Finally did the sequel to this one, sorry it took so long! I'm going to work on the second part to 'long live the queen' now so hopefully it'll be up within the next few days :)


She was 25 now, living on her own in a New York apartment. He was 28, currently in London for an art show, living as a nomad. He had a permanent place in Chicago but he was almost never there, instead he just lent it to Caroline whenever she needed to go down to the windy city. He called her once a week and they would discuss their lives and just talk for hours on end, not caring how late they stayed up. He was coming back in four days for another showing of his pieces and they had made plans to meet up at his place in Chicago. Caroline was going to go a few days earlier, just to make sure that the place was intact, clean, and stocked with food.

"You know you're basically his girlfriend right?" Elena asked from her perch on Caroline's couch as she watched the blonde grab various things to pack for her trip to Chicago.

"Elena, we've gone over this," Caroline sighed, shooting a glare at the brunette as she went into the bathroom to grab her curling iron.

"Doesn't mean it's not true," Elena called out in a sing-song voice, "Care come on its painfully obvious to anyone that's not the two of you that you should be together,"

"Well I disagree. Klaus and I would be horrible as a couple," Caroline came back out with a small bag filled with her toiletries, setting it next to the big suitcase leaning against the door, "Can we go? It's supposed to snow later and I don't want to miss my plane," Elena pushed herself up off the couch and went to grab her coat as Caroline did the same.


Klaus sat staring out of the tiny airplane window as the ground got steadily nearer. He felt a slight jolt as the wheels of the plane hit the runway and he couldn't help it as his lips twitched up in a smile. He was home. London was amazing, as always but there was nothing like the crisp, cold air of Chicago. Caroline had texted him a few hours before his plane had taken off that she would pick him up from the airport and he knew better than to argue with her by now.

In what seemed like no time at all he was standing looking for her at the baggage claim. He had his giant duffle bag at his feet and his phone in his hand, ready to send her a text to ask where she was when all of the sudden he was impacted by a happily squealing ball of blonde curls. He stumbled backwards a few feet but managed to keep his footing as he caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist, protecting her from falling. She was almost vibrating with excitement and he couldn't help but let out a laugh at her adorableness.

"I missed you," She sighed, pulling back and wiggling her way out of his arms so that she was standing toe to toe with him. She cupped his scruff covered face and then spoke in her best baby voice, "And all you little scruffiness too," She bopped him on the nose playfully and he laughed, shaking his head and reaching down to take his duffel. Caroline turned and they started walking side by side towards the parking lot where Caroline had parked.

"So how is my girl?" Klaus asked, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Ugh, please, like I'd ever be your anything," Caroline scoffed and shrugged his arm off. "So, how has life been?" She asked as they reached the car.

"Is this my car?" He asked, dropping his duffel by the trunk, "Caroline Forbes did you steal my car?"

"Borrowed. I borrowed your car," She took the keys out of her purse and unlocked it, opening the door to the back seat for him to put his bag in.

"You stole it," He pouted, shooting her a glare to which she just rolled her eyes. "And I'm driving, there's no way that you're allowed to drive this beauty for even another second," Caroline threw her hands up in exasperation and tossed him the keys.

"Fine," She gave him a sinister looking smile, "But if you're this upset about me driving your car I can't wait until you see what I did with the apartment," She winked at him and then strutted her way to the passenger's seat of his car. He watched her hair bounce on her shoulders as his mouth hung open in shock.

"What the hell did you do to my apartment woman?" He growled, glaring at her.

"I guess you'll just have to find out Mikaelson," She narrowed her eyes in a playful way before sliding into the car.


"Bloody hell," He muttered under his breath as he stood in the doorway of his apartment. It was clean. Too clean. He didn't like it. How was he supposed to find anything when it was this clean? "Caroline," he groaned, turning to look at her with pleading eyes, "How many times must I tell you that you can't do stuff like this,"

"At least once more," She replied cheekily, setting her purse on the counter, "Don't worry I've already made myself at home,"

"Of course you have," He sighed rolling his eyes at her.

"What time is your showing tonight?" She asked, glancing at the clock on the stove.

"Six, so be ready at 5:30," He narrowed his eyes at her and she huffed.

"Please Nik, you know me," With a shrug she strutted away into the guest room and he was left staring after her with a strange feeling in his chest.

At six fifteen he was still sitting on the couch in his living room, his knee bouncing impatiently as he waited for her to come out of the bathroom. "Caroline!" He shouted again, for about the tenth time.

"I'm coming!" She shouted back and he saw the doorknob on the bathroom door turn, "Someone has a stick up their ass," He heard her say just as the door swung open and revealed her wearing a modest red evening gown. Her hair was curled perfectly and her lipstick matched her dress. "So what do you think?" She shot him a dazzling smile and turned slowly, holding her arms out slightly so he could get the full effect.

He nearly choked on the breath he took in as he saw the back of the dress. It was open, all the way to her lower back, showing her delectable looking skin and he had the sudden want, no need, to cover her. He felt jealousy consume him as he thought about other men seeing her like that.

"You look fine, let's go," He huffed, grabbing her jacket and tossing it to her as he went to shut off all the lights and open the door.

"Someone's grumpy today," She remarked as she walked past him and he almost growled at her as she passed him.


"Niklaus!" Another person called his name and he turned, already having his huge fake smile on his face as one of his biggest clients came towards him with open arms. She kissed both his cheeks and nodded to Caroline who was standing next to him awkwardly, "You've really outdone yourself," She shook her head and sighed happily, "I positively adore the light vs. dark exhibit," She gushed and he thanked her, before another person came up to him to congratulate him on his success.

Caroline was exhausted. She was in desperate need of another glass of champagne and Klaus just kept chatting with people she had never even heard of before. She sighed as she watched yet another rich man with a much younger woman on his arm walk away.

"Bored already love?" Klaus asked, his voice close enough to her ear so only she could hear him.

"You've done nothing but make small talk all night and I'm betting half of the people here just think I'm some bimbo you hired to play your arm candy for the night," She vented, turning to face him with an annoyed look on her face.

"Well, it's nice to see that there's still someone out there that's able to put this big headed artist in his place," A jovial voice sounded from behind them and Caroline froze for a minute before she broke out into the most dazzling smile Klaus had ever seen.

"Stefan!" She laughed, turning to see the man in question standing there with a smirk on his face and his arms already open for the hug he knew was coming. Caroline threw herself at him and Klaus once again felt that pang of jealousy in his chest as he watched her with his other best friend. "Ugh, thank god you're here, I was about to lose my mind of boredom," She said as she pulled back, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, now the party can really start," Klaus said dryly and Stefan patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on Klaus, remember last time you and I were here?" He raised an eyebrow and Klaus laughed.

"I was still drunk when I woke up in that alley about 12 hours later," He shook his head and ignored the incredulous look Caroline shot him.

"Anyway," Stefan said with a laugh, turning from Klaus to hold his arm out to Caroline, "I thought I would save you from his boring conversations,"

"Oh thank god," Caroline sighed and took Stefan's arm. She noticed Klaus was about to say something but he was cut off by another person coming up to him to question him about his work, "See you later Nik," She waved at him as Stefan led her away from the people hoarding Klaus.

"Someone turned into Mr. Popular since high school," Stefan smirked looking at the thrones of people filling the room, "There are even some important people here,"

"Careful, if he hears you admitting his work is halfway decent he'll never let you live it down," Stefan rolled his eyes and started pulling her towards one of the back exhibits, the one that people had been coming up to compliment him on all night.

"I wanted to show you something," Stefan's voice grew more serious as he led her through the arch that began the exhibit, "Just…look around, will you? I'll wait here," He gave her a little push and she shot him a look of confusion before rolling her eyes and letting her eyes scan through the sketches that were lining the walls around her.

The area was made like a maze, with sketches and paintings and occasional photographs littering the walls as you walked through. The first section was dark, mostly black charcoal drawings of different things. There was one of the night sky, the moon being the only light thing in the drawing, some were of a man's hands, the back of someone's head, a car that had obviously been totaled in an accident, a tombstone, and a few of what looked like bruises on someone's skin.

Caroline couldn't help but feel sad as she walked through. When she turned the corner she saw the dark sketches turn a slightly lighter shade. The beginning ones focused on different items, pencils, books, a few trees and a large house that Caroline vaguely recognized it. Towards the end there were a few pictures of children playing and then the last picture before she turned a corner was of the back of a little girl's head. Her hair was pulled to the sides in pigtails and it was light and curly as she sat on the curb looking at the other kids with her chin in her hand. From the corner of the paper was a hand, extending as if to touch the little girl on the shoulder.

Something inside her felt heavy and she felt her breathing speed up as she turned the corner in the next section of the exhibit. This one was lighter, much lighter than the rest and it held a large assortment of pictures with varying shades of yellow. There was one of the side of a young girl's face, tilted down, blonde curls covering any identifiable features of her face except the huge smile she had. Caroline swallowed, reaching out to touch the painting before jerking her hand back. She felt her eyes stinging as she looked at one that showed a boy's hand around a little girl's.

It was clear to anyone looking at the paintings that the artist was infatuated with the blonde girl. The way she was portrayed in each picture was the same, gentle strokes, as if the artist wanted to cherish the moment as they put her image onto paper. Anyone who looked at it could feel the wonder, beauty, amazement and love that the artist had for his subject and Caroline felt herself immediately feel overwhelmed as she looked at Klaus' look. She wasn't stupid or naïve, the countless drawings of her were clear enough about how he felt about her. It was just that…she thought she had been alone. Doomed to live her life without the person she loved most at her side in the way she wanted him.

She turned the corner into the next to last section. These were even lighter, and they focused more on the two children growing up together, growing closer. She recognized a lot of the settings now. Her sitting on the bench after prom crying, her sitting across from him at a Mikaelson family dinner giving him a look telling him to behave, her holding him as he cried over Henrik's death, her head on his leg after she had fallen asleep watching a movie at his apartment. A photograph of the envelopes of the letters she had written him while away at college. The last photo before the end of the section was of him holding her as she hugged him and she recognized it from when she had picked him up at the airport the other day. Her mouth hung open and she was sure there were tears streaming down her face as she made her way to the entrance of the last section.

She didn't recognize any of these pictures. But they all radiated happiness, warmth and light. A picture of her in a wedding dress grinning as she looked down at herself. She was in mid-spin and her hair was floating around her. One of two hands, fingers entwined both with rings on them. There was one of a messed up bed, the sheets and pillows strewn haphazardly followed by a picture of a woman's bare back, her head thrown back and a man's face buried in her neck, his hands all over her body. Caroline blushed at the pictures and quickly looked away. There was a sketch of her looking up to a little boy on her shoulders and grinning. The little boy had a familiar mop of blonde curls and dimples in his cheeks as he smiled down at her; One of her gazing at someone lovingly, with just a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Caroline reached the arch at the end of the section and she saw Stefan standing with his arms crossed and a small smile on his face as he waited for her.

"So, what'd you think?" He asked and she looked at him with tears in her eyes. She didn't have an answer for him, instead looking over his shoulder at where Klaus was talking with a few men and an older woman. His eyes caught hers and when he saw where she was standing she saw a flicker of apprehension pass through his eyes.

Before he could excuse himself from the group of people talking to him she brushed past Stefan and started marching towards him, not even bothering to brush the tears from her eyes. Her dress rippled behind her as she walked and she swore that if anyone got in her way she would just plow them right down.

"Carol—" He started to say something once she was close enough but she just brought her hand up and slapped him hard across the face, earning a few gasps from the onlookers. Before he could even comprehend what had just happened she had grabbed his face and yanked it down so she could crash her lips onto his.

Klaus froze for a moment before seeming to notice what she was doing and then he reacted, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her closer, taking control of the kiss. Both seemed to lose all sense of time and their kissing grew more heated and fervent until a throat cleared next to them. Caroline sprung away from Klaus and looked around wide eyed, seeing everyone's eyes on her.

She blushed and Klaus pulled her to his side, kissing her temple.

"Anyway," He started saying, looking at the dumbfounded people in front of him, his voice was just a little bit raspier than usual, "The inspiration for the exhibit came from someone who I've loved and cherished since I was a boy. Lucky for me she's my best friend," He winked at her and her blush deepened, "This is Caroline, my muse,"