Notes: And this will be a wrap on December! January will begin posting on August, because it was a birthday request. Expect a bigger time jump. Thanks to everyone still reading, and I appreciate the reviews on the last chapter!

DECEMBER – TUESDAY

CAROLINE:

Listening, with half an ear, to Kol and Enzo debate European airlines, Caroline mentally pats herself on the back for a job well done.

Was there such a thing as a friendship matchmaker? Because there totally should be.

Caroline had thought that it might help more group get-togethers happen if Kol and Enzo were to hit it off. She loved Enzo, but he'd proved a tiny bit tricky to integrate into her circle. Oh, the girls at work adored him (and his accent and most especially his biceps) but Stefan? Not so much. And Enzo and Rebekah had a weird love/hate thing going (which Caroline kind of suspected Stefan resented, but he'd never said anything, so she'd never asked. Because awkward).

So she'd been banking on the whole 'loveable shit stirrer' thing bonding Kol and Enzo, which would in turn give Enzo an ally. Theoretically he would have a better time when they all got together, and would maybe be more inclined to accept the invitations Caroline issued. Her parties were excellent, damn it, and Enzo should come to more of them.

Plus, Kol didn't seem to have a whole lot of friends in the city. He got along with his coworkers well enough to join them for post work drinks, sure. And Kol had a lot of acquaintances, most of who seemed to pop into the city for a couple days, and then pop out just as quickly. From what Caroline had gathered the various people Kol had met on his travels mostly fell into the category of more money than sense.

Kol might have been a card carrying member, not too long ago, but he'd been pretty brutally booted out of that category. He couldn't just drop everything on a whim, since he had an actual job, and a couple of responsibilities, these days. His trust fund baby friends wanted to go to fancy restaurants and clubs, and Kol couldn't afford the cover charges or the prix fixe menus, so he had to turn down most offers to go out with them. In Caroline's opinion, a real friend wouldn't want to go places you couldn't, but she kept her mouth shut.

Caroline and Kol didn't really have deep heart to hearts about their emotions (Caroline was game, but Kol wasn't really the type. But then Bekah wasn't either and Klaus had proven to suck at feelings, too) but it looked like he was coming to some realizations that his old travel buddies weren't really reliable.

Which is why she was willing to share Enzo. Because Kol didn't have a bestie, and Caroline was a big believer in those. And Enzo was basically the most stubbornly loyal person on the planet, and she'd thought that Kol would appreciate that in a person. For all the bickering they did, and the issues they had, the Mikaelson's would walk through fire for each other.

Caroline had texted Enzo that earlier that morning to invite him to over, tempting him with food. She hadn't gone to the office again today though she'd felt way less like she was going to die, and had managed to put on actual clothes. She'd even gotten some work done on her laptop. Her stress level was slightly reduced, even though she's pretty sure she'll be working over the weekend to make the time up – stupid faulty immune system! Caroline had used the excuse that she was going a bit stir crazy, which wasn't even a complete lie. She loved her apartment but she also loved going outside of it.

Enzo had brought wine (red, something fancy enough that Kol approved). He'd fussed a bit over her, in that semi useless but adorably concerned way menfolk seemed to have perfected, before going to chat with Kol. Caroline, listening in from her perch on the couch (the hot water bottle Kol had brought home yesterday, probably ordered to by Klaus, Caroline assumed, under her feet), was surprised by how quickly the awkward part ended. She'd felt a bit like a proud mother watching her baby make friends at the playground. It made sense, since both Kol and Enzo could be described as sociable. And after approximately ten minutes Caroline had begun to feel like the third wheel on their bro-date.

Mission accomplished, she supposed.

They'd mostly been talking about traveling, a subject where Caroline had nowhere near their level of experience. And frankly she was not that interested in comparing the sexual prowess of ladies from various beach locales.

So she grabbed her computer again, and tuned them out.

Rude? Probably. But Enzo and Kol would live.

Caroline was just finishing up an email, to the manager of a new venue she was considering, when she noticed silence coming from the kitchen. Probably not a good sign. Didn't people with kids say that silence was bad? Caroline figured Enzo and Kol kind of counted. Except worse, because they had access to alcohol. And matches. And an internet free of any parental filters.

She hits 'send' and slowly turns her head to look into the kitchen, only to find both Enzo and Kol staring back at her with matching smug smirks.

Sometimes, Caroline reflected, what seems like a great idea comes around and bites you in the ass. Case in point? Introducing Enzo to Kol. Or at least that's what she thinks the sinking feeling of dread in her stomach means.

Because another favorite pastime both Kol and Enzo share? Giving Caroline shit about her life choices in a (mostly) affectionate way.

"Gorgeous, Kol's just been filling me in on your new friend, Klaus."

Caroline does her very best to keep her face blank, lest they pounce on any weakness. She knew she shouldn't have mentioned the friends talk to Kol!

"It seems," Enzo continues, "like you've skimped a bit on the details. I'm hurt," he places a hand over his heart and gives her the sad, puppy eyes.

But Caroline's immune to them so she scoffs, "I have not! And are you two seriously gossiping about me when I'm in the room? At least wait until I leave, geez. You guys never would have survived my high school cheerleading squad."

"You were ignoring us, so we decided to make our own entertainment," Kol counters, "and I think I had plenty of talents that would have made me very popular with your cheerleader friends."

"Perv Jar," Caroline demands sternly, "double for the reference to sex with high school girls, for sure. It was weird and wrong."

Kol's taken to carrying ones in his pocket at all times so he digs a bill out and drops it in the jar like it's an old habit (which it is quickly becoming), before arguing, "But I used the past tense! I would have also been in high school, therefore it was perfectly circumspect."

Enzo observes their bickering with an air of gleeful amusement. But if he thinks The Perv Jar has some kind of guest immunity he's got another thing coming. Caroline's watching him.

But she decides to let Kol's technicality slide. Mostly because of the nice thing he'd done yesterday, which resulted in her toasty warm toes. She's not completely heartless, after all.

"Well, nevertheless, I do believe I should arrange to spend some quality time with this bloke," Enzo declares, with a theatrical crack of his knuckles.

"I'm sure you will eventually," Caroline responds, slightly confused, "since Kol's your new best bud and all."

"Oh, come on, Caroline. Just admit that you and Nik are going to get married and have adorable blonde babies. A surly one and a sunny one, I think. Uncle Kol will be their favorite, obviously."

Caroline knew she was gaping but, seriously? If that was not putting the cart before the horse than she did not know what was. She needed to get to know Klaus, without any pretense, before she made decisions about anything resembling romance. And maybe, just maybe, Caroline suspected it would end up being very easy to go there with him. But Kol and Enzo were not going to be the first people to hear that little nugget of information.

And Caroline had to admit that the theoretical babies she and Klaus were apparently having would be super cute. Her eyes, his dimples? Come on.

Caroline sat up straighter and pinned both Enzo and Kol with a severe glare, though neither of them so much as flinched, "My friendship with Klaus is no one's business but mine and his. You two, and Rebekah, because I know she's never short on opinions, can stay out of it."

Enzo, perhaps picking up on her seriousness, and knowing him, the slightly confused feelings underlying it, took pity on her and changed the subject. Kind of, "Well, I do believe I should read the works that caused this kerfuffle. Mind lending me your copies, Caroline?"

Caroline's immediate reaction was to say no, go buy your own, but she curbed it. Her refusal would be fodder for the "Klaus and Caroline, sitting in a tree" brigade. So instead she smiles and says, "Sure! I'll send you home with the first compendium tonight."

And she'd go evil librarian and require he give it back before he got more. And Caroline also made a note to send Enzo a strongly worded email with a 'you spill anything, you're replacing the thing you spilled on' warning.

If she was lucky Enzo would chalk it up to her being an only child and therefore kind of terrible at sharing. But, more likely, Enzo would corner her, and harangue her, until she admitted that the graphic novels meant something to her. And that she might have reread them. Four times. And counting.

Kol didn't need to know that. Ever.