A/N: So I'm back with a two part update (the second part will be uploaded later today/tonight once I finish editing it) I hope that makes up for the delay :D
Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter. I know it was a sad one.
Also, a HUGE thank you to my beta who edited nearly 40 pages of writing for me (chapter 8 and 9 combined).
These two updates took a long time to write because so much thought and planning went into them. I would love it if you let me know what you thought at the end of each, or at least chapter 9. Pretty please?
When they arrived back at the house, she retreated upstairs.
Bonnie had assured her that she and Kol would make up some punch and put out the snack platters they had prepared earlier.
Klaus had tacitly took responsibility for Grayson, removing him from his car seat before she had a chance to offer.
He had given her a silent look of understanding, even though she could see the concern and questioning in his eyes after having found her in front of a very particular grave.
She had not pressed him before for details about Henrik though, so she expected him to do the same when it came to her mother.
It wasn't something she wanted to talk about.
She had barely talked about it with Elena and Bonnie since it had happened.
Upstairs, she escaped to her bedroom, closing the door and falling back on the bed.
The black wool dress she had on was making her skin itchy and she tossed on the bed a bit before finding a comfortable position. She considered changing, but it was the only dress she had here with her after stopping off at her apartment yesterday.
She wasn't planning on napping, but she needed a time out after this morning. She needed to catch her breath. She hadn't anticipated that Elijah and Elena's burial would trudge up feelings over her mother's passing.
A part of her wanted to stay upstairs the rest of the afternoon and hide. She didn't want to face Klaus's parents again, she just wanted them gone.
She didn't want to be confronted with a hundred unfamiliar faces who wanted to tell her how sorry they were.
She didn't even want to be confronted with Klaus, especially after last night and this morning. She couldn't believe how pathetic she had been in front of him. She hated that he was able to see right through her facade. She hated that she had been so emotional in front of him. She resented even more the fact that he had been able to console her.
Then there was his persistence on the issue this morning and him finding her at her mother's grave. She felt like he was trespassing; seeing the part of her she didn't let anyone see without her permission. It made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable.
Going through the messages on her phone, she read a few old ones that had been exchanged between her and Elena. They were difficult to read and she considered deleting them, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Just like she couldn't bring herself to discard of Elena's dresses.
Staring up at the ceiling for a good half-hour or so, she reflected on all the memories she had shared with Elena in this room. Sleepovers, cram sessions for finals, gossip, boy talk, everything.
She could hear more voices downstairs and assumed that the rest of the Mikaelsons had arrived, along with Elena's relatives.
Not wanting her absence to garner her unwanted attention, she wiped her eyes and headed for the bathroom to fix her makeup.
After completely redoing her eye makeup and applying a faint shade of pink lip gloss she stepped out of the bathroom reluctantly and headed for the stairs.
As she descended, her eyes widened at who she saw at the bottom.
Carol and Richard Lockwood were standing with Mikael and Esther. With their coats still on, the Lockwoods looked like they had just arrived.
The presence of the Lockwoods confused her. She was sure she hadn't extended an invitation to them. This open house of sorts was to be confined to family and close friends of Elijah and Elena only. The celebration of life at the Grill was open to everyone.
She contemplated turning back upstairs, but Carol had caught sight of her before she could.
"Caroline, honey," Carol said to her sympathetically.
She sighed under her breath, mustering her best fake smile as she reached the bottom.
Both Carol and Richard offered her hugs and condolences as Mikael and Esther watched curiously.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I know how close you and Elena were. God, this must be so difficult for you after everything," Carol said, alluding to her mother's passing.
Her mother and Carol had been friends through high school. They had also both been friends with Elena's mother, Miranda.
She nodded absently to Carol as she peered into the living room, noticing Rebekah on the floor with Grayson and Emma. Elena's uncle John and her aunt Jenna were looking through a photo album.
"I brought over some salads and casseroles. They're in the fridge and the freezer. Is there anything else Richard and I can do for you?" Carol asked.
"Oh no, Carol, that's not necessary. Mikael and I are perfectly capable," Esther interrupted.
She ignored Esther and smiled at Carol politely.
"Thanks," she said.
Carol glanced over at Grayson and shook her head regretfully.
"It's like history repeating," Carol sighed, referring to Elena's parents. "He's lost both his parents. It's tragic."
She nodded.
"Who will care for him...now, permanently?" Richard asked hesitantly, looking at her, Mikael, and Esther.
"We've been hearing a dozen stories around town," Carol clarified.
Biting her lip, she tried her best to avoid the expectant glares from Mikael and Esther.
"I will be," she said confidently.
"With Niklaus," Esther said incredulously, before she had a chance to tell Carol for herself.
Both Carol and Richard gave her confused looks.
"Elena and Elijah wanted both of us to raise him," she explained, "that's what we're going to do."
Suddenly, Carol seemed disappointed.
"I wasn't aware you were seeing someone. I thought you said Klaus lives in New York?" Carol mentioned, directing her attention to Mikael and Esther.
"He does live in New York. Caroline and my son may have had a fling in the past, but they certainly aren't seeing each other now," Mikael sneered. "That's what's ridiculous about this whole thing. Clearly Elijah and Elena didn't think this through."
The Lockwoods seemed to focus upon her now for her perspective.
"Klaus and I are going to share custody of Grayson. Klaus is going to stay here in Mystic Falls for a while so that we can deal with everything. We want to try to honour Elijah and Elena's wishes. They were close with both of us; they wanted us both to be here for him," she reaffirmed. "We want to make it work."
"Well it's a little unorthodox," Carol relented, to the satisfaction of the Mikaelsons, "but I think that your decision to honour Elena and Elijah's wishes is very admirable. I'm sure they would be happy. I know your mother would be proud. If anyone can make it work, it's you, Caroline," she said encouragingly.
Both Mikael and Esther's smug grins turned to frowns and she smiled a little, having received a small boost of confidence from Carol's unexpected support.
She could hear Mikael snort quietly under his breath.
"It's not going to be easy," Mikael said pessimistically, though expressing his opinion more reservedly than he had last night.
The presence of the Lockwoods obviously had something to do with that. He was clearly trying to save face with them.
"Caroline and Klaus are practically kids themselves. They're being thrust into parenthood unprepared and with unstable financial resources. It's probably not an ideal situation for Grayson's sake," Mikael sighed regretfully, as though he genuinely cared about what was best for Grayson.
Carol and Richard appeared as though they were considering Mikael's points.
"Elena was Caroline's age when she had Grayson," Carol pointed out in her defence.
"Is anyone ever prepared for parenthood?" Richard laughed.
Carol laughed alongside him, and although Mikael and Esther humoured them with small smiles, neither of them seemed amused.
"Caroline is a responsible and intelligent young woman. I wish our son Tyler hadn't been so careless with her," Carol sighed. "She'll be wonderful with Grayson. Plus, I don't think you need to be concerned about money with the way Caroline's store has taken off in the past year. Have you seen any of the dresses she's made?" Carol asked Esther enthusiastically.
Esther shook her head slowly.
"Elena's wedding dress, I suppose," Esther said, faking interest.
"She made the dress I wore to Richard's re-election party. She's making my dress for the masquerade fundraiser. She's also doing the dresses for Miss Mystic Falls which we're organizing together. She's amazingly talented," Carol bragged for her.
She tensed anxiously.
Carol looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Carol said, "I don't want to stress you out. It's only if you still want to do them. I know you have a lot on your plate now."
Carol's concern was a welcome contrast to Mikael and Esther's anger and indifference.
She shook her head.
"It's not that," she admitted vaguely, she just didn't like Carol bragging about her so much in front of Mikael and Esther.
With the suspicious way they were looking at her, it was as though they suspected her of putting Carol up to it.
"As the Mikaelson's pointed out, I do need the work now more than ever," she said with a snide tone that only Esther and Mikael would pick up on. "Besides, it will keep me busy."
Carol gave her a satisfied smile.
"Grayson will keep you busy," Mikael pointed out.
She nodded.
"What will you do with him when you're at work? Have you talked to the hospital daycare at all?" Carol wondered.
She shrugged nervously at the question. She hadn't even thought about daycare at this point.
"Klaus will be here during the day. He's hoping to work on some of his paintings from here, or maybe pick up a few new local jobs," she recovered.
Mikael scoffed dismissively.
"Didn't you say that Klaus was beginning to make a name for himself in New York?" Carol asked enthusiastically.
Both Esther and Mikael nodded reluctantly.
"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Carol said to Mikael and Esther reassuringly. "They sound like they'll be more than capable of taking care of Grayson."
Richard shrugged.
"And if Klaus's business from New York doesn't translate here, the Historical Society as a few paintings that are in need of restoration - if he's interested and capable," Richard offered.
She had been dreading talking to Carol and Richard with Mikael and Esther the moment she saw them all at the bottom of the stairs. Now, she was happy she didn't turn around to hide. Their conversation had seemed to work in her favour.
"That's very kind of you, Richard," Esther said politely, though she could see the annoyance in Esther's eyes.
"I'll be sure to run it by Klaus," she told Richard, just as a knock at the front door sounded.
Excusing herself, she went for the door.
It was Stefan and Meredith.
She gave them both small hugs and appreciative greetings.
"Sorry we couldn't make it this morning. Meredith had emergency surgery and I had to be in court," Stefan apologized.
"It's okay. We understand...I'm sure Elena and Elijah understand too," she assured them.
Meredith handed her a basket of baked goods, which she took thankfully. However, it was the briefcase in Stefan's hand that had caught her eye and unsettled her.
She noticed Klaus standing in the living room beside Rebekah, looking into the hall curiously.
"Stefan Salvatore, just the man I wanted to see," Mikael said enthusiastically, as though his last hope had just walked through the door.
Stefan glanced at them helplessly.
"Excuse us," Mikael said to the Lockwoods.
Carol and Richard assured them that it was okay; that they just wanted to stop in to offer their condolences and now had other business to attend to.
The Lockwoods and the Mikaelsons exchanged pleasantries before Carol and Richard turned to say good-bye to her.
"Tyler sends his regards, by the way," Carol said as she hugged her once more.
"He wanted to be here, but you know how Washington is," Richard said.
She nodded politely, though indifferent to Tyler's well wishes.
"Let us know if there's anything you need," Carol urged her.
"I will," she told her.
"We'll be in touch," Carol said, as Richard opened the front door for her.
With the Lockwoods gone, Mikael turned eagerly towards Stefan.
"Come, Esther and I have some legal matters we would like to discuss with you," Mikael urged him, opening one of the French doors into the formal dining room.
Stefan followed Mikael and Esther reluctantly as Mikael asked him casually about his father.
Esther shut the doors behind them, leaving her standing bewilderedly with Meredith in the front hall as Klaus and Rebekah watched from the living room.
His eyes lingered a little longer on the closed doors.
Meredith gave him a sympathetic smile before following Caroline into the kitchen.
"What's that about, Nik?" Rebekah said from the floor with Grayson in her lap. "What would they be talking to Stefan about?"
He leaned against the arm of the sofa with a shrug, looking over his shoulder briefly waiting for Elena's relatives to leave the living room before he decided to speak.
"Father said he intended to discuss the contents of the will with Stefan. I assume that's what they're talking about," he concluded.
Rebekah's face contorted in the midst of a game of peek-a-boo with Grayson.
"What is there to discuss though? The will is what Elijah and Elena wanted," Rebekah said.
"They can contest the will if they want," he informed her. "Or certain parts," he emphasized, staring down at Grayson, bouncing against Rebekah's leg.
His sister looked up at him suddenly concerned, seemingly unaware of Grayson tugging at her ponytail.
"You think they are going to contest the custody arrangement?" Rebekah wondered worriedly.
He dropped his hands against his sides with uncertainty.
"They weren't exactly thrilled to hear that Caroline and I were listed as Grayson's guardians. It wouldn't surprise me," he admitted, suddenly feeling anxious at the prospect that his mother and father taking him and Caroline to court over the matter.
As a lawyer himself, his father was well connected. He had no doubt in his mind that his father could wrangle together the most specialized attorneys to help him.
That reality was still daunting despite Stefan.
His promise to Caroline crossed his mind.
Rebekah shook her head in protest.
"Grayson belongs here though, with you and Caroline," Rebekah stated determinedly. "That's what Elijah and Elena wanted."
"Let's hope a judge sees it that way if they decide to contest," he said warily.
Rebekah nodded distractedly as she made smiley faces at Grayson.
"How is Caroline holding up? She's been unusually quiet. Have you talked to her at all?" Rebekah inquired, as though he had access to some inside information.
He really didn't. After this morning he didn't want to overstep.
"I've tried," he admitted, garnering a small smile from Rebekah. "After last night, she's worried about the custody thing, and I think Elijah and Elena being gone is just kind of hitting her now," he suspected, leaving out the part about finding Caroline mourning over her mother's grave. "Plus, there's the funeral plans, all while adjusting to Grayson. She's probably just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"How are you holding up? Are you feeling overwhelmed?" Rebekah asked.
"I miss them," he shrugged.
"So do I," Rebekah agreed. "I'm going to miss Skyping with them and Grayson," she sighed.
"We can still Skype. You can still Skype with Grayson," he tried to reassure her.
Rebekah nodded as things fell silent between them with both of them waiting anxiously to know what was said between their parents and Stefan.
"It's going to be a big adjustment for you," Rebekah mentioned off-hand. "Raising Grayson," she clarified.
"It already has been," he confessed.
"Are you sure you can handle it, Nik?" Rebekah wondered.
He shrugged undoubtedly.
"It's not going to be easy," he admitted, "but I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't think I could. It's the least I can do for Elijah," he said, thinking about how much he truly did owe his older brother.
Rebekah smiled.
"And Caroline?" she asked.
He glanced down at her dumbfounded.
"What about her?" he asked.
"I've just been noticing..." she trailed off.
"Noticing what?" he asked with annoyance clear in his voice, wishing his sister would make her point.
She smiled playfully.
"The way you look at her...the way you are with her," she observed.
He cringed and gave her a critical stare.
"You care about her," Rebekah noted.
Rolling his eyes, he glared down at her.
"Since when is that a crime? Considering our circumstances, I don't think that's unusual," he said.
"I never said there was anything wrong with it," Rebekah shrugged coyly.
He grimaced.
"Are you sure you can handle living with her though?" she laughed. "The only real girl you've ever lived with in your life is me, Nik, and I don't even really count since I'm your sister."
"It's six months, Rebekah," he chuckled. "I think I'll be fine."
"Did you hear that Grayson? Uncle Nik thinks he'll be 'fine.' Words spoken by a true bachelor," she said to Grayson laughingly.
Leaning down, he picked Grayson up from Rebekah's lap.
"You're going to turn him into a mini you," he complained. "I don't need two of you mocking me."
Rebekah stuck her tongue out at him childishly as the doors to the dining room opened and Mikael and Esther emerged, coats in hand, with Stefan trailing behind them.
It was hard to read any of their expressions, but all of them looked dissatisfied.
"Rebekah, get your coat, we're going back to the hotel," his father said sternly.
His sister's face furrowed as she stood up from the floor.
"Why? We're supposed to head to the Grill soon," Rebekah protested.
Mikael shook his head.
"Your mother and I refuse to participate in such a travesty," he said decidedly.
He gritted his teeth
"But I want to go," Rebekah told him.
Mikael rolled his eyes and shrugged indifferently.
"Fine," he relented. "Go then."
"You'll have to get a ride back to the hotel with Finn and Sage," Esther informed her.
"Fine," Rebekah said defiantly before turning out of the living room for the family room where Kol, Finn, and Sage were.
Mikael dropped his hands to his sides once Rebekah was gone.
He moved into the hall with Grayson.
"Well, everything in the will checks out. It's a legally binding document," Mikael said, almost disappointedly, looking briefly in Stefan's direction. "You and Caroline are listed as Grayson's guardians," he acknowledged with a scornful laugh.
It was hard to resist giving his father a smug glare.
"However, Stefan informs us that there is a six month trial period; that permanent custody will only be awarded to you and Miss Forbes at the end of the six months and if you successfully complete your visits with CPS," Mikael said. "Stefan has also explained to us that once you two have been formally processed by the courts as Grayson's tentative permanent guardians, anyone is able to contest the arrangement within the six month time frame after the first thirty days," Mikael said with a devilish look on his face.
His body felt like it was burning on the inside, ready to explode with anger, but he managed to hold back, releasing only a snarl under his breath.
"Should Stefan be expecting a call from you in thirty days?" he asked coldly, trying desperately to stand his ground and not buckle under his father's pressure.
He had been so used to confronting his father with Elijah, never alone.
Mikael laughed and shook his head.
"I really don't think that will be necessary for now," Mikael conceded.
His eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched tighter, knowing better than to embrace premature relief.
"I have complete confidence that it's only a matter of time before you and Miss Forbes sabotage the custody arrangement all on your own," Mikael said confidently, "and when you do, your mother and I will be here to pick up the pieces and give Grayson a proper home."
Mikael headed for the front door without so much as a look in Grayson's direction.
His mother stepped forward.
"Please, Niklaus, put an end to this madness. Put your pride aside. You know you're not capable of raising a child. You know this arrangement with Caroline is juvenile and impractical. I know you want to honour your brother's wishes, but you need to honour what's best for Grayson," Esther pleaded with him, looking at both him and Grayson with phony motherly affection.
She extended both her hands and attempted to caress both their cheeks.
He recoiled.
"I am," he stated.
His mother frowned disappointedly.
"Come on Esther, you're wasting your time," Mikael hissed. "You know Niklaus does not listen to reason. He's always been a foolish boy."
Esther gave him a brief second glance, as though she hoped he would change his mind.
"Goodbye, Mother," he said coldly, tightening his hold on Grayson.
In the kitchen, she was trying her best to listen intently as Meredith described to her and Bonnie the two week vacation she and Stefan were planning to take to Europe this summer.
It worked as a sufficient distraction for awhile, preventing her from thinking about what Mikael and Esther could be discussing with Stefan.
That was until she turned her attention towards the family room and noticed Rebekah talking to Sage without Grayson.
The sudden panic she felt was only heightened when she saw Stefan approach Kol.
Where were Mikael and Esther? Where was Klaus? Most importantly, where was Grayson?
Her stomach lurched over the unknown and she quickly excused herself from the conversation.
Both Meredith and Bonnie exchanged concerned glances with her briefly before returning to Meredith's excitement over the sights to see in Greece.
She headed for the front hall only to find it, along with the living room, empty.
"Klaus?" she called as she peered into the dining room.
He wasn't there, neither were Mikael or Esther.
She felt sick, automatically jumping to worst case scenarios.
Opening the front door, she saw no one, nor was she able to decipher the car Mikael and Esther had arrived in at the burial either.
She knew they hadn't left out the back; she would have seen them.
Shutting the door hurriedly, she rushed upstairs to Grayson's room.
Relief hit her instantly when she found Klaus on the floor with Grayson seated in between his legs with a small pile of blocks in front of him.
Neither Grayson nor Klaus noticed her at first. Grayson was too busy shrieking with delight as he picked up and dropped the blocks and Klaus was too busy watching intently.
Leaning against the doorframe, she watched the two of them.
It was hard to explain, but seeing them together like this was reassuring. For some reason it gave her confidence that she and Klaus could get through whatever Mikael and Esther threw at them. It made Klaus's promise seem less hallow than it had last night.
In this moment, she could see how much Klaus genuinely cared about his nephew. It was endearing, and definitely not a side she was used to seeing from him yet.
It seemed to at least temporarily quell all the second guesses she had about them taking care of Grayson. All of the concerns Mikael and Esther had rose to question their ability seemed trivial and insignificant.
When the door she was partially leaning against creaked open a little as her weight shifted, Klaus looked up at her.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"Hey," he replied as he handed a red block to Grayson. "I brought him up here to get away from the excitement thinking he may want to nap before we left for the Grill, but he was more interested in playing," he said.
She thought she could sense a subtle hint of desperation in his voice and explanation, as though it was really him who wanted to disappear upstairs with Grayson.
"He will probably sleep the entire time we're at the Grill," she mused, stepping a little further into the room, "which is probably for the best anyways."
He nodded knowingly.
"Your parents are gone?" she inquired cautiously, sitting on the carpet across from Klaus and Grayson, knees together sideways given that she was still wearing her uncomfortable dress.
"They left just before I came up here," he informed her.
She could hear the animosity in his answer as she reached for a few of Grayson's blocks.
"They left?" she asked, confused by what he meant.
"They went back to the hotel. They don't want to go to the Grill. They think it's a 'travesty,'" he groaned.
Even though a part of her expected it, she still rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath.
Grayson shuffled towards her on his bottom, intent upon the red block she had in her hand.
"I'd be fine if they stayed there until they left town," he laughed bitterly.
Actually, she felt the same. Though she still dreaded the prospect of facing everyone at the Grill this afternoon, the fact that Mikael and Esther would not be in attendance was definitely a weight off her shoulders.
Her mind drifted back to concern and curiosity over their conversation with Stefan.
"What did they talk to Stefan about?" she asked anxiously, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer.
Klaus shrugged.
"They mainly wanted to confirm the legitimacy of Elena and Elijah's will," he informed her.
"That's it?" she asked surprised.
"Mainly," he stressed. "They found out all they could about contesting it," he said.
She felt her body go rigid at Klaus's mention of his parents contesting the will.
"Do you think they will?" she wondered.
"Well they can't until we attend the formal hearing to solidify us as intended permanent guardians, and even then, they have to wait thirty days," Klaus explained. "My parents seem to think that we'll screw up well enough on our own that they won't need to pursue any legal action."
She laughed instinctively at their audacity, even though a large part of her perceived Mikael and Esther as a legitimate threat and remained concerned about Grayson's fate.
"But that's not gonna happen, right?" she asked, intent upon his reassurance for some reason.
Grayson's hand touched hers as he tried to wiggle the block from her hand.
"No, it's not," he reaffirmed.
"So then they will probably have to contest," she concluded.
Klaus shrugged.
"I'm not going to worry about it until it actually happens," he said encouragingly.
She nodded even though she felt dissatisfied with this response. It was in her nature to worry about everything, including possibilities.
"Is Rebekah coming to the Grill?" she wondered, hoping a change of subject would remedy her worry - at least temporarily.
"Yeah, she's going to get a ride with Sage and Finn," he confirmed.
"That's good," she commented casually.
"I noticed you talking to the Lockwoods and my parents earlier," Klaus commented curiously, sounding a little hesitant.
She gave Grayson the block she had been playfully teasing him with.
"They kind of cornered me when I came downstairs. I had no choice," she admitted, "but it turned out better than I thought it would."
Klaus looked at her questioningly and she couldn't help but crack a small smile as she thought back to the conversation.
"While your father backhandedly criticized us, the Lockwoods stuck up for me...for us," she explained. "I think he thought the Lockwoods would share his opinions."
"Apparently not," Klaus mused.
She shook her head.
"The looks on your parents' faces were priceless," she beamed.
He laughed.
"Apparently I don't loathe the Lockwoods as much as I thought I did," Klaus decided.
"They have their moments, but they really aren't that bad," she affirmed. "Carol was there for me a lot after my...mom," she hesitated, catching herself before she went any further.
Klaus looked at her again with the same inquisitive stare he had given her earlier when he found her in the cemetery.
"You don't have to talk about it," he yielded.
She nodded thankfully, but said nothing.
They both watched Grayson for awhile marveling at his enthusiasm over the simple objects.
"It's the bright colours. He likes the bright colours," she mused.
"Are you sure?" Klaus asked as Grayson dropped another block at the edge of the rug, letting it hit the hardwood. "Because I'm pretty sure it's the noise they make when they hit the floor," he chuckled.
Grayson mimicked him, giggling in amusement.
She winced as Grayson fit his tiny mouth over the edge of one of the blocks, coating it and his lips with drool.
"Or, maybe it's the way they taste?" he laughed.
She reached up for a tissue on the table and encouraged Grayson to remove the block.
"It's only a little drool," Klaus said bemusedly. "Babies tend to do that, sweetheart," he teased.
Smirking as she rolled her eyes at him, she wiped the excess from Grayson's mouth.
When she was finished she noticed Klaus look past her at the doorway.
Glancing over her shoulder she saw Kol standing there curiously.
"We should probably get ready to go down to the Grill soon," he informed them.
A/N: awe, so how did your feels feel about that Klaroline + Grayson moment, hmm? What did you think of the Lockwoods? review, review, review, I'm dying to know!