A/N: Hey there! Thanks for the response to the last chapter, even if the Klaroline interaction was minimal. I'm glad that, for the most part, you enjoyed the conversation between Klaus and Bonnie and enjoyed Caroline's little textual mishap.
The Klaroline interaction in this chapter is also minimal, but I think it's quality not quantity that's important as far as this chapter is concerned. Marcel also makes his appearance, and I really really hope you like him. I've taken a lot of creative liberties with his character since I don't have much to base him off of, but let me know what you think!
As always, thank you to my lovely beta, livingdeadblondegirl, who took the time to edit this and offer some wonderful suggestions - all while working on two of her own Klaroline fan-fictions (The Memory Remains and The Only Hope for Me is You).
This chapter is kind of a beast in length, so I hope by the end of it you can find it in your heart to leave a review :D
He woke the next morning disoriented by his surroundings, forgetting where he was. It took him a few seconds to remind himself that he was back in his apartment.
For a split second, it almost felt like he had never left, that everything about the past weekend had been one big terrible nightmare.
The open luggage and Henrik's things spread out on the wood floor said otherwise.
Though being back here made it seem like Elijah and Elena's absence could be attributed simply to the distance between New York and Mystic Falls. He knew better than that. The dull pain in his chest knew better than that.
The sight of his phone reminded him of his text conversation with Caroline the night before, and he still found himself chuckling at the exchange.
His thoughts fell upon Grayson, but he decided to hold off texting. It was early, and given the day they had yesterday, both Grayson and Caroline could still be asleep.
As much as he didn't miss the incessant cries of his nephew, things seemed dull in his apartment without his laughter.
He really needed to get out of this apartment.
Before he made his way to the studio, he took advantage of the sunny sky and clear sidewalks to push himself back into the habit of his morning run. He hoped that maybe he could take a trip to the gym at some point before he left in hopes of getting some of the money back on a gym membership he wouldn't use for six of the twelve months it was valid for.
He ran for nearly an hour in his neighbourhood. He hadn't been gone long, and everything was how he left them, but it felt different.
When he returned, he grabbed a shower, dressing in worn clothes appropriate for painting afterwards.
Ready to leave his apartment and head for the studio, the sight of Henrik's things still on the floor in his room caught his attention. Kneeling down, he picked up one of the beaded necklaces. He examined it for a moment, running his fingers along the strand. Decidedly, he put it around his neck and headed for the door.
The train was crowded at this hour, but he shouldn't have been surprised. When he arrived at his stop, he pushed his way out onto the platform and made his way up to the city street.
A few blocks later, and a stop at the cafe around the corner, he was at the small gallery and studio.
They weren't open to the public on Wednesdays, thankfully. Marcel was in the back room, working on his latest creation no doubt, while he sang along to a blaring song from The Clash.
While he stuck to painting and drawing, Marcel was more versatile, dabbling in a little bit of everything from sculpting to graffiti and everything in between.
Today it seemed he was working with newspaper on canvas.
"How many recycling bins did you have to go through?" he joked, prompting Marcel to turn around.
A grin appeared on his face.
"Niklaus Mikaelson," Marcel exclaimed, dropping the newspaper in his hands before turning down the stereo.
He set the coffees he had picked up for them on the table as Marcel extended his arms to give him a brotherly hug.
"The stranger returns," Marcel observed, feigning surprise. "I was starting to get worried. I thought the big city lost you to small town Virginia," he chuckled.
He shook his head as he pulled back from the embrace.
"There was a lot of stuff to sort out," he commented.
Marcel nodded understandingly.
"I'm sorry about your brother, man. Losing loved ones ain't easy. I've been through it," Marcel sighed. "I feel for you."
"No, it isn't easy," he agreed.
"How are you holding up?" Marcel asked concerned.
He shrugged, reluctant to spill his guts to anyone, including Marcel.
Marcel seemed to take the hint his silence was trying to send.
"Sorry I couldn't make it out to the funeral, but child support is a motherfucker, plus it was my weekend to have Jade and Kieron," Marcel explained. "I only get them two weekends out of the month."
"You don't have to apologize. I didn't expect you to be there," he said, setting his messenger bag down on the large table that contained most of their supplies.
He stared at Marcel's latest work pensively, reflecting on what Marcel had said for a moment about child support and occasional visits, wondering if that's how things would be for him and Grayson six months from now.
"You like it?" Marcel asked nodding towards his work, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"What is it?" he laughed, noting the three-dimensional aspect.
"It's going to be a social critique on the information age," Marcel mused. "That's what the client wanted, so that's what they shall receive," he chuckled.
He looked over at the painting he had come to finish.
"That psychiatrist has been calling here every day wanting to know when you're going to get that shit finished," Marcel groaned. "So get it done so we can make the lease on this place for the next couple months," he urged jokingly.
The psychiatrist wanted it for her office. It was an abstract painting of the brain. It had actually become one of his favourite pieces to work on, even though it was commissioned.
It went along nicely with his bi-polar inspired paintings of popular New York landscapes, buildings, and attractions that he was working on in his spare time.
He checked his phone for any messages before removing his jacket and rolling up his sleeves in preparation for the work ahead of him.
Marcel patted him on the back.
"That's the spirit," Marcel exclaimed. "Get it done by Friday and we can hit up that new bar that's opening a few blocks from your place," he encouraged. "A friend of a friend owns it. He hooked me up with a reserved table."
He hesitated, knowing he would have to fill Marcel in on all the things he had to deal with while he was away - things he still had to deal with.
Judging by the unsure expression on Marcel's face, Marcel knew something was up.
"I don't like that look, Mikaelson," Marcel said warily.
"I won't be able to make it Friday," he said regretfully.
Marcel gave him a deflated glare.
"Come on man, you're over-thinking this painting. You can get it done by then. We'll have our own table, plus drinks on the house, and do you know how many ladies are going to be at this bar on Friday? I don't think you realize," Marcel gasped incredulously.
He shook his head determinedly.
"I have to go back to Mystic Falls Friday morning," he sighed.
Marcel's eyebrows and forehead contorted.
"Why? I thought you settled what you had to?" Marcel wondered.
"That was just the beginning," he started. "Elijah and Elena made me co-executor of their will..."
Marcel shrugged.
"Most of that you can handle from New York," Marcel pointed out.
"...and co-guardian of my nephew, Grayson," he finished.
He watched as Marcel's eyes widened accordingly.
"Shit," Marcel said in disbelief. "That's...intense," he said unsurely as he tried to gauge his own response. "Did you know about this...before...?"
"I had no idea. The will was made fairly recent. I guess they thought they would fill in the blanks then and ask later...and then they never got around to it," he concluded solemnly.
Marcel wiped a hand over his face, looking just as surprised as he had himself when he first heard the news. The implications for him were likely forefront.
"So what about New York?" Marcel asked, understandably concerned. "You're just gonna pack up and move back to Mystic Falls? What about the studio? Your art?" he rambled, posing the same questions he had posed to himself a few days ago.
"It's just until I can get permanent custody of Grayson; there's a six month trial period before the courts will grant it," he explained. "It's just easier if I'm there for now. It will give us time to sort out the will and adjust to having Grayson. I'll keep up with my half of the lease while I'm gone, I just won't be here working."
This clarification - especially the last part - seemed the quell Marcel's immediate concerns, but he could tell there were a million other ones racing through his mind.
"Wait...you said co-executor and co-guardian?" Marcel asked curiously. "Is one of your other siblings listed, too?"
He knew the question was coming; he had purposely avoided filling in the name of his co-executor and co-guardian when he first revealed the news to him.
"Elena's friend, Caroline Forbes," he answered, deciding not to beat around the bush.
"She listed one of her friends?" Marcel queried in disbelief.
He shrugged.
"Elena isn't close with any of her relatives. She and Caroline grew up together. They were best friends. Caroline was her maid of honour," he vouched for her.
Marcel's eyebrows rose immediately.
"The same maid of honour you slept with the weekend of your brother's wedding and then bailed on?" Marcel interrogated, clearly having put two and two together. "The same one I nagged you to call for weeks afterwards and you never did?"
Fuck, he should have been more careful when he described who Caroline was.
"Yeah, that would be her," he answered.
A tinge of guilt pinched his skin, even though Marcel's tone was more along the lines of pathetic amusement than it was accusatory.
He winced slightly as he waited for Marcel's reaction.
When Marcel laughed, he glared at him quizzically.
"This weekend must have been awkward for you," Marcel said, continuing to chuckle a little.
He shrugged. Sure, he screwed up and they had argued, but other than that, there hadn't been many blatantly awkward moments save for the ones his mind created.
"Well you do have six more months, not to mention the next eighteen years and beyond," Marcel pointed out, reminding him once more of the commitment he was making. "I guess I'm just curious to know how you're going to share custody of Grayson with her?" he inquired.
"That's what the next six months are for," he reasoned. "We're both going to move into Elijah and Elena's house temporarily to raise Grayson and sort out the details of the will."
Marcel arched his eyebrows.
"You're going to be living with her?" Marcel asked, stunned.
"We're going to be living with Grayson," he stressed. "It will make it easier on him and allow us to both be there, and it's cost effective," he reasoned. "I can't afford rent on two apartments plus the lease on this place, especially if I can't sublet my apartment here."
His argument seemed to appease Marcel, but he could still tell that he was concerned.
"It's not a big deal, mate. The past is in the past. It's only six months, and after the six months is up we'll come up with some shared custody arrangement, and I'll return to New York," he explained. "You and Shay make it work," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but she lives in Jersey, not Mystic Falls, Virginia," Marcel replied. "And you barely know this chick."
He glared at Marcel defensively.
"I may not know Caroline well, but I know that she loves Grayson and knows way more about taking care of him than I do right now. I trust Elena and Elijah's judgement on that," he retorted. "Besides, didn't you say one of the reasons you and Shay divorced was because you didn't know each other anymore?" he added.
Marcel grumbled at his last remark.
"As for the distance, we'll figure something out," he said nonchalantly, although it was one of his main concerns once the next six months were through.
"You're sure about this?" Marcel questioned. "And I'm not referring to Caroline so much as I am referring to Grayson. Taking care of him won't be easy. It's a big deal. It'll change your whole life. You can't be the cool uncle anymore you have to be a father. Sure, you'll get to teach him fun stuff, but ultimately, you need to show him how to be a man," Marcel informed him.
Marcel's last comment struck a chord with him. He still felt like Grayson's uncle, but he was not naive. Grayson was too young to remember Elijah on his own. For all intents and purposes, Grayson would know him as his father, and even though he was beginning to come to terms with that reality, it still made him anxious.
But, if he could appreciate the warnings from anyone, it was Marcel. After all, Marcel had experience with two kids of his own.
"I know," he nodded. "I'm sure about this," he said confidently.
Marcel smiled encouragingly.
"Well I guess you've made up your mind then," Marcel concluded.
"This is what Elijah and Elena wanted," he explained. "They wanted Caroline and I to raise him, even if all I know about taking care of babies I learned in the past seventy-two hours," he chuckled.
Marcel laughed alongside him as he patted him on the back.
"Don't worry about that. As long as your heart's in it, that's what matters most. You're no different than any other first time parent. You'll get the hang of it. Looking back, I'm surprised Jade made it through her first year without any major issue considering Shay and I were practically kids ourselves," Marcel said amusedly.
"I just can't turn my back on Elijah or Grayson," he admitted.
Marcel rested his hand on his shoulder.
"Most people wouldn't be able to do what you're doing," Marcel acknowledged. "Grayson will appreciate that when he's older. And you know I can appreciate it; my aunt and uncle raised me practically my whole life. When I didn't think I had any family, I came to realize I had one all along," he admitted.
He sighed, thinking about his own family and those he had lost.
"Save for Kol and Rebekah, I feel like I've lost mine," he conceded regretfully.
Marcel nodded sympathetically before shrugging.
"Well maybe out of this tragedy, you'll gain a new one?" Marcel proposed.
Grayson was screaming in her lap as she tried to explain over the phone to the panicked future Mrs. Sarah Galloway - the Galloways being one of the more prominent families in Mystic Falls next to the Lockwoods - that she was going to need another few days to finish the alterations to her wedding dress, though she was leaving for her destination wedding in Hawaii in a week.
Sarah had been a year older than her. They had both been on the cheerleading squad. Sarah was captain in her final year and had always been completely unforgiving about any slight mistakes. Sure, she had been the same when she took over as captain, but within reason. It seemed Sarah's unforgiving nature held firm, even now, despite the fact that Sarah was well aware of her recent change in circumstances.
While she could sympathize with her irate anxiety over the dress, she hoped Sarah would understand.
Her anger was only calmed once she agreed to discount the cost of the alterations.
After she hung up the phone, she released a drawn out sigh that was easily overpowered by Grayson's cries.
"What did she say?" Camille wondered from the doorway to her office space.
"I had to reduce the cost of the alterations, but she agreed to give me until Saturday afternoon," she explained.
Camille scoffed.
"What a bitch," Camille groaned, covering her mouth apologetically in hindsight as she glanced at Grayson. "She's the one who brought the dress to you last minute in the first place," she continued defensively. "It's not your fault that you were delayed. Doesn't she have any decency? She knows what happened."
She shrugged, feeling defeated as Grayson started to cry harder.
"Regardless, I can't stress about it right now," she decided as she stood up from the chair. "I need to take Grayson down to the hospital to get checked out."
"You haven't even eaten any lunch yet," Camille noted concerned.
Suddenly noting the quiet rumble of her stomach, she did her best to ignore it as she bundled Grayson in his outerwear.
"It'll have to wait. I can't leave Grayson like this any longer. He has to be in pain," she concluded as she buckled a very angry Grayson into his carrier.
Camille nodded as she helped her pack up Grayson's bag.
"He seemed okay earlier," Camille pointed out.
She shook her head unknowingly, slipping on her coat.
"I don't know what's wrong, but something definitely isn't right," she conceded.
She picked up Grayson's carrier and Camille handed her both Grayson's bag and her purse.
"I hope you're feeling better, little guy," Camille said as she crouched down to wave at him. "Let me know what the doctor says, or if there's anything I can do," Camille offered, standing back up straight.
"I will," she agreed. "You and April will probably have to close the store again tonight. If all goes well, Grayson and I should be back here tomorrow morning. I'll let you know," she said.
After a quick goodbye to April, she hurriedly loaded Grayson and their things into the car before setting out for the hospital.
The car ride had seemed to pacify him and by the time they arrived, he was asleep.
In the emergency room, she was assigned a number and asked to wait.
Though being here filled her with unease because of Grayson's condition and the tragic events that had unfolded here last Friday, being able to sit down with a quiet Grayson was a relief.
Grayson's slumber did not last for long, however. Fifteen minutes into her wait and he was awake and as loud as ever.
She tried to soothe him by bouncing him in her lap as her leg jerked anxiously against the chair in the waiting room.
"Shhh," she whispered. "It's okay, sweetie," she said into his ear, partially shielding her face from the other perturbed patients whose impatient frustration was only exacerbated by her crying baby.
She used to get so annoyed by people like her.
This morning had seemed to start out okay, despite the fact that Grayson had woke her up at the crack of dawn and his diaper was a little messier than she was used to. He had still been a little fussy, but he drank the formula she prepared for him, nonetheless.
With her confidence reassured, she had decided to go ahead with her plan to take him to the store with her.
She had no choice; Klaus was in New York and there was work she needed to finish.
Between her, Camille, and April at the store to keep an eye on Grayson, she was certain she would be able to at least get something done.
With all his necessities packed, including the playpen, she got him and everything else loaded into the car without issue.
Grayson had fallen asleep in the car and this had enabled her to set up his things in the back room and open the store relatively effortlessly.
When the girls arrived to work, Grayson even greeted them with a few smiles in response to their verbal stimulation.
She assured Camille and April that this wasn't going to be a common occurrence; she didn't want them thinking babysitter was being involuntarily added to their job description despite their enthusiasm over Grayson and assurances that it wasn't a problem.
The rest of the morning at the store went off without much of a hitch.
Grayson remained with Camille and April in the front of the store, becoming quite the hit with the customers, while she managed to get some work done in the back.
Come the afternoon though, Grayson was as miserable as ever and that's when she had made the decision to take him to the hospital.
She just hoped they would be seen by a doctor soon.
The glares she was receiving from the other patients were becoming suffocating.
And as if the situation couldn't get any worse, her phone started to sound from inside her purse.
Balancing Grayson in one hand, she reached into her purse for her phone, deciding to check it, concerned that it might be April or Camille.
She was surprised to see Klaus's name on the screen, and she felt her cheeks redden a little as their last text conversation crossed her mind.
'How is Grayson?' the message read.
Despite the chaos in the waiting room, she found herself smiling at his random message of concern.
She considered replying, but Grayson's arms were flailing and she could barely hear herself think over his cries. Besides, what would she tell Klaus now? That she and Grayson were at the hospital? It would only cause him unnecessary worry. She would wait to text him once she knew what was wrong and Grayson was settled.
Slipping her phone back in her purse, she couldn't help but overhear an elderly woman complain accusatorily about the noise Grayson was making.
Frowning, she decided she couldn't sit here anymore. Without much thought, she stuffed her purse and Grayson's bag into the carrier and stood up with it in one hand and Grayson in the other, trudging out of the waiting room dejectedly.
She charged towards the nurse who had seen her earlier, set upon pleading with her to let them see a doctor immediately.
"Caroline?" a vaguely familiar voice said.
Turning to the right, she was met with a pair of crystal blue eyes and an alluring, but dangerous, smile.
Damon Salvatore.
His presence surprised her. She didn't expect to see him here.
"Hi...Damon," she said, taken off guard.
"Hey," he began, looking at both her and Grayson worriedly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked confused.
"Klaus didn't tell you? I'm filling in temporarily..." he trailed off.
She quickly realized what he was about to say.
"For Elijah," she sighed.
He nodded regretfully.
"I figured it was the least I could do, plus I'm the only one qualified without any personal commitments who could be here on short notice," he said. "So what brings you by? Is everything all right?" he wondered, quickly opting to change the subject.
She shook her head exasperatedly.
"I've been waiting here for nearly a half hour. Grayson won't stop crying. He's been like this since yesterday. He's been having trouble sleeping and eating. I can't figure out what's wrong," she sighed helplessly. "He only seems to be getting worse."
"Here, let me see him," Damon said, extending his hands.
For some reason, despite her reluctance, she found herself handing over Grayson to him, freeing her arm from the weight.
"Follow me," he instructed.
At this point, all she could feel was hope and relief that Damon might have an answer for Grayson's distress. The fact that he was leading her down some corridor with Grayson in his arms with no explanation was of little concern to her. She was desperate.
He led them into an empty exam room and shut the door.
"I'm not a general practitioner by any means, but I know a bit about pediatrics. I'm sure it's nothing serious," Damon assured her as he sat Grayson on the exam table. "Can you hold him, so I can take a look?" he requested.
She nodded and quickly stepped forward to hold Grayson safely in place.
"You won't get in trouble for this will you? I'm sure you're supposed to be somewhere else," she said guiltily.
Damon smirked and shook his head.
"I'm just finishing up my break," he told her.
He inspected Grayson carefully despite Grayson's protests.
"God, this kid is the spitting image of his father," Damon sighed.
She agreed. It had been a bittersweet reality that had confronted her since Elena and Elijah had been gone.
"Have you noticed anything on his body - rashes, bumps?" Damon listed as he lifted Grayson's shirt to check his heartbeat with his stethoscope.
"No," she replied, quickly reflecting upon whether or not she had noticed anything abnormal. "He had a little diarrhea this morning, and like I said, he hasn't been sleeping well and he hasn't had much of an appetite," she told him.
"Have you changed anything in his diet?" Damon wondered as he felt Grayson's forehead.
"I started supplementing formula into his diet since we're almost out of breast milk," she informed him. "But he was already acting this way before that," she added.
Damon gave Grayson a curious look.
"He feels a little on the warm side. I'm gonna take his temperature," Damon said. "Can you undress him?"
She hesitated.
"The best way to take a baby's temperature is rectally," he shrugged casually.
"He might need to be changed first," she said as she began to remove his pants
"That's fine," Damon laughed as he put on some gloves and prepared a thermometer.
She laid Grayson down and took off the onesie he had on underneath his pants and then moved onto his diaper, pleased to find that it was still dry from his most recent changing.
"All clear," Damon joked. "Could you lift his legs?" he requested.
She did as he asked and watched apprehensively as Damon inserted the thermometer.
"Well this isn't exactly the way I had envisioned seeing you next," Damon mused as they waited for the temperature reading.
She couldn't help but laugh at the comment due to the awkward circumstances.
"I didn't know you planned on it?" she inquired, slightly embarrassed after the fact by her bold assumption.
Damon shrugged.
"Well I just assumed since my brother is your lawyer and good friends with Klaus that we would cross paths again eventually," he said.
"Oh...yeah, I guess so," she agreed, even more humiliated now by her earlier insinuation.
"This is a pleasant surprise though, Grayson's troubles aside," he added shooting her another one of his lethal grins.
She stammered a little, finding herself flustered by his less than subtle advance.
"Speaking of Klaus, where is he?" Damon inquired.
She tensed in response to his question.
"He's in New York," she said.
"Cold feet already?" Damon concluded.
His accusation made her feel defensive.
"No, he had to go back and wrap up some work. It couldn't wait," she said. "We have a custody hearing for Grayson on Friday. He'll be back then," she added, hoping to reaffirm Klaus's commitment not only for Damon, but for herself.
Damon nodded as the thermometer beeped, interrupting their current topic of conversation. He removed the thermometer and inspected the reading.
"He has a bit of a fever. One hundred and one degrees Fahrenheit," Damon told her.
She felt herself begin to panic as Damon set the thermometer aside and removed his gloves, putting on a new pair.
"What's causing it?" she asked, as she sat Grayson back up and stroked his back.
"I'm not sure yet. He's probably fighting off some sort of illness," Damon informed her, taking hold of Grayson as he used an otoscope to look into his ears.
After the ears, he struggled for a few minutes to get a look inside Grayson's mouth. When Grayson finally gave in, Damon smiled.
"Aha! I think I know what's got Grayson so grumpy," Damon announced, urging her to look inside Grayson's mouth.
He directed her attention to his lower gum.
"He's getting ready to cut a few chompers," he told her.
She noticed his swollen gum and what appeared to be a tooth coming in.
"I can't believe I didn't think about that," she scolded herself. "I didn't even notice how swollen his gum had gotten," she said guiltily.
"It's easily overlooked," Damon reassured her. "Doctors aren't really sure why some babies spike a fever when they start teething, but teething certainly explains most of his other symptoms."
"How do I soothe him?" she wondered.
"There are plenty of teething toys on the market," Damon told her. "But he'll probably love you massaging his gums with your finger just as much. Give him some chilled foods like yogurt or applesauce, or even a cold spoon to nibble on. That will give him some relief. As for his fever, you may want to give him some infant acetaminophen, but letting it break naturally is probably best. Make sure he's hydrated and has plenty of opportunity to eat and rest if he feels like it," he instructed. "Other than that, there's not much else you can do. Every baby goes through it to some degree."
She nodded, still a little surprised about what was going on.
"His first tooth," she noted aloud, as she took Grayson from Damon and put his diaper back on.
"It's a milestone," Damon smiled encouragingly. "You have nothing to be worried about. There's nothing wrong. Before you know it, Grayson will be losing these teeth."
She gave him a half-smile as she looked back down at Grayson while she dressed him.
All she felt was conflicted. She was excited about Grayson's development. He was growing, and she was a part of that process. However, there was something wrong; Elijah and Elena were not here to be a part of it as well. This was the first of many firsts they wouldn't be a part of, she realized.
"Are you okay?" Damon inquired. "Grayson is going to be fine," he reiterated, touching her shoulder.
"I'm all right," she said quickly, shirking from his attempt to comfort her as she put Grayson's pants back on him. "It's just a relief to know that nothing's wrong."
It wasn't exactly a lie; a part of her was emotional over the fact that Grayson was perfectly fine.
"Thanks for taking a look at him, Damon," she said genuinely.
So apparently, Damon Salvatore wasn't the complete asshole her first impression and Klaus had said that he was.
"It's my job," he replied modestly, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "Elijah was a good friend. I'll always look out for Grayson in any way I can."
She nodded understandingly before she finished dressing Grayson.
"Let me walk you out," Damon offered, picking up Grayson's carrier along with Grayson's bag and her purse.
Agreeing, she picked Grayson up and followed him out of the room.
In the hall, they practically bumped into Meredith who was focused on her phone.
"Damon...Caroline," Meredith acknowledged, clearly confused by the sight of them together.
"Hey," she greeted as Meredith put her phone in the pocket of her white lab coat.
"Hi, sorry, I was just checking e-mails on the way to my next consultation," she apologized.
"Sexy e-mails from my brother, I hope," Damon chuckled.
Meredith scowled and shook her head.
She had to bite back a small laugh.
"What are you doing here?" Meredith questioned, looking at a still agitated Grayson in her arms. "Is everything okay?"
"Grayson's been out of sorts the past two days; he's been grumpy, he hasn't been sleeping or eating well, so I brought him here. I ran into Damon and he offered to check Grayson out," she explained.
"It turns out, he's beginning to teethe," Damon informed Meredith.
Meredith stroked Grayson's cheek concernedly.
"Awe," Meredith sighed, "poor guy. I bet dealing with him on your own today without Klaus has been stressful," she commented.
She raised a curious eyebrow.
"Klaus talked to Stefan yesterday before he left for New York," Meredith reminded her.
Oh yes, that's right, Klaus had mentioned something about that yesterday.
"I still have to talk to Stefan about the hearing on Friday," she noted.
"Why don't you and Grayson come over for dinner tonight?" Meredith suggested.
She looked at Grayson and hesitated.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," she debated.
Meredith was about to speak, but Damon quickly cut her off.
"It will give you a chance to talk with Stefan, you won't have to cook for yourself, and you'll have six extra hands to help you with Grayson for a while," Damon encouraged her.
Meredith nodded, as though what Damon said had been what she originally planned to say herself.
"Grayson's been so grumpy though all afternoon. I don't want him to ruin your dinner," she said guiltily. "I don't want to impose."
"Don't worry about it!" Meredith assured her. "Stefan and I would love to have the both of you over."
She considered Meredith's invitation once more.
Damon did have a point, it would allow her the chance to talk to Stefan and give her a little reprieve from Grayson with the three of them there to keep him occupied.
"If I can get Grayson to take a bit of a nap this afternoon beforehand, then we'll come over," she decided. "I will let you know."
Both Damon and Meredith seemed pleased with her compromise.
"Dinner is at six," Meredith informed her. "Now I have to run and get to my appointment." she said hurriedly before speed walking down the corridor.
Damon walked her out to the car and held Grayson for her while she got his car seat in place.
"Thanks again," she repeated as she secured Grayson in his seat.
Damon handed her Grayson's bag and her purse.
"Don't mention it," he told her as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his lab coat.
She nodded.
"You should get back inside," she urged him guiltily as she shut the backseat door. "It's chilly out here."
"My break is also over," he chuckled as his phone vibrated from inside his pocket. "I'll see you tonight, Caroline," he said to her with a confident smile, striding back towards the hospital before she had a chance to correct his assumption.
Shaking herself out of the trance he'd seemed to have left her in, she climbed in the car and drove both her and Grayson back home.
She stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a good ten minutes, scrutinizing her appearance as Grayson sat beside her in his ExerSaucer.
When she found herself questioning once more over whether or not to keep the turquoise and black printed blouse with the gray buttoned up sweater, she turned away from the mirror with a scoff.
This shouldn't be difficult. She shouldn't even be having this debate with herself.
"This is stupid," she complained to Grayson, who, now in happier spirits after he had a lengthy nap and she employed some of Damon's recommendations, babbled back to her. "Does Auntie Caroline look all right?" she asked him, posing in front of him.
He smiled and tipped his head back.
"I guess that's a yes?" she wondered amusedly. "Well you look good, too," she cooed, admiring the cute elephant shirt he was wearing with the red pants that were still a little big for him.
Who cared what she looked like? Why did her appearance matter? It was just dinner at Meredith and Stefan's.
She scolded herself for trying to play naive. She knew exactly why she was so concerned. Damon Salvatore would be there, and though she was well aware of the fact that trying to impress him was a terrible idea in the long run given his familiar reputation, this subtle effort was probably harmless. She was content to revel in the innocent attention he gave her. She missed it. It was nice to know someone might be interested, even if it was only for one thing.
Convinced that her appearance was satisfactory, she left with Grayson for his room to finish packing his bag for the trip to Stefan and Meredith's.
Meredith and Stefan's house was an old Victorian two-storey home located a few blocks from the house she grew up in.
The house boasted much of the original features that gave it its old world charm.
To be honest, she had always been terrified of the house when she was younger because the previous owners had let it fall into such disrepair.
Because of that, Meredith and Stefan were able to get a good deal on it and had slowly been working on restoring it to its original beauty.
She walked up the stairs onto the front porch with Grayson, and knocked on the large antique wooden door.
Not surprisingly, Damon was quick to answer, dressed casually now in a black t-shirt and jeans.
"I'm glad to see you decided to come," he greeted, stepping aside so she could enter the small vestibule before the main foyer.
"Well Grayson had a decent nap this afternoon and seems to be a little calmer," she reasoned as she set Grayson down in his carrier along with their things, so she could take her coat and boots off.
"Hey little man," Damon said down to Grayson as she stepped out of her boots.
Quickly, Damon took the initiative and stepped in behind her when she started for her coat.
"Let me get it for you," he offered, helping her remove the coat.
"Thanks," she replied, at a loss for what else to say.
While Damon hung her coat up on one of the hooks in the vestibule, she released Grayson from the confines of his coat and the carrier.
"Meredith and Stefan are just putting the final touches on dinner," Damon said. "Come in," he urged, leading her into the main foyer.
She followed Damon to the right, taking her into the large formal dining room off of the kitchen. She took a moment to appreciate the way Meredith and Stefan had found a balance between old world charm and modern design.
"Grab a seat," Damon said, nodding towards the solid-wood table already set for dinner.
"I should see if Meredith and Stefan need any help?" she mentioned, still feeling like she was imposing or being a burden.
"No, sit, you're the guest. I'll go check," Damon offered, disappearing into the kitchen, just as Stefan walked past him with a bottle of wine in hand.
"Dinner is ready," Stefan announced, jokingly, holding up the bottle of wine. "Hey, Caroline," he greeted.
"Hey," she nodded with a smile.
Stefan set the wine down on the table and approached Grayson.
"How's he doing? Klaus told me he wasn't himself yesterday when we spoke on the phone, and Damon and Meredith tell me he's getting ready to pop in some teeth?" Stefan inquired.
"He's a bit better; he's slowly getting back to his usual happy self. I think he appreciated the cold yogurt I fed him today," she said, looking at Grayson with a relieved smirk.
Stefan tickled Grayson teasingly eliciting a playful shriek from him; one she had missed hearing over the past day.
"I was born with two teeth," Stefan mused, continuing to make faces at Grayson.
"Yeah, only two; Stefan wears dentures," Damon joked as he came into the room with a covered glass dish.
"Well it's better than half a brain," Stefan shot back jovially, turning to unscrew the cap from the wine bottle.
She couldn't help but laugh and Grayson mimicked her.
"So lame, brother," Damon retorted, setting the hot dish down on the table and removed the oven mitt he had on.
Stefan shrugged as he sat down at the head of the table.
"Grayson thought it was funny."
"Are you two bickering again?" Meredith complained, as she stepped in the room with what looked like a variety of cooked vegetables and a salad. "You wouldn't be able to tell they're brothers," Meredith said to her sarcastically with an amused smile.
Meredith set her dishes down and took a seat beside Stefan.
She followed suit and took the seat across from Stefan with Grayson in her lap, while Damon readily took the seat next to hers.
"Thanks for coming, Caroline. I'm being suffocated by all the testosterone in the house," Meredith groaned laughingly as they began to fill their plates and Stefan offered to pour the wine.
"No problem," she grinned.
"It's all me," Damon said smugly.
Both Meredith and Stefan rolled their eyes.
Damon handed her a cold spoon.
"That will hopefully keep Grayson amused," he told her.
She grinned at his thoughtfulness and showed Grayson the small dessert spoon.
Grayson latched his tiny fingers around it eagerly and immediately - as though instinctively - put it in his mouth.
"Told you," Damon said proudly.
She laughed as she did her best to scoop some salad and vegetables on her plate with Grayson on her lap.
"It's funny, because Klaus and I cannot get him to eat his food from a spoon," she said. "We can't figure it out."
"Maybe he gets that from his father," Damon chuckled. "Stefan, remember when we went to New York for Elijah's bachelor weekend..."
Stefan glared at him and then looked at her.
Damon hesitated and looked at her noting her slight discomfort with mention of Elijah.
"I don't have to tell the story," he offered.
She sighed and shrugged off her uneasiness. She wanted to remember Elijah and Elena; not forget them; she wanted to hear the story.
"No...go ahead, I want to hear it," she encouraged, putting some of the roasted chicken on her plate.
"As you probably know, Klaus organized Elijah's bachelor party in New York. So, we go out that night, make the usual rounds: pub, nightclub, strip club. At the end of the night Elijah was completely shit faced," Damon laughed. "By that point, Stefan had returned to our hotel like the good little boyfriend that he is, and Klaus had disappeared with some chick, leaving me to babysit Elijah. We're both drunk, but Elijah was sloshed, so we stumbled down the street as I attempted to hail us a cab. We ended up passing some twenty-four hour dessert shop that Elijah demands he just has to patronize. He actually said 'patronize' by the way," Damon snorted. "Anyways, so we go into this store and Elijah orders some type of cheesecake. I think half of it ended up on his face," he laughed. "I took a video of him trying to eat it on my old phone, but he made me delete it the next day. God, it was hilarious," he howled.
She laughed along with the three others, though she couldn't help but note Damon's subtle mention of Klaus's promiscuity.
"Actually, I think I remember Elena telling me something about that," she acknowledged, before taking her first bite of food.
Having missed out on lunch, she was starving.
"So how did you guys meet Elijah and Klaus? I think I remember Elijah saying that your dad's worked together?" she asked curiously, interested to know the story behind their friendships.
Stefan nodded.
"Our dad and Mikael worked in Washington together before Mikael was transferred back to the firm's offices overseas," Stefan confirmed once he finished chewing his food. "They often hosted large parties and picnics for employees and their families."
"Christmas parties, Easter egg hunts, Fourth of July celebrations, you name it. They even hosted a camp for kids in the summer; that's how we met," Damon interjected.
"I don't even remember how old we were," Stefan recalled.
"I think Elijah and I were probably about thirteen, Finn would have been twelve, making Klaus ten, and you nine?" Damon estimated.
Stefan shrugged.
"I guess that sounds right," Stefan agreed.
"Anyways, from what I remember, Klaus was pissed because he couldn't bunk with the eleven to thirteen year olds and had to bunk with the eight to ten year olds - or something like that. Either way, he wanted to be with Elijah and the counsellors wouldn't let him. Needless to say, at some point, he took his frustration out on Stefan," Damon recounted.
She looked at Stefan with a surprised look.
"I don't even think I know this story," Meredith chimed in before sipping from her wine glass.
Stefan laughed.
"Yeah, Klaus made my life a living hell for about a week until Damon and Elijah caught him in the act," Stefan mused.
Hearing about the four of them as children intrigued her. The fact that Klaus had been Stefan's bully was not something she expected.
"What happened?" she queried.
"Elijah and I were outside with the rest of our group ready go canoeing when we noticed Klaus push Stefan right off the dock into the lake without a lifejacket, knowing full well that Stefan wasn't the greatest swimmer," Damon scoffed.
She gasped at Klaus's cruelty.
"He's still not a good swimmer," Meredith affirmed.
Damon smirked while Stefan shot her a glare.
"Anyways, Elijah jumped in the water to get Stefan while I punched Klaus square in the jaw with enough force to knock him back right off the dock," Damon bragged.
Her eyes widened, and she found herself smirking at Damon's tale.
"What happened after that? How did you all end up becoming friends?" Meredith asked.
"Well Klaus is still a little bitter about the fact that I punched him, so we're not exactly the closest," Damon chuckled. "Elijah and I were already familiar with one another because we bunked together, but I guess we bonded over teaching Klaus some manners. I threatened Klaus into being nice to my baby bro, and by the end of the summer they were good pals," he explained.
"That's a cute story," she awed, trying to eat more despite the fact that Grayson was starting to fidget and lose interest in the spoon.
"The moral of the story is that Damon is the only one allowed to terrorize me," Stefan concluded mirthfully.
"That's my job," Damon snickered.
"Up to this very day," Stefan groaned.
Damon held up his hands with both utensils in defense.
"Hey, I said I'd be out of your hair as soon as I can find a temporary place to rent. Trust me, listening to the two of you go at it in the other room every night is not my idea of a good time," Damon retorted, causing both Meredith and Stefan to blush.
"We told you that you could stay here as long as you like," Stefan countered.
"Yeah, it's not a big deal, Damon," Meredith added.
"I need my own space. My apartment in Baltimore might technically be half the size of this place, but it feels three times the size," Damon protested. "I like being on my own."
"You could rent my apartment," she blurted out prematurely, having not thought it over.
All three of them looked at her curiously.
"How long are you planning to stay in Mystic Falls?" she asked Damon.
"Just until they can find a replacement; I'd say two or three months max, probably," he told her.
This could be her only hope of securing a temporary renter for at least part of the duration of her stay at Elena and Elijah's. She was eager to bring in some extra income, plus, Damon was not a complete stranger.
"I'll be at Elena and Elijah's for the next six months. My apartment will be empty. I was hoping to rent it out while I was absent," she revealed. "You could stay there; It's downtown, above my store; It's probably a fifteen minute walk to the hospital."
Damon seemed thoroughly interested.
"So you'd be my landlord?" Damon chuckled.
"I guess so," she shrugged.
"Count me in," Damon said decidedly.
She gave him a look of bewilderment.
"Don't you want to see it first? Or discuss rent?" she inquired.
He shook his head.
"I just want to get out of here," Damon mused. "When can I move in?" he added eagerly.
Taken aback by how suddenly all of this was happening, she stammered a bit.
"Well, if you work on Monday, Sunday, I suppose," she suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Damon agreed.
"I guess you have yourself a place to stay, then," Meredith cheerfully.
"You could be making a big mistake," Stefan warned her with a mocking smile.
She shrugged again with a laugh while Grayson began to whimper and become fussier.
"I think I can handle him," she assured Stefan.
Damon's eyebrows arched instantly as he smirked mischievously.
"Did you hear that, brother? She can handle me," Damon declared.
"Don't make her rescind the offer before you even move in," Meredith urged him.
She smirked, trying to get a reign in on Grayson who was becoming more interested in the contents on the table than the spoon.
As she expected, the utensil was dropped on the wood floor as he tried to escape her grasp in favour of the table.
"If she can live with Klaus and handle this little monkey, then I think I'm fine," Damon joked, waving at Grayson to distract him. "Do you want me to take him?" Damon offered. "You've barely been able to eat your food," he pointed out as she continued to struggle with him.
Before she could protest, Damon was already reaching for Grayson, and she let him.
"He's probably going to freak out," she warned. "He isn't too keen on strangers. He was already in a bad mood earlier when you held him so we couldn't tell the difference," she said, quickly taking a bite of chicken while she had the chance.
"Most babies start to get wary of strangers at this age," Meredith informed them.
"Not when you distract them," Damon countered, pulling out his phone from his pocket.
She ate some more, appreciative of Damon's offer to take Grayson and occupy him
"So how is living with Klaus so far?" Damon asked curiously.
The question made her tense as she quickly mulled over why Damon would be asking her.
"Fine," she said politely, refusing to fill them in on the fact that she and Klaus had already butted heads on more than one occasion. "We haven't really had time to get into a routine yet, but I'm not too concerned. It's only for six months."
"Luckily for you," Damon laughed.
She feigned a smile, though Damon's negativity when it came to Klaus annoyed her for some reason.
"Has he been on diaper duty yet?" Damon questioned with amusement.
"He's been really good with Grayson, actually," she nodded, coming to Klaus's defense.
In spite of Klaus's occasional lapses in judgement, she had to admit, that when it came down to it, he had really stepped up as far as Grayson was concerned.
"That's good," Meredith said encouragingly.
There was a moment of silence and she fully expected Damon to inquire more into her living arrangement with Klaus so she raced to change the topic.
Noting how mesmerized Grayson was with Damon's phone, she decided to start there. Grayson was always a neutral topic.
"Maybe I'll have to dig out my old phone for him to play with when I try to take him to work again tomorrow," she thought aloud.
"You tried taking him to work with you today?" Meredith asked curiously.
She nodded.
"I really didn't have a choice. Klaus is in New York and there's so much work I have to get done," she sighed. "I'm hoping now that I know how to soothe him while he's teething, that tomorrow will go better."
"I'm surprised the hospital hasn't called you yet," Meredith said.
Meredith's remark confused her.
"Were they supposed to?" she asked dumbfounded.
"Well from what I overheard, administrators were going to save Grayson's daycare spot, so he could continue to go...even though Elijah and Elena no longer work there," Meredith said. "You should call them. It would certainly make things a lot easier for you and Klaus. Plus I know they love Grayson there."
She considered what Meredith said hopefully. Having daycare available for him would make things so much easier.
"Yeah, I will," she agreed. "Klaus will be at the house anyways once he gets back, so it's not that big of a deal, but it would be nice for Grayson to socialize with other children," she said. "I guess I shouldn't get ahead of myself though. We should probably wait to see what happens on Friday with the custody hearing," she realized, looking to Stefan.
Stefan shook his head nonchalantly.
"You and Klaus don't have anything to worry about," he reassured her. "It's just the hearing to set up your temporary guardianship. Since your names are clearly in the will, it's a clear-cut decision for the judge to make. Just show up for noon and tell Klaus to wear a suit," Stefan said.
"Will we have to say anything?" she asked.
"I'll do the talking. You'll only have to say anything if the judge speaks directly to you. The actual hearing should take no more than a few minutes. It's waiting our turn that tends to be time consuming," Stefan explained.
Stefan's confidence with regards to Friday put her anxiety at ease.
"You guys will be fine," Meredith said.
She exhaled sharply.
"I guess it's not Friday that concerns me; it's getting through the next six months with the dark cloud of Mikael and Esther looming over our heads," she sighed.
"Don't let that eat away at you," Stefan recommended. "We'll cross that bridge, when or if we come to it," he stated.
It was just after dinner when he finally pried himself away from the painting and declared it finished.
With plans to meet up with Marcel to grab something to eat, he took the train back home to quickly shower and change.
He was confronted by his phone and Henrik's necklace on the edge of the small bathroom counter when he was finished his shower.
After putting the necklace back on, he picked up his phone and scanned it for a response from Caroline to the text he had sent earlier regarding Grayson.
The only new message in his inbox was one from Marcel stating that he was going to meet him at his apartment instead.
He returned to his room, dressing casually in some jeans and a black Henley.
Caroline's failure to text him back hours after he sent his original message was nagging at him.
He brought up their text conversation once more and decided to send another message.
Half-way through though, he erased it.
He didn't want to annoy her, or make it seem like he was harassing her.
At the same time, her lack of response troubled him.
Before he could allow himself the time to hesitate, he clicked on her name and his phone began to dial her number.
On the third ring, he was tempted to end the call as he paced in his living room, waiting for her to answer.
"Hello?" her bubbly voice answered. "Klaus?"
He exhaled.
"Caroline...hey," he started.
"Hey," she replied.
He paused and tried to think of something to say to explain his call.
"Given how our conversation went last night, I figured it would be safer to call you than text you," he smirked.
He heard her scoff amusedly on the other end.
"I knew you weren't going to let me live that down," she groaned.
"Of course not, love," He laughed, deciding to leave his teasing at that for now. "This isn't a bad time is it?" he asked, realizing that he might have called while she was preoccupied with Grayson. "I texted you earlier."
Immediately he heard Caroline sigh.
"Shit, I'm sorry, I completely forgot to reply. It's been a chaotic day. This isn't a bad time. I just put Grayson to sleep," she informed him.
"Another late night for him?" he questioned, knowing it was after eight o'clock. "Is he still not himself?" he wondered.
"It was my fault this time," she conceded. "We went over to Meredith and Stefan's for dinner."
"Was Damon there?" he asked quickly, without even considering the implications of his question.
His expression narrowed as he anticipated her answer.
"Yeah, he was," she replied.
He rolled his eyes.
"Actually, he's sort of the reason went there for dinner in the first place," she said.
He tensed, automatically making the assumption that Damon had offered the invitation.
"I took Grayson to the hospital earlier today," she started.
"What?" he interjected. "You took him to the hospital? Is he okay?"
She paused.
"Yeah, he's fine now. Earlier he was still miserable and it only seemed to be getting worse, so I decided to get him checked out, just to be on the safe side. We waited for a while, but ended up running into Damon and he offered to take a look at Grayson," she informed him. "Then after, we ran into Meredith and she invited us over for dinner."
"Did Damon find out what was bothering Grayson?" he asked, feeling annoyed for some reason that Damon had come to Caroline and Grayson's aid.
She laughed.
"He's starting to teethe," Caroline announced. "He's cutting his first couple of teeth; that's why he's been so out of sorts lately."
It seemed like such an obvious cause of Grayson's distress. He was surprised they hadn't suspected that sooner, but then again, he didn't know anything about children's development. He had no idea when babies started to teethe.
The fact that Grayson was beginning to sprout teeth both alarmed him and amazed him at the same time. He wondered if cutting teeth was anywhere nearly as painful as having them pulled? He had his wisdom teeth removed when he was a teenager and wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. He didn't want Grayson to be in pain.
That said, he felt a strange awe and excitement over this step in Grayson's growth. He couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of Grayson with a small tooth in his mouth.
"So Damon recommended picking Grayson up a few teething toys, feeding him cold foods, massaging his gums...Damon gave him a cold spoon at dinner tonight and that seemed to calm him down until he got bored," she recounted.
He scowled as she rambled on about Damon.
"You should have called me," he heard himself saying to her with a bitter tone his voice.
"I didn't text you at the hospital because I didn't want you to worry if it was nothing," she reasoned. "Then afterwards, when it turned out to be exactly that, I just forgot," she said. "I didn't think it was a big deal. You were probably busy anyways."
He frowned.
"That's not the point," he countered. "We're supposed to be doing this together, aren't we?" he wondered, referring back to her earlier complaints.
There was a bit of a pause on the other end.
"I'm sorry. You're right, I should have called you," she admitted. "Anyways, he seems better now. He's out like a light."
"That's good," he said, trying his best to bite back this unrelenting sense of agitation he felt.
"I'm gonna try taking him into the store tomorrow again and see how it goes. Hopefully, I can get some work done," she continued, "but Meredith said the hospital might let us continue taking Grayson to the daycare there, even though it's only for the children of employees. I'm going to call them tomorrow," she said optimistically. "Oh! And Damon is going to be renting out my apartment while he's here. So that could be good for some extra money."
Damon didn't seem like he was wasting any time as far as Caroline was concerned, he thought to himself.
"Yeah," he said flatly.
There was more hesitation from her as she picked up on his lack of enthusiasm.
"So, how is New York?" she asked, clearly trying to fill the awkward silence and cover over his sudden change in mood, that he himself could barely explain.
"It's good. I finished a painting today. I have another to finish tomorrow. Then I'll be back on Friday," he said.
"Do you need me to pick you up at the airport?" she offered.
He considered her suggestion for a moment.
"That might be easiest; if you don't mind?" he inquired, feeling a slight shift in his mood.
"No, I don't. Just make sure to text me your flight details. We have to be in court at noon," she told him. "Stefan also says to wear a suit," she added.
"Okay," he agreed, adding a visit to the dry cleaners to his mental list of things he had to do before he left.
"I think Grayson will be excited to see you when you get back," she said cheerfully.
He chuckled.
"We'll see about that. I think food and toys are about the only things that excite him," he mused.
"Maybe so," she replied.
He heard the buzzer at the door of his apartment go off.
"Listen, love, I gotta let you go. Marcel is at the door. We're going out to grab something to eat," he told her.
"Oh, okay," she hesitated with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Have fun. I'll see you Friday morning. Don't forget to text me!"
"I won't," he assured her. "See you Friday," he said before ending the call.
He tossed his phone on the table and headed for the door to let Marcel up.
Within seconds of unlocking the door, he heard Marcel barrel up to his third-story apartment.
He opened the door and Marcel came crashing through.
"The last time I checked it was March," Marcel complained, rubbing his hands together. "What the hell were you doing? Jacking off?"
"I was on the phone with Caroline," he explained, shutting the door.
"So you were jacking off?" Marcel smirked teasingly as he kicked off his combat boots.
He rolled his eyes.
"Do you have any cigarettes on you? I forgot to pick some up," Marcel asked.
He thought about it for a second, realizing he had smoked his last one on the way back to his apartment. He usually always ensured that he had a back-up pack on him, but this time he hadn't.
"Nah, I'm trying to cut back," he said.
Marcel gave him a knowing look as he headed over to his kitchen.
"Actually, you do seem kind of annoyed," Marcel decided, opening his fridge and helping himself to one of the remaining beers . "Is it the nicotine craving or something else? What's up?" he asked, nodding the neck of one of the bottles in his direction as if to offer him one of his own beers.
He accepted, and Marcel slid the last beer across the counter towards him.
"Nothing," he shook his head as he twisted off the beer cap.
Marcel arched an eyebrow at him.
"Don't bullshit me," Marcel scoffed as he leaned against the counter and took a long swig from his beer.
He knew Marcel wouldn't relent until he gave him some sort of answer.
"Caroline took Grayson to the hospital today and forgot to fill me in, even though I texted her earlier asking about him," he revealed.
"Whoa, is he okay?" Marcel asked
He nodded with a shrug.
"Apparently, he's just starting to teethe," he told him.
"Teething can be a nightmare, be glad you're here, not there," Marcel chuckled.
"She's just been nagging me about how we have to work together and share responsibility of him, and then she takes him to the hospital and doesn't bother to tell me," he gritted his teeth.
Marcel shook his head in disapproval.
"That's not right. Shay always calls me if anything happens with the kids - big or small. I do the same. Communication is key, my friend," Marcel advised. "You can't work with her and take responsibility if she's excluding you," he added.
"That's what I said," he affirmed.
Marcel launched himself away from the counter and walked around the paper covered dining table.
"Good," Marcel encouraged him.
"She apologized, but she didn't think she needed to call because 'Dr. Damon' saved the day and everything with Grayson turned out to be okay," he groaned, sarcasm oozing from his every word.
Marcel turned and eyed him suspiciously.
"Who is 'Dr. Damon'?" Marcel inquired, with the exact same tone he had employed.
"Remember my friend Stefan Salvatore? He visited in the summer?" he reminded him.
"Yeah, chill guy for a lawyer," Marcel laughed.
"Damon is his brother. Long story short, he and Elijah were friends. Damon's filling in for him at the hospital temporarily. He's a huge prick..."
- "...and he's moving in on your girl," Marcel concluded before he could explain further.
His face contorted into a confused expression. He looked at Marcel questioningly.
"I sensed the jealousy in your voice the second you said his name," Marcel shrugged bluntly.
He recoiled defensively as he swallowed a large sip of beer.
"One, she's not my girl. Two, I'm not jealous," he argued.
Marcel shot him an incredulous glare, but remained silent.
"I just know the kind of guy Damon is..."
"...because you're that guy," Marcel finished for him.
Being compared to Damon was unsettling, but he knew it was true. He and Damon were too alike in many respects.
He nodded, reluctantly.
"Yeah, I guess I am," he acknowledged. "I know the kind of guy Damon is, I know what he's after, and I know it's not what she wants."
"Because she's supposed to want you instead?" Marcel wondered. "No disrespect, but you're the one who left her hanging a year ago," he reminded him.
He decided to ignore Marcel's probes that were purposely intended to provoke him.
"We're raising Grayson together. I'm just looking out for her. I don't want to see her get hurt," he reasoned.
Marcel didn't look convinced.
"Are you sure that's all this is?" Marcel confirmed.
"My past with Caroline is firmly in the past. As you already alluded to, I think I thoroughly dissuaded her the last weekend we spent together. Things between us are strictly platonic," he explained, hoping Marcel would believe him to be sincere.
"For now," Marcel stated skeptically.
He narrowed his expression.
"She wants nothing to do with me," he argued, knowing that that fact above all was the absolute truth.
Marcel glanced at him curiously.
"But can you say the same, my friend?" Marcel inquired skeptically. "She fucked with your head good the last time. You were off your game for weeks."
There was a moment of contemplative silence between the two of them.
"Do you want me to give it to you straight?" Marcel asked.
"I know you will regardless," he sighed.
"I think this weekend reminded you of what you walked away from a year ago. It brought it all back home for you, and now you want another taste. But you're afraid, because you might not just want a sample; for the first time, you might be craving something more; you might want the whole thing, and that scares the shit out of you," Marcel explained. "The way you spoke about Caroline today...the way you just ranted about this Damon guy, you sound like a jealous man with his heart on his sleeve."
"Well, I'm not," he denied flatly.
Marcel scoffed.
"There would be nothing wrong though, if you were," Marcel assured him. "Sure, the situation is a little delicate at the moment given the circumstances, but there's nothing wrong with feeling something for her. There's more to life than just liquor and meaningless sex," he told him.
He snorted in disbelief.
"Really?" he laughed, feeling uncomfortable.
Marcel gave him a serious look.
"Love," Marcel stressed. "Family."
"Says the divorced father of two," he retorted.
"That doesn't mean shit," Marcel shot back. "Shay and I grew apart, we wanted different things, we were too young, but I did love her, and I always will, in a way. We'll always be family," Marcel conceded. "Do you even know what love is?" Marcel challenged. "Have you ever been in love?"
"I don't love Caroline," he refuted.
"I'm not saying you do," Marcel stated, "but you could, if your stubbornness and pride don't get in the way."
He took another generous drink of his beer.
"All I'm saying is that it's obvious you feel something for her, and I gauged that in a day. It's up to you to decide what you do with that. Either you persuade her to reconsider you, or you leave it alone and let 'Dr. Damon' have his chance," Marcel proposed.
"Can we stop talking about this now?" he pleaded.
"Not a problem," Marcel shook his head before taking a swig of his beer and holding up the drawing of Henrik's he had finished last night.
He set his half-finished bottle on the counter.
"Did you draw this?" Marcel asked.
"Henrik started it before he died. I found it last night when I was packing up some of my things. I finished it," he admitted.
Marcel studied the drawing a little more.
"Birds of a feather, there's a lot of meaning behind that. It would make for some sick ink," Marcel suggested.
He smirked.
"Actually, that was my original intention when I saved it," he revealed.
Marcel's eyes lit up at the coincidence.
"You still want to?" Marcel asked.
"That was the idea behind finishing it," he nodded.
Marcel handed him the drawing and took out his phone.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"My friend Galen, he's one of the best tattoo artists in Brooklyn; let me hook you up. He works at night. He's always recommending me to people for specialized sketches. I figure I should return the favour. We'll go get something to eat, we'll hit up Galen's shop, and then tomorrow night we'll go out for some drinks since you're bailing on me Friday night. It'll be good," Marcel said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
As much as he welcomed the next day with Marcel as a much needed distraction from reality, he found himself feeling eager for Friday to come.
A/N: So? What did you think of the Salvatore dinner? How about Marcel? Where do you think Klaroline is headed next? Your reviews are like crack to me, please remember that. Fuel my addiction!
Next time on Tangled Up In Blue *spoiler alert*:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Klaus returns to Mystic Falls and Caroline finds herself a little surprised by her reaction. Klaus and Caroline go to court with Grayson. In lieu of their court appearance, as they try to adjust to their new arrangement, Klaus may try to heed some of Bonnie or Marcel's advice. This effort could help them reach a better understanding of one another and ultimately serve to bring them a little closer together than they were before Klaus left. Dun dun dun. Any theories? Stay tuned!