even know if I want to act though!"

"You'll never know unless you try, so why not give it a go now? Unless you want to be an assistant your whole life, and never show your parents what you're really made of."

"Klaus…"

"Don't start that, Caroline. There's no need to be scared. Here, try this scene with me," he suggested, flipping through both of their scripts to find the correct page. "If you don't like it, we don't have to continue."

Caroline glanced down, seeing that the scene in question was about halfway through. This seemed like such a bad idea to her. What if she did go through with it, and only embarrassed herself? What if it was pointless to try?

"What if I don't get it?" Caroline asked.

"You probably won't," he shrugged, "but that has nothing to do with you. I didn't get every role I tried out for."

"Right," she trailed off; vaguely remembering the story John told her at the ball. "If your parents hadn't pushed you, do you think you would have kept trying?"

"No, I doubt I would have. But it might not have been my time to act. I might have tried again when I was older. We'll never know. I had no option. If it wasn't for Elijah's words of encouragement, however, I might not have ever enjoyed it. My parents made me work, but Elijah helped me like it."

"And will you motivate me?" Caroline asked, flicking her gaze up to meet his. "If I get discouraged?"

"Always," he grinned.

Klaus took his script, and began pacing around the trailer. Caroline stood up, holding her script tightly, and trying to figure out what he wanted her to do. He was scanning over the pages wildly, flipping back and forth occasionally.

"What do I do first?" Caroline asked timidly, looking back down to study the lines.

"Read how you interpret your character to be," Klaus instructed, waving her on to begin.

Caroline took a deep breath, looking down at the first few lines she had. She looked at how the scene was set up, where the two characters were, and the dialogue between them. Unfortunately she didn't know her character's history, since Klaus had just turned to a random page. But with what she did know, Caroline gave it her best shot.

"So you're telling me they escaped?" she began, reciting the lines seriously. Caroline tried to make her gaze fierce, and keep her back straight. She wanted to play a tough, but sensitive character. Someone who fought crime could be that, right? She would know better when she got to look at the earlier pages.

"I'm telling you those damn cuffs you gave me were flawed," he retorted, using an American accent. "They wouldn't have ever kept Peterson held for long."

"So now this is my fault?" she asked incredulously.

"I never said it was anyone's fault!"

"But you implied it."

"Well that was never my intention," he said tensely.

"Do you think I don't know how dangerous they are? Do you honestly think I would ever not check to make sure those handcuffs weren't faulty?"

"But you didn't!" Klaus shouted, storming over to Caroline. The sight scared her a little at first, but then she remembered this wasn't real. He was acting, and he wasn't actually mad at her. "You didn't check those handcuffs because you were too busy fooling around with that scumbag down the street!"

Caroline furrowed her brows, glancing down at her lines to make sure she got them right. "That 'scumbag' is nothing more than a friend."

"That's not what it looked like when you two seemed awfully cozy outside that restaurant!"

"That was weeks ago! And he was helping me through a tough time!"

"I'm sure that was it," he scoffed.

"He was helping me because you were off talking to that whore we brought in!"

"I was interrogating her!"

"She was straddling you for gods sake!" Caroline's voice rose as she tried to imagine someone else on Klaus. It was obvious this character had feelings for Klaus' character. It didn't seem so coincidental now that Klaus had chosen this particular part to act out.

"I can't play along? Or do you expect me to shut her down and never get the answers we need?"

"I expected you to be a professional, not ask for a lap dance!"

"Why would it fucking matter if I got anything from her?! Can't we all play nicely?"

"Because!" Caroline said, marching forward so that her face was right in his. She knew what part was next. Damn him for choosing this scene, but at the same time, she was perfectly okay with it. Not only did she feel extremely in character right now, but she also knew a part of her was seeping through. It felt a little too real, in that moment, to not be true.

"Because what?" Klaus somehow was able to hold that anger in his eyes that he had kept throughout the whole scene, but she saw a little tenderness break through. Caroline was beginning to wonder what their characters were feeling, and what they were feeling. The two sides were already starting to merge together.

They both stood there like that for a couple minutes, and Caroline found herself having trouble getting the words out. Klaus didn't push her though. He only stood there, seemingly mesmerized by her. She knew she could say them. Something inside told her that. But her mouth wouldn't move properly.

"I…it doesn't matter," she sighed, turning around like the script said to do. The words were coming soon.

Caroline felt Klaus grab her arm—which was also scripted—and felt her body being turned around so she was face-to-face with him again. This time, his eyes searched hers, and she felt like the vulnerable one. No matter how much his eyes said otherwise.

"It matters," he said slowly.

And then, Caroline no longer felt in character. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this acting thing, because she was beginning to mix the lines between what was scripted, and what felt real.

"I love you," she told him quietly, moving her hand to his chest. "I love you, Klaus."

"Scene," Klaus said quickly, before moving his lips down to hers. She felt her arms slip around his neck, and his tighten around her waist, bringing her in closer. Caroline forgot all about the script in her hand, letting the packet fall to the ground carelessly.

The sound of someone slowly clapping by the door made them pull their lips apart, but Caroline remained firmly in Klaus' arms. Elijah stood there smirking, an amused eyebrow arched as he watched the two kiss. Well this was awkward. How long had he been there?

"You were doing so well," he chuckled, moving further into the trailer to grab the fallen script. He began turning the pages, looking at them with interest. "Just as I thought…Klaus' character is named Landon. And I don't believe any kissing was supposed to happen yet."

"Good thing the scene was over then," Klaus said breathlessly, chuckling as he took the script back from Elijah. The eldest brother still looked entertained.

"Well…I can only say that if Caroline were to get rejected for the part, I'm sure Finn and I could use her in an upcoming movie," Elijah mused, walking to the door. "That was quite a believable performance."

Caroline stood there stunned as Elijah left, leaving her in silence with Klaus. He actually thought she had potential?

"I don't know how I'm supposed to have this role with someone else now," Klaus mentioned, stroking a strand of her hair back. "No one will ever be able to fill your shoes."

"I don't think I feel very good about letting someone have this role anymore," she added, thinking about how it felt so real in the moment. What if that happened with Klaus and another woman?

"Trust me, sweetheart, no matter who gets that part, it will never be the same."

"But what if it gets too intense? What if…that happens?" She asked, referring to what had just happened. Klaus only laughed.

"Then you'll just have to run every part with me first, so no one will ever compare."

"Smooth," she laughed, "real smooth."

"Come on, I have to get to the set. I would love your company. You could take notes for your audition tomorrow."

Klaus smiled smugly, and together, they walked outside to head toward where he had to be. Caroline felt nervous for tomorrow, but at the same time, she felt excited. This was the big push she needed. It was the big step toward something she had always wanted. It was something to work for besides being someone's personal errand runner.

As the two of them walked out, she noticed the bustling around her. How Stefan and Rebekah were talking to themselves off by his trailer. How Damon and Alaric were laughing together, while still trying to swallow the food from their plate. She noticed Elijah and Katerina off in the distance, and how Katerina played with the costumes, while Elijah shook his head at her.

And she even noticed how Anna was storming after a maniacally laughing Kol, who was escaping her menacing glare by driving away in his golf cart.

Yes…this was her family. But it was a pretty damn good family, if she said so herself. The future continued to look brighter, no matter what happened between her and Klaus. Even if they never got a happily ever after, she knew this would be a time in her life that she always remembered. All the heartache, all the confusion…it was worth it in the end.

If she hadn't gone through all of that pain, she would have never gotten here. And that would have been a crying shame.

A/N: Hope the fluff was to your liking. Expect much of the same next chapter, if not more haha. I know this probably wasn't as long as everyone would have liked, but there is only so much to write sometimes lol.

And guys. There is one chapter left. I can't believe we're already there.

I'll save the longer author's note for next chapter, but you guys have been so amazing for supporting this. Never forget that.

Until next time =)