Hello, my lovely readers. Klaroline experience the joys of babysitting. On with the show…
Chapter 5: We're Ankle-Deep in Babies
Doing a favor for a friend. Sure. Do a favor for the friend because said friend said you wouldn't be able to last a week doing the favor… Well, let's just say I began to yearn for my short stay in Tokyo. And, no, I still do not know how to speak Japanese. However, I did learn how to make some rather lovely origami cranes in the airport while I made sure that Damon got me the bloody hell home without my family knowing where I was. It also gave me time to run through a series of revenge plots I intended on using against Enzo. And, Wes, who I felt must also have played a part in the sudden trip across the world. But first, my dare…
"You wouldn't last a week," Bonnie scoffed, rolling her eyes. She flipped a page in her book.
I cocked my head to the side and examined the title. Nothing I'd heard of before. A random work of literature that had seen better days given the state of the book's spine. "Are you reading that for fun?"
"Yes." Bonnie shot me a withering look. "What do you want, Klaus?"
"I am offering to do you a favor. In turn, I only ask that you stay true to the deal we made earlier." Bonnie's brows lifted and she rolled her eyes at me.
"Fine." Bonnie returned her attention to the novel. "Enjoy the spit-up."
Rolling my eyes, I turned and left the room. Bonnie's Grams was sipping a cup of tea in the living room. "Good-bye," I called to her with a smile.
"Good luck with your week, Niklaus. You're going to need it." Shelia Bennett's eyes gleamed as she looked at me over the edge of her tea cup and I felt she was trying to warn me of something. But I was in a hurry. So I didn't take the time to ask her what she knew. That was my first mistake for the week.
~0~
"Nik!" Damon came careening into my room with a look of wild excitement. "You'll never believe what happened!" He told me, throwing himself down on my bed while I tried to go back to sleep. "Nik! Wake up, man!"
"What?" I grumbled, pressing my face deeper into my pillow.
"Kat! She's back!" Damon told me.
Lifting my head, I frowned and rolled my eyes. "And we're happy about this? Why?" Katherine Gilbert was not a friend. Not an enemy. Not anymore. But not on my top-ten list of people I desperately would want to come home.
"Because she's taking the club on a trip to Richmond!" Damon cried. "Apparently so meet some rich people and she's going to be house-sitting this week. She's going to be making the house into our own private sanctuary. That means I get the hell away from the school. And NO Wes Maxfield!"
Sitting up, I rubbed at my blurry eyes. "Oh?" My mind started working through details. "We can't all just get up and leave for Richmond…" I realized there were a number of things my club members were not supposed to do, but we'd done anyway. For the entire club to take a week off from school and our day-to-day lives would be nothing.
Then it dawned on me that I couldn't go. "Damon, Bonnie dared me to take over her babysitting duties for the week."
"She what?" Damon demanded. He leapt off the bed. "No! Nik! I can't go to Richmond for a week without you! This is… Shit!" He ran a hand through his hair and rolled his eyes. "First, Enzo ships you to China –"
"Japan!" I retorted, shaking my head at Damon.
"Whatever," Damon shrugged.
Sighing, I stopped myself from telling Damon that he really did not want to make that mistake with people who took great exception to mistaking the two. Rather than giving my friend a history lesson, I decided to deal with what I could. "Is Elena coming?"
"She's already packed her bags. How do you think I found out?" Damon asked me, going over to pull out one of my drawers and to begin throwing clothes at me. A pair of jeans smacked me in the face. "So, we're being stuck with Bon Bon, but no Nik. This sucks. Caroline is gonna go nuclear on all of us."
Crossing my legs, I ran my hands through my hair. "A dare is a dare, Damon." Yes, I could pass one dare off to another member of the club but I could only do that once in an entire year. And no matter how exciting this trip to Richmond might sound; I believed that I might need to invoke my pass-a-dare card some other time.
"You'll make my apologies for me?" I inquired, pushing off the side of the bed and grabbing the long-sleeved shirt that Damon had thrown on the floor.
"Yeah." Damon kicked at my rug. "You're want to hang out with a bunch of blubbering babies who can barely speak instead of hanging out with me and Care all week?" His shoulders fell.
I moved to grab him by the shoulders. "I'll be there during the weekend, mate. Count on it." I shot Damon a smirk that made him cheer up.
"You'd better be there. Or I'll have to come and spring ya from the rug rats." Damon swung on a heel toward my bedroom door. "Have fun. I have to go show my dad how bad my flu is by puking on his new shoes."
~0~
My first stop on my babysitting tour would be the Gilberts. Lifting my hand, I knocked on the door and waited. After a long moment Miranda Gilbert appeared at the door with a smile on her face. I wondered how happy she would be if she found out that the sudden "outbreak of the flu" was a hoax so that her youngest daughter and her son could run off with her eldest daughter and their friends to hang out in a house, miles away, and unsupervised my adults?
"Come in, Klaus," Miranda said, waving for me to enter the home. "I'm just getting the bags together."
"Alright." I nodded and entered the home. The smell of baking bread fill the house. So did the low wail of a young female. Nadia came skidding around a corner in her PJs. The moment she saw me, her eyes welled and she let out a scream before she turned and ran away. Great. The kid hated me. And she was only four going on thirty.
"Nadia!" Miranda shouted. "Put your top back on!" she cried and I could hear the sound of the frayed mother of three and grandmother of two shouting and running after her oldest grandchild. Like mother, like daughter.
Another wail could be heard in the house. Only this one was closer. I found Davina sitting in her car seat. She was only two and her face turned red with the effort of trying to make everyone on the planet aware of her presence.
"If you stop crying, I'll give you ice cream," I told her, going to stand over the car seat. Davina blinked back at me, frowning before she puckered her tiny pink lower lip at me and then blew a spit bubble at me.
"Very nice, young lady," I retorted as the sound of Miranda's coming back into the room came to my ears. I turned to find her carrying Nadia under one arm. Nadia had her arms folded over her chest.
"I Want Bonnie!" Nadia cried. "Not a stink boy!" She pouted as Miranda placed her in her stroller. "I'm too big for that, nanna!" she cried, shooting her grandmother an imploring look. "Let me walk!"
"I would. But you might run off," Miranda picked up the car seat and then placed Davina inside the front of the stroller. "You'll bring them back at seven. Not later than that." She did not have to remind me.
~0~
Hitting the buzzer, I waited for someone to let me inside the gate and I pushed the stroller up the walk to the front door of the Boarding School. "Klaus, how was Japan?" Enzo asked me, swinging the door open and grinning at me.
"It was marvelous," I retorted. "I know which fish dish I plan on serving you next time you visit."
Enzo stared at me before moving aside. "Joshua. Your babysitter is here, mate!"
Joshua was only three but he seemed a bit older as he ran down the stairs with a nap sack on his back. "Coming!" he cried. "Hi!" he shouted at Davina. Davina strained against her car seat, trying to free herself to hug her friend.
Josh unbuckled the car seat and I let out a groan as Davina climbed out of the stroller and they hugged each other, wobbling and nearly falling over. Enzo smirked at me as if to say that I would fail miserably at caring for these children and I rolled my eyes before nodding toward the door. "Come on then. We're having ice cream at my place."
"Good luck with that, Nicole!" Enzo called as I pushed the stroller and cursed him under my breath. If murder was legal…
~0~
Arriving at my own front step, I tugged out my key and unlocked the door. Inside, I found that my father was all ready to go out. "Hello, Niklaus. You're sure that you'll be alright?" he asked me, again. He'd asked me thirty times that morning. His eyes scanned my young charges.
"Not a problem. Have fun, Father," I replied with a smile. Inside I was seething. My father was going on a date tonight. I did not like it. But I would not show it.
"The number of the restaurant is on the fridge," Father told me.
"I know." I retorted, shooing the children inside.
"There is food in the fridge and money on the counter if you'd like to order something." Father patted his pockets. "Where is my wallet?"
I watched him find his wallet, roll his eyes and then send me a happy smile. "I'll be back soon."
"Right. Bye." I waved Davina's little hand and she pulled away before running from me.
Father left us alone and I turned to find that not one of the children was in sight. "Nadia! Davina! Joshua! Henrick! Aiden!" Nothing. "Ice cream!"
A giggle sounded from the around a corner and I groaned. Maybe I was in over my head. "Come and find us!" Nadia cried. Yes. I was definitely in over my head.
~0~
On the second day of babysitting The Five Little Terrors, as I had dubbed them, I found myself sitting on the floor wanting to cry. Nadia levitated above my head while Davina hummed to herself. Henrick had something like Play-Doh stuck up his nose. Aiden and Josh were making a new appetizer using a combination of marshmallows and raw spaghetti noodles and were trying out the food before gagging and then laughing their heads off.
"Henrick," I called to my little brother over the sounds of the younger children. "Why have you done that? You're seven. Aren't you a tad old to be doing such things?"
Henrick reached up his nose and pulled out the Play-Doh. "They wouldn't let me come with them on the trip, Nik. And it makes the little ones laugh." He frowned and stared at me as Josh moved to shove a new clump of Play-Doh up my little brother's nose.
The doorbell rang and I sighed. Rolling my eyes, I headed for the door. Time to find out what fresh hell someone would like to visit upon me. Swinging the door open, I intended on telling the visitor we would not be buying whatever they were selling when a pair of arms were flung around my neck.
"Caroline?" I cried, wrapping my arms around my girlfriend's waist. "What are you doing here?" Pulling back, I reached up to press a curl behind her ear.
Caroline grinned at me. "You thought I would really leave you here—all alone—with five little kids?" She rolled her eyes. "I brought a camera."
Shaking my head, I heard the kids let out a series of happy shouts at the sight of Caroline. "Car!" Davina shouted and then Nadia dropped toward the floor at an alarming speed with her sister's attention diverted toward their new babysitter.
"Shit!" I cried, racing forward. I fell on my stomach, my arms thrust upward and somehow a tiny brunette landed in my cupped arms. "Thank you!" I cried to whatever could hear me and had chosen to stop the child from being hurt.
Nadia giggled and rolled over. She patted my head and stood up. "That was fun! Do it again!"
"No!" I groaned, closing my eyes.
"Who wants to make chocolate chip cookies?!" Caroline asked the children, placing her hands on her hips. I could not emphasize enough how happy I was that she had arrived.
"Me!" the children cried, hopping up and down. Even Henrick seemed pleased with the idea.
"Follow me!" Caroline cried, waving for the children to follow her. She winked at me.
~0~
On day number three, Nadia found a box of matches. That night I Googled child pyromaniacs and felt a pit grow in my stomach.
~0~
On day number four, Caroline and I collected the children together. We were planning on making things easier that night. "Pizza and movies." Caroline told me during lunch. She seemed pleased with the plan. "I already made some brownies this morning before my mom went to work."
"No wonder you look so tired." I ran a hand through her curls and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She did look weary. Perhaps I should not be so selfish and I should advise her to return to the others' party. "Do you believe the others are enjoying their vacation from all of this?" I asked her.
Caroline nodded. "Damon and Elena were making up until Katherine tried to drown Damon in the Jacuzzi. Still. I think they're having fun." She offered me a weak smile.
"And you're enjoying our time together?" I watched Caroline nod. I wondered if this were true. However, I did not intend on pushing her.
~0~
"The pizza should be here soon," Caroline said, hanging up the phone. Davina bounced on the couch and then leaned over, almost falling as she picked up part of a brownie and tossed it at Nadia.
Nadia let out a cry of fury and lifted a hand. She picked up the brownie bit and threw it back. It landed on Caroline's top. Caroline's eyes rounded at the sight of the chocolate staining her white blouse. She'd only bought it a month ago and used her saved up allowance to buy the top which had been on generous sale. Feeling pained, I saw Caroline work through a series of emotions before she let out a sigh. "It's just a shirt," she said. But her smile was strained. "I'm going to go up and try to clean this mess up."
I nodded as I turned on a DVD. Henrick rolled his eyes. "That's a baby movie, Nik!" Henrick cried, trying to take the remote from me.
"Princesses!" Nadia cried, sending Henrick a dirty look. "I want Princesses!"
"Boring!" Aiden cried, moving to sit with Henrick. Josh seemed torn between Aiden and Davina who had stuck her left foot in her mouth and tried to roll off the couch.
Picking Davina up, I set her on the floor and hoped she did not decide to run or crawl off into the kitchen. If only there were a lock on the stove.
A series of footfalls made me aware that Caroline was coming back down to join us. "Everything alright, love?" I asked, not looking up until her silence made me turn my head.
At the sight of the unshed tears in Caroline's eyes, I shot to my feet. "Henrick, watch the children. We'll be back in a minute." I made my way over to Josh who now laid on the floor and was contemplating the ceiling.
Caroline led the way up to my room. Once we were inside, I closed the door and Caroline turned to bury her face in my chest. "It's ruined! My blouse! It's ruined, Nik!" she cried, shaking her head and staring in misery at the top. "I waited for six months to be able to buy it. Look at it!" she shook her head before pushing away from me and making her way over to my bed to sit down and sniffle.
"Caroline, darling. I will find you the loveliest top that your heart desires," I told her, going to kneel down in front of her. "Tell me, and it shall be yours."
Caroline sniffled. "Well, there is this one…" A tiny smile began to play at the corners of her lips and I smiled back, pushing off the floor and moving on top of her. Her lips found mine and my hands slid under her top.
We were both groaning when there was a knock on the door and then Henrick came in. "Nik! I can't find Aiden!" he shouted. His cheeks were bright pink.
"What?" I cried, grabbing my own shirt from the floor as Caroline slammed her arms over her bare chest.
"Go!" Caroline told me.
Without another thought, I rushed out of my bedroom and ran down the stairs, taking them three at a time. "Aiden!" I shouted, looking around the living room. My next stop was the kitchen. Nothing. Opening the door to the basement, I peered inside the room. Nothing.
Going back into the living room, I stared at the other children. Davina had begun to suck her thumb and pointed at the front door.
"Oh, no!" I groaned.
Caroline came running down the stairs in one of my T-shirts. "Did you find him?" she asked as I ran out the open front door.
My eyes went from my left to the right. I saw Aiden following a red ball into the street. And a car coming around the corner. "No! No!" I cried. My nephew was about to be hit by the idiot driver.
Racing toward the street, I felt the breath catch in my throat when something appeared in front of the car and then the something and Aiden rolled out of the way. My hands were on my knees when I saw Elijah lying on his back. His son in his arms. "What in the hell were you doing!" Elijah shouted at me, causing Aiden to scream in shock and fear.
My head hung as I looked at the little boy who nearly got killed due to my negligence.
~0~
On day number five, Anna and Lexi came through the door. "You rang?" Lexi called, hands on her hips.
"How do you deal with all of this?" I demanded, waving at the five children. There were more of us when the teen vampires showed up to care for us.
"It wasn't easy," Anna said, picking up Nadia who had been jumping up and down.
"And you guys made it really hard with the dare club," Anna added with a smile as Josh pushed a toy truck into her foot and then offered her an innocent expression. "Don't you two have a party to get to?" she asked me and Caroline.
Shaking our heads, Caroline and I curled up on the end of the couch, heads inclined together. "We're good. But can you get us something to drink. Maybe a sandwich. The remote is so far away," Caroline moaned as Lexi rolled her eyes at Caroline's holding out an arm with a strained look on her face.
"And you think our job ended?" Anna quipped with an eye roll. "It's like we never finished."
"I can see that," I mumbled as my eyes began to close. I only woke up when I found Aiden stuffing Play-Doh up my nose and giggling about it. It was pretty funny, I was thinking before I tucked the little boy under one arm and kissed the top of his head. I'd never take for granted these moments again.
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.
Peace,
-J
