A/N: I really liked the fact that you split into two camps, my dear readers. Team Caroline wanted to slap Klaus hard on the face, while Team Klaus wanted the same for Caroline.
What I mean is, I think the characters can't be perfect. They should annoy you sometimes. They should make wrong choices. That's what makes them human.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a blast writing a certain part of it, and I'm sure you'll know which part it is. Have fun!
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Chapter 20
(non) compos mentis
of (un)sound mind
.
.
.
They were never married.
Everything they've been trough is now water under the bridge—the bridge that eventually got burnt down when Caroline decided to play with fire.
The truth is, she was holding on to that marriage because it was the only thing that tied Klaus to her. Even while the specter of divorce was looming over them, they had still one last reason to see each other. She was a thorn in his side, no doubt about it, but at least she was still a part of his life. Now, as a free man, with an ocean separating them, he's free.
How dare he be free of her now!
What a cruel joke fate played on her. It angers her so much her knuckles go white from clenching her fists.
:-:
Kol peeps from behind the door to Klaus' office.
"Are you ready, big brother?"
At first Klaus doesn't even notice Kol standing there. Then there's some annoying mumbling coming from the door that catches his attention.
"What do you want, Kol?"
His younger brother seems too amused for his own good. "You soo need entertainment. I come to the rescue, dull boy."
"See that pile of documents over there?" Klaus points at an Eiffel Tower of paper and even more paper on the windowsill. Not even a hurricane could blow it off. "It needs to be reviewed before Monday."
"But it's Friday night, for God's sake!" Kol's fists are up in the air. "Amanda was asking about you."
"Yeah, that night when Rebekah stormed in and smashed my head against the bathroom stall must have been a thrill." Klaus mutters as he puts another document on the 'done' pile.
"This time we're going to a place where our crazy sister can't find us." Kol says encouragingly waggling his eyebrows. "Hint? There's a swimming pool in there. And liquor? It flows, brother, it flows!"
The file lands on the desk with a thud. Klaus leans against the backrest of his armchair, his fingers laced on his chest. He eyes Kol up and down with the same disapproving stare Mikael used to give Klaus, and sighs. Nobody from their family can cope with Kol's attitude. The guy just doesn't listen to anyone, be it their mother or Elijah the Righteous. But Klaus has always been different and Kol at least respected him—as much as his ego let him.
"Don't you think you're too old for being a spoiled one-percenter?"
"Ten-percenter, brother. Ten-percenter now." Kol raises a finger, reminding Klaus of Mikael's will, grinning. "And what's with those tricky questions, huh?"
"It's not that tricky if you actually think about it, Kol."
Kol's searching for a sign of playfulness in his brother's tone, but neither Klaus' tone nor face show a speck of amusement. If Kol could read his brother at all, he would know Klaus is fighting the urge to get up and high-five Kol in the face with a chair.
"So you're not going?"
"No."
"You'll sit here pretending to work?"
"I'm not pretending, Kol." Klaus sits up straight, the palms of his hands put firmly against the desk top. "If you had worked at least one day in your entire life you would know the difference between working and pretending to work."
"Like you know the difference between sleeping and crying in your sleep for Caroline?" Kol mocks him with a high-pitched girly voice. "Stop hounding me!"
Ouch. Klaus' eye twitches.
"Get. Out."
"I thought you came home to be my brother." Kol snorts. It's obvious he missed Klaus, but at the same time he doesn't realize they can't continue being assholes anymore.
That night at the bar brought Klaus back to seemingly the best yet truly the worst time of his life. Even not that long ago he would still bang that blonde chick enjoying every second of it. No attachments, just fun. But it seems that once you get attached to someone—once you start to really feel—there's no going back to remorseless life of a carefree bachelor. Not for him. He's stuck being whomever he is now. Maybe he's a narcissistic backstabbing wanker, as Rebeah poetically put it, but now he knows responsibility. He made Kol. He turned his young, impressionable brother into an asshole, then went on a journey overseas.
Klaus stands up and gets to Kol in two long strides. "Go home, choose a college, start studying for the entrance exams. No whoring around. Time to grow up."
But his brother doesn't back off. Kol has enough impudence to glare back at Klaus right into his eyes, with his chin up and a cheeky smirk on his lips. "Grow up? Well, perhaps I should find myself a fake wife, too? Is Caroline in for another Mikaelson? Because she looks like a tasty little—"
There goes Klaus' fist. Kol stumbles backwards and until his back hits the wall. He holds on the leather sofa to keep his balance, his other hand wiping the blood dripping from his nose.
"I've hit a nerve!" He sniggers showing his bloody teeth. "Relax, darling. I don't like leftovers."
There goes Klaus' knee. Kol bends forward in pain after agonizing pain shoots through his gut. He coughs and curls up on the floor, fighting to catch a breath. His face is red with pain and anger as he hisses some incoherent death threats at Klaus.
Klaus stands there running his hands through his hair, feeling both exhausted and relieved. One deep breath after another he regains his composure.
"I'll get you a cab. I think it's mother's spiritualistic night tonight. You'll be quite useful during the séance. You're so good at wailing."
:-:
"Fuck fate and its sense of humor." She mutters to herself.
Her hands tremble when she types Mikaelson Investments and hits search. Isn't it the first step to becoming, how Damon always puts it, a crazypants? Googling up your ex-boyfriend and stalking him online?
Brothers at the helm of the Mikaelson ship, she reads on London24. The article features a photo of Klaus and Elijah shaking hands, looking right at the camera. Not even the tiniest smile given, just a serious stare. She doesn't know how long she's been staring at the photo trying to figure out the tale behind Klaus' stern gray eyes. She catches herself hoping she's the tale, and that there is still time to write the missing happy ending.
Kat and Damon were right. She couldn't stand the thought that she, Caroline Forbes, the best judge of character ever (not really), was in fact wrong about Klaus Mikaelson. But is it that surprising, after all? She used to be so convinced that Tyler was the man of her life while all she saw in him was a man she wanted him to be. She was hell-bent on fulfilling her perfect dream.
She was sure Tyler was the one the same way she was sure Klaus was not. She met him, and it was hatred at first sight. She loathed him and his attitude. His confident pose. His dimpled smile. His charm he was so aware of. Yet one day she saw in him a man who doesn't lack spine. Someone bold enough to live his life and not bow down to wishes of the others. She discovered there was more to him than just a cheeky smirk on his face.
And then, just like that, she fell madly in love with Klaus Mikaelson without realizing it.
:-:
An hour later pop music is blasting from the laptop as Vonda Shephard is encouraging Caroline to—
"Tell him that you're never gonna leave him. Tell him that you're always gonna love him. Tell him, tell him, tell him, tell him right now!"
—to book a plane ticket to London and start packing while releasing her inner diva.
The apartment looks like a disaster. Not just any disaster—I mean something close to an apocalypse, just without the Four Horsemen and all the dreadful wailing. It's only Caroline and all her suitcases, scattered on the floor, stuffed with clothes and shoes. Struck by the reisefieber, the blonde is running to and fro with her hands full of—yes, you guessed it—even more clothes. How many pairs of shoes does she need? Where the hell will she put all her Victoria Secret goodies?
She digs up her phone from under a pile of skirts and dials April's number.
"April? Yes, I'm fine, thanks." She breathes out while fighting with one of the suitcase zippers. "What? No, I'm fighting a serial killer, April. I'm packing." Finally the zipper gives in and Caroline lands on the carpet with a part of the zipper in her hand. She squints at the thing grimacing. "Cancel my meetings for the next three days. No, wait!" She stands up only to stumble over another suitcase, falling onto her face. "Make it a whole week." She mutters into the carpet. "Or two, make it two! Yes, two! Or a year. Or a century. Bye!"
Then she sees it. An envelope that must have fallen out of the suitcase she had with her in London.
Oh God, she totally forgot about the letter Esther have her before they left London. She just threw it into her suitcase and never thought about it again, too engrossed in the events that took place right after they landed.
She crawls along the floor till she's close enough to reach and open it. Still lying on the ground, she reads,
Dear Caroline,
I wouldn't be surprised if you told me you didn't believe in destiny. People like you—strong, independent—they don't believe in luck or stars guiding us through life. Still, I know that the day your and my son's paths crossed was a pivotal moment for both of you.
When you were born, Venus was in conjunction to Neptune. Venus is a peace-loving planet, but Neptune is too dreamy. It suggests a tendency to clinging to romantic delusions, seeing a man as you want to see him, not as he really is. Your idealistic vision of love might overshadow the reality. Even thought you may become passive in the relationship, you are kind and compassionate, and you know when to make a sacrifice.
Klaus, on the other hand, was born with Venus in opposition to Mars. He's pure energy. Love and passion fuel his creativity. Unfortunately, due to his competitiveness he's prone to love-hate relationships. He's quick to anger, but he's quick to forgive, too.
You need a guardian, and he needs someone to bring peace into his life. You may think you're put off by his brusqueness, but he'll be the one to keep your feet on the ground. He may think you hate each other, but at the end of the day he'll find comfort in your arms.
Before you make the most important decision in your life, please accept a piece of advice from me. Don't be afraid to let him change your life. Don't be afraid of a wild heart. Such hearts are the most loyal.
With love,
Esther
"Well, that's peachy." Caroline huffs banging her forehead against the ground, "Now I can sue the planets for ruining my life."
Pluto was lucky to be kicked out from that clique.
:-:
The airport, as always, is crowded with tourist coming in flocks and turning Caroline's way to the gate into a boot camp routine of running, dodging the obstacles, or simply ramming into them, running them over with her suitcase. Ugh, why must they be so slow, for God's sake! It would be faster if she hopped onto a giant snail and charged at the gate.
She's about to grab a guy trudging in front of her and just push him aside like a piece of furniture when she hears a familiar voice behind her back.
"Caroline! What on Earth are you doing?!"
The blonde turns around to face Katherine and Damon, both out of their breath as they try to catch up with her. Right behind them there's a group of enthusiastic fans and a few paparazzi watching them like a bunch of hyenas.
"What are you doing here?" Caroline shakes her head.
Katherine pouts, frustrated. "What do you think? I get a text saying: Off to the airport. If I don't come back, the gift for your baby is in the apartment under the bed, and I'm supposed to chill? What the actual f—" She glances back at the teenage fan girls onto her right. "—fudge." (A fierce woman she may be, but as a future mother Katherine remembers to set an example for the youngest.)
"Are you going to a jungle to swim with anacondas or what?" Damon rolls his bright blue eyes, grimacing. They were on their way to the New Parents – Accept the Challenge course when Caroline's text made Kat scream like a banshee. His hands are still shaky. With a wife like this and her cuckoo friend, he's afraid he might never recover.
Caroline drags a hand over her face. If she had known Katherine was going to draw so much media attention she would have never texted her. "I'm going to get Klaus back!"
"Seriously?" Both Katherine and Damon gape at her.
"Yes, I'm going to London. Yes, I'll tell him what Vonda Shephard sings about."
Before her friends can say anything, Caroline grabs her suitcase and rushes towards her gate.
"Oh, by the way, it's not 'seriously'." She turns away one last time mimicking their flat tone. "It's, seriously? You're doing it wrong."
She hears Katherine cheer, Good luck! Well, luck is exactly what Caroline needs. "I hope you chose the right gift!" Kat yells. "It's going to be a girl!"
A girl?! Damon clutches at his head and shoots his wife a terrified look while the paparazzi are having the time of their life. A girl?! "Go make babies!" Panicking, he shouts after Caroline, throwing his fists up. "I need you to have a son, god damn it!"
But the blonde has already disappeared in the sea of people, elbowing her way through the crowd.
Finally safe in the check-in queue, Caroline decides to make the second bravest decision in her life which is—call her mother. She's nervously looking around while waiting for Liz to pick up. Tapping her foot. Chewing on her lip.
The moment Liz Forbes picks up her phone, her daughter is imagining herself choking on the British cooki—she means, biscuits. "Caroline?"
Here we go.
She really, really loves her mom, she says, but she will never be the role-model daughter. And if Liz can't accept her daughter the way she is, then be it.
She says she's tired of trying to make everyone happy.
She says she's done inventing cover stories to save her ass.
She's done feeling guilty.
Maybe she's a bit too loud, because all the passengers stare at her with their mouths agape as she talks.
Tension's growing. An old lady clutches at his husband's wrist, nervously fanning herself with a tabloid.
A nun standing close to Caroline drops her rosary.
A gay couple reach for a pack of tissues.
"I'm in love with Klaus, mom, be he a villain or a saint. I made a mistake, but I can't let him go. Just…" She squeezes her eyes, plucking up the courage. "Deal with it, for goodness sake!"
And when she hangs up they all give her a standing ovation.
:-:
The Mikaelsons are having a rather busy morning.
"This madness needs to stop right now!" Rebekah huffs entering the library. Esther, engrossed in a Tarot spread, just nods. "Mum!"
"Yes, I agree."
"You have no idea what I'm talking about!"
Her mother slowly looks up from above her Major Arcana deck. "You mean, your obnoxious brother. I know."
"Which one? I have so many!"
"Rebekah."
"Do you know what Klaus yelled at me when I found him barely conscious on a sofa an hour ago, cradling an empty bottle of whiskey in his arms?" Bekah's voice is quivering with anger as she spits, "Let me quote: Go away slut, I'm married. He didn't even recognize me! Earlier last night he locked Kol in his bedroom till Kol had to escape through the balcony and almost broke his leg—not that I would pity the dumbass. He's painting giant snowflakes or ponies or whatever night after night. And, there's the biggest of shockers, I caught him watching Dancing with the with the Stars, mum! He's spiraling!"
Esther's reactions isn't exactly what Rebekah expected. The woman laughs. She laughs, for the first time since Mikael's death or maybe even longer. She's been always so calm, unfazed by all the madness that went on in the family. But this time she's in stitches, propping her head on her hand, closing her eyes.
"Am I the only sane person left in this family?" Rebekah lets out an annoyed sigh.
"I'm not so sure, darling." Esther says still laughing under her breath. "Stark raving bonkers, that's what we all are."
Exasperated, Rebekah falls on the armchair. Elijah barely talks to her. Kol watches a video of two guys singing about a fox all day. Klaus is hallucinating. And their mother, a diviner, is in fact a Cheshire cat sitting on a tree, laughing at them.
"He's been doing so well yet he's come full circle. I'm worried."
"Don't be. Step by step, things will get better for him and for you too." Esther smiles mysteriously to herself as she collects the cards from the table. "Now let's get ready. I think we'll have a guest."
"Oh really? Another one to join our Mad Tea Party?" Rebekah mutters humorlessly. "How wonderful!"
"Wonderful indeed."
Bekah gives Esther a suspicious glare. Then it hits her. "You know something, don't you?"
Esther rubs her hands together. It's creepy, if you ask her daughter. If Rebekah didn't know Esther better, she would consider Kol's theory that their mother is, in fact, a reincarnation of Morgan Le Fay. "Some American lady might or might not have just landed at Heathrow."
"And this American is…?" Rebekah takes a sharp breath. She watches her mother's lips curl into a knowing smirk. "Are you serious?" She clasps a hand over her mouth in shock. "How do you even know that?"
"The cards know everything." Esther shrugs like it was just the weather forecast.
Agitated, Rebekah stomps her foot. Her mother, such a show-off.
"Fine." Esther rolls her eyes. "She called me. So I've sent Klaus to the forest to gather some wood for the fireplace."
"And he agreed to go? Just like that? He's not stupid. He knows it's what the staff always does."
"That's why I've given the staff a day off." Esther beams proudly at her daughter. "Do you really think I would let those two fight inside these walls? I am too attached to my Meissen teapot collection to do that. Let them sort the things out on a neutral ground. No staff to gossip around, none of your obnoxious brothers to interfere."
"How do you know they're gonna fight?"
"Don't they always?"
:-:
Her shoes sink in the mud. She could barely take a nap on the plane, and now her shoes sink in the mud. It's like sleep-walking on quicksand.
Go down that path, Esther said. He'll be around the cottage, Esther said. Caroline grimaces as she tries to chase a fly away. Sure, send me to a certain death.
The forest is dark and scary even in the daytime. Bugs are buzzing around, leaves are rustling rather ominously, and there's the stench of something rotting not so far from here. Why is Mother Nature so disgusting? Well, it's not like Caroline came here to sing along with the birds like some Disney princess, but the wilderness could be a bit nicer to her. Urban animals like her are an easy prey when they travel outside their safe, polluted concrete jungle.
She's walking uphill, cursing the day she chose yoga over cardio. No matter how calm and relaxed you are in the woods, you'll still need to run as fast as you can if some hungry bear pops up and invites you to dinner, right?
Right. Great. She's just stepped into a turd.
And just when she tries to wipe her boot against the wet grass, her leg slips and she loses her balance. The green maze of trees whirls around her.
Squealing, she lands in the muck.
Her arms drop to her side. Desperate and hopeless, Caroline feels her chin's quivering. Her fist clench, and she cries angrily throwing her head back, "Fuck you, planets! Fuck you, Venus in confusion with Neptune! Fuck the galaxy and the Milky Way!"
"Caroline?"
It's like an electric current running through her body. Her chest is heaving, her cheeks on fire. Caroline grits her teeth. Oh God, not now.
But of course, it's him. Of course he just must have found her sloshing about in shit. At this point she wholeheartedly believes it was Mars that tossed that turd under her foot.
Well, time to get her shit together, isn't it? Caroline mutters to herself, no pun intended. The blonde sniffs and gets up from the ground, shaking the dirt off her clothes. There's a giant, stinking smear on her butt and on the back of her left leg. Wiping her nose with a sleeve of her jacket, Caroline gives Klaus a shy smile. "Hi."
:-:
"What's going on?" Kol tugs nervously at Rebekah's sweatshirt. "Can you see anything?"
"Shhh! Do you want us to be exposed?" Rebekah puts her compact binoculars down and shakes her head. "It's too dark and we're too far away from them."
They crouch hiding behind the bushes. Tracking down Caroline is a challenging feat. That girl either has a persecution complex or her only contact with nature was through the Discovery channel.
"Damn." Her brother sighs. "Just when the best part of the show is about to start."
Then they hear a rustle behind their backs. When they turn around they see Elijah in a green camouflage uniform observing the pair through a pair of full-size infrared binoculars every spy would kill for. He chuckles.
"Amateurs."
:-:
He stares at her for what seems like eternity. It' an unreadable gaze, one that makes your heart skip a beat in anticipation. It makes Caroline more than uncomfortable. She stands there wondering what thoughts are running through his mind while his eyes remain fixed on her, his lips parted.
Wind picks up, blowing gently at first but increasing its strength with time, making her hair dance around her face. She shuffles her feet and looks around awkwardly. He's still staring.
"Is this really you?" Klaus mumbles. He's been dreaming about her. He's been obsessing over her even at work. He's been drawing her when nobody could see him. And now—now he's not sure whether this is one of his fantasies, or she's really here, flesh and bone, as material as the ground under his feet.
Caroline frowns, confused. If this is some new way of flirting, it sucks. Sounding a bit offended she fires, "Of course it's me! Who did you expect, Forest Fairy?"
He's lost a few pounds, she notices. He hasn't been sleeping well, obviously, just look at the dark circles under his eyes.
Her tone softens, "I mean… Yeah. It's me. Caroline Forbes."
"What are you doing here?" He asks, eyeing her up and down. "Is Caroline Forbes, an overachiever and a mean girl, having problem with a simple no-fault divorce?"
In the blink of an eye he turns from shocked to bitter and jaded. He isn't exactly happy to see her at all. Not that she expected a warm welcome on his part, but neither did she expect such hostility. She came all the way from Chicago anxious to see him, itching to touch him, impatient to confess her feelings and win him back. Now—apart of all the things mentioned above—she also wants to strangle him with her bare hands.
"No. Actually, I thought a mud facial mask would do me good." She snorts and starts rubbing her hands into her face, leaving dark smudges all over her cheeks, forehead, and chin.
Hell yeah, she showed him.
He cocks an eyebrow. "I would recommend something a little more sanitary."
Caroline stands there clenching and unclenching her fists, glaring at Klaus. Nobody, not even Damon Salvatore, has triggered off the killer instinct in her the way Klaus has. She just wants to grab him by the collar of his Henley shirt and—
"Now that the pleasantries are over," he taunts her, "do enlighten me. Why are you in London?"
She takes a deep breath. She'll tell him, whether he wants to hear it or not. He may hate her, but he has to hear her out. "I'm here because I owe you a confession. But first," she pulls a crumpled piece of paper out of the pocket of her jacket, "you need to read this." She walks up to him, hands him the page, and then retreats into a safe zone outside his personal space.
His face changes colors as he reads the article she printed out for him. Eventually he lifts his eyes and looks at her, paler than before, more tired than before.
"A fake reverend." He mutters to himself, spitting out every word. He folds the sheet and then, after a quick consideration, he throws it away. "Well, that's perfect. You're free. You always land on your feet like a cat, don't you?" But he can't hide the sadness and disappointment creeping behind his dark grey eyes. It's right there, an honest reflection of his real thoughts. This was a sham, not a cover-up of a mistake. He thought—no, he hoped—that at least their divorce would be a real thing. A real goodbye. A confirmation that for a short moment there was something between them, no matter how many lies ended it. And now they're even denied a divorce.
"You really think I'm here to gloat?" Caroline snaps. "Like I said, I'm here with a confession."
"Confession about what?"
"You."
It gets so quiet around them she could hear her own heartbeat. The forest is completely still. Like the world refused to move on until she came clean. Casting a furtive glance at the article now lying in the dirt, Caroline clears her throat.
"When I met you I was building a life for myself." She says apologetically. "I had plans, a future, things that I wanted, and none of those things involved you. None of them." Her voice drops to a whisper.
"I see." Klaus nods to himself in a bitter realization that it's probably her goodbye.
"No, you don't." She hushes him with a gesture. "You sneaked into my life like a girl scout selling cookies. I didn't want the cookies until I tasted one and then I realized the cookies are so good, but the girl scout had already left and—"
He watches her with growing terror in his eyes. "Caroline—"
"Let me finish!" She stomps her foot. "I hated myself for the truth. For liking a guy that seemed everything I opposed. I thought you didn't have feelings. I thought you were so flippant and self-confident, like those successful men who don't have morals. But then I—"
"Caroline!" Klaus growls, and she stops mid-sentence. "You're standing on an anthill."
:-:
"She's screaming. Jumping. Running in circles. Again—screaming." Using his super-spy binoculars, Elijah's making a running commentary on the events taking place in the woods. Kol and Rebekah sit on a rock, holding their breath. "More jumping. She— Ah! She falls down! She's rolling on the ground. More screaming. Klaus is trying to help her."
"Told you." Kol knowingly raises his eyebrows at Rebekah. "That woman's crazy."
"Looks like she's sprained her ankle. Still screaming."
Rebekah sighs, propping her chin on her hand. "They should have stayed in."
"He's picking her up."
Elijah's siblings jump to their feet and stand next to him, squinting their eyes to catch a glance of what's going on between Caroline and Klaus.
"He's carrying her bridal-style to the cottage."
Rebekah lets out an excited squeak. Kol curses under his breath.
"I guess the word you're looking for is OMG."
:-:
The cottage is quite cozy. Even though it looks like abandoned from the outside, the interior shows signs of renovation. The wooden floor creaks under Klaus' feet when he brings her in, carrying her over the threshold. They both laugh internally at the irony of the gesture.
There's an old couch, a fireplace, and a table standing on a dusty old rug in the center of the room. An old, virtually prehistoric electric stove serves as a substitute of a kitchen. Behind a wooden door there's probably a tiny bathroom, or should she rather imagine a medieval privy? Anyway, the place isn't appalling. It's just the air of loneliness that's hanging around, making Caroline wonder how often he used to come here back in the day.
"You better take off your clothes." Klaus says placing her on the couch. Seeing Caroline's red cheeks, he quickly corrects himself, "They're wet and in need of a good cleaning."
Truth be told, Caroline herself could use a shower right now. She's still covered with mud, her hair dirty from all that tossing on the ground. What's even worse, she can't get rid of a nagging impression that the ants are still having a blast running all over her body.
Klaus hands her a blanket and turns around to light the fireplace, giving her a subtle hint that as a gentleman he's not watching her undress. (Even though he dreamed about her every night and would give up his kidney to just have a glance at her now.)
"I haven't felt so awkward since I lost my virginity." Caroline blurts out when she finally manages to wrap the blanket around her. Klaus blinks at her in confusion. "Um. Long story. Never mind."
Suddenly the wood cracks in the fireplace and Caroline jumps in her seat, tightening the blanket around her.
"Not exactly a nature lover, are you?" He quips.
"I like nature." She protests. "On TV. Or in the park. Or on TV."
"I spent half of my childhood here."
"I bet you did, Bear Grylls."
They both sit on the couch for a while in silence, secretly smiling to themselves, enjoying the moment. The room is getting warmer with the fire. Caroline slowly begins to relax.
It's like the good, not-that-old times when they used to sit in the living room and sip wine while the TV was on. Sometimes they talked, commenting on the news or on yet another stupid reality shows (Caroline's guilty pleasure). Sometimes they just sat there not saying a word, appreciating the fact that they can be comfortable around each other without talking.
Caroline's averting his gaze. The fire casts a warm glow on her dirt-stained face. Even now she's absolutely stunning. He's staring at her like hypnotized, watching her fingers fiddle with the hem of the blanket. Every fiber of his body yearns for her. For closeness and the sense of belonging. For the intimacy they shared. For togetherness. He could swear this is not only emotional but also physical torture. His heart sinks at the thought of her being here with him only for a short while till she's gone for good. He's more than aware that as soon as they're done here, she'll walk away and won't come back.
"I appreciate your coming here." He lies. "This… This story, it needed closure, I guess." He lies again.
Caroline's jaw drops. She stares at him with her eyes wide open, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. "Closure. Seriously." She hisses wrinkling her nose at him. "Closure is not what I want, Klaus!"
He swallows feeling his heartbeat quicken. "Then what do you want?"
She can't believe it. After months of a very straightforward approach Klaus decides to be diplomatic about their relationship.
Men, go figure.
Fine, Caroline thinks. If he's dumb and clueless, she'll be blunt about what she wants.
She leans forward and cups his face in her hands. The second she touches him his body goes stiff. He doesn't have much time to think about it though. Her lips crash into his and she has no intention of letting him go. She's not testing him, she's making a statement.
Adrenaline rushes through Caroline's veins. The blanket falls off her body as her hand grabs the back of his neck deepening the kiss. Her eyes flutter and then open, seeking contact. Seeking confirmation. Klaus' gaze meets hers and his face lightens up. All the gloom and insecurities are gone. He wraps his arms around her and lifts her up so she can straddle him. She clings to him, relieved and excited. Finally, after times of storm and thunder, this feels right. This feels good. Their foreheads touch when they smile at each other.
Call it insatiable hunger, but his lips can't leave hers. He barely stops to catch a breath and then he's back to kissing her, tasting her, reveling in the feeling of her body molding into his. There's a click and her bra ends up on the floor. Tugging at the hem of his Henley she urges him to take it off so she can feel his bare chest against her. As her hands roam over his chest, something shiny catches his eye.
"You're still wearing it." He runs the tips of his fingers over her wedding ring.
She shrugs and winks at him, a coy smile playing on her lips. "Marriage is a state of mind."
Sometimes you think you're losing your mind, Caroline thinks, but the heart is there to keep you sane.
:-:
The old couch is terrible. The bedsprings creak like the gates of Hell under their weight. Do you think they care?
:-:
Hands clasped, fingers intertwined—this is how they rest under the moth-eaten blanket. The fire slowly dies down in the fireplace. The sky has become all shades of pink now.
They're wrapped in blissful silence. Skin against skin, exhausted bodies, slow heartbeat.
He pulls her closer and wraps an arm around her. Sometimes, when he sat at his desk in Mikaelson Investments and stared absently at the files, he feared she'd become but a memory—so distant, bitter rather than sweet, and too nostalgic for his own good. A sickness he'd recover going crazy on the way. Having her here with him, her back pressed against the couch, her long perfect legs wrapped around his waist, her body in spasm while they're making up for lost time—this is the only form of sanity he knows now.
Caroline props herself on her elbows, her messy curls falling onto her shoulders. Her cheeks are still a bit flushed.
"So, what did I miss?"
He closes his eyes with a sigh, "Nothing you would like or enjoy."
He tells her nevertheless. She missed him being a crappy son, a crappy brother, and maybe a less crappy but still miserable lawyer. He ditched Mikael's funeral, sabotaged Rebekah's relationship, and unsuccessfully tried to teach Kol some manners. He's been spending too much time staring blankly at the files on his desk. Plus, he had his head bashed against a bathroom stall.
"I'd enjoy the last one." Seeing his sour face she holds back a laugh, "A little."
"What about you?"
"Stress cleaning, singing Adele—"
"Singing." Klaus grimaces. Caroline frowns at him.
"Hey, I'm quite a singer, you know." She huffs. But he gives her that dimpled smile and she's disarmed right away. "You, on the other hand, are doing a good job as Elijah's right hand. I googled you up."
"Well, about that…" He drawls falling into a serious mood again. "You know I can't leave my family. Not yet.
"I know." She smiles and brushes a strand of hair off her shoulder. "That's why I'm here. Knowing my superb sense of direction, I guess I'll have to carry a map of London with me all the time. And an umbrella. But I'm sure I'll get used to it."
Shocked, he sits up straight. Truth be told, he didn't know what to expect. She's come to see him which was a big thing, but this? Is she serious about giving up everything she has worked for so hard? Her career. Her position. A possible TV contract. Not to even mention her family and friends.
He gulps. "Why are you doing this?"
She bites her lower lip. "Because I'm in love with you." Caroline doesn't even know when those words roll off her tongue. They just do, out of control, following her heart's voice. She feels it and she says it. No more beating around the bush. Game over. "I had everything in Chicago and it didn't make me happy. You did."
A wide grin spreads on Klaus' face. It's that trademark mischievous grin of his that comes hand in hand with a spark in his eyes.
"Don't let the word spread, love. I have a reputation to uphold."
She's eager to banter a little, "Why do you always have to prove you're the alpha ma—" but then his lips claim hers and the couch starts creaking under them again.
:-:
The Mikaelson Spy Squad wait in the living room with their clothes dirty from wandering in the woods. Elijah's still wearing his camouflage uniform while Kol's carving in a piece wood with a pocket knife.
"Act surprised when they come in." Rebekah's barking orders like a desperate housewife. "Do not let them know that we know."
"Know about what?" Kol groans. "Elijah cut us off before I could see some action."
"You have enough porn on your disc, brother."
"My whole life is a long, hardcore porn movie, brother. Yours is 'Titanic'. Soppy and boring." Kol snaps at his brother, but as always there's no reaction on Elijah's part. Ignoring Kol is Elijah's recipe for a peaceful life.
Klaus opens the door for Caroline. He's carried her all the way from the woods because the encounter with Mother Nature has left Caroline limping. "Ready to meet the family again? I'm sure they'll be shocked."
Taking her hand into his, Klaus helps Caroline in. They pass through the huge hall and then into the living room. As if on cue, Rebekah falls onto a leather armchair. Kol starts to whistle innocently looking around the room while Elijah pretends to be engrossed in whatever book he grabs from a book cabinet.
"What is this?" Klaus raises an eyebrow at them.
"Book club!" Elijah and Rebekah blurt out in unison. Kol rolls his eyes.
"You've been discussing a… cookbook?" And what is it with this uniform, Klaus muses, but doesn't dare ask.
The siblings glance at the book Elijah's holding, mentally slapping themselves on the forehead. Before awkwardness takes over, Rebekah fakes a startled expression. "Caroline! What a surprise!"
"Yes," Elijah clears his throat trying to scrub the picture of Caroline and Klaus kissing in the cottage off his brain, "a surprise indeed."
Never missing an occasion to grope a girl, Kol rushes to Caroline. "My favourite sister-in-law! Let me hug you!" Before she can protest, he pulls her into a tight hug.
"What the hell?" He mutters rocking her in his arms.
"Surprise, bitch." Caroline whispers into his ear. "Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me."
"You're not staying, darling." He chortles with a tight smile as if they were sharing some inside joke.
She hugs him even tighter squeezing the air out of him. "Watch me."
:-:
As expected, just when Caroline finishes her shower, Rebekah seizes the opportunity to steal her away for some serious girl talk. Caroline does owe his sister some explanation, but why the hell can't they wait till tomorrow? Then, to prolong Klaus' suffering, Esther joins the girls with a bottle of wine. Incredible how female solidarity works in this family.
He grows impatient. It's the excited sort of impatience. It's like having a birthday gift in front of you, but you can't unwrap it until they let you. He can't deny he's selfish—selfish to the core when Caroline is considered. They will have to move out if he wants to actually spend time with her.
There's a knock on Klaus' bedroom door. He turns around, but a victorious smirk playing on his lips fades when he sees Elijah instead of Caroline.
"Evening, big brother. Came to interrogate me?"
Elijah shakes his head and smoothes down his hair. He seems amused. "Quite the contrary, little brother. I'm here to complement you on your personal growth."
"Personal growth?" Klaus chokes out. Has Elijah had one drink too many?
With his hands clasped behind his back, Elijah takes a step forward. "This, and I want to make sure you're not jumping off the Mikaelson Investments ship."
Ah, so that's it. Elijah's afraid Caroline will draw Klaus away from family business like a little blonde distraction.
"Don't lose any sleep over it." Klaus pats Elijah on the shoulder. "I'm staying and so is Caroline."
"Good." His brother nods. "The company is launching a Go Green Project. You know, saving rainforests, planting trees, showing how to make environmentally-friendly choices. As a president, Caroline would fit right in." He can't, he simply can't hold back a smirk.
Klaus has a vague inkling that his brother's opinion isn't based just on a general impression. Is he alluding to…?
"And just so you know, Niklaus, I think June is a good month for a wedding."
With the smirk still lingering on his lips, Elijah walks away leaving Klaus speechless in the middle of his bedroom.
He's standing there, processing. Then his brain catches up with his ears. "Wait a minute!" He growls after his brother. "Elijah!"
:-:
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A/N: Whoa! Over 7,000 words! Klaus vs. Kol - 1:0. Mother Nature vs. Caroline – 1:0. Caroline vs. Klaus – 1:1. The Mikaelson Spy Team vs. Klaroline – 1:0.
Your favourite moment? Your least favourite moment?
Your wishes concerning the final chapter? Yup, we're saying goodbye to N&V soon.
Happy Easter, guys!