A/N: Hey there! I'm glad you know some of you are still around reading and loving this story. It means a lot to know my effort is appreciated.
Mikael and Esther finally make their appearance in this chapter. I hope it lives up to your expectations. There are even some more small Klaroline moments for you to revel in.
Thank you to my beta, livingdeadblondegirl, for her speedy editing and suggestions. I added around 1,000 more words to this chapter in lieu of her recommendations, so you can thank her for that!
As always, I encourage you to type in a review - no matter how short or big - to let me know what you think - good or bad.
All five of them - including Grayson - had somehow managed to fit into Elena's car.
Klaus drove and Kol sat up front after having declared 'shot gun.' She and Bonnie had squeezed in the back with Grayson.
They were running late, thanks to Kol's procrastination on getting ready and an unanticipated last minute diaper change for Grayson.
She tapped her fingers anxiously against her thigh.
Their tardiness would be a great first impression - er second impression - she thought.
When the resort came into view a sick feeling burned its way through her stomach and up to her chest.
It was not out of some trepidation over encountering Mikael and Esther. It had more to do with her sadness over the loss of Elijah and Elena.
The last time she had been here - the last time any of them had been here - was for their wedding.
She wondered if the insensitivity of asking them here for dinner had even crossed Mikael and Esther's minds; probably not.
Luckily, they found a parking spot close to the front.
Bonnie and Kol went ahead to the hotel to confirm their arrival and to find his parents and Rebekah.
She removed Grayson from his car seat and held him close to keep him warm as she waited for Klaus to detach the carrier from the base.
"They clearly don't want these bloody things to come apart, do they?" Klaus grumbled as he worked on the carrier.
It had slipped her mind that he hadn't had to detach it before.
"I think that's the point," she mused as he finally freed it.
He scoffed at her as he turned around on his heel from the car door, carrier in hand.
For a brief moment they were less than a foot away from one another and it triggered the anxiety she felt around him when they had bathed Grayson.
Despite the cold air, her face still went hot as she quickly dwelled upon the way Klaus's hungry eyes had set upon her earlier in her translucent wet shirt. Too caught up with concern over her wet blouse, she hadn't even realized the awkwardness of the situation until she noticed the way Klaus was staring at her. She knew that look. It was one she had received from him before, but not in a while; a deep look of lust. She had tried chalking up the small smile she had on her face once she disappeared into Elena's old bedroom to common flattery and desperation - she honestly couldn't remember the last time a guy had looked at her that way - but she knew deep down that the cause of her smile ran deeper than that.
"Are you ready to go in?" Klaus asked her, jolting her from her thoughts.
She stepped back to give him space as she nodded. She was as ready as she could be.
"I think so," she said reluctantly.
As they approached the building, she gave herself a once over in the glass doors, ensuring that her appearance was satisfactory. This restaurant was not as formal as the one they had dined in for Elena and Elijah's rehearsal, but she was determined to make a good second impression. Her hair could have used a bit more curl, but she had been constrained by time. The heeled boots she was wearing made up for the rest of her lackluster appearance and gave her the added boost of confidence she needed to go into this.
Even Klaus had seemed to understand the importance of this dinner she noted as she found herself absently acknowledging his appearance. He cleaned up nicely in black pants and a white button up shirt. When she caught herself admiring the scent of his cologne, she promptly turned her head to inhale the fresh evening air as a means to distract herself. It was amazing how a simple smell could contain such vivid memories; dangerous memories and beautiful mistakes that she thought she had long since forgotten.
That, coupled with Bonnie's forewarning about reopening old wounds and repeating past mistakes, helped shake her from her dangerous thoughts.
Klaus opened the door for her and Grayson and they found Bonnie and Kol waiting for them just inside the lobby in the foyer area that led to the restaurant.
The subtle delicious smells from the restaurant encouraged her appetite, but that was quickly sullied when she caught sight of Mikael and Esther emerging from behind Bonnie and Kol.
Her hopeful smile could not even be salvaged by the appearance of Rebekah.
It was all she could do to stop herself from turning around and leaving.
Her mouth went dry and she began to feel lightheaded.
She tried to steady her breathing as they approached. Her hold on Grayson tightened.
Mikael was already giving them a judgemental glare, while Esther's reaction appeared more subdued.
Klaus stepped ahead of her, greeting both his parents detachedly.
"Well don't you look domesticated," Mikael said to Klaus, observing the carrier in his hand and brown diaper bag on his shoulder.
She gave Bonnie and Kol an anxious look as she managed to mutter a polite greeting.
"Oh my goodness, he's gotten so big," Esther sighed, ignoring her presence completely and reaching immediately for Grayson.
The woman reeked of perfume and alcohol.
Bewildered, she let Grayson go as Esther scooped him into her arms.
"Nik," Rebekah said emotionally as she gave him a hug.
She stepped back beside Bonnie helplessly, unsure of what to do or say.
"Look at him. He's so precious," Esther gushed to an indifferent Mikael.
Just by the way Grayson was fidgeting and trying to avoid Esther, she knew he was uncomfortable. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that she smelled like she had been in the middle of a bar and perfume shop explosion.
"Hey, Caroline," Rebekah said, briefly distracting her from her worry.
She hugged Rebekah as they both offered each other their condolences.
Grayson's continued whimpers caught her attention. When she pulled back from Rebekah's embrace, she could see Esther struggling to calm him down.
"He must be tired or hungry...or maybe in need of changing?" Esther suggested to her in particular with a critical stare.
"He had a nap earlier. He's been fed and changed. He should be fine," she shrugged, trying not to sound too defensive. "It's probably just the excitement of being here," she proposed.
Esther nodded with a forced smile.
"Maybe he just wants to see his grandpa?" Esther cooed, offering Grayson to Mikael.
She sucked in a breath and did her best to control the anger she felt at the sight of Mikael reluctantly taking Grayson.
"Doesn't he look just like Elijah when he was a baby?" Esther asked Mikael, who stood there frigidly with Grayson.
The sounds of protest only seemed to grow louder from Grayson at having been placed in Mikael's arms.
"They're babies; they all look alike," Mikael said coldly.
Grayson was almost in the middle of a full on cry at this point and she had to resist the desire to step in and come to his immediate aid. She didn't want Mikael and Esther to think she was interfering. She was still hoping they could make a good impression.
"Now who looks domesticated?" Klaus said sarcastically to his father.
She tensed and wanted to reprimand him for playing into his father's hand. This would only end badly for them. Her hope for a good impression was quickly falling by the wayside.
"Actually, I take that back," Klaus sighed.
She relaxed.
"You wouldn't be able to tell that you were a father to six kids," Klaus sneered.
Her eyes shot him a threatening glare, as did everyone else's.
"Five kids," Mikael corrected him, "five kids and one bastard."
She closed her eyes briefly, fighting the urge to cover her face in horror, now fully expecting a repeat of their last dinner that ended in fists flying.
Klaus and his father could not be in the same room with one another for more than a few minutes before they were down one another's throats. While a part of her wanted to applaud Klaus's low shots, she knew they were not conducive to the amicable atmosphere they were trying to foster between them and his parents for Grayson's sake.
This was already shaping up to be a disaster.
Klaus looked visibly affected by his father's biting comment as he stood there with his jaw and fists clenched.
Thankfully, Klaus held back another one of his snide responses long enough for Rebekah to intercede.
"Let me see my nephew," Rebekah requested, breaking the tension as she took Grayson from a relieved looking Mikael.
Grayson calmed down almost instantly with Rebekah.
"You're adorable," Rebekah said in a baby voice. "He's like a mini Elijah," she added with a bittersweet tone.
A smile appeared on Grayson's lips.
Even Grayson seemed to know instinctively who could be trusted and who could not be.
"Well at least we don't have to question his paternity," Mikael said sarcastically as he brought his hands together.
She narrowed her eyes at him. Where did this man find the nerve to make horrible and completely false insinuations about Elena, especially during a time like this?
"Father," Rebekah piped up with a warning tone.
Mikael shrugged innocently as though his comment had been completely harmless. None of his comments were ever intended to be harmless.
Before things could escalate, a hostess appeared in the doorway.
"Your table is ready, if you'd like to follow me," she offered.
"It's about time considering we made a reservation in advance," Esther groaned.
They entered the busy restaurant and were taken to a longer rectangular table in the corner of the room. Made up of eight places, it was capable of seating all of them.
She froze when she felt a presence behind her and unfamiliar hands on the collar of her black jacket.
"Let me help you with your coat," Mikael said.
She obliged him hesitantly, slinking out of her jacket. With it off, she turned slightly, offering him a forced half-smile. Mikael handed the hostess her jacket, but his devilish eyes remained fixed on her. Feeling uncomfortable, she glanced away.
Klaus was staring bitterly at their exchange as he took a seat at one end of the table.
The hostess then offered to take Klaus's coat - he being the only remaining person still wearing one.
"Your server will be with you shortly," the hostess stated before turning back for the restaurant entrance.
She sat down on Klaus's left, with Rebekah taking the seat beside her and Esther taking the seat beside Rebekah. Mikael took a seat at the head of the table opposite Klaus.
Kol and Bonnie were seated across from her, leaving one chair open, separating Mikael from Kol.
"When are Sage and Finn arriving?" Kol asked casually.
"Probably not until ten or eleven tonight," Esther informed him. "They couldn't get on the flight with us."
Tuning out Mikael and Esther's voices, she smirked down at Grayson who was trying to tug at Rebekah's hair.
"He has a thing for long hair," she shrugged amusedly.
Rebekah smiled and began to make funny faces at Grayson.
She looked around the table, catching the tail end of a conversation about Finn and Sage's kids. Kol was pretending to listen. Klaus was on his phone. Bonnie was giving her a bored stare.
Just as she was considering carrying out a covert text conversation with Bonnie about their mutual loathing for this dinner, she felt tiny hands on her leg.
"It looks like he wants to sit with you," Rebekah said, looking down at Grayson who was reaching for her lap.
She nodded and helped Grayson get seated in her lap. So much for that text conversation, she thought as she glanced apologetically over at Bonnie.
Their female server soon appeared taking down all of their drink selections.
She was not surprised when all three of the Mikaelson men ordered some variant of whiskey and Esther ordered herself a bottle of red wine. Bonnie and Rebekah decided to indulge in one of the premium cocktails listed on the drink menu, while she confined herself to ice water. Not only did they need a designated driver, but someone needed to stay sober for this.
"Would you like a high chair for your son?" the server asked her.
At first she didn't respond, concluding the question wasn't directed towards her. Then she noticed everyone looking at her and Grayson - the server included.
The assumption wasn't too far-fetched, so rather than correcting the server and embarrassing her, she simply nodded politely, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"So he's your son now?" Mikael asked.
She shrugged anxiously, preventing the conversation from going any further too soon. She wasn't sure if it was her place to discuss the details of the will. She wanted to leave it up to Klaus to inform them. They were his parents, after all.
When the server returned with their drinks and a suitable high chair for Grayson, she hastily placed her dinner order having barely looked at the menu. Her appetite had entirely disappeared at this point. She couldn't care less what she ate.
While the server took the rest of the table's orders, Klaus helped her with the high chair. Although her back was turned, she could feel Esther and Mikael's scrutinizing gaze.
Once Grayson was secure, he immediately set upon banging his tiny fists against the table surface. It wasn't loud compared to the general noise of the restaurant, but it might still be perceived as annoying to those close to them.
She panicked a little inside, self-conscious of becoming one of those parents with the unrelenting noisy baby.
As they waited for their meals, she preoccupied herself by trying to preoccupy Grayson with the quiet plush toys she had packed for him.
She didn't care for the current direction the general conversation at the table had taken.
Esther was busy delving into discussion surrounding the funeral arrangements.
"We already talked to the funeral director this morning," she heard Klaus interrupt. "Everything is taken care of according to what Elijah and Elena wanted. Most of it was planned in advance by them."
Esther swallowed a sip of wine and looked at Klaus curiously.
"What about what their family wants?" she countered.
"You know Elijah was always selfish like that. He never wanted us to have a say in anything," Mikael interjected.
Esther sighed.
"As his parents we should have a say," Esther shrugged.
"Maybe Elijah and Elena just didn't want to burden any of us with the details?" Rebekah suggested, once again mediating the conversation.
"They didn't," Kol affirmed. "Elijah never wanted to be a burden. He was always the one looking out for us."
The Mikaelson siblings exchanged knowing glances with one another.
"So then what are the details for the funeral exactly?" Esther asked curiously.
Klaus shrugged.
"They want a private burial, confined to close family and friends followed by a celebration of life. The burial is tomorrow morning. The celebration of life is that the Grill tomorrow afternoon," Klaus informed them simply.
"They don't want a proper funeral?" Esther gasped. "And they want a party held at the bar downtown?" Esther wondered incredulously.
She could hear the disdain in Esther's voice.
Mikael made his displeasure known with a firm scoff.
"Elijah and Elena didn't want us to mourn them. They wanted us to focus on the happy memories. We followed exactly what was stated in their will," she spoke up, coming to Klaus's defense.
Esther shook her head disappointedly.
"Judging by your keen sense of knowledge regarding the details of the will, I am going to assume Elijah and Elena made the foolish mistake of selecting you as executors?" Mikael assumed.
She and Klaus both nodded, and she prepared herself for the topic of Grayson's custody to follow.
"Who the hell is their lawyer?" Mikael complained.
Klaus chuckled under his breath.
"Stefan Salvatore, Giuseppe Salvatore's son," Klaus mused. "The same son you have praised on numerous occasions."
Mikael seemed surprised and a little flustered.
"I'm sure Elijah and Elena went against Stefan's council in making that decision," Mikael lamented. "Stefan would have never condoned that."
"Regardless of what you think Stefan would or wouldn't have advised, it wasn't his decision to make anyways," Klaus replied, before taking a long sip of his drink.
"Of course you wouldn't complain. You're reaping all the benefits of the decision," Mikael hissed.
Klaus shook his head incredulously.
"Yes, the benefit of planning my own brother's funeral," Klaus shot back with stinging sarcasm. "There are no benefits."
"No benefits save for the percentage of the estate you will be paid for your humble service," Mikael scoffed.
She hadn't even gone over Elena and Elijah's will in detail enough to read about provisions for them as executors. Being reimbursed for carrying out Elena and Elijah's final wishes had never even dawned on her. It seemed in poor taste. Everything Elijah and Elena had should go towards caring for Grayson.
Before the conversation about the will could escalate, the server appeared with their meals effectively putting an end to the current discussion.
Forgetting what she had ordered, she was surprised to see a cream soup and salad set in front of her. She wished she had been here under better circumstances with more of an appetite. The soup smelled delicious and the salad looked flavourful but she really had no desire to eat. Nevertheless, she started to pick at the salad slowly while simultaneously trying to amuse Grayson.
"So Kol, have you decided what you're going to do for the summer?" Esther asked.
If it wasn't one controversial topic, it was another.
As far as she knew, Esther or Mikael had no idea about Kol's intent to spend the summer in New York with Bonnie.
"I'm going to New York," Kol announced.
Esther seemed uncertain while Mikael seemed critical.
"New York? What on earth will you be doing there?" Mikael demanded.
"I'm going to be doing some of my research at NYU, helping out with some summer classes, and getting into trouble when I'm not doing either of those things," Kol sighed with a satisfied tone.
Anxiety was etched across Bonnie's face.
"Where will you live? With Niklaus?" Esther wondered hopefully.
She winced as Bonnie looked nervously at Kol.
"Actually, Bonnie and I are going to be living together. Luckily for me, she'll be losing a roommate this summer and will be in need of a replacement," Kol informed her.
Esther's fork clinked against her plate as she struggled to swallow her food.
"What a great idea," Mikael seethed.
"I didn't know you two had become that serious," Esther tried to say calmly.
Kol shrugged.
"It's not like we're getting married or anything yet, Mother," Kol laughed with his mouth half full. "It's just for the summer. You know if I lived with Nik we would probably end up killing one another," Kol joked further, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Yet?" Esther wondered, choosing to zero in on that particular word.
She watched a confused range of emotions cross Bonnie's features.
Kol had just mentioned the prospect of marriage, but Bonnie was also confronted by his parents' lukewarm reaction.
As a result, Bonnie seemed excited and disappointed all at once.
She gave Bonnie a sympathetic smile.
"Well maybe someday," Kol said as he put his arm around Bonnie.
"You two are disgusting," Rebekah cringed playfully.
"You're just jealous Bekah," Kol beamed.
Rebekah scowled and crossed her arms.
"Why can't I find a guy who wants only me?" Rebekah grimaced.
Kol snorted audibly from across the table.
"Well perhaps if you started opening your legs for only one guy then he would want only you," Kol teased.
Rebekah glowered at Kol and pointed her fork menacingly in his direction as everyone, excluding Esther and Mikael tried to suppress laughs at Kol's inappropriate joke.
Even Grayson began to laugh.
"See? Even Grayson knows it's true," Kol chuckled.
Rebekah rolled her eyes.
"That's enough, Kol," Esther chided.
Kol sneered and slouched back in his seat in annoyance.
"I don't know what you see in him, Bonnie," Rebekah groaned.
"The Mikaelson name and fortune perhaps?" Mikael suggested arrogantly.
She gasped under her breath at Mikael's audacity.
Was it possible for her to loathe this man anymore?
Bonnie looked like she was on the verge of tears. It was completely unlike her. She was always such a strong-willed and opinionated person. It pained her to know that even Bonnie could be brought down by Mikael's intimidation tactics.
"Does it even exist anymore?" Klaus countered critically.
Mikael polished off his liquor glass and wiped the alcohol residue away from his lips with his hand.
"That's something you'll never know the answer to, boy," Mikael fumed.
"Well seeing as how most of it went towards covering up your own legal troubles if I recall, I don't suppose I will," Klaus stated.
She seemed to learn something new about the Mikaelson family every time she was around them. Mikael's personal legal woes intrigued her and she was curious for the details.
"Kol, if you spend the summer here in America, you're going to miss all the things I intend to do with Grayson," Esther said excitedly, sealing one can of worms by opening up another. "There's the zoo, the park, the beach," she listed. "It's going to be so much fun."
She dropped her spoon in her soup bowl and looked up curiously. Klaus seemed to share her confused expression, as did Bonnie and Kol.
How could Esther take Grayson anywhere this summer if he was here with her and Klaus? Unless Klaus wasn't telling her something, there were no plans in place to travel to overseas.
"Are you sure you'll be able to?" Kol asked.
Mikael shrugged.
"Why wouldn't it be possible? I already pulled some strings so we can take Grayson back with us when we leave," Mikael stated.
Her stomach dropped.
Kol snickered mischievously.
"You might want to run that by Caroline and Klaus first," Kol grinned.
"And why would we have to do that?" Esther wondered. "By default we're his legal guardians."
She looked at Klaus anxiously and pleadingly, urging him to say something.
Klaus dropped the steak knife he had in his hand and finished chewing through his food before looking intently across the table at his parents.
"Actually, Caroline and I are Grayson's legal guardians. Elijah and Elena listed us together in the will," Klaus declared.
She and Bonnie both tensed in anticipation of the disastrous reaction. Kol was sitting on the edge of his seat as if ready for the excitement and chaos that was about to ensue.
Cautiously, she looked to Rebekah first.
She allowed herself to breathe a little when she noticed that Rebekah seemed pleasantly surprised by the news.
"Excuse me?" Esther inquired as her features darkened.
"Elijah and Elena want Caroline and me to be Grayson's permanent guardians," Klaus shrugged.
Mikael erupted into contemptuous laughter.
"You can't be serious?" Mikael groaned.
"I'm quite serious," Klaus nodded.
Esther gave Mikael a horrified look.
"Were they under the influence when they made that decision? Who the hell in their right mind would give you a baby?" Mikael grumbled.
"Who would give you one?" Klaus asked defensively.
Mikael sat back in his chair smugly.
"I've raised six kids," Mikael replied.
"Five," Klaus seethed.
"Regardless, we both know your mother and I are better equipped to raise a baby," Mikael chuckled confidently.
"Are you?" Klaus wondered as he nodded his head towards his mother's nearly finished bottle of wine.
"More than you'll ever be," Mikael said, shrugging calmly. "I mean, hypothetically, let's say you decided to entertain this foolish notion of becoming a father, how can you and Miss Forbes provide a suitable and stable environment for Grayson? Hmm?" Mikael asked. "The last time I checked, you live in New York and she lives here. Your hobbies include liquor and women. You finger paint for money and Caroline hems clothing. How can you afford to raise him?" Mikael demanded. "The idea of you two taking care of Grayson is ludicrous."
She had reached her breaking point. She had heard enough of his destructive comments. He wasn't concerned about Grayson. He simply wanted to bring them down. She couldn't keep quiet and defenceless any longer.
"Stop," she interrupted.
Everyone turned their attention on her.
"Don't you think Klaus and I have already asked ourselves all of these questions, and then some? We know that we're going to have to make some lifestyle adjustments. We're prepared to make the financial commitment. We're capable of both. We wouldn't take on the responsibility if we didn't think we could handle it. We want to raise Grayson. The decision has already been made," she stated firmly.
Klaus gave her an appreciative half smile for stepping in.
"Has it now?" Mikael said patronizingly.
She nodded.
"Klaus and I are going to raise Grayson together."
"What does that mean exactly?" Mikael wondered.
"It means I'm going to move to Mystic Falls temporarily so we can settle the will and formalize the custody arrangement," Klaus clarified.
"You're just going to pack up and leave New York? What about your quaint little gallery and your 'art'?" Mikael asked.
"I can paint anywhere. As for the gallery, it's only open a few days a week. Marcel can take care of it," Klaus explained.
Mikael crossed his arms, feigning interest.
"It sounds like you have it all figured out," Mikael hissed. "What about here? Where will you live?"
"We're both going to move in to Elena and Elijah's," she informed him. "It will be easier for us and for Grayson until we decide what to do with the house."
Both Mikael and Esther's eyebrows rose.
"So you're going to live together with Grayson?" Esther asked.
"Yes," she answered, trying hard to contain the swell of hostile and devastated emotion inside of her that was threatening to be released.
She didn't want to let them get to her.
Mikael shook his head with amusement.
"Are you sure you can keep your hands off of one another long enough to raise Grayson?" Mikael chuckled sardonically. "I warned you about my son once. Are you really that foolish as to think that this time will be any different?"
She let out a huff of frustration.
"That's not what this is about. Klaus and I have put that behind us. This is about what's doing what's best for Grayson. The only thing that's ludicrous is that you believe the both of you are it," she snapped scornfully. "Elena and Elijah wanted you nowhere near their son."
Pushing her chair back from the table, she stood up. She was tired of trying to appease them. She didn't owe them anything. She and Klaus were Grayson's guardians. His parents were the ones who would have to prove their case if they thought it should be otherwise.
She tore off furiously in search of the restrooms. She couldn't be at that table any longer. She was suffocating. She needed to regain her bearings before she recited anymore of the scathing things on her mind.
When she couldn't find the restrooms on her own, she left the restaurant completely, her entire body shaking as she entered the main lobby of the hotel.
She couldn't believe the nerve of those people. She hated them with every fibre of her being. She didn't think it was possible to hate two people so much. Becoming Grayson's guardian had intensified the sentiment.
The only thing she had been foolish about was thinking - for even a moment - that they could pull this dinner off tonight without any explosions.
If anyone was going to walk out, she fully expected it to be Klaus. Now here she was, walking down one of the main hotel corridors aimlessly, trying to calm herself down.
She shook her head disappointedly as she replayed the disaster in her mind.
Gritting her teeth, she scolded herself for letting Mikael and Esther get to her.
Klaus did not need her help in inciting his parents. He had done that well enough on his own. She had only served to make things worse. She had played right into their hand and added fuel to the fire.
She wasn't even a few days into it and already she was putting her guardianship of Grayson at risk. If Mikael and Esther made any attempt to contest custody, she was certain her outburst just now would be used against her and Klaus.
The doors to the empty reception hall were open and the room was vacant, so she stepped inside.
It looked completely different than it had just over a year ago.
She bit her lip to suppress the tears that were looming as she looked around.
Being here was so bittersweet.
The happy memories were comforting, but in lieu of absence of Elijah and Elena they were now difficult to digest.
Moreover, this room seemed to confront her more poignantly with the possibility that she could be failing both of them.
She stood there for a few moments, allowing herself the time to shed a few tears before she made the effort to regain her composure and return to the restaurant.
"Hey," an accented female voice said from behind her.
Looking over her shoulder, Rebekah was standing in the doorway cautiously.
"Hey, sorry, I'm coming back. I just needed a minute," she explained as she wiped her fingers under her eyes to clear away any running mascara.
"It's okay. The dinner is over anyways. I came to tell you. My brother is settling your bill," Rebekah informed her.
She frowned.
"I should go back," she said guiltily.
Rebekah held her hand out.
"Nik's taking care of it. It's okay," Rebekah assured her with a small smile.
She shook her head.
"No, it's not okay. I ruined everything," she muttered.
"My parents ruined everything," Rebekah corrected her. "They tend to do that. None of it's your fault. I don't blame you for reacting the way you did."
She was struggling to remember a time when she hated Rebekah Mikaelson. Prior to Elena and Elijah's wedding she had severely misjudged her.
"Thanks," she replied.
Rebekah offered her a napkin to wipe her eyes with properly.
"The last time I was in this room my brother and Elena were getting married," Rebekah recalled. "Now the both of them are gone. It's amazing how quickly things can change."
She nodded.
"They were so happy that day," she said, managing a smile through her tears.
"They were so in love," Rebekah sighed.
After wiping her own eyes with the napkin, she handed it back to Rebekah who had shed a few of her own tears at this point.
"Elijah was such a good big brother. He and Elena were becoming amazing parents," Rebekah winced.
Agreeing quietly, she and Rebekah stood there beside each other silently.
"I'm not surprised they wanted you and Nik to be Grayson's guardians," Rebekah admitted. "I mean, granted, I'm a little concerned about how the two of you are going to make it work together, but as people, you're most like Elena and Elijah - even Nik. He may be rough around the edges and have a bit of an unorthodox personal life, but he's fiercely loyal to those he considers his family. That's what matters most," she affirmed. "Eventually he'll get the hang of feedings and diaper changing," she laughed.
She smiled at Rebekah's vote of confidence.
"Klaus has the hang of diapers and feedings pretty well already, actually," she mused.
Rebekah arched a surprised eyebrow.
"He even got Grayson to eat some baby food this afternoon," she added. "He's been good. I think Elijah would be proud."
"Or relieved," Rebekah teased.
They both laughed lightly.
"At the end of the day, Nik loves Elijah and he adores Grayson. My father underestimates that. Nik would never let either of them down," Rebekah said confidently.
Rebekah wiped her eyes again.
"Obviously I wish Elijah and Elena could still be here to raise their son, but since they can't, I think this is what is best for Grayson. I think this is a good thing for Nik. It's a good thing for you," Rebekah paused. "It could be a good thing for the two of you," she said cryptically, giving her a small suggestive smile.
She opened her mouth to protest, but Rebekah was already turning to leave the room.
"Come on. My brother is probably waiting for you," Rebekah said.
Back in the lobby, she found Klaus waiting for her with Grayson in one hand and her coat in the other. Kol and Bonnie were there too; Kol holding onto the baby carrier and Bonnie holding onto the diaper bag and both their purses. She hadn't even realized that she had left her purse at the table when she had made her hasty exit.
She felt guilty for abandoning them despite the sympathetic looks they were currently giving her.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Mikael and Esther emerging from the restaurant.
"I'll see you all tomorrow," Rebekah said. "I'm going up to my room," she told them, nodding towards her approaching parents.
Rebekah then proceeded to kiss Grayson on the head before mussing his hair.
"Let me know if there's anything I can do for tomorrow," Rebekah said to her and Klaus.
They both nodded.
"See you tomorrow, Bekah," Kol said to his sister as she started for the elevators.
Taking her coat from Klaus, she put it on and then reached for Grayson.
"Can I see him?" she asked, feeling this instinctive need to keep Grayson close to her.
As Klaus handed him to her she noticed Mikael and Esther's penetrative stares a few feet away from them.
She was literally hugging Grayson against her while she exchanged cold glares with them.
Klaus, Kol, and Bonnie all glanced in the direction she was focused on to find Mikael and Esther for themselves.
Forcing herself to look away, she turned her back and began to head for the exit.
There was nothing more she had to say to them, and nothing more she wanted to hear from them.
Unfortunately, she was still able to decipher Mikael telling Klaus that he intended for Stefan to make him a copy of the will.
The car ride home was a silent one, at least from her and Klaus it was.
Kol and Bonnie spent most of the drive berating Mikael and Esther until Klaus had told them to knock it off. They then spent the rest of the ride giggling flirtatiously in the backseat while she and Klaus sat awkwardly up front together.
When they arrived back at the house it was already well past Grayson's bedtime, so she was not surprised to find him asleep in his carrier.
"Do you want me to take him?" Klaus offered, as she pulled a barely awake Grayson out of his car seat.
"No," she shook her head. "I'm gonna bring him upstairs and get him ready for bed. Maybe you could make him a bottle?" she suggested. "He might be hungry."
Klaus nodded and followed her inside once Kol got the door unlocked.
She didn't even bother to remove her coat and boots, preferring instead to take Grayson directly upstairs.
It was all Grayson could do to keep his eyes open as she changed him.
Deciding to let him sleep rather than keep him awake for a bottle, she placed him in his crib.
His eye closed almost instantly.
A smile tugged at her lips while tears threatened to fall again from her eyes. She hated being such a mess of emotions.
She supposed the whirlwind of events over the past few days would do that to a person.
All of it had only worked to strengthen her resolve to protect Grayson and ensure that he was taken care of.
"Good night, little guy," she whispered, making sure to turn on the small nightlight before she left the room.
As she walked by the door to Elena and Elijah's bedroom, she recalled the clothes she and Bonnie had taken out earlier.
When she turned on the light, she found the pile of dresses still draped over the bed.
In an effort to distract herself from the horrible evening and to satisfy the neat freak part of her personality, she began to collect the dresses, one by one, and hang them on Elena's side of the walk-in-closet.
There was a small voice inside her mind that told her putting the dresses of a deceased person back in their closet was senseless, but she was not ready to start removing them. That didn't feel right, nor did it feel right to leave them lying out; so she continued to put them back.
As she went through them, she couldn't help but second guess the dress choice she had made with Bonnie for Elena.
It filled her with a nagging sense of anxiety.
"I guess we're skipping the bottle tonight?" Klaus said from the closet doorway.
Startled by his presence, she wiped her teary eyes and turned around.
"You scared me again," she breathed.
"Sorry, again," he chuckled lightly before stopping, having noticed the tear stains on her cheeks.
She emerged from the closet as he stood there warily, seemingly waiting for her to explain herself to him.
"I just ended up putting Grayson to bed instead. He was fighting to stay awake as I was changing him. If he wakes up hungry later, I'll get up with him and feed him," she decided.
Klaus looked around the room apprehensively, obviously uncomfortable with being in Elijah and Elena's bedroom.
"What are you doing?" he finally asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him as he set Grayson's bottle down on the dresser.
"Putting Elena's dresses away," she said as she went for the last one on the bed. "The one's Bonnie and I had to pick from this morning."
For some reason in that moment her anxiety began to get the better of her. She paused at the edge of the bed, staring down at the remaining gray dress.
All of the sudden, much like yesterday with the shattered vase, her feelings began to overwhelm her. Her chest felt heavy, her eyes began to sting, and her throat started to swell. She tried to swallow the emotion down but it was of no use. Before she knew it, tears were rolling down her cheeks as she started to sob uncontrollably.
She covered a hand over her mouth in embarrassment and in an attempt to stifle the painful sound.
"Whoa, whoa," Klaus said from behind her. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" he asked, forcing her to face him as he turned her around by her shoulders.
"Nothing," she stammered as her lip quivered. "I'm fine," she said, looking away, trying to focus on any part of the room that didn't remind her of Elena or Elijah.
It was impossible. The first thing she caught sight of was a black and white photograph taken of Elijah and Elena with Grayson when he was a newborn.
She winced, her eyes clenching shut flashing a string of memories before her: childhood memories with Elena and Bonnie, birthdays, sleepovers, summer camp; Elena's wedding day; Grayson's birth. She could see all of it.
"You're not fine," Klaus's voice rang through, forcing her to open her eyes.
Seeing him only made her cry harder.
It had nothing to do with their personal history, but Klaus's connection to Elijah and the reality of what Klaus had lost. That had been made even more apparent tonight at dinner with their parents. Klaus no longer had Elijah to stand in his corner. Sure, Klaus had Kol and Rebekah, but they would never defend and look out for him the way that Elijah had; Klaus was on his own now.
Dragging her hands under her eyes to wipe away the tears, she shook her head.
"I'm fine, really, okay?" she said guardedly, trying to fake a reassuring smile.
She just wanted time to herself to grieve. She didn't need someone to burden with her feelings. It would only make her feel worse.
"You don't have to pretend with me," he replied, "pretend that you're okay when you're clearly not."
Shaking her head dismissively, she turned away.
He grabbed for her shoulder once more, but she shirked away from his touch.
"I know what you're going through. You don't need to pretend to be strong for me out of some misguided obligation to protect me," he said, becoming a little more assertive. "You need to stop worrying so much about other people, Caroline, and allow yourself to worry a little more about you."
Her jaw clenched and more tears fell as her eyelids fluttered.
"I can't," she stated firmly, fighting the urge to give him what he wanted.
"Why not?" he challenged.
She shook her head again defiantly as she picked up the remaining dress.
"I don't want to feel the pain!" she snapped as she spun around to face him. "I don't want to be confronted with any of it," she cried angrily, struggling to lower the volume of her voice as she recalled Grayson asleep in the other room. "It hurts too much," she sobbed as the pain began to overtake her. "Everything in this room reminds me of them," she said bitterly, holding Elena's gray dress in front of her. "This dress tells me that I picked the wrong one for her," she sighed discontentedly, tossing the crumpled dress to the floor.
She grabbed the framed photo from the nightstand that had been staring her down earlier.
"This photo, this room, this entire house, is a nagging reminder of everything I've lost!" she nearly screamed, chucking the frame bitterly against the hardwood.
The clear glass covering the photo shattered instantly, confronting her with what she had just done.
She gasped for air and nearly collapsed on the floor in an effort to collect the shards of glass and atone for her outburst, but Klaus caught her with his arms under his.
He pulled her back up despite her incoherent protests and physical attempts to break free from his hold.
Stepping back, he guided her down and sat with her on the bed.
She covered her face with her hands to stifle the sobs she had ceased trying to censor.
He draped his arm over her shoulders and encouraged her to lean against him. She felt oddly comforted by the gesture.
"I just can't stop thinking," she complained. "I can't stop thinking about what might have happened had things been different. What if I came to watch Grayson earlier so that Elena and Elijah left earlier? What if I didn't cancel my plans this weekend to watch him for them?" she wondered. "Are we honouring Elijah and Elena's wishes? Are we doing the right thing for Grayson? Did we bathe him right? Are we feeding him properly? What if Elijah and Elena didn't want their celebration of life at the Grill? What if I picked the wrong dress for Elena?"
Klaus sighed at all of her ceaseless concerns.
"The dress you picked was fine," he said reassuringly.
"But it can't just be fine," she complained.
"I didn't mean it that way," he protested. "I'm sure Elena would have been happy with the choice you made."
She chewed on her lip as she tried to convince herself of his last statement.
"They were supposed to come back tonight," she realized suddenly. "Today is Sunday. They should have been back tonight."
Klaus tensed against her.
Perhaps that's why Elijah and Elena's deaths had felt so surreal over the past two days. She had been clinging to the hope that this was all a nightmare; that Elijah and Elena would come walking through the door when she expected them to return. They hadn't.
"They're not coming back," she whimpered against his shirt.
Klaus released a pained sigh.
"No, they're not," Klaus confirmed shakily.
She cried a little more.
"Grayson is alone," she said.
Klaus tightened his arm around her.
"No, he has us," Klaus argued, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.
She sat up and looked at him worriedly.
"For how long though?" she wondered. "What if your parents try to take him away from us?" she panicked.
The thought alone made her feel nauseous.
"They won't," Klaus said decidedly.
"But what if they do?" she pressed. "I completely screwed up tonight."
"You didn't screw up tonight any more than I did," he reassured her. "You were perfect. You were looking out for Grayson. That's what we're supposed to do now."
Still feeling dejected, she looked away from him disbelievingly.
He clutched her face in his hands unexpectedly.
"Caroline, listen to me. They might try to take him, but they won't succeed. They won't take Grayson away from us, I promise you," he said. "I won't let that happen."
A/N: So, what did you think?
despite all the doom and gloom, Caroline and Klaus are probably at a better point in their 'relationship' than they ever have been. I hope that was made clear since that was my overarching intention.
That said, Klaus and Caroline have a habit of taking one step forward and two steps back, so be prepared! Feel free to speculate…
Speaking of doom and gloom, I know it's depressing. I apologize. However, given the circumstances, it's the mood that has to be conveyed right now. Once the funeral stuff has been dealt with, I hope to establish more of a balance and incorporate a lighter mood. I did say though that despite this story being based upon 'Life As We Know It' it will be a little darker and less cheesy/comedic/upbeat. Please be patient. More happy stuff is coming eventually.
I haven't written any of the next chapter yet, but it will centre around the burial and the celebration of life. Mikael and Esther will be returning. Sage and Finn will be making a tiny appearance. New characters will be introduced. Caroline's reasons for returning to Mystic Falls will be alluded to/revealed. And as I said, Klaus and Caroline's relationship will face some not so new challenges.