I am so sorry this took forever to get out. Please don't hate me. I shall not waste your time with excuses. Only want to express my gratitude for your support and love of this story. I heart you guys!
XxX
Caroline groaned as she realized the direction they were heading and chastised herself for not expecting it. She should have known that given the chance Katherine would head straight for Klaus' bar. If she had any foresight she could have taken Katherine shopping in another part of London. Although if she was honest with herself even going into another part of town would not have stopped Katherine. Her sense of direction could give Magellan a run for his money, Katherine would have made sure they found their way to the bar one way or another. A fact that Caroline had always been jealous of, Katherine's ability to know where she was going only having been to a place once or twice. It always took Caroline weeks before she felt comfortable enough to not use google maps every day in order to get to home from oh say the grocery store, a place that she went at least once a week if not more. As far as Caroline was concerned she wouldn't be able to find her way out of a paper bag without the app.
Ever since Katherine had come home from her date with Elijah, she had given herself a new mission in life: To get Elijah Mikaelson into her bed. Apparently Elijah had not 'put out' that night and had left Katherine completely flabbergasted because no one turned Katherine Pierce down, no one. Her dates were a sure thing and to have Elijah come out of left field and not sleep with her was somewhere on the same level of a zombie apocalypse. Katherine had muttered something about ladies and his enduring respect of her and wanting them to build a solid relationship had left Katherine at a loss. And Katherine Pierce was never at a loss and that had left her no other recourse other than to declare war on Elijah Mikaelson. There would be tarring and ruffing of his perfect feathers so help her god.
And yet Elijah's talk about relationships gave her pause. Relationships were something that Katherine made sure to steer clear of. Ever since the whole Salvatore fiasco Katherine had made it a point to keep all of her interactions with the opposite sex completely superficial. Yes, she acknowledged that the Salvatore fiasco was legitimately her fault and felt the need to take a step back from relationships until she could trust herself not to fuck one up, and Katherine had yet to reach that point yet. Caroline made sure to point out that she had made amends with Stefan and Damon (even if they hated each other) and that showed enormous growth and if that didn't say she was ready for a relationship then she didn't know what did.
And on top of all of that Katherine also had to deal with the fact that Elijah scared her (yes, there were some things that actually scared her). He was so proper, handsome, kind and treated her like a lady despite the fact that she was so brash and wild. Katherine liked him. Quite a bit, actually, but how was she supposed to jump back into the relationship pool when Elijah made her feel anything but steady?
"You're Katherine Pierce."' Caroline had said with arched brows. "Suck it up."
To which Katherine just gave Caroline a very rude hand gesture. Caroline of course was completely unphased and just shook her head at her best friend and said that Katherine would be moving to London alright, but it wouldn't be to play surrogate parent to her baby. Caroline was calling it: Katherine Pierce had met her match and that Caroline wanted to be the maid of honor at Katherine's and Elijah's wedding, which only earned Caroline another rude hand gesture.
And now here they were in front of Klaus' bar after having spent most of the day shopping for baby clothes. Now that Caroline knew she was going to have a little girl she had dragged her best friend out to the shops to buy dresses, ruffled socks, pink onesies and everything and anything that screamed baby girl. And of course they also stopped at women's wear shops as well, Caroline had to in order to keep Katherine from revolting and trying to stab her with a fork in lieu of a pitch fork in protest for having been subjected to shopping for baby stuff.
"Katherine." Caroline said in warning as she adjusted her shopping bags so they were in one hand so she could run her fingers through her hair with her free hand and adjusted her bright pink maxi dress in order to look somewhat decent incase she ran to into Klaus. Which she was hoping not to. Sort of hoping not to. Maybe.
Caroline was still in a state of anger, sadness, confusion and a slue of other feelings that were all associated with the father of her child. It had been a week since Klaus finally confessed his reasons behind his behavior the night he slept with her and left her. Caroline had thought she would feel some sort of closure, if that was even the right word for when she had gotten the truth she had been looking for these past six months. Yet his words had only brought more questions to mind and and a mess of feelings she was still trying to wade through.
The one thought that made a constant loop in her head was the fact that he loved her. Loved her. She could still remember the moment she realized she loved him and had promised herself that she would wait for him to catch up with her, however long it would take. The night they had conceived their daughter. Now he was officially caught up and she didn't know what to do. Yes, she still loved him, a fact she had confessed to Katherine, despite her best friends very verbal disapproval of Caroline still harboring such feelings for the man who broke her heart into pieces. She loved him, but could she forgive him?
Forgiveness for everything he not only put her through but Stefan as well. Forgiveness for the months of sadness and fear. He had broken her heart and then took away her pillar of support when she needed Stefan the most. All of that with the addition of being pregnant and didn't even have the means to tell Klaus he was going to be a father because he couldn't face her.
Looking at it now, it would be hard for anyone to forgive Klaus for his sins. And yet she wanted to try. He was working so hard to redeem himself that she didn't want to at least not try. Especially now that she knew his reasoning behind his actions. His very messed up reasonings, but when it came down to it he was just so broken and hurt. And Caroline wanted more than anything to find out why he was broken, what had happened in his life that he had hurt her so badly in effort to protect himself.
Caroline was pretty sure her feelings for him were not a figment of her imagination that were driven by her pregnancy hormones. Although that was questionable as she was some how reduced to tears anytime she watched a commercial, movie or tv show that had a baby in it or a love that had been torn apart. Katherine had gone so far as to ban television and only allowed action packed movies as part of Caroline's repertoire of films on Netflix. The adverse affect of that was seeing smoking hot guys with their shirts off which only drove her to think of her tightly muscled ex-boyfriends body. Not to mention his ass that was the star of her most sinful fantasies. Flexing as he drove into ….
Ugh!
At this point Caroline was ready to just shut everything down until she had the baby and manage to get all her hormones under control so she could think like a rational adult and not a human incubator who constantly craved sex with the smoking hot father of her child and hazelnut ice-cream mixed in with chicken fried rice doused with ranch dressing.
"What? It's just a quick stop in to see if Elijah is there and maybe ask him to join us for dinner." Katherine said with her brows arched as she tried to look as innocent as possible.
"Us?" Caroline said with pursed lips, not buying that for even a nano second.
Katherine gave a shrug and then a pointed look.
"Yes, us. Until you are feeling incredibly tired after shopping all day and need to go home and rest."
Caroline just sighed and paused at the entrance of the bar.
"I can't go in there Kat. I'm pregnant and this is like a bar bar. Not like the Grille back home." Caroline said with a frown.
"Sure it is." Katharine said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"They don't serve food here."
"They have peanuts."
"That isn't the same thing and you know it." Caroline said with a huff as she crossed her arms and lifted her brows in challenge at her best friend.
"It's not like you are going to be drinking." Katherine said as she reached the door and pulled it open, holding the door for Caroline and waited for her to enter.
"Of course we could find you a scotch glass and put some apple juice in it and see how long it takes for someone to actually say something." Katherine said with a mischievous grin.
"Not happening Kat. I really don't want the child welfare department at my door the second I have this baby." Caroline said giving her a withering look as she placed her hand protectively over her bulging belly.
Katherine just gave a shrug as her prank was quickly shot down. "Still think it would be funny." And with that she pressed her hand against Caroline's back and pushed her inside. No longer willing to wait for her to go on her own.
"Hey! Pregnant lady here." Caroline said as she stumbled inside, almost losing her bags in the process, turning her head to glare at Katherine as she adjusted her bags and her purse on her shoulder.
Katherine just gave a lift of her shoulder and stalked forward into the bar, her dark eyes flickering over the patrons in search of her prey, the deliciously sexy Elijah.
Caroline took a deep breath as she watched her friend hunt down the elder Mikaelson brother, and Caroline honestly wouldn't put it past Katherine to drag him by his tie to darkest corner of the bar and sexually assault him. Which then raised the question if the UK really would kick Katherine out of the country for sexual assault. Not that she would think Elijah would mind given Katherine was dressed to kill in silky dark blue spaghetti strap top and skin tight jeans topped off with stilettos. Caroline was pretty sure Katherine was the only person she knew who lived in stilettos and never complained about her feet hurting once.
And while Katherine was concerned about Elijah, Caroline had her own MIkaelson to keep an eye out for: 5'11, blue eyes, golden curls, dimples and emotionally retarded.
However all thoughts of her baby's daddy flew out of her head as she spied two very familiar heads sitting at the bar the very same moment Katherine did.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Katherine said causing both men to turn towards Katherine just as Caroline came to a stop next to her.
"She Bitch." Damon said in greeting to Katherine as Stefan just looked up to see who had joined them and just release a sigh of defeat as and took a healthy gulp of his whisky.
Damon looked just like he always did, badass playboy with a dark shirt, jacket, jeans and heavy boots. His raven locks combed into some sort of style, and try as he might his hair would never look as good as Stefans. Damon always calling it something along the lines of 'a hero hair do'.
"Jack Ass." Katherine said with a sneer in response to his greetings before looking to Stefan, a softer look crossing her face. "Stefan." To which Stefan just gave her a not friendly but not hostile either nod of his head in hello, before meeting Caroline's gaze and gave her a warm smile that she returned in kind.
"Barbie." Damon said with a smirk and widening of his icy blue eyes. "Pregnant and in a bar. I see you are still making good life choices." Which only made Caroline roll her eyes as she turned her attention from the younger Salvatore to the elder Salvatore.
Pushing himself off the stool he came forward to embrace the blonde who handed Katherine her bags and purse so she could hug him back. No matter how much Damon drove her crazy he was still her friend. A friend she couldn't stand and would leave in jail if he ever called her to bail him out. Ok, maybe she would bail him out. But she would make sure to at least let him rot a full 24 hours in before she did bail him out. And maybe hope he became someone's bitch in that short time span.
"Boobs are looking great, stomach not so much, but the ass…." Damon trailed off as his his hands fell from her back to her ass, giving it a squeeze. Caroline was already pushing him away the moment she felt him touch her ass and before she could verbally chastised him for it, he was ripped away from her before she could even blink.
It took her a moment to register that Damon was now up against the wall with Klaus standing in front of him with his hand around Damon's throat squeezing the life out of him. He looked like an handsome avenging angel with his golden curls and blue eyes. A sexy handsome avenging angel Caroline thought belatedly as she could not help but admire the way his muscles strained and flexed under his forrest green t-shirt as he held Damon against the wall.
Katherine watched the whole thing with a smirk of amusement while Stefan was getting to his feet ready to step in to keep his brother from being strangled to death by his boss. Caroline of course was a bit quicker to react and was already at Klaus' side, her hand coming up to grab his arm in effort to pull him off Damon.
"You shouldn't be touching my girl like that, mate." Klaus said with an angry rasp to his voice as he squeezed his hand around Damon's throat causing the other man to struggle against his grip and groan in pain as he attempted to breath. When he had seen the other man in Caroline's embrace and how his hands had dropped from her back to her ass he felt his temper blow and all he could see was red. And now all he could feel was an immense sense of satisfaction as he watched the man struggle to breathe.
"Nik let him go right now!" Caroline demanded as she pulled with both hands at his arm that was holding Damon against the wall which only earned her an incredulous look from Klaus as he kept his grip firm around the throat of the man who had felt up his girl. He would be damned if he was going to just let the tosser go.
"Damon was just being Damon and you are seriously stressing me out right now and stress isn't good for the baby." Caroline said with emphasis in order to draw his attention from Damon to her.
And it of course worked, Klaus' hand immediately slacked against Damon's throat as he turned to really look at Caroline in effort to asses any sort of symptom that her or their daughter was in any sort of distress due to the intensity of the situation. Caroline took advantage of his distraction to jerk his arm down, making him let go of Damon's throat.
"Well I can see why you were so into that S&M talk, Ken here has quite the kinky side." Damon wheezed with a taunting arch of his brows, completely unphased by the attack as he rubbed his throat coughing a few times. Damon being Damon knew the consequences of his actions and it was safe to say that what had just transgressed was not something that was new to him. Katherine of course took all of this in with amusement. She always did love it when Damon got his ass handed to him.
"Although I can't blame him. I mean look at me." Damon said to Caroline as he lifted his arms from his sides to showcase himself. Stefan just rolled his eyes and sat back down on the bar stool to return to his drink and Katherine just scoffed. "It's hard being such a stud."
The quip was enough to bring Klaus back into his previous anger that had his blood boiling. His fingers clutched around Damon's jacket as he slammed him back up against the wall, a hard scowl on his full ruby lips.
"You touch my girl in any way that I do not deem appropriate and I will break every single bone in your hands with a ball point hammer." Klaus said with a growl as he slammed Damon against the wall once more for emphasis.
"Nik." Caroline said in warning as she pulled at one of his arms in effort to get him to release Damon. Klaus gave Damon one last hard shake before he released him and backed off, swallowing down the urge to cut the man's heart out and stuff it down his throat.
"Your girl? Katherine said as she set Caroline's things down onto the bar top as she placed her hands on her hips, her brows lifting as she looked from Klaus to Caroline.
"Yeah, Barbie. I thought you and Ken weren't together anymore. We could have avoided all of this if you had just told me that if the Barbie mobile was a rockin, don't come a knockin." Damon said with a smirk.
Caroline could feel Klaus tense under the hand she still had around his arm, and she made sure to tighten her grip on him to keep him from doing anything else that would result in a crushed larynx.
"Kat, not now and Damon shut up."
Both Damon and Katherine opened their mouth to protest but Caroline was already speaking once more.
"Do not even think about it. I am pregnant, hungry, and my back hurts and my ankles are swollen and if you even think about pushing me right now you have another thing coming." Caroline growled as she held onto Klaus who was still on the edge of attacking either Damon or Katherine.
Both Damon and Katherine shut their mouths and backed off after Caroline delivered her warning. Caroline gave both of them a glare before yanking Klaus away from the group so she could scold him for his behavior.
"Well, you sure told them." Klaus said with a smirk at Caroline's behavior.
"You are such a cave man." Caroline said with a frown as she released his arm, ignoring his comment. "Do you always have to prove you are the alpha male?" She said as she crossed her arms against her chest, although the look was somewhat awkward as her breasts and bulging belly made it hard to keep her arms crossed.
"I don't have to prove anything, love. I am the alpha male."
"You can't just go around attacking people like that!" Caroline hissed as she looked up at him, her cheeks bright pink with anger and her blue eyes flashing. She was an absolute vision and Klaus thought it was worth piquing her anger to see her fire. Of course her words caused him to pause as he lifted a single brow in question.
"Oh, I think I can and will. He was grabbing your arse like some drunk bloke. A pregnant woman's arse I might add." Klaus said with a frown. "My pregnant woman's arse." He added as his fingers slid down her bare arm in a gentle caress.
Caroline just shook her head and stepped away from his touch, although she couldn't hide the goosebumps on her skin where he had touched her or the shiver that went down her spine. And once again she found herself cursing her pregnancy hormones.
"I am not your anything other than the woman carrying your child."
"You know that is not true, sweetheart, you are the woman that I love." Klaus said as he moved forward, undeterred by her effort to put space between them. There was a vulnerability in his eyes as he quietly confessed her meaning to him. There was no reservation in his ability to express his feelings towards her now. He had already left himself open and raw to this woman. This woman that had somehow done the impossible and captured his heart. His soul.
Caroline wasn't quite sure how to handle such a confession and just looked down, unable to meet his honest and open gaze. Everything that had happened between them was still a very big and very real elephant in the room. But his words squeezed at her heart and had to silently acknowledge that she was not indifferent to his love. No matter how much she wanted to be.
"Nik you can't say things like that." Caroline said as she distanced herself even further from his embrace.
"I can and I will say things like that, sweetheart. You know I am a man who will never play by the rules. I am more than happy to play dirty when it comes to you, Caroline." Klaus said with conviction as he came forward and slid his hands along her back, taking advantage of the exposed skin that her bright pink maxi dress left bare causing Caroline to shiver.
Caroline just huffed at him and smacked his arms down before resting her hands on her bump.
"Speaking of which, when can I take you out for our date?" Klaus said with a mischievous grin as he shuffled a little closer. A move that Katherine had not failed to take notice of and was now glaring at the two of them. Damon of course wanted in on the fun and was watching them as well, going so far as to wink at Caroline when she happened to glance in their direction.
"How about a quarter to never." Caroline said scowling at Damon before looking to Klaus, making sure to keep the scowl on her face.
"I was promised a date, love. You're antagonizing little friend did knee me in the balls after all." Klaus said with a frown as he shot Katherine a angry look, before looking back to Caroline.
Caroline smirked at that, pleased to remember when he was brought to his knees, which earned her a frown of her own from him.
"Fine." Caroline said with an eye roll, not wanting to go back on her word. "We can go to a movie. You sit on one side of the theater and I sit on the other."
Klaus just pursed his lips and shook his head unphased by her date plan.
"Afraid not, sweetheart. I shall be planning this date and will romance you to the best of my ability."
Caroline sighed in defeat as she dropped her hands to her sides.
"When can I take you out, love?" Klaus said with a small smirk of victory, knowing she was going to give in by just her body language alone.
"Next Wednesday." Caroline said with a frown, letting him know by her tone of voice that she was not at all happy about this.
"Come on, love. It won't be so bad." Klaus said as he stroked her cheek, unable to keep himself from touching her, completely entranced with the soft skin of her face.
Caroline smacked his hand away and glared at him.
Looking to distract her from her anger, which was unfortunately focused on him, Klaus pressed his hands against her stomach and gently stroked her distended belly.
"How is our little love today?" Klaus asked with genuine interest, even if he was using it as a distraction.
"She is fine. Pretty sure she wants to break one of my ribs, because I haven't eaten in a few hours, but she is fine." Caroline said with a rueful smile unable to help herself when asked about their daughter, even going so far as to take his hands that were stroking her belly and pressing it along the top of her stomach so he could feel the baby kick. Or punch. She wasn't sure at this point. The important thing was that her anger was momentarily forgotten as she turned her focus on the baby.
Klaus lips curled into that stupid gleeful smile of his that made his dimples pop as he felt their little girl move. Which just added on to his pleasure that Caroline was feeling generous enough to purposely allow him to have his hands on her for the moment after she had so valiantly fighting his touch only moments ago. For the first time in months he was actually happy about her hormonal mood swings. Usually she went from happy to mad and this time he had the good luck for her mood to go from mad to happy.
"I bought her a whole bunch of cute outfits today. There was this adorable little pink and white dress that had the cutest little bows on the sleeves that I just had to get. Not to mention a million other things, its like there is nothing but cute adorable baby clothes out there. " Caroline said as she adjusted his hands as the baby moved, unable to stop herself from gushing about her shopping finds. And Klaus couldn't help imagining their baby daughter dressed up in pink just like her mother currently was.
"Between you and Rebekah I fear our little love will have so many outfits she will not be able to wear them all." Klaus said with his own rueful smile as he glanced at the pile of bags that was currently resting on the bar top next to a scowling Katherine and a smirking Damon who was watching the two of them with great interest.
"Nik, you have younger siblings. You should know that babies are impossible at staying will go through all of their clothes one way or another." Caroline said with a laugh as she readjusted his hands once more as the baby shifted in her stomach, unwilling to stay in one place.
Before Klaus could respond Katherine was suddenly next to him, her hands on Caroline's arm and tugged her away from Klaus. Caroline looked at Katherine in confusion while Klaus just gave a low growl of anger at having Caroline pulled away from him.
"Katherine." Caroline said in admonishing tone, before looking to Klaus who was standing rigidly with his hands curled into fist looking like he was trying very hard to keep his temper on a leash, which only made Caroline smile because she could she he was trying very hard to keep his word that he would not hurt Katherine. Again he was showing her that he was keeping his promises to her. Building that trust in hopes that Caroline would one day forgive him and give him the chance to be a part of her life as not only the father of her child but her lover and partner.
"We have dinner to get to." Katherine said while dragging her friend towards the bar to gather Caroline's things.
"I thought you wanted to have dinner with Elijah." Caroline said with a sigh as she caught Klaus' eye and gave him a genuine smile, one to which he gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement before turning on his heel and stalking away, as he didn't quite trust himself enough to not do anything that would jeopardize his place in Caroline's somewhat tolerant good graces.
"Not if it means he is getting all handsy with you." Katherine said angrily as she looked over her shoulder to shoot a glare at Klaus' retreating form.
"I hardly call feeling the baby kick handsy." Caroline said with a roll of her eyes. Yes, his behavior before hand was handsy and she had nipped that in the bud, but feeling their daughter move was not what she would call him trying to make a move on her.
As they came back to the bar, Damon was waiting for the both of them by Caroline's bags while Stefan was no where in sight. Caroline wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing and she made a note that she was going to have to check on him. Not to mention she wanted to talk to him about everything that was happening with Klaus.
"Getting jealous there, She Bitch? Can't stand to see Barbie and Ken play house together?" Damon taunted with that ever present smirk on his lips.
"I may not like seeing them together, but I did enjoy how he almost strangled you. It was glorious having you shut the fuck up for once." Katherine said with a sneer as she picked up Caroline's bags and shoved them into the blondes arms so she could face off with her ex.
"The only thing I am jealous of is your ability to somehow have managed to stay alive despite the fact that you can't manage to stop running your mouth." Katherine said as she faced him, her hands on her hips.
Damon of course just gave her a half smile as he took a lazy sip of his scotch before speaking once more.
"I remember when you used to love my mouth." Giving her a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Caroline took this opportunity to back slowly away from the bickering pair in hopes that they would not notice her absence. As much as she wanted to referee their little show down she really was hungry and not in the mood to deal with the two of them. They were both already a handful on their own, together they were too much to handle.
It was while she was slowly backing away that she backed into a very hard chest. A pair of large warm hands hold her steady to keep her from falling. Caroline quickly regained her balance and turned to thank and apologize to the person she had bumped into.
"I am so sorry I didn't - Elijah?" Caroline said in surprise as she looked at the suited elder Mikaelson who stood before her smoothing down his jacket that had become slightly mussed from the encounter.
"M-" Elijah caught himself before he managed to call her Ms. Forbes. "Caroline." Elijah said with a warm smile, his hand coming out to rest on her arm. "Are you ok?"
Caroline gave him a laughing smile and shook her head. "I should be asking if you are ok. I am the one that bumped into you, remember?"
Elijah couldn't help but laugh as well, as her laughter was contagious.
"Yes, but you are the one currently in a delicate condition."
Caroline couldn't help the warm laughter that spilled from her lips at his definition of her pregnancy as she looked up at the elder Mikaelson.
"You are so old fashion sometimes."
Elijah just gave a slight bow of his head, acknowledging her assessment of his character.
"So, Caroline, have you come to visit Niklaus?" Elijah said with genuine curiosity, as his concern with his brothers happiness was at the forefront of his mind. After Klaus' drunken confession of his love of for the mother of his child Elijah had kept a keen eye on the relationship between his younger brother and Ms. Forbes. He wanted to take it as a positive sign that he found Caroline in Klaus' pub as it was not exactly a place where one could get a basket of fish and chips as well as a strong stout.
"Katherine wanted to see if you were here so she could ask you to have dinner with us, but then she ran into an old….acquaintance and decided to catch up with them instead." Caroline said as diplomatically as she could. There was no way in hell she was going to let Elijah near Damon, that was all she needed was for that blue eyed bastard to interfere with the first real relationship Katherine managed to have after the Salvatore apocalypse that had spiraled her friend into a 'hit it and quit it' philosophy.
And being the gentleman that he was Elijah immediately nodded in understanding, wanting the girl he was entranced with the opportunity to catch up with an old friend. Elijah's eyes wandered the bar and caught sight of his Katarina speaking with a tall raven haired man. And although they looked like they were in a heated argument, Elijah chocked it up to the fierce nature of the Bulgarian beauty that had captured his attention.
"Well since Katarina is otherwise engaged, perhaps I can accompany you to dinner this evening?" Elijah asked as his eyes fell from the chestnut beauty to the woman who had captured his brother's heart.
Caroline gave him a warm smile and a nod of her head. "Yes, I would love to have dinner with you Elijah."
Ever the gentleman, Elijah collected the bags in her arms with one hand while he held out the crook of his arm for her to take. Caroline shook her head at his gentleman like behavior before curling his arm around his and allowed him to escort her to dinner. Although there was a pause before she took his arm, as she knew Katherine was going to be livid that her plans at having dinner with the handsome Mikalson had been derailed and Caroline had had the pleasure of his company instead. Oh well, it just gave Caroline something to tease her with.
Given her current obsession with Indian food, Elijah managed to take them to an elegant high end place that made her feel like she was under dressed in her simple pink maxi dress. Of course the staff made sure she felt more than appreciated as they seated the pair and handed them their menus. Elijah of course helping Caroline take her seat before sitting down himself. They both spent some time with idle chit chat as their drinks were brought to the table and their orders taken. Elijah couldn't help the slight smile as Caroline placed a bottle of soy sauce on the table in anticipation of their meal.
"I see my niece is still broadening your culinary palate."
"Yes she is." Caroline said with a laugh, enjoying how Elijah very diplomatically noted her strange food habits and touched the soy sauce bottle in acknowledgement. "I have gotten to the point that Kat can barely share a meal with me any more because apparently I 'gross her out'." Caroline said as she made air quotes with her hands.
Elijah chuckled at that as he unbuttoned his suit jacket, making himself more comfortable.
"I am surprised that Katarina would have such a weak constitution, given her extensive and graphic threats she had made against Niklaus."
Caroline rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, she can talk about gutting him with a spork but is unable to handle me eating pork chow mein mixed with peanut butter and ranch dressing."
Elijah felt a little ill himself at the description of one of her meals and he was thankful that the only additive Caroline had on hand was soy sauce.
"Yes, Katarina is still quite incensed at my brothers treatment of you. I, myself am quite disappointed with his actions as well." Elijah said with a frown as he looked up to meet Caroline's gaze, where she could see the sincerity of his words reflected in his warm brown eyes.
"As I have said before, Caroline, my brother Niklaus has his demons and they drive his actions, even if it means hurting himself as well as those that he loves."
Caroline's brows pulled together as she looked down at the table for a moment, her lips pressed together for a moment as she looked to be mulling something over before looking back up and meeting Elijah's gaze once more.
"What are his demons? What caused him to be like this?"
Elijah closed his eye for a moment as he took a deep breath and then released it as he opened his eyes to look at Caroline once more.
"Our father was not a good man, in fact a more fitting description would be that he was a cruel man. Especially to Niklaus."
Caroline felt her heart clench at his words.
"His cruelty came in the form of both physical and verbal abuse. Bruises and broken ribs manage to heal over time, words however…." Elijah pausing meaningfully, "as you can see have a lasting effect."
And see that she did. Caroline knew the power that words had. Hell it was a tool in her arsenal when she had been the mean girl in highschool. That shallow vapid teen who had the emotional depth of a kiddy pool. And sure she had left that girl very far behind, but the insecurities were still there. One's that had reared their ugly head to the surface when Klaus had left her. That she wasn't enough, that she would never be enough for someone to stay with her.
"Why Nik?"
Elijah took a long drink of his tumbler of scotch before speaking.
"Niklaus is not Mikael's biological son. Our mother had an affair and became pregnant with a child that was not her husbands."
"I guess that is why he always says his mother and her husband." Caroline said with a sad shake of her head to which Elijah gave a nod of confirmation.
"Given the family business my father could not divorce my mother without revealing he had been cuckolded. Reputation is everything in our business."
Yes, Caroline was very aware of how important reputation was in the business. She had felt the effects of it first hand when Klaus had run Stefan out of town and the all out battle that was taken to allow him to return.
"My father was forced to claim a child that was not his own and Niklaus was punished for it."
Caroline already had tears spilling down her cheeks at the thought of not only Klaus having been abused so horribly but that he was hated from the moment of his birth. A sweet innocent baby that had done nothing was punished for his mother's sins. Caroline wrapped her arms protectively around her belly, as her heart ached for Klaus. Her pregnancy making things that much worse because she couldn't understand how someone could hate a baby.
Elijah was at her side in moments, offering a hanky in one hand, his over gently touching her shoulder.
"Please forgive me Caroline, my intention was not meant to make you cry."
Caroline gave him a watery half smile as she took the hanky and dabbed at her tears.
"It's ok Elijah, I know."
Elijah just frowned in concern and gently squeezed her shoulder.
"I'll be ok." Caroline reassured him as the tears racing down her cheeks were finally starting to slow.
Elijah gave a slight nod and returned to his seat, keeping his warm brown eyes on her.
"I did not share this with you in order to excuse his abhorious behavior towards you. Everyone makes their own choices in life and he made a poor one in regards to you. Rather I wanted you to at least understand what drives him to act out in a manner that is detrimental to both his and your happiness."
Caroline just nodded her head in understanding, silent as she thought over his words.
XxX
Well? What did you think? Did you like seeing bad ass Klaus coming out to play? How did you like Kat and Elijah and Damon? How do you feel about the talk? Feed me your reviews!