So I hope you guys don't mind but I'm going to have my own little acceptance speech moment here in lieu of the Oscar's happening a while back. Recently this story reached a whole ton of milestones and I just wanted to thank everyone who has read and supported this story whether it was from chapter one or if you're just coming on board now.
Reactions to last chapter got Take Care to over 500 followers, 200 favorites and 300 reviews. That's crazy so thank you all so much! Nothing makes me happier than waking up to a whole bunch of emails from fanfiction, letting me know your reactions to a chapter. Your opinions really do drive so much of what I write. Thank you for all being wonderful!
Caroline was having a really hard time deciding how she had gotten to this point in her day. How exactly had a situation that never would have occurred in her wildest dreams a few months ago now become her new reality? She had to be living in some kind of parallel universe. That was the only explanation for it, because there was no way in the real world she would ever be sitting idly in a chair while Klaus Mikaelson, the former bane of her existent because he loathed her to the current bane of her existence because stuff that was just way too close for comfort had just gone down in an elevator- namely how she felt as he had wrapped his arms around her, and her father played chess. There was just no way this was real life.
After her Dad had caught them in a somewhat compromising position on the elevator-again she had neither the time nor the patience to even begin to reflect on that- she had of course in a completely flustered manner tried to lead her Dad back to his room. He wasn't supposed to be up nor was he supposed to be trying to find a vending machine so he could indulge in a totally unhealthy chocolate bar.
A little while earlier...
"Dad are you serious?" she had asked him outraged, now standing outside the elevator and closer to her father. "What if you fell and got hurt, or lost?"
Bill gave his daughter a "what do you take me for" kind of look before replying calmly.
"Caroline it's my heart that's the problem, not my head. I think the chances of me getting lost within a single building are slim at best."
"Not even the point!" she retorted, "You're not supposed to be eating chocolate or any other type of junk food for that matter." She tried to placate him, "If you're hungry, after I bring you back to your room, I'll get you some jello."
"Jello," Bill Forbes scoffed like it was a dirty word. "Son, let me ask you something," he said turning to Klaus who she just noticed had also exited the now closed elevator and was standing patiently behind her, no doubt reveling in her being so uncomfortable.
"How many grown men do you know who frequently indulge themselves in jello when they're hungry?"
"None to my knowledge sir." He answered with a smirk. Oh, he was definitely enjoying this.
"Not helping." She snapped at him over her shoulder to which he only shrugged.
"You see," Bill motioned with a flick of his hand at Klaus. "I am done with eating jello. If I can't indulge on my death bed Caroline, then where can I?"
Caroline was about to tell her Dad that if he didn't get back to bed, death would come before he reached it, and it wouldn't be because of a heart problem, but because she herself would kill him. Much to her annoyance though, the Brit behind her decided to speak again.
"What's your poison Mr. Forbes?"
Caroline thought Klaus was joking but Bill took the question with the utmost seriousness, "That would be a Snickers bar."
"I'll be back in a moment." Klaus responded, already pressing the button for the elevator to come back up.
"Klaus no!" Caroline chastised as though speaking to a dog, "Do not go get him a chocolate bar. He's not supposed to be eating sweets."
But her efforts were fruitless as the elevator doors opened and Klaus stepped on without throwing her more than an unconcerned glance over his shoulder.
"Sweetheart," Bill tried in a placating voice. "He was just caught practically groping you on an elevator by your old man, he's got to make up for it somehow."
Caroline groaned. She had hoped maybe he hadn't seen as much as that but apparently he had caught a good eyeful of her wriggling around in Klaus' arms. She was mortified but Klaus chuckled behind her. Had the doors not closed yet?
"Room number 7!" Bill shot out as the doors finally decided to shut.
She huffed, more than just annoyed at the both of them.
"Come on," she said, turning back to her father. "Let's get you back to your room."
When Klaus returned from the vending machines, he was surprised to see Caroline standing outside her father's room versus in it, but the stern look on her face told him not to mention it and risk aggravating her further.
He approached her with caution, a far cry from the predatory way he'd gone up to her earlier in the elevator. He wondered if her glare at him was more about that than the candy he carried in his hand. Something told him whichever reason it was wouldn't bode well for him.
"I got the chocolate bar." He said to break the silence she was refusing to.
"Great, can I have it?" she asked tersely, holding her hand out.
Klaus smirked, already on to her game, "I think I should deliver it personally. Wouldn't want it to fall into the wrong hands now would we love? I mean we wouldn't want it to suddenly disappear between here and your father's bed."
She was having none of it right now as her face remained impassive and stony.
"Not too sure how that will happen with the distance being all of eight feet."
He just smirked again at her, still finding annoying her as fun as it had been when they first met. "I have faith in your wicked ways," he teased.
"Pull something like this again and it will be my murderous ways you should be concerned about." With that she snatched the chocolate bar from his hands and turned to leave but for the second time that day he made to follow her.
Halting, she spun on her heel to face him. "What are you doing?" she hissed. Why could he not leave her alone? She was beyond flustered and she needed him to go bug someone else.
"Just making sure the package lands in the right hands love." He replied, still unfazed by her anger.
"Rest assured it will, now scram." She gestured with her hands for him to move along but he remained, his only movement being to cock his head to one side as if to examine her closer.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me love."
"You thought right. I am trying to get rid of you! Now go."
But Klaus made no motion to move.
"You know, this morning I couldn't get you to leave me alone about leaving Henrik's room, and now that I've left, you're angry all over again. It appears there is just no pleasing you Nurse Forbes."
"Because I didn't mean for you to leave it to come and bug me."
"Why are you so against me meeting your father?"
His blunt question caught her off guard. She was already a mess of emotions without him asking questions she couldn't form an answer to because really why was she so against it?
Was it because she didn't want him seeing her dad like this? It was one thing to see him standing, dressed, and trying to move on his own, it was another to see him lying in a hospital gown and in a bed with an I.V. as he was now. Then again, some of her friends visited with her Dad. Bonnie for example came by frequently, as did some of her friends from her hometown when they came to Chicago for a visit. Why should Klaus be any different? Was it that she didn't want to be on this floor with him where only a relatively short time ago, he had yelled at her? That seemed like another lifetime ago now and she could barely process the last half hour as it was. He needed to go so she could have some space with herself.
She was an analyzer, an over thinker, and she could neither think nor analyze if he didn't leave her alone to do it. His presence just overwhelmed everything.
"You just met him." The retort sounded week even to her own ears.
"I meant formally."
He continued to look at her expectantly as she tried to come up with an answer.
"Oh I see," he nodded after a beat, seeing through her hesitancy much too quickly. "So when you want me to be open and vulnerable with you and what is happening in my family then its perfectly alright and I'm a prick for being guarded but you won't extend to me the same courtesy."
Caroline scoffed at his deduction. "What I do for you and your family is apart of what makes me good at my job. This has nothing to do with your job."
"I would argue my job as your friend is to be there for you and your family. Furthermore it isn't as though you haven't crossed the line beyond what makes you Henrik's nurse."
It was the worst possible thing for him to say. First Bonnie and now Klaus was questioning her professionalism. What exactly was it she was doing wrong? And who was he to talk about being professional after what had just transpired not half an hour before?
"Well I think you crossed the line of what makes you a friend in that elevator!"
Caroline had to do everything in her power to stop herself from clamping her hand over her mouth in shock. She hadn't meant for that to come out at all, little lone as suggestive as it sounded but there it was, laid out in front of them. She both wanted and didn't want him to address what had happened earlier. She was worried once they did everything they had worked to build would change, but she had been feeling it since she'd been in that stupid metal box with him. Things were changing.
"What?" he asked shrugging it off, "Making you laugh? Seeing you smile, and having fun? No sweetheart I very much think that constitutes the borders of friendship."
Caroline took a deep breath because now she felt like an idiot. Clearly she had read the whole thing wrong. A minute ago she thought there had been something more but apparently that was just how Klaus treated all his friends, unless he was purposely avoiding the topic. Either way he was making it clear they weren't going to talk about it. Well fine, if he wasn't going to address it then she could do the same.
Was that why she didn't want him to meet her father? Because she did think of Klaus as more than a friend and it was weird? Bonnie came to see her Dad and that was okay, so did her other friends. Maybe he was right and the openness between them was one sided. On many occasions she had pushed him to be honest and vulnerable with her, and although she had opened up to him about a lot, he was clearly the one more exposed thus far. As much as she would stick by the fact that it allowed her to do her job properly- he never would have left her alone had they not become friends- he did have a point. For a while now he had been the vulnerable one. Maybe she should give something back.
"Fine," she forfeited, handing the chocolate bar back to him. "Go on in."
"I'm honored you're allowing me the opportunity to personally deliver this." He replied sarcastically but with a smile, sidestepping his way around her and walking into her Dad's room like it was something he did everyday.
Caroline had to take a moment in the hall to collect herself before following behind him. This was going to be one hell of a visit.
Present Time...
And so far it was. It was really a shame, Caroline concluded, that Klaus wasn't into relationships; he would have killed it at the meet the parents' part.
Caroline sat by her Dad, filling out some more of the paperwork the hospital needed from him while he and Klaus played chess on the other side of his bed. They didn't say much but every so often they would lose focus from their game and carry on a conversation, before it would eventually turn back to more chess. Bill had even offered Klaus a piece of the prized chocolate bar he brought him, which was really saying something. They were in their own manly world. Honestly Caroline could have probably left and they wouldn't have even noticed.
The focus away from her by her father was allowing her to take care of some administrative tasks so to speak. She had already tidied up his room and gone through more paperwork- now just finishing it up. Usually her Dad tried to coax her into taking it easy, and relaxing. While that was nice, it really wasn't in her nature to sit still while there was work to be done.
"What is it you said you did Klaus?"
Caroline's ears perked up at the beginning of a new conversation. Neither man took their eyes off the board to talk but the lack of eye contact didn't seem to faze either of them.
"I didn't." Klaus replied, moving one of his pieces on the board, "I'm in the hospitality field, mostly restaurants, and that sort of thing."
Caroline gave an unladylike snort, actually managing to pull both sets of eyes away from their game. She blushed but spoke anyways, adding an eye roll for good measure.
"Him saying he's 'in the field' is like the president saying he's 'in politics.' It's a bit of an understatement." She told her Dad, making sure to add air quotes to illustrate her point.
Bill turned back to his opponent. "Want to try that answer again?" he asked sternly.
Klaus smiled and shook his head in defeat. "My brothers and I own a chain of hotels and several restaurants and clubs here and in the U.K."
Bill contemplated his next move on the board, "That must certainly keep you occupied. I'm surprised you have the time to sit and play chess with an old man like myself."
"Yes, I was recently scolded for not spending enough time at work." Klaus shot her a pointed glance to which she responded with another eye roll. Trust him to twist her words in such a way.
"Actually," he continued, "My younger brother is admitted here full time so I spend quite a bit of my time here while my siblings and I share turns watching him. My brother Elijah is with him now."
Caroline almost scoffed again at his use of the phrase "quite a bit of time." The man basically lived here. But as she was sure he didn't want to further divulge with her Father details of Henrik's situation, she kept quiet.
Bill looked between them with a look of concentration before an expression of realization came to his face, "Oh you're that guy."
Klaus seemed to freeze, as did Caroline. Yes she had told her Dad all about the guardian of one of her patients who constantly gave her a hard time, of course that was before they had blown up on each other and subsequently made up. Since then she hadn't said much to her Dad about Klaus, and since she had barely said anything regarding Henrik's actual case as it would have been unprofessional of her, he had probably assumed she no longer saw him. Great, now Klaus was going to think she was blabbing all sorts of things about him and his family to whoever would listen. And she had just gotten him to trust her. What was the expression? One step forward and two steps back?
"I wasn't aware Nurse Forbes had given me a title or what has constituted me as 'that guy.'" Klaus responded guardedly. Yep he definitely thought she told her Dad all sorts of personal information about him.
"Actually I think your formal title for awhile was the know it all jerk from the fourth floor. Beyond that I don't know that much about you. Only that you were an elder sibling not a parent, and that you liked to give my daughter's life difficult."
A myriad of emotions crossed Klaus's face; one of them if she wasn't mistaken being guilt, but Bill spoke again before he could respond. "Well you two have obviously made up."
It was official. This could not get any more embarrassing.
"I'm sorry to hear about your brother." Bill said solemnly, changing topics. "Children shouldn't have to be anywhere near this place."
Klaus gave an appreciative nod that simultaneously seemed to indicate it was all he would say on the subject.
With the potential for awkwardness to take over, Bill changed the subject turning back to Caroline, "Speaking of little, how's my surrogate granddaughter?"
"Abby," Caroline clarified, noticing Klaus' shocked expression at the mention of a granddaughter and happy to move on to another topic. "Klaus has actually met her, she's a big fan of his, and honestly I'm not too sure. I haven't spoken to Bonnie all week."
"That's never a good sign." Bill replied, before turning to Klaus, "A tip about my daughter Klaus; She's most dangerous when she's not talking to you."
Klaus chuckled. "I've had the unfortunate experience of bearing her silent treatment. Not something I would wish on anyone. What happened love?" he asked, turning to her with sympathetic eyes which she quickly glanced away from.
Caroline just sighed, too lost in her own thoughts to answer right away. She couldn't very well say, "Actually, my best friend basically thinks I have feelings for you." Bonnie's statement seemed ludicrous to her a few days ago but honestly maybe she had picked up on how Caroline was feeling before she herself had. Klaus had also just pointed out that they were crossing boundaries. Obviously his version of boundaries was different but still there was more between her and him and his family than any of her other patients. She could agree with certainty that much was true. She was putting her friendship with him and his family over her working relationship. It wasn't to a point where it would ever negatively affect her relationship with Henrik, but when the Mikaelsons came to mind she didn't think patient and his family. She thought friends, and after today, with Klaus giving her those looks and touching her how he had, it was even more complicated then that, because that fluttery feeling in her stomach-one which she was all too familiar with- was now attached to him every time their eyes met. Whether he felt it too or not and whether she wanted to fully think and deal with it because this was a situation where absolutely nothing could happen between them, it was there.
Maybe Bonnie had a point and sensed it before she even knew. She still didn't think Bonnie had any right to say anything when she was keeping such a huge secret from her but that didn't mean there wasn't some truth to it. Caroline had a crush.
"Caroline?"
"What? Oh sorry." She flushed, coming out of her thoughts and making sure to avoid eye contact with Klaus, for fear of all she was thinking, showing on her face.
"Were waiting here with baited breath for you to tell us what happened." Her Dad said, reminding her that her father was very much still present as she thought about Klaus' hands on her…bad Caroline! Very Bad!
Caroline sighed, "Basically Bonnie was being Bonnie, you know honest and way too intuitive for my liking? Most of the time it's the qualities I love most about her but the timing of the input she decided to give me on my life, which gave me no time to process what she was trying to say, was off and I didn't take it well. At the time I thought it was the content of what she was suggesting but looking back on it she wasn't necessarily wrong with her assumptions.
I think me being upset was more because as you both know she still isn't telling me who Abby's father is and as much as I don't want to be judgmental, how can she comment on my personal life when she isn't sharing hers with me, you know?" Caroline finished, looking at the two men for back up or for one of them to jump to her defense and say she had every right to be angry. Of course instead they both looked totally calm and unperturbed.
"And you still have no idea why she hasn't told you about the father?" Klaus finally asked.
Caroline shook her head. "Not a clue. We have told each other everything since we were five but the biggest, most important part of her life, she keeps as a secret! I've thought of a million reasons for her to hide it from me and yes, some of them make sense. Like you said before, maybe she hasn't even sorted it out for herself. Bonnie's very spiritual and all about inner peace and stuff so it makes sense that if she's grappling with it or hasn't, oh I don't know, accepted it, then she wants to keep it to herself, but as long as she's not telling me how is it fair for her to comment on my life? That's not something a best friend does."
"But Caroline," her father tried to reason with her, "What you're comparing is apples and oranges. Bonnie commenting on your life, no matter what the topic, isn't related to what she is going through. You can be upset with her for giving an opinion you don't agree with, but it's not fair to be angry because she's not sharing a completely unrelated aspect of her life. The two topics are irrelevant to each other."
Caroline didn't find that very fair. She wanted sympathy, not a lecture. She still thought she was right but she always found it hard to argue with her father. It was the little girl in her who always wanted to live up to her Dad's expectations of what it was to be a good person. She didn't want to accept that what had happened between her and Bonnie was her responsibility to move past, but it was difficult for her to visibly disappoint her Dad. Maybe she should just call Bonnie and apologize, though what for she wasn't entirely sure of.
As if reading her thoughts, Klaus spoke.
"I don't necessarily agree with that."
Bill raised his eyebrows at the younger man, curious to see where this would go. Even lying in a hospital bed, Bill Forbes was intimidating. Especially to men who eyed his daughter in the way he noticed Klaus kept doing over the last hour.
Taking in Bill's expression, Klaus sat up a little straighter.
"With all due respect Mr. Forbes, I don't think its unreasonable for Caroline to expect Bonnie to put in the same commitment to honesty their friendship has seemingly always had in the past, especially if Bonnie feels the need to be opinionated with you about your personal choices," he concluded, turning back to her before continuing, "No, I understand why you are upset with her but to change our perception for a moment love, has Bonnie ever explicitly said that she's comfortable not telling you who Abby's father is?"
"What do you mean?" Caroline asked. Bonnie was hiding something from her and that was her choice. She had never considered how she felt about choosing to not tell Caroline.
Klaus leaned forward in his chair, still gazing at her intently, "Your argument is that by making a comment on your life, she is being a poor friend as she herself has been keeping a secret from you for quite some time, yes?"
Caroline shrugged, not too sure where he was going with this and not in the mood to be proven wrong by him. Her Dad was one thing. Klaus was another.
"I suppose."
"But maybe as your friend she already knows this. From all you've told me about your friendship with her, it sounds like the two of you have always been there for each other. She is probably as unhappy with herself for not feeling capable of telling you as you are with her. Perhaps Bonnie's attempt to still try to give you advice is not her being a poor friend but rather an attempt at being a good one despite her own secrecy."
Caroline smacked her forehead and closed her eyes with a groan, "Oh my God, you're right."
Caroline hated that what he said made so much sense. But when she thought about it from a different perspective her whole argument fell apart. Bonnie wasn't being a bad friend by questioning her relationship with Klaus. She was being the best friend she could by still trying to offer her honest opinions even though she wasn't ready to tell her who Abby's father was. Did that still bug Caroline? Of course it did, but letting one secret come between the ways they normally communicated with each other was a lot worse. All that would do was put more distance between them.
She still didn't know if she was ready to call Bonnie, neither her timing nor her delivery had been appropriate but she knew when they did speak, she'd be ready to talk, and honestly after her day with Klaus, she had a lot to say.
"I should be offended she acts surprised." Klaus said offhandedly to her father.
"It's not my fault you're usually wrong," she retorted, still deep in thought about Klaus' take on this. She almost missed him stand up and shake her Dad's hand.
"Mr. Forbes its been a pleasure, but I have to be off. I apologize for not finishing our game."
"Not a problem son, thank you for the contraband. Take care of yourself." Her father said returning the handshake.
"You're leaving?" Caroline asked surprised.
Klaus smirked. For someone who hadn't wanted him to come in, she seemed quite disappointed he was going so soon.
"I have to get back to Henrik. Elijah will have to leave soon, and I've overstayed my welcome here as is." He said referring to how she felt about him coming in earlier. He wanted her to correct him but Bill was the one to put him at ease.
"Not at all, come back anytime Klaus. Wish your brother the best for me."
"Thank you Mr. Forbes." He really did like the man, he could see a lot of Caroline in him.
"I'll walk you out." Caroline made to get up, but Klaus waved her off.
"Don't get up sweetheart. I'll talk to you soon. Have a good night, the both of you." With one last meaningful glance at her, he made to leave.
"Okay, goodnight Klaus." She replied, sitting back down, more at peace with her friendship with Bonnie. Way less at peace with her friendship with Klaus.
Klaus was barely out the door when Bill shot his daughter a knowing glance. "Nice friend you have there. It takes a lot to calm you down when you're on a rant. Obviously you trust his opinion."
Caroline was going to reply that yes he was and yes she did, when she caught a knowing smirk on her father's face. "Ugh" she rolled her eyes, "Dad, it is so not like that!"
"Uh huh." Bill replied unconvincingly.
"Seriously! It's not. He's my patient's brother."
"And I would expect nothing less than for you to honor that, but from the little you've told me about his brother's case, he most likely won't be your patient forever."
"You know its getting creepy, you trying to set me up right?"
"I just want to make sure you're living your life to the fullest and are surrounding yourself with those who make you happy. He seems to do that and after your last break up- well you haven't spoken about anyone new since."
She rolled her eyes again at her father's attempt to ensure she didn't end up alone. "I'm allowed to be single once in awhile. Most Dads I know much prefer when their daughter's are only occupying themselves playing with their pet cats. What happened to the man who used to stand at the door, only to scare the crap out of my dates?"
A nostalgic look came over her Dad. "Now those were some happy times. But that is my point Caroline; since you were 15 you've either been in relationships or dating. And while as your father I've been thrilled to see you be independent for a while, I think you needed it, I just want to ensure you're single because you are happy, not because you're spending your time between here and watching Abby."
The last thing Caroline wanted was to have this conversation again. Her idea of a good time wasn't sitting around in a hospital room either but with her Dad here there was simply no place she would rather be. She didn't know how to explain that to him without making him feel guilty.
"I'm happy, okay? I'm also busy, that's the only reason I haven't been out and about. You may have heard I have a new job. You're not the only reason I come around here you know." She said with a smile, which made her Dad smile at her in return, seemingly a little more content. "I'm going to go outside to make sure I don't have any messages on my phone. Do you need anything?"
"Another chocolate bar would be nice."
Caroline wouldn't dignify that with a response. Only shook her head before saying she'd be right back. Once outside she turned her phone on, actually hoping for the first time this week that she had a message from Bonnie.
There was nothing from her but she did have a text from an unknown number. Opening it up, she almost laughed out loud at the contents of the message.
Caroline it's Rebekah. Stole your number from Nik, hope you don't mind. I figure that since we both lost the bet, we should take turns buying each other rounds and drown our sorrows together. What do you think?
Caroline took a moment to respond. In light of recent events, it might be a good time for her to step back from her relationship with the entire Mikaelson clan. Then again, a night out with Rebekah hmm, that could be fun, probably a bit crazy but still fun. And a girl's night out wouldn't involve Klaus. Hadn't he also just accused her of never having any fun? Hadn't her Father said something similar to her a while back and just now? She could use a night out and Rebekah seemed like a really cool person.
Typing the message in her phone, she quickly hit send before she could make up an excuse and back out.
What did you have in mind?