Notes: This section of the story is set to be a little light on the Klaroline. Sorry! I promise good stuff happens eventually. We'll also mix up the POV's occasionally. The majority will be Caroline but we'll hear from Klaus and Kol and maybe even Rebekah or Stefan occasionally. Thanks for the reviews/follows/favourites! I'm pretty sure I botched my review replies for this one last chapter (I get mixed up sometimes when I'm updating multiple things!) so I apologize if I skipped anyone.

NOVEMBER – SATURDAY

CAROLINE:

Caroline's making for one of the food tables scattered around Elijah Mikealson's spacious apartment. She's been bouncing around them all night because she doesn't really know anyone here, save the Mikaelson's (and Kol's not even here yet) and Stefan. It's Elijah's birthday and Rebekah's busy making sure things run smoothly, and Stefan's busy following Bekah around making apologetic faces to all the people she's barking orders at.

Klaus had arrived a half hour ago (more dressed up than she usually sees him, in a navy button down and grey trousers. It's kind of distracting, actually. She can't help but wonder if he still wears the necklaces under there and is there a way for her to investigate without being creepy?). She hasn't made much progress on the 'what's Klaus' deep, dark secret?' front. She's been very busy at work, and Klaus had been out of town dealing with some things for the adaptation of his comic book. She's tried to slip questions in where she can at home, but her schedule and Kol's doesn't exactly mesh. And since it's Kol, he's been entirely unhelpful (and filled with crude suggestions about all the ways she could get the info direct from the source) when their paths do cross. Kol had been telling the truth about Rebekah, the douche, because she's entirely clueless (and still seems to think Caroline's made the 'Klaus has been weird for years' thing all up in her head).

Caroline hasn't mustered the nerve to approach Elijah. He's super intimidating, for all that he resembles Kol. She can't imagine initiating a casual conversation.

Speaking of Elijah, his friends and co-workers aren't really her usual crowd (there are a lot of very large diamonds and emeralds and other precious gems around throats and fingers in this room), but the food is really, really good. The teeny bite sized baked potatoes, in particular. She's not sure just how many of them she's eaten, so far, but it's totally in the double digits.

She'd selected this particular table for two reasons. One, a caterer had just left another tray of the tiny potatoes, and she wanted them. And two, it was occupied by a very attractive man, with a seriously amazing smile, to whom she wouldn't mind finagling an introduction. She'd seen him talking to Klaus a few minutes ago. They'd been pretty intent so Caroline hadn't wanted to intrude. Once Mr. Crest White Strips broke away she'd prepared to make her move. First, Caroline had done a quick glance down to make sure everything was in place. Nothing was worse than getting your flirt on and then later finding out your bra had done something weird to your boobs or you'd dribbled something down the front of your dress.

Casual as can be Caroline joins him at the table, takes one of the plates, and begins filling it. The man glanced her way, polite smile in place, but it dropped quickly. Caroline feels self-conscious, should she have maybe checked her teeth? The man seems to do a double take when their eyes meet, "Violet?" he asks, seemingly confused.

Caroline glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if another woman had snuck up behind her, with the same idea once this guy was on his own, but there was no one in the vicinity, "Um, no," she replied slowly, "I'm Caroline."

The man shook his head slightly, grinning sheepishly, "Right. I'm sorry. I thought you looked like a Violet."

That was… odd. When you said 'Violet' Caroline thought of the kid who got turned into a blueberry in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and that was not a particularly flattering comparison. Maybe she'd better pick another target. She opened her mouth to excuse herself but the man chuckled softly and offered a hand, "I'm Marcel. And I promise I'm usually better at this."

Caroline shoots him a small smile, decides she might as well give him another chance. Because seriously, the guy was really hot, "I believe it. How do you know Elijah?"

"Well, he's my lawyer. And I work with his brother."

That was an easy deduction to make, "You work with Klaus?"

"You know Klaus?"

"A little," Caroline responds, because that's true enough. "I went to college with Rebekah, and Kol moved in with me last month."

"Oh," Marcel drawls the syllable out, "I hadn't caught your name, but I've heard a lot about you."

"From Klaus?" Caroline asks, unable to mask her surprise. Because the guy had barely started talking to her, why would he be talking about her to a guy he worked with?

Marcel grins like he's got a secret, but doesn't answer her question. He steps back from her slightly, looks past her as if searching for something. Caroline turns to follow his line of sight and locks eyes with a glowering Klaus momentarily. Klaus quickly looks away and resumes speaking to the couple he's standing with. Geez. She'd really appreciate if he could pick a personality and stick with it.

Caroline turns back to Marcel, who's looking entirely too amused, "So," she says in what she hopes comes across as a casual tone, because she recognizes an opportunity when it's dropped in her lap. It's looking like she won't get a dinner invite out of this guy (and now that she thinks about it, she's pretty sure Bekah hooked up with him a couple times, putting him even more off limits) but she can definitely pump him for information, "how long have you known Klaus?"

"We met about six years ago now. A mutual friend introduced us. I was a struggling writer, he needed some help with the storyline of his graphic novel… it worked out for both of us and we even managed to become friends."

Caroline nods thoughtfully, "I've actually never read it. I'm not one for comic books. Wait, is that offensive?" Caroline studied his face, checking to see if she'd put her foot in her mouth again, "Saying 'comic book' instead of 'graphic novel', I mean."

"Not to me," Marcel reassured her, "some might bite your head off but I don't really care, either way. You should give it a shot, though. You might find something interesting."

Caroline eyed him shrewdly, "You know, you're not the first person to tell me that." Could that have been what Kol was talking about? She remembers him quite pointedly asking her if she'd read Klaus' stuff, and Klaus being kind of pissed about it. She'd chalked it up to Klaus' usual prickliness and arty temperament. But what did she have to do with his comic book? "It's about vampires, right? It must be really popular if their making a TV show?" she questioned Marcel, hoping he'd drop another hint or two. He seemed like the kind of guy who'd be willing to toot his own horn.

"Vampires, werewolves, witches. And yeah, honestly, it's a pretty big deal to some people. More than pays my bills. It gets gory but there are a couple of romantic subplots."

"What, just because I'm a woman I need the mushy stuff?" Caroline teased, feigning outrage. Truthfully, she was mostly a rom com kind of girl but that didn't mean she couldn't like action or horror. Sometimes. Maybe.

Marcel holds up his hands in mock surrender, "Hey, now. I didn't say that. We actually do really well, sales wise, with the ladies."

"Oh, only sales wise? Please."

Marcel laughed, "A gentleman never kisses and tells, Caroline. Besides, maybe I'm just pimping my own work. There's not a lot of dialogue to be written when the characters are killing each other."

"I guess I can buy that," Caroline concedes. "Maybe I'll check it out."

"You should. We do ten issues a year. The fiftieth comes out next month."

"Sounds important."

"It is! Our publisher's throwing us a big party. I'm sure I'll see you there."

"I don't know about that," Caroline said, looking around to see where Klaus had gotten to. He'd made his way to Elijah and they were laughing together, "Klaus and I have just barely passed the acquaintance stage. I doubt I'll garner an invitation."

Marcel's eyebrows rose in disbelief, "I'm pretty sure you're wrong about that, but even if you're not, consider yourself invited. It's my party too."

"That's nice of you, Marcel. Considering you barely know me."

Marcel shrugged, eyes dancing, "I feel like I know you, Caroline. Maybe you've just got one of those faces."