A/N: Hey there, just dropping in to give you guys another quick update before school starts.
I apologize for the lack of updates. It has been hard finding free time to write. Thank you for being patient and continuing to read the story : ) I'm going to try and start writing shorter chapters so I can update sooner.
Thanks to my amazing beta, livingdeadblondequeen who has stuck with me too!
Enjoy! And let me know what you think!
The morning had been a chaotic one to say the least. He and Caroline had slept in as they had forgotten to set their alarms accordingly. Grayson, their natural backup alarm, had also slept in, failing to wake them up as he often did.
They both rushed to get themselves ready along with Grayson.
Thanks to Caroline's meticulous early planning and packing, there wasn't much they had left to do before they left. However, Caroline had to ensure everything was properly organized. She also wanted to double check and triple check their luggage to make sure they had everything they would need for their trip, especially all of Grayson's things.
For all the stuff they had, you would think they would be in New York for a month. Earlier in the week he had fully expected to be broke once he paid out all the luggage fees for the numerous things Caroline had packed – mostly for Grayson.
Luckily, he was able to get Caroline down to two bags for Grayson after he had spoken to Marcel. Marcel had offered to stop by his apartment in New York and drop off some baby things he still had from when his kids were younger. This would save them from having to bring some larger items such as a stroller and a playpen for Grayson to sleep in. Now Grayson had one bag for his clothing and another bag for his supplies and toys. To be honest, Grayson probably wouldn't even need the toys that had been packed. With all the time he'd be spending with Bonnie and Kol, he was sure Grayson probably wouldn't have time to play with them. Not to mention the fact that Bonnie and Kol would have toys waiting for him.
He was carrying Grayson downstairs in one hand and the last bag to load in the car when the doorbell startled him.
"Sweetheart, I told you I already locked the front door," he said with a raised voice, thinking it was Caroline who had gone outside earlier to quickly water all of Elena and Elijah's plants before they left.
He dropped the bag at the bottom of the stairs and rushed for the door exasperatedly to unlock it.
When he opened the door his expression tensed.
"You didn't need to rush on my account, sweetheart," Damon teased amusedly.
His eyebrows furrowed.
"To what do we owe this unexpected visit?" he asked, feigning politeness, feeling his grasp on Grayson tighten.
He wanted to wipe that smug grin off of Damon's face.
"Damon, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked as she dropped the water hose and rounded the side of the house to step onto the porch.
Caroline appeared genuinely uneasy by Damon's presence and he didn't like it.
"Well…sweetheart," Damon mocked. "I just came by to drop off your apartment key and this month's rent," he said, holding up a silver key and a white envelope.
He noticed Caroline's features relax somewhat…almost as if she seemed relieved.
She accepted the key and envelope from Damon.
"Thanks for bringing this by," Caroline said reluctantly...and a little confused.
"The hospital found a replacement for Elijah and the hospital in Baltimore needs me back, so that's where I'm headed," Damon informed them.
The news of Damon's departure was bittersweet. While he was elated that Damon would be returning to Baltimore, the fact that the hospital in Mystic Falls had found a permanent replacement for Elijah was upsetting. It was one more thing that made his brother's death just a little more real.
"Oh…that's good," Caroline said a little unsure.
"I'm sure you lovebirds are both overjoyed I'm leaving," Damon snorted, staring at Caroline almost threateningly. "Stefan informed me about your little tryst…I can't say I was surprised…a little hurt yes…but not surprised," Damon said insincerely, glancing between him and Caroline. "Although this will probably complicate things as far as Grayson is concerned?" Damon queried nodding towards Grayson, clearly trying to upset them intentionally.
"Let it go, Damon," he warned. "We appreciate your concern, but it's unnecessary," he said through gritted teeth. "We have it under control."
Damon smirked before laughing.
"Relax, Klaus," Damon mused. "I'm just giving you a hard time," he explained, as if they were best mates just joking around.
They weren't. He tolerated Damon for the sake of his friendship with Stefan. That was all. If Damon wasn't Stefan's brother, and Stefan wasn't around to keep them in check, he would be a lot less polite than he was presently trying to be.
Damon peered over his shoulder and through the open door, making it obvious he noticed the suitcase he had left in the hall.
"You two look like you're headed somewhere as well? A family vacation?" Damon inquired attempting to reach out to tickle Grayson's tummy.
He pulled back with Grayson.
"Maybe we can carpool to the airport?" Damon suggested further.
He scoffed with annoyance.
"We're getting ready to leave soon," Caroline told Damon more firmly, without providing the details, hinting that he should leave.
"Oh? Well I wouldn't want to keep you," Damon said, emphasizing his words as he glared at Caroline as if there was a double meaning behind his words.
He noticed Caroline's body seemed to tense again in response.
"We'd appreciate it if you didn't, mate," he said, taking a step forward.
Damon held his hands up innocently.
"Whoa, whoa relax," Damon said. "I just wanted to stop by and drop off the key and rent…no need to get angry," he continued. "You guys need to lighten up," he chuckled.
"Thanks again," Caroline said hesitantly, clearly feeling a little guilty.
He supposed Damon could have just up and left without returning the key or giving Caroline the last bit of rent he owed to her. Then again, if Damon really wanted to do the right thing, he could have given the key and check to Stefan and Meredith before he left. Instead, he had stopped by to intentionally instigate a confrontation.
"No, thanks for giving me a place to stay," Damon said, again feigning politeness. "Have a nice trip," he added, before turning down the porch stairs towards the sidewalk.
Just when they thought they were rid of him, Damon turned back around, walking backwards.
"Oh, Klaus! I'll keep you posted on Stefan's bachelor party!" Damon smirked.
He faked a smile and nodded, exhaling with relief when Damon got in his rental car and pulled away.
Looking towards Caroline, he noticed she appeared shaken but relieved.
"Did you get the last of the bags?" she asked, clearly attempting to change the subject.
"Yeah," he said distracted, nodding passively towards the bag in the house behind him.
She smiled forcibly.
"Okay, well I'll put the hose away and turn off the water and then we can leave," she said happily, handing him the key and envelope nonchalantly as if their encounter with Damon had never happened.
She went for the porch stairs.
"Caroline?" he asked, brushing his free hand against her wrist.
"Hmm?" she replied, looking back over her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he wondered.
"I'm fine," she said with a shrug, her lips tightening as she swallowed hard.
"You don't seem fine," he replied. "You seemed on edge when Damon showed up," he observed. "Did something happen?" he pushed further.
Caroline shook her head.
"It's fine, Klaus," she attempted the reassure him.
Her efforts to convince him only made him question things more.
"What happened? What did Damon do?" he dug deeper.
"It's nothing!" Caroline stated, becoming more agitated.
"Caroline," he stated firmly, urging her to give him an answer.
She exhaled with a long sigh.
"The night you were out with Camille…and I was with Damon…and I told him I couldn't stay…he wasn't very happy with me," she revealed.
He growled under his breath at what Caroline was implying.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked reluctantly, not exactly wanting to hear what her answer would be.
The thought of Damon hurting her made his blood boil.
She shook her head.
"He tried to convince me to stay…he tried to stop me physically…he said some hurtful things, but it didn't go beyond that," she revealed. "I took care of it," she assured him.
He frowned angrily, clenching the fist that wasn't holding Grayson in place.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, feeling annoyed that she had kept Damon's disgusting behavior from him.
She peered up at him apologetically.
"It wasn't exactly a good time to tell you after I had come home that night. We were confronting each other with our own feelings. To be honest, it was the furthest thing from my mind," she admitted. "After that, it just didn't seem important," she continued. "I didn't want you to be upset," she confessed.
He looked past her, focusing on a car driving by, trying to stay calm when all he wanted to do was track Damon down and beat the shit out of him.
"You should have told me," he said lowly, feeling disappointed that she hadn't told him what had happened that night.
It really shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. He should have expected it. He knew what Damon was like. But still, Caroline hadn't told him, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little hurt.
Though, she did have a point. If he had known how Damon had treated her that night, he probably would have reacted as Caroline had anticipated.
He couldn't stand the thought of Damon's hands on Caroline. He couldn't stand the thought of Damon hurting her.
"I'm sorry," Caroline apologized. "It slipped my mind. I didn't think it was important," she admitted. "I'm okay, everything's fine. He didn't hurt me," she continued, trying to convince him there was nothing to be upset over.
If he was being truthful with himself, he was simply more annoyed that Caroline had failed to tell him what happened. Sure, he loathed Damon even more now, but he expected that behaviour from Damon. He hadn't expected Caroline to keep it from him, especially when he had told her everything that had happened when he was with Camille.
"Klaus, it's okay," Caroline pressed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't mean to do it intentionally to hurt you," she apologized once more.
He nodded, though he was still annoyed.
"We should finish getting everything ready," he said, attempting to smooth things over. "We don't want to be late for our flight," he reminded her, trying his best to minimize the disappointment in his voice.
The last thing they needed right now was to get in a spat over something that was now in the past, all because of his hurt feelings. It was actually a little unsettling to him how much it bothered him. He felt embarrassed. He felt vulnerable. It made him uneasy.
That aside, they needed to focus on the trip they had ahead of them. He didn't want Damon's short and unexpected visit to ruin their extended weekend in New York. He certainly couldn't have it weighing him down on the night of the art exhibit.
"Yeah you're right," Caroline said, giving him a half-smile. "I'll finish up outside, and then I'll come in and help you with what's left to pack. We need to make sure we have all of Grayson's documentation just in case security asks," she added.
"Sounds good," he agreed as he and Grayson watched Caroline step off the porch.
The airport seemed busy for a Thursday at noon hour, she thought to herself as they waited to proceed through security.
They hadn't had an issue checking their larger luggage, despite the additional baggage fees they had to pay.
Klaus was holding Grayson and attempting to keep him entertained as they stood in line.
The surprise visit from Damon had been bugging her. Judging by Klaus's quiet demeanor, it had still been bothering him too.
Luckily, they hadn't run into Damon at the airport. She could only imagine how that would have gone. Both Klaus and Damon likely would have been detained by security.
It's not that she felt uneasy or scared around Damon since their last interaction, she felt guilty for keeping it from Klaus. No, she hadn't meant to keep what happened with Damon from Klaus, but at some point between the confessions of their feelings and the chaotic weeks leading up to this trip to New York, she had forgotten to tell him.
After everything that had unfolded between her and Klaus, the stuff with Damon had seemed insignificant and meaningless. She and Klaus had been enthralled with each other ever since that night. It was reasonable for her to forget about the incident with Damon. It's not something she wished to remember anyways. In fact, she hadn't given it much thought at all until earlier today.
Still, she felt bad for not talking to Klaus about it. She should have told him. She would have wanted to know if she were in his shoes. She supposed that's what two people in a romantic relationship did, they communicated. It had been a while since she had been in a relationship, and her relationship with Tyler seemed so juvenile in hindsight. They never really talked about anything important.
It actually surprised her that Klaus became upset about the fact that she hadn't told him. Though she had seen a much different side of him in the last few months, she sometimes forgot that. She had been acquainted with the other side of Klaus for so long, the one who didn't care much about anything, that she often still perceived him that way.
In a way, his reaction about the incident with Damon was reassuring. It was comforting. It indicated to her that he cared for her.
She was feeling even more reassured when Klaus placed his free hand on the small of her back as they were directed by an airport staff member to proceed to an open security queue.
As they approached, she made sure she had their boarding passes and identification ready for security to examine. She also ensured that Grayson's baby food and formula were ready for inspection.
Once she handed over their documentation and gave them the food items, she placed her things on a tray to be scanned and then took Grayson from Klaus so that he could remove his shoes and place his backpack and Grayson's diaper bag on another free tray.
She started to feel anxious as one security guard began to examine their documentation and their things were carried along the conveyor belt through the baggage scanner.
"Ma'am, you and your son can step through," a gruff looking female security guard told her from the other side of the security scanner in front of her.
Removing her attention from the other security guard, she and Grayson walked through the security scanner without it sounding.
She breathed a sigh of relief, though she knew she had nothing to hide. Airport security always made her feel uneasy.
"Sir, step through," the same security guard instructed Klaus.
As Klaus walked through the security scanner screeched.
She swallowed hard and watched as the security guard stepped forward with a wand to scan him more thoroughly.
"It's probably my belt," he concluded, lifting his white t-shirt to reveal the black leather belt with metal buckle holding up his jeans.
The security guard nodded and stepped aside.
Once they put their shoes back on and picked up all of their things they waited for a few minutes while their documentation was being examined by two security guards.
They had prepared lots of documentation for Grayson just in case. They had a passport, his birth certificate, immunization records, a copy of the order granting them interim custody, a copy of Elena and Elijah's will designating her and Klaus as guardians of Grayson, and Elena and Elijah's death certificates. Stefan had even written a letter confirming their story in case they were interrogated about it.
Judging by the look on the security guard's face as he returned the documents to Klaus, she expected that they would be pulled aside and spoken too more thoroughly.
"Thanks for coming prepared," the guard said with an appreciative tone, taking her by surprise. "My condolences," he said somberly.
At first, she almost didn't understand what he was talking about, until she noticed the death certificates on the top of the pile.
She and Klaus both nodded quietly.
"He's lucky to have you two," the security guard added.
She gave a half smile. Hearing things like that was very bittersweet. While comments like that made her feel good about the job she and Klaus were doing with Grayson, she wished that Grayson didn't need them. She wished that Elijah and Elena were still here to be Grayson's parents. That's how it was supposed to be. Her heart flinched with pain every time she remembered that Elijah and Elena's absence was permanent.
"We're poor substitutes compared to the real thing, mate," Klaus said referring to Elijah and Elena as they stepped aside to allow other passengers to travel through the security scanners.
She nodded in agreement.
"You are the real thing to him," the security guard reassured them.
After thanking the security guard for his kind words, they headed for their gate to wait for their boarding call.
"I needed to hear that today," she admitted to Klaus once they were seated by the gate, referring to the security guard's words.
"Me too," Klaus agreed quietly.
It was a relief to hear Klaus make conversation with her. He definitely seemed to be coming around and getting over the Damon thing. She was glad. She wanted to enjoy this trip with him. She didn't want it to be awkward between them the whole time – especially over something so insignificant.
"Let's hope this little guy cooperates on the plane!" she exclaimed as she bounced a very alert Grayson on her knee.
"He doesn't seem to be very tired," Klaus noted.
"I was hoping he would sleep the entire flight," she sighed. "It doesn't seem like that's going to happen."
"It's probably just the excitement. He knows something is going on," Klaus concluded. "Don't you, Gray?" he asked Grayson, tickling his tummy lightly.
They waited at the gate for about twenty minutes. Klaus was standing with Grayson at the large wall of glass pointing to the planes that were landing and taking off in the distance when one of the airport staff announced that their flight was about to begin boarding.
"Anyone requiring special assistance or seating, and those with small children can now begin boarding flight 416 to New York at gate 10. Please have your boarding passes and identification out for us to review at the gate, thank you," the cheerful feminine voice echoed throughout the airport.
Klaus returned to their seats with Grayson and began helping her collect their carry on items.
"One of the perks of having a baby," Klaus chuckled, "advanced boarding."
"Do you want to switch spots with me?" Klaus asked, offering her his seat by the window.
She paused for a moment, giving him a quizzical look, before guessing why Klaus wanted to change seats.
"You don't want the window seat?" she asked, trying not to smirk. "Don't like heights?"
He shook his head.
"Not a big fan," Klaus replied, avoiding eye-contact, his masculinity obviously feeling threatened.
"Well you'll have to take Grayson if he needs to make any emergency trips to the bathroom," she said, hoping he would take the trade off that was in her favour.
He nodded, so she placed her things in the overhead storage bin and put Grayson's things under her seat by the window.
She sat down and took Grayson from Klaus so that he could store his things and take his seat beside them.
They waited nearly a half hour before everyone was boarded and the flight crew had the go-ahead to take off.
Grayson was patient throughout the wait. Klaus had Grayson on his lap, while she fed him some baby food and entertained him new toys she had purchased especially for the flight.
To their surprise, by the time the plane was taking off Grayson was passed out in Klaus's arms.
"Well this is going to be a long flight for my arms if Grayson chooses to sleep like this for the next hour," Klaus joked as the plane lifted off the runway.
"We can take turns," she offered. "Grayson sleeps through anything."
"Clearly," Klaus laughed amusedly, referring to the fact that they were currently taking off in an airplane and Grayson was fast asleep.
"He doesn't like to miss his afternoon nap for anything," she smirked, stroking Grayson's hair, which was getting longer and darker every day.
They had barely been in the air for twenty minutes when Grayson started to wake up and fuss.
"I'll take him," she said anxiously, extending her hands as Grayson was becoming more restless.
She was worried that Grayson might erupt into an unexpected meltdown on the plane, and that's the last thing she wanted.
"Maybe he's scared?" she wondered aloud.
"He's okay," Klaus said, keeping him in his lap. "He's probably just filling his diaper," he snorted.
Klaus bouncing Grayson on his lap and showing him his new stuffed dinosaur did not do much to settle him.
"He can't be hungry again," she concluded, recalling what Grayson had eaten that day as his verbal protests became louder.
"He'll settle down, sweetheart," Klaus reassured her. "He's okay."
Before she could reply, Grayson leaned towards Klaus and spit up all over Klaus's shirt.
"Or not," Klaus sighed with displeasure, peering down with disgust at the yellow-coloured vomit on his shirt.
"Oh my god," she panicked as Grayson began to cry, reaching under the seat for Grayson's things.
She removed a few wipes, handing some to Klaus for his shirt, while she took some to clean Grayson up.
A flight attendant had spotted the incident and responded by bringing them some water and napkins.
She was utterly embarrassed as she noticed a few of the other passengers sitting around them giving them dirty looks.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized to the flight attendant, who assured them that it happens all the time – to babies and adults alike.
"I guess the flight made him a little queasy," Klaus observed with a slightly humorous tone as he attempted to remove as much of the stain on his shirt as he could.
"I shouldn't have fed him," she sighed guiltily. "We will have to get both of you clean shirts from the checked bags when we land," she told Klaus and Grayson, immediately regretting that she had decided not to put a change of clothes in Grayson's diaper bag.
As she finished cleaning Grayson up as best she could, he began to calm down. Getting sick was never fun, and she knew it had probably startled him.
She supposed it could have been worse, as she imagined the worst case scenario: the plane making an emergency landing and kicking them off for the ordeal they had caused. At least it wasn't that bad, she reassured herself to calm her anxiety and embarrassment.
She didn't even have time to take Grayson to the bathroom to clean up him properly and check his diaper before the captain announced that the plane was beginning its descent for New York City.
Grayson laid against her chest, whimpering with his thumb in his mouth as the plane prepared to land.
She gazed out the window, sucking in a breath as she saw the city in the distance. There were butterflies in her stomach. She attributed it mostly to the flight, but she also felt excited.
Once they landed and had managed to secure all their checked luggage, Klaus was able to change his shirt and avoid all of the awkward stares he had received from other people in the airport.
She was also able to change Grayson's clothes and his diaper.
It had definitely put Grayson in happier spirits as he was giggling and smiling while Klaus hailed them a taxi.
The warm and sunny weather that greeted them outside the airport put her in a great mood as well, and she was looking forward to getting settled in and enjoying her time away from work – though she had already texted Camille since they landed to check in with the store.
She had forgotten what the cab ride to Klaus's apartment in Brooklyn would be like. It had been a while since she lived in New York and had to endure the traffic – especially as it approached rush hour. That was one thing she didn't miss about this city.
Klaus's apartment building was nicer than she had anticipated. It was a narrow four-storey brick building, sandwiched in between two other similar buildings. The first floor was occupied by a small convenience store and laundry-mat.
"It's not much," Klaus said self-consciously, as they removed their things from the taxi and he paid the fare to the driver. "I think my whole apartment is the size of Elena and Elijah's kitchen," he joked.
She smiled understandingly.
"I used to live here, remember?" she said with a laugh. "I think my last apartment in the city was the size of Elijah and Elena's master bedroom closet," she joked.
"Sometimes I forget that you used to live here," he chuckled, unlocking the apartment building door and opening it for her and Grayson.
They managed to fit all of their things into the questionable tiny elevator just inside the small first floor foyer.
When they made it to the third floor without issue, she sighed with relief.
There were only two units on Klaus's floor and he headed for the black door closest to the front of the building.
"It's nothing special, remember," he warned her as he unlocked the door and held it open for her.
When she stepped inside, she didn't have much time to take in the apartment as a loud voice caught her off guard.
"Bloody hell, I've been waiting for you to get here all afternoon!" the accented feminine voice, belonging to a familiar tall blonde, shrieked.
A/N: WHO COULD THAT BE? Heh. The next few chapters will be devoted to the New York trip. It will definitely be a turning point, in more ways than one, for the story. dun dun dun.
