A/N: I'm back earlier than expected and I come bearing a lovely (I hope) gift for you! Thank you so much for all your reviews last chapter. TUIB now has over 850 reviews and that's only with fourteen chapters. That's crazy!
This early update wouldn't have been possible without my lovely beta, livingdeadblondegirl, putting aside her time to get it edited.
The following chapter is a long one, so I hope you aren't too exhausted by the end to tell me what you think, because I'm very curious to know.
He took Grayson with him into the men's change room, while Caroline headed for the women's. They could have utilized the family change room, but they were both reluctant even entertaining the idea, so he offered to take Grayson, since they were running late as it was, and he knew Caroline would take just as much time changing as Grayson would.
There were a few other men in the change room, but there was only one other with a baby. It made him feel a little self-conscious, but he shrugged it off and entered one of the private stalls to get Grayson ready.
To his relief, he was able to get Grayson changed into his swim shorts and miniature blue and grey wetsuit without much trouble and little protest from Grayson himself.
Having forgotten to check before they left, he was also relieved to find that Elijah's swim shorts were an acceptable fit.
Grayson waited patiently in his carrier as he gathered up their things, all of which they were allowed to bring on the pool deck to make things easier for parents - caregivers - and babies attending the lessons.
"Ready to go, mate?" he asked Grayson as they stepped out of the stall.
Elijah had informed him during one of their last Skype conversations that Grayson was quite the water baby, and that had certainly been confirmed by Grayson in the bath, but he was still a little reluctant.
He hoped Caroline would be ready so he wouldn't have to wait alone. His comfort level with Grayson had grown, but he still felt awkward around other parents and children, which is why he never hung around Grayson's daycare for long after picking him up.
When they exited the change room for the pool deck, he scanned the area for any sign of Caroline.
"Perfect timing," he heard her bubbly voice declare from behind them.
He turned around to see her emerge from the women's change room and his eyes immediately did a shameless double take.
It dawned on him that this had been the least amount of clothing he had seen her in since...since that night they spent together at the hotel after Elijah and Elena's wedding.
The lack of clothing only assured him further that she hadn't changed much. Her body was still as flawlessly beautiful as he remembered it.
Her bare legs seem to extend for miles and the suit teased just a bit of cleavage.
He admired the way in which the swimsuit she was wearing left some room for his imagination to wander, but still hugged the curves of her torso in all the right places.
He felt a stirring between his legs as he lost himself in the sight of her and his desire to peel the suit from her body.
Reminding himself of where he was and the circumstances between him and Caroline, he was brought back to reality.
"Yeah," he replied to her initial comment.
Caroline looked away from him sheepishly.
"Grayson looks so cute in his little wet suit. I wanna take a picture," she said, reaching into her bag for her phone.
She snapped the photo and they both laughed as Grayson seemed to pose for the shot.
"So, I think Grayson is going to be a model when he's older," Caroline laughed as she put her phone away.
He chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"You got his swim shorts and wet suit on okay?" she inquired as they headed over to the group of parents and babies already present.
"It wasn't too difficult. It helped that Grayson was cooperative," he conceded. "I think he wanted it on. He seems excited to be here," he said noticing that Grayson had seemed happier and more spirited than usual.
"That's good," Caroline said. "I'm probably more nervous than he is," she admitted.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous about getting in the pool with Grayson, too. That said, he was actually kind of excited to see how Grayson would act and respond to the water since he enjoyed it so much at home.
Glancing around, he studied the other parents.
It was a relief to see a few guys present. He was worried this class was going to be mostly women and that's why he had been reluctant to attend with Caroline in the first place, though Caroline assured him that Elena and Elijah had selected a class that stressed the attendance of both parents.
Regardless, he still felt like he didn't belong here. He didn't feel like he or Caroline belonged here. He felt like an imposter, and he became even more self-conscious of that fact as a few people looked at them curiously.
They were new faces, and he was sure that most of them were aware of what happened to Elijah and Elena. This was a small town, people talked.
He and Caroline both nodded politely to the group as they waited for the class to begin.
It surprised him to see the number of different people present. Some parents looked closer in age to his parents, others looked his age, while a few looked younger. On that comparison alone, he supposed that they fit in, they just weren't Grayson's biological parents and the relationship they had with one another was somewhat unorthodox.
He noticed a middle aged female approach the group, who he assumed to be the instructor based upon the suit she was wearing with the community centre's logo on the front.
"Welcome back everyone," the instructor announced. "We have a few new faces joining us this week, so I'd like to introduce myself again. My name is Karen and I've been a swim instructor here now for almost ten years. And since we have a few new people here joining us from other class times and we're all coming back from a few week's break, I'd like to make this class a bit of a review of the things that I've already introduced," she said. "This will be a great opportunity to reinforce past classes and see what we've all retained."
They spent the first few minutes outside of the pool as the instructor went over various topics including pool rules, hygiene, and water safety. She also demonstrated the proper ways to hold babies in the water and went over how to safely enter and exit the pool.
"You go in first," Caroline murmured to him, clearly anxious as the parents began to line up near the pool edge.
"We're going to do the slip in," the instructor announced. "If your baby is capable of freely sitting safely on the edge, you're welcome to slip in on your own keeping in mind the way to enter safely while still ensuring your baby's safety on the pool deck. If not, one of you should hold your little one at the edge, while the other slips into the pool according to our safe entry guidelines."
Neither of them had any idea whether or not Grayson could sit safely at the edge or not, so Caroline took Grayson from him and sat him at the edge of the pool deck while she held her hands guardedly at his sides.
He slipped into the pool without issue, pleased that the water was at a comfortable temperature and only reached the middle of his torso, ensuring that his tattoo would not be submerged.
"Now, you're going to help your babies slip into the pool. Support them under their arms, and ease them into the pool like this when I say to," the instructor said, demonstrating the activity with a baby doll.
Caroline practically shot him a death glare, as if to warn him to be careful as he reached up from the pool and slipped his hands under Grayson's arms.
"We want to make this enjoyable for them, so remember the Humpty Dumpty song," the instructor said.
He laughed sarcastically, garnering a few looks from the other parents.
"I'm not singing," he protested.
Caroline snorted.
"We want to make this enjoyable for him," she countered.
He rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'll sing," Caroline relented.
On the instructor's cue, Caroline began the song, along with the other parents, much to both his and Grayson's amusement. Once the part about the great fall was reached, he brought Grayson down into the pool with him.
"Encourage your babies and perhaps entertain them by blowing bubbles in the water to get them comfortable being in the water with you," the instructor suggested.
Grayson didn't seem to need encouragement, his enthusiastic baby noises seemed to confirm that he was pleased to finally be in the water.
"We're going to try this once more, and then you and your significant other will switch places so that the other has the opportunity to practice," the instructor announced.
He could sense the discomfort between him and Caroline at the mention of 'significant other.' He supposed in the context of raising Grayson, they were significant others, just not in the sense the instructor had implied.
They repeated it once more, and then Caroline slipped into the pool for her turn with Grayson; every time, Grayson protested his removal from the water.
Caroline blew bubbles in the water with Grayson as they waited for further direction. Grayson's amused shriek seemed to echo throughout the room.
"Parents remaining on the pool deck can now join the rest of us in the pool," the instructor told them.
He slipped back in the pool beside Caroline and Grayson.
"Now we want you and your little ones to face the wall. Encourage them or help them hold onto it if they can't on their own yet. The wall is a point of safety. It is important to reinforce this if ever your child falls into the water unexpectedly," the instructor explained.
At the instructor's request, they then turn turns supporting Grayson in a back float away from and then back to the wall to emphasize it as a safety point.
After that, they were all instructed to form a large circle.
He knew more group songs were coming and he scowled, taking Grayson while Caroline agreed to be their singer.
They went through a song that introduced each of the baby's names, lifting them up and down in the water when their names were called, while the other babies were glided through the water.
Next was a song about motorboats and he couldn't help but laugh immaturely while Caroline attempted to give him a chastising look.
He blew the bubbles and encouraged Grayson lower into the water to mimic his actions while Caroline sang.
"Good job!" they both said in unison when Grayson managed to produce a few bubbles.
After Grayson got the hang of it, the bubbles from him were endless as he immersed himself in the new form of entertainment.
He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed or smiled this much.
She watched, excitedly and worriedly against the edge of the pool as Klaus stood a few feet away with Grayson. Klaus was to help him float and swim towards her while she encouraged Grayson forwards with a bright yellow rubber duck - much like the one he had for bath time at home.
Though Grayson looked like he was having the time of his life, she remained anxious, especially when he and Klaus seemed so far away from her.
As the instructor demonstrated the way to help the babies float and swim on their stomachs, she tried to settle herself and avoid thinking of all the possible worst case scenarios. Klaus would be holding Grayson. It's not like they were letting him go to try and swim on his own.
"If he lets go of her, I'm going to kill him," the mother standing next to her said of her husband, as if to read her mind completely.
She laughed lightly at the coincidence as the instructor requested that they start the activity, which also incorporated into it the 'red light, green light' game. As if Grayson couldn't get to her fast enough, the instructor had to have Klaus stop and bounce Grayson in the water several times before they would reach her. Her anxiety was already high enough as it was.
Doing her best to fake an excited expression for Grayson's sake, she called to him encouragingly with the duck in her hand as he and Klaus moved forwards.
Although she was nervous, she delighted at the sight of Grayson moving his arms and legs as if to imitate the movements necessary to swim.
"Grayson, come see me," she called once the instructor announced another green light.
Klaus and Grayson got closer, with Grayson set upon the sight of the yellow duck.
She began to relax as they neared her, even despite Klaus jokingly murmuring the theme to Jaws on their approach.
"Good boy," she said to Grayson, letting him grasp the yellow duck in his hands.
The duck instantly went to his mouth.
"Commence to eat your prize," Klaus laughed as Grayson's mouth clamped over the duck's beak.
She looked over briefly at the woman and her husband beside her who now had their daughter closely between them as she too munched on her toy.
In the split second of her attention being averted, that's when Grayson's duck slipped from his hand and his face submerged into the water as he went to reach for it from Klaus's grasp.
Her eyes widened in horror as Klaus promptly raised Grayson under his arms from the water.
"Oh my god!" she panicked. "Why did you let him reach like that? You should have got the duck for him," she stammered to Klaus as she quickly inspected Grayson for any sign of distress.
Grayson began to giggle as he rubbed his hands over his wet face.
"Calm down, Caroline," Klaus chuckled. "It was an accident; he couldn't keep his head up like that. He's fine," he assured her.
"He could have drowned!" she lamented.
"I think you're being dramatic, love," Klaus said as Grayson seemed to tip his face back down towards the water. "See? It looks like he wants to do it again."
"He's okay," the instructor said from behind Klaus. "It's important to focus on his reaction. If he's not panicking, you shouldn't either. Chances are, if he sees you panicking, he'll respond to that; monkey see, monkey do," she told them. "He seems to be all right with submersion, so perhaps we could try it some more later," the instructor said before moving along in the water to the other parents.
Klaus glared at her victoriously as she seethed in her defeat.
They repeated the swim once more, only with her being the one to support Grayson and Klaus being the one to hold the duck this time.
Once they made it to Klaus with no issue, the instructor encouraged a few moments of free play with the toy while she took some more time to address the concerns of individual parents.
It seemed, however, that Grayson was less interested in the toy now, and more interested in the baby beside them.
His attention was entirely focused upon her and not even Klaus taunting him with the duck to garner his attention would work.
She could feel his little body struggling in her grasp in an effort to move towards the little girl.
"I think someone wants to see you Sophie," the other mother mused, encouraging Grayson by bringing her baby closer.
She watched with bated breath as Grayson reached out to touch Sophie's face.
"He's quite the flirt," Sophie's mother observed while Grayson and Sophie began to laugh at one another.
"Come back when she's thirty, little guy," Sophie's father piped up.
They all chuckled at the comment.
"How old is she now?" she asked, making polite conversation.
"She's ten months," the woman replied.
"High-five, buddy, going after the older girls," Klaus smirked.
She scoffed while Sophie's parents found Klaus's comment hilarious.
"It's too cute," Sophie's mother awed, just as Grayson began to splash, getting Sophie's face wet.
"No, no, Grayson, no splashing," she said sternly, pulling Grayson back a little.
That's when Sophie retaliated and splashed her hands down against the water enthusiastically.
Grayson squealed in response.
"Don't dish it out if you can't take it," Klaus chuckled to Grayson. "Looks like she's making you work for it," he laughed.
"Just like her mother," the father snorted with amusement, garnering him a scowl from his wife.
"Like all women," Klaus snickered, staring at her from the corner of his eye.
She tensed, shooting him a quick glare before looking away awkwardly.
"It's probably a good thing," he added.
"As far as my daughter is concerned, it is," the father agreed.
They watched curiously for a few more moments as the babies seemed to be talking with one another.
"Where does your son get his dark hair from?" the mother asked, looking at both of them, clearly referring to their light hair.
"Oh," she said somewhat bewildered. "He's not ours...biologically," she answered.
This couple was obviously dropping in on this class timeslot and knew nothing about Elijah and Elena.
The mother gave them a knowing look.
"Oh! So you adopted? That's so sweet," the mother gushed, "and it completely explains your amazing body."
She laughed, going along with the mother's assumptions. Correcting her would take too long.
"Did you have trouble conceiving? Darren and I had trouble, and we were considering adoption, but then Sophie randomly happened," the mother beamed.
No, she and Klaus did not have trouble conceiving, because they weren't even trying to conceive in the first place.
"Who knew all it would take was a twenty dollar bottle of tequila," Darren, the father, joked.
She and Klaus both laughed as Darren was nudged hard in the side by his wife. She was thankful for the comic relief, not wanting to delve into more fabricated details of their lives.
"Okay, we're going to move on to our next activity," the instructor announced from the other end of the pool.
She pulled Grayson back from Sophie to give them both space.
Grayson protested bitterly, fighting against her hold.
He began to scream and her cheeks began to flush with embarrassment as she tried to calm him down. They had been fairly lucky with Grayson in terms of him having meltdowns in public, up until now anyways.
"Grayson, shhh, we're going to swim some more," she told him enthusiastically, holding up the duck for him to see.
He thrashed the duck away with his tiny fists.
"Maybe we should get out of the water?" she wondered to Klaus, noticing some of the annoyed sideways glances she was receiving from other parents as the instructor attempted to speak.
"Let me see him," Klaus offered, taking Grayson from her.
Grayson didn't leave her arms quietly, however, opting for one final bitter splash of his hands against the water that hit her directly in the face.
She gasped and coughed in an effort to rid her mouth of water while Klaus seemed to have more luck consoling Grayson than she did.
Why was it always her who faced the wrath of Grayson's splashing?
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Klaus wondered as bounced Grayson lightly in the water. "He got you good."
"I'm okay," she nodded, coughing a few more times.
"Good, because I don't know CPR," he smirked.
She knew his comment was entirely innocent, but her mind instantly wandered over the thought of Klaus having to perform mouth to mouth on her.
Realizing her fingers were brushing suggestively over her lips, she quickly pretended to conceal another cough with her hand.
Her mind was becoming her worst enemy, she thought, looking over at the sight of Klaus and Grayson.
Any anger she harboured towards the seven month old began to dissipate seeing him cuddled against Klaus's chest while Klaus talked him down quietly.
The heartwarming feeling she felt watching them together was undeniable.
She smiled appreciatively when Klaus looked over at her.
For the remainder of the class, they practiced a few more swim techniques before moving onto a song that encouraged gradually getting the babies' hair and face wet as a means to build them up to submerging them underwater - something she was grateful would not be taking place during this lesson. Grayson accidentally submerging his face was enough for her to deal with this week.
They finished out the lesson with two more songs. "If You're Happy and You Know It," was one, and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," finished up the lesson as a way to calm and relax the babies before they exited the pool.
She had Grayson for the last song, but it did to do nothing to relax him. All he seemed to want to do was move and splash around in the water.
It was her hope that all this energy now would amount to exhaustion later for bedtime. Getting to sleep in on a Saturday before she went into work at noon would be amazing, she thought.
After the instructor went over safe pool exits, the parents and babies headed for the pool edge.
Klaus climbed out of the pool first, and she handed Grayson to him before climbing out herself.
Surprisingly, Grayson didn't object to getting out of the pool.
They went to retrieve their things off to the side.
She quickly took Grayson back from Klaus to wrap him in a towel to dry him off and warm him up a bit before they went to change.
Klaus rummaged through the bag to retrieve more towels as she sat down with Grayson on the bench.
"Do you want a towel?" Klaus offered her.
She shook her head.
"I'm fine," she told him. "I can wait for the change room."
That's when Klaus stepped forward and opened a towel, draping it over her back despite her assurances.
"You're shivering," he noted, as she looked up at him questioningly.
She glanced down at her arms and noticed the goose bumps.
"Thank you," she replied, grabbing the edges of the towel with one hand while she held Grayson in her lap with the other.
He nodded as he opened another towel and began to dry himself off.
With him preoccupied by the sight of older kids receiving lessons on the diving boards at the far end of the pool, she allowed herself a moment to take in the sight of him as he patted his hair dry, then his arms, chest, and stomach. He was leaner than Damon, but she liked that. Too much defined muscle unnerved her a little, something she supposed had to do with Tyler.
When she found herself staring a little too interestedly at the indents of his hips and the faint hair below his navel, she forced her eyes upwards, pausing for a moment to admire his tattoo, before wandering back up to his face.
She really had to stop this bad habit of hers; it might have been innocent, but she didn't want to give him any ideas, let alone herself.
Still, she had to admit that he was gorgeous; his eyes, his lips, the slight curl to his damp hair, his dimples, all worked simultaneously to send a familiar chill throughout her body.
God, this was dangerous and wrong.
She hated that he still had the same effect on her. She hated that her fondness for him only seemed to grow with every passing day she spent with him and Grayson.
Seeing Klaus with Grayson was beginning to change how she saw him. It was stripping away her jaded opinion of him, regardless of how many times she reminded herself of their history, or his current fling with Vicki.
She had to remind herself constantly that his affinity for Grayson was not necessarily indicative of how he could be with her. All she had to rely on was her past experience with him, and in her past experience, he had treated her carelessly. She couldn't let herself be drawn in again, especially now for Grayson's sake.
His eyes met hers and she grew a little flustered, as though he had caught her in the act.
"What?" he inquired.
She shrugged.
"Just thinking," she shrugged.
"About?" he wondered.
She sighed in annoyance under her breath, knowing he would pry.
"You were really good with Grayson in the water," she said, knowing that had been one of the only innocent things to cross her mind. "You've been really good with him period," she told him.
This seemed to placate his curiosity as a satisfied and confident smile appeared on his lips.
"That's only because I have a good teacher," he concluded, peering down at her.
Since Klaus had been thinking proactively, and had packed food and extra diapers for Grayson, they decided to stop at the Grill for something to eat. The swimming lesson, though for babies, had been exhausting, especially after her long day at work. Neither of them felt like cooking.
Friday night was becoming their 'cheat' night, it seemed. She had brought home Chinese food last Friday night for them to eat.
Matt was at the front when they entered.
The prospect of seeing more familiar faces prompted her to second guess their decision to eat out. Perhaps they should have just grabbed take out and left.
"Hey, it's good to see you," Matt said, more to her than to Klaus, which she suspected either had to do with the fact that Klaus hadn't really talked to Matt when they were here last, or because he was aware that Klaus was messing around with his sister. "Hey there, little guy," Matt said especially to Grayson, who was perched on her forearm, looking around the restaurant alertly.
"Hey, it's nice to see you, too," she replied politely. "Can we get a table?" she wondered, noticing how busy the restaurant was.
"No problem," Matt said, picking up two menus from the front desk. "Highchair, too?" he asked.
"That would be great," she told him, as they followed him to an empty table.
As they headed for their table, she couldn't help but notice a couple stares they received from other patrons. Most of them were vaguely familiar faces, and she knew all of them were familiar with Elijah and Elena. That's why they were staring. They knew the details of the accident, and through word of mouth, they were aware of the details of Grayson's custody: Caroline Forbes, Elena's best friend, and Niklaus Mikaelson, Elijah's brother, would be granted temporary custody of their son, though they themselves were not romantically involved. She could almost hear their whispers, wondering how they would make it work. Why did people have to be so nosey?
She set her bag and Grayson's bag down on one of the chairs while Klaus removed his jacket quietly.
"I'll grab you a highchair, and your server will be out to grab you some drinks," Matt informed them.
Klaus took Grayson for her so that she could remove her coat.
"Well, that was a little awkward," she snorted as she took a seat across from Klaus. "He doesn't seem to like you much," she added, waiting for Klaus to reply.
Klaus shrugged innocently and picked up one of the menus Matt had left behind as she stared at him expectantly.
"Okay, so I might have had a run in with him last weekend when I was leaving Vicki's," he confessed.
She raised her eyebrow nosily, wanting to know more.
"It was like two in the morning. I was catching a cab and he was just getting in from work. He didn't really say anything to me, except nod as we walked in opposite directions," he revealed.
"He must be used to her bringing guys home then," she scoffed, pleased that she was able to sneak in that little jab about Klaus's bartender conquest.
Klaus knew she had a point and bit his tongue as their waitress arrived and introduced herself.
She ordered ice water, while Klaus opted for imported beer. She also requested some hot water so that she could make Grayson up a bottle.
"One drink won't hurt," Klaus piped up as their waitress disappeared.
"I usually only drink if it's wine with food, or I plan on getting buzzed," she revealed, picking up her menu.
"Get buzzed then," Klaus laughed. "I can drive us home."
"I'm going to the store tomorrow to get some more work done," she reasoned.
Klaus groaned.
"You work too much," he told her.
"I have to," she shrugged. "And as long as you don't mind taking care of Grayson Saturday afternoons, then I'm going to keep working Saturdays."
Matt soon appeared with their drinks and a highchair for Grayson.
"Here's your throne, man," Matt chuckled, setting the chair down.
"Thanks," she said as Klaus stood to fix Grayson in the chair.
"No problem," he smiled at her, glancing quickly at Klaus, before heading for the back of the restaurant.
Closing her menu, she hoped the cheeseburger tasted the same as it once did now that the Grill was under new management.
She was just about to reach into Grayson's bag for something to distract him with, when their waitress returned with their drinks.
They ordered their food then, too. While she ordered the cheeseburger, Klaus ordered the double cheeseburger.
"Show off," she teased, as the waitress finished writing down their orders.
"That swimming lesson worked up my appetite," Klaus said in his defense, as the waitress began to head for another table.
"If it worked up your appetite, then Grayson must be starving," she concluded, going to reach for Grayson's bag as she noticed the waitress was back at their table again.
"Sorry to bother you, but do you know Vicki Donovan?" the waitress asked hesitantly, clearly looking to Klaus for an answer.
Klaus nodded as she began to prep Grayson's bottle.
"She's working behind the bar tonight. She told me to tell you to stop over for a drink later," their waitress said.
"I can't make any promises," he replied indifferently.
With that, the waitress left their table and headed for the bar.
She rolled her eyes and looked discreetly over in that direction to see Vicki peering over at them from behind the bar.
For a few split seconds she began to compare herself to the bartender.
Vicki's light brunette hair was perfectly styled in waves, while hers was stashed up in a messy bun and in desperate need of a salon. Vicki's skin looked sun-kissed, while hers was porcelain - too stubborn to darken from the sun or from a tanning bed. Vicki's makeup looked perfectly done, while she was barely wearing any. Vicki was wearing a sexy tight black v-neck t-shirt, while she was wearing a frumpy long-sleeved shirt, and she was certain Vicki had larger breasts than she did, but she couldn't be sure unless she felt like asking Klaus...and that would make for a very awkward conversation.
Scowling at how pathetic she felt, she looked away and handed Grayson his bottle.
"I guess your girlfriend misses you," she said to Klaus sarcastically.
He glared at her.
"She's not my girlfriend," he denied flatly before taking a drawn out sip of his beer.
"Then what is she?" she challenged.
"She's nothing, an acquaintance, I suppose," he answered nonchalantly. "I thought we agreed we were going to keep our personal lives separate?"
His response intrigued her, prompting her to wonder what she was to him? What did he consider her to be in his life? An acquaintance? A friend?
She simply nodded, knowing better than to press the issue. His personal life was his personal life. So long as it wasn't affecting Grayson, she wasn't going to interrogate him any further over it. It wasn't her place. She was definitely not his girlfriend.
Though for some reason, she couldn't help but wonder how she compared to Vicki. After all, Klaus had returned to Vicki for seconds, so that had to mean something.
"I feel like Vicki isn't the only one staring at us," she noted self-consciously, looking around the restaurant and meeting the curious gaze of those familiar faces she had seen when they first walked in.
Klaus followed her lead and let his eyes wander around the room.
"Maybe you're just paranoid, love?" he laughed.
"You're in a small town, remember. Practically everyone knows everyone. They know who we are," she assured him.
Klaus took a second look before tossing his hands down against the table.
"Maybe we should charge admission or something?" he joked. "What's so interesting about this?" he wondered.
"I guess tragedy makes people curious," she conceded. "Plus us raising Grayson is sort of unconventional," she acknowledged.
He tossed his hands down against the table.
"Well, who needs CPS when you live in Mystic Falls?" he mused.
She let out a restrained laugh at Klaus's assertion. He raised a good point.
"Perhaps you should order a bottle of vodka for yourself to give them something to talk about?" Klaus suggested mirthfully.
She smirked as the scenario played out in her mind.
"That would go over well," she snorted. "I'm sure the sheriff would be here in minutes."
"Clearly, they have nothing better to do," he muttered.
"I just wish they'd be a little less obvious about it," she complained.
Klaus shrugged and took another drink of his beer.
"No sense in worrying over it, sweetheart. Just ignore them," he advised.
She nodded.
"So what did Rebekah have to say when you talked?" she wondered curiously, eager to take her mind off the eyes she could feel on them.
"My parents have been quiet about contesting our guardianship. They haven't said anything to her, probably because they know she'll tell me. Other than that, she's trying to convince me to plan a trip to England once we have permanent custody," he laughed.
"Well, we'll be sharing custody of Grayson at that point, so if you'd like to take Grayson to visit your sister then, I don't have any objections," she told him.
Klaus shook his head.
"Rebekah wants you to come too, since you've never been," he clarified.
She considered the idea and how much fun it would surely be, but she was reluctant. Of course, she wanted to remain as connected to Klaus as possible once he returned to New York and they split time with Grayson, and she assumed there would be things they would both be involved in, but she wondered if a 'family' trip to England was pushing it.
That said, she'd always wanted to go to England, but she wasn't someone who wanted to travel alone. This could be her only opportunity.
"We would have to wait and see what happens with the final custody hearing, and where we're at then," she said guardedly. "I don't want to make plans we can't follow through on."
"That's what I told her," he assured her.
"If things don't go our way and your parents get involved, Grayson could be taking a permanent trip to England without us," she sighed solemnly.
She looked over at Grayson, who was busy with his bottle, and brushed the hair atop his head lovingly.
"Hey," Klaus said warningly, capturing her attention, "we can't think like that."
She knew he was right, and she had been doing so well not letting her mind drift to that place of worry constantly, but sometimes she couldn't help it. Sometimes this pessimism consumed her.
"I know," she agreed, staring back at him determinedly.
Klaus nodded in acknowledgement.
"Anyways, in the meantime, Bekah is going to see if she can make a trip here during the summer while Kol is in New York. In a few weeks Kol will be here already," he said, realizing that May was just around the corner.
"That would be nice," she thought, knowing it would be good for Grayson to spend time with other family members.
A trip to New York would also be a great opportunity to spend some time with Bonnie. That said, she wasn't sure if she could afford the time off work, especially when it would likely come in the middle of her busiest season.
"So, what else did you two do today?" she asked curiously after taking a sip from her glass of water.
"Skyping with Rebekah and the trip out to the grocery store was about it," Klaus told her. "Grayson took two long naps today."
She looked at Grayson's wide eyes worriedly.
"Let's hope he'll sleep tonight then," she said.
"I found Elijah's journals today," Klaus piped up suddenly.
"What?" she asked confused.
"When I was looking for a pair of shorts to wear, I found his journals at the bottom of his dresser," he said.
Biting her lip anxiously, she tried to decipher Klaus's expression. She couldn't tell if he was happy or upset about the discovery. She was surprised he had even told her.
She knew Elijah kept a journal, so did Elena. She guessed it was only a matter of time before they stumbled across them.
"Did you read them?" she wondered.
He shook his head quickly.
"No...Grayson woke up from his nap before I could," he explained, falling quiet for a few seconds. "Truthfully, I don't know if I should or not," he admitted in contemplation. "Those journals belong to Elijah. They're his private thoughts."
She nodded understandingly.
"It's up to you," she told him. "If Elijah didn't want them to be read, he would have stressed that in the will. He wanted them to go to Grayson."
"They'll be invaluable to Grayson one day," Klaus assumed. "That's the only way he'll know his father."
"He'll have you, too," she reassured him.
"Not necessarily," he sighed.
"Who's being negative now?" she countered.
He shook his head guiltily and sat back in his chair.
"Like I said, if your brother didn't want you to read what he wrote, he would have stated that in the will. Besides, even if he didn't, I don't think he would blame you for wanting to maintain a connection to him. You two were very close. I'm sure there's nothing written there that you don't already know on some level. If he believed he could trust you with Grayson, then I'm sure he knew he could trust you with his thoughts," she said, attempting to ease his mind
"Maybe you're right," he acknowledged.
"Grayson will read them one day," she said. "He'll read them and he'll have questions, questions he'll come to you to answer. It might be wise to read them now and prepare yourself for that," she recommended.
Klaus seemed to consider what she was saying carefully.
"Ironically, I'm hoping those journals can answer my questions," Klaus said cryptically.
She arched a questioning eyebrow at him, unsure about what he meant.
"Caroline!" Mrs. Lockwood's chipper voice said from behind her, interrupting Klaus before he could respond.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Carol and Richard Lockwood rounding the table behind Grayson's highchair.
"Hi," she said, a little stunned to see them here on a Friday night.
The Lockwoods usually dined in fancier restaurants, but every now and then, she supposed the Mayor and his wife saw it necessary to eat with their constituents and maintain their public presence.
"What a pleasant surprise," Carol said, her eyes wandering around the table. "I was hoping to run into you. I stopped by your store today, but you had already left."
Of course, just the time she left early, Carol Lockwood would decide to pay her a visit.
"I'm sorry I missed you," she apologized. "Klaus and I had to take Grayson to his swim lesson."
Carol's eyes brightened as she looked down at Grayson.
"You did!?" she exclaimed in a baby voice. "Did you go swimming?" she asked Grayson.
Grayson stared up at her for a few moments but was too preoccupied with his bottle to focus anymore of his attention on her.
"That's so precious," Carol awed. "They never had swimming lessons for babies like that when you and Tyler were young."
She winced at her mention of Tyler.
"He's definitely gotten bigger," Richard observed about Grayson.
"And even more handsome," Carol said, lightly pinching one of Grayson's cheeks. "Have you been adjusting all right?" she inquired.
She nodded.
"It's been a bit of a challenge," she admitted. "But Klaus and I have a bit of a routine worked out now. It helps that there's two of us."
Carol glanced at Klaus warily.
"I bet," Carol replied. "Anyways, I stopped by your store earlier because I wanted to check in on the dress progress. I was hoping you'd have something to show me," she explained.
"I do," she affirmed, disappointed that she had missed the opportunity this afternoon to show Carol her ideas.
That's when she noticed her bag on the chair. Her sketches from work were still in her bag since she hadn't had time to unload her things at the house before they had to leave for Grayson's swimming lesson.
"Actually, my sketchbook is in my bag," she informed Carol, reaching anxiously into her bag for the finished drawings.
She set it out on the table and flipped to the drawing she had worked on today.
"These are the ideas I had in mind," she said self-consciously as everyone's eyes peered down at her work, including Klaus's. "Typically, when you think 'masquerade' you think large bustled ball gowns, but I think a sophisticated evening gown would compliment you better," she delivered her spiel.
There were three options to be considered: a deep plum coloured dress with a high neckline, open back, with embellishments around the collar; a more conservative champagne gown with sleeves and a square neckline; and a deep green dress with a scoop neckline.
"The colours are optional, and we can mix and match styles if you want," she told Carol.
"Oh Caroline, these are beautiful dresses. Are you sure you'll be able to create one in time?" Carol wondered.
"It will be my primary focus, so as long as you make a decision soon, yes, it should be done in time for the fundraiser," she confirmed.
"I like the back of this one," Richard said, pointing to the plum one, with a devilish glint in his eye.
Carol rolled her eyes.
"Of course," Carol said sarcastically. "I like the champagne one. The colour and the dress are elegant and refined. That's what I want," Carol concluded.
Carol Lockwood would pick the one that would be the most work, she sighed to herself.
"I should get a say in this since I'm paying for it," Richard protested.
Carol glared at Richard disapprovingly.
"What do you think?" Carol asked Klaus, who had only been paying attention absently.
Klaus raised his eyebrows and scanned the drawings.
She looked at Klaus pleadingly, hoping he would affirm Carol's decision - otherwise they would be here forever trying to make a choice.
"The champagne gown," he confirmed.
Carol's expression lit up immediately.
She sighed in relief.
"The champagne one, Caroline. Let's go with that one," Carol said, talking over her husband's objections.
"Well, that was easy," she said. "If you don't mind coming back to the store tomorrow, I can re-take your measurements and show you some materials so I can get started."
"That sounds perfect," Carol said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "I can't wait for the fundraiser. It's going to be such a great evening."
She nodded as she pushed her sketchbook aside, in hopes that now Carol had made a decision, the Lockwoods would leave for their own table.
"Oh! Caroline! Tyler is coming home for it!" Carol announced. "He didn't make it home at Christmas because that fiancé of his convinced him to pay for a ski trip to Aspen, but now that she's out of the picture, maybe we'll be seeing a bit more of him."
Her stomach curled and she felt herself grow lightheaded.
"Tyler and Hayley broke up? I didn't even know they were engaged," she said, feeling utterly dumbfounded.
"It's not really something Richard and I talked about, since we were hoping it would be called off," Carol admitted.
"And luckily, it has been," Richard said.
"Hayley was cheating on him," Carol winced. "I told him she would break his heart."
The revelation that Tyler had been cheated on gave her a feeling of vindication. Although she wouldn't wish that pain on anyone who didn't deserve it, she was pleased Tyler had been given a taste of his own medicine.
"Coming back here that weekend will give him a chance to clear his mind a little," Carol concluded. "I'm sure he'd love to accompany you to the fundraiser, Caroline. He understands, now more than ever, how much he hurt you, and he truly does feel remorseful. It would be great if you two had a second chance," she overstepped.
She tensed uncomfortably.
"Going with him would in no way excuse his past behaviour," Carol added. "But maybe it would help you two reconnect."
"I'm sorry," she said, "but I have a date."
Everyone, including Klaus, looked at her suspiciously.
"Klaus?" Carol wondered.
She looked at Klaus hesitantly, knowing what his reaction would be to her mystery date.
"Damon Salvatore, actually," she told them.
All three of them looked unimpressed, Klaus especially.
"Oh, he never mentioned anything to me when I met with him this morning," Carol pointed out.
"He just asked me this afternoon," she explained.
"That's unfortunate," Carol sighed. "Not that you're going with Damon," she recovered quickly, "but I was hoping you and Tyler would have an opportunity to spend some time together."
"I'm sorry," she apologized, even though she didn't really see a reason to.
Richard shook his head.
"Don't be sorry. Tyler has no one to blame but himself," Richard assured her.
She smiled appreciatively at Richard. He was always more level headed when it came to her past relationship with Tyler.
As if perfectly timed, their waitress returned with their food.
"We'll let you two eat. I'll see you tomorrow, Caroline," Carol said, her mood now visibly dampened. "It was nice to see you Grayson, and Klaus," Carol added as Richard nodded in agreement.
"Likewise," Klaus said, feigning a smile as the Lockwoods disappeared to a table.
There was a stifling silence between them as they inspected their burgers.
She didn't understand why she had dreaded Klaus finding out about her date with Damon. She didn't understand why a part of her felt so guilty.
Of what consequence was it to Klaus if she attended the masquerade fundraiser with Damon?
Unless he had made plans for the same date and wouldn't be able to take care of Grayson that night, she didn't see how it affected him.
She wasn't putting Grayson in any danger, either. So, to her, his negative reaction was a little bit dramatic.
"So much for not dating Damon Salvatore," Klaus said sarcastically, picking at the garden salad that had accompanied his burger.
She rolled her eyes and scoffed under her breath at his childish response.
"It's my personal life," she said suddenly feeling defensive, throwing his earlier remark back at him. "I'm not hurting you or Grayson, so I don't think I have to explain myself."
Klaus shrugged indifferently.
"I suppose you're right," he said flatly, taking another swig of his beer.
She sighed in frustration. She hated when he played passive aggressive games with her.
"It's nothing romantic," she said, feeling compelled to justify her decision to go with Damon to the fundraiser. "We're going as friends. Neither of us wants to be third wheel to Stefan and Meredith, and Tyler is going to be there, so Damon will be a good buffer," she reasoned.
"You said it yourself, you don't have to explain anything to me," he reminded her.
"I don't," she agreed.
"Then why are you?" he hissed, staring at her intensely.
He was right. Why did she feel the need to defend her decision to Klaus? Why was she seeking his approval? She didn't need it.
His reactions were surprising to her. She hadn't expected this much hostility from him.
"Why are you being like this?" she challenged. "It's just a date. I don't make any issue about you seeing Vicki. This isn't any different."
Klaus stared at his food blankly.
"It's entirely different," he murmured, turning the glass of beer around in his hand.
She arched her eyebrow, unimpressed with the double standard he seemed to be advancing.
"How?" she demanded.
"I don't have any false ideas about where things are going with Vicki; I know they're going nowhere. She's a means to an end," he claimed.
"Does she know that?" she interjected, with a little more venom in her voice than she anticipated.
He nodded confidently and she felt herself wince.
"With Damon, I think you're a little less sure; you crave something more and there's a part of you who thinks he could give it to you. You question his reputation, and it's that uncertainty that will get you hurt in the end," he told her.
She felt her throat constrict.
"I've learned my lesson," she stated.
"Have you?" Klaus's eyes rose to meet hers.
"I had a great teacher," she said bitingly.
Before Klaus could respond, she was flagging down the waitress.
"Can I get this to go?" she requested.
Klaus glared at her as their waitress disappeared for a takeout container.
"I don't want to be here anymore. I've lost my appetite," she said bitterly.
The waitress soon returned with an empty container and a single bill.
Of course, she would assume that they were together.
Klaus sat there, ruminating quietly as she put her untouched food in the container.
"Caroline..." Klaus started.
"What?" she hissed. "Are you going to tell me to be careful around Damon, or tell me what an asshole he is? Why don't you let me judge for myself? Because so far, Damon's been nothing but nice to me, and the only person being a dick, is you."
She slung her bag and Grayson's on one shoulder and pulled Grayson out of the highchair.
Eyeing the bill on the table, she noticed the teenaged-like handwriting on the bottom. It was a note from Vicki with her phone number at the bottom.
Klaus went to stand, but was halted when she leaned down and slid the bill across the table towards him.
"I think this is for you. Maybe you should take her up on that drink?" she spat before turning on her heel and storming out of the restaurant, too angry to care about the people who might have been staring.
He sat at the table for what felt like hours, completely bewildered, trying to figure out when the conversation between him and Caroline had erupted like a volcano and resulted in her prompt evacuation from the scene with Grayson.
The swimming lesson, and their dinner out had went smoothly, until he discovered Damon had asked Caroline to be his date to the masquerade fundraiser.
It took him by surprise and bothered him more than he knew it should.
Why did his blood boil so much at the thought of Damon dating Caroline? Was it because he knew Damon's intentions were less than honourable, or was it something more than that?
It felt like something more.
As much as he loathed the thought of attending a fundraiser full of stuck up rich people, he knew he would have agreed to go in a heartbeat if Caroline had asked him to go with her.
She hadn't, and that fact disappointed him.
He wanted to go with her. He didn't want Damon to be her date, because he wanted to be her date.
His hurt feelings and resentment towards Damon caused him to overreact. He hurt Caroline's feelings again. It was something he seemed brilliant at.
He could hurt her feelings but he could never provoke them.
No, Damon was the only one provoking her feelings, apparently.
The only thing he was good at was sabotaging any of the positive feelings Caroline might have still harboured towards him.
He winced as he replayed their argument in his mind. He accused her of the folly of false hope where Damon was concerned, and she had thrown it back in his face. She didn't need to be warned of the dangers of wishful thinking. He had taught her everything she needed to know.
Hanging his head, he sighed guiltily as he dwelled upon her admission.
A year ago, she had clung to the possibility of something more with him despite his warnings; she had dared to revel in the fire of uncertainty, and she got burned. He had burned her. He ruined everything the moment he left that hotel room.
He regretted it, and he hated that he regretted it. He hated that she had this consuming effect on him, that she could turn him into this lovesick shell of his former self.
Getting through the next few months was going to be torture, he thought.
It was then that he noticed the sketchbook on the edge of the table that Caroline had left behind.
He debated over opening it, but at this point, there wasn't much more he could do to fuck things up further for himself.
Seeing the sketches she had produced for Carol Lockwood had intrigued him. He was curious to see her other designs, past and present, even if these were only rough copies.
He opened up the book at the back first, since the lose paper containing the designs for Carol's dress were sticking out like a bookmark.
Taking a second look at the gowns, he admired them not only for Caroline's creative design abilities, but also her drawing talent. Sketches like these could standalone as artwork in and of themselves.
The next page featured small doodles of masquerade masks and what he could only assume were designs for the dress she planned to wear to the event herself.
It looked like a modern twist to a gown you would see from the eighteenth or nineteenth century. It appeared to be a deep purple material embroidered with a black pattern. The collar was a low scoop, accentuated with ruffles, and the bustled skirt made of lace as the embroidered material would only reach to her thigh. The three-quarter inch sleeve length, however, was reminiscent of Victorian modesty. It was a unique dress, fit for the occasion, and he knew she would look striking in it. However, it was the design that impressed him most. He was in awe over the fact that she could turn a few simple drawings into a physical production.
As much as he liked the dress, he hated the fact that she would be wearing it for Damon. It made his stomach lurch in disgust.
He skipped through pages and pages of drawings, some were loose pages inserted at various points, and he was careful not to lose their places.
Most were dress designs, although had seen a few designs for baby clothes.
Not soon after that, he came across some wedding gown sketches that were practically identical to the dress Elena had worn on her wedding day.
The sketches of that dress gave him pause as thoughts of his brother and Elena on that day entered his mind. He remembered their smiles most prominently, and Elijah joking about how he would need help later that night removing Elena's dress. Of course, Kol had offered to lend a hand.
Chuckling to himself absently, he flipped back through more pages, stopping when another familiar white dress had caught his eye.
Deciding to come to that Valentine's Day singles mixer with Kol here at the Grill had set the entire chain of events in motion.
He recalled dreading the idea, wanting only to sit at the bar and drink until he was drunk, that was until he had discovered who he had been paired with.
She had captured his attention in high school, though she had been with Lockwood and turned down his empty advances.
And, she had recaptured his attention that Valentine's Day.
The form-fitting white dress had accentuated all her wonderful curves, her hair had been down - the way he liked it best - while her blue eyes were framed in black and her soft lips were painted red. She had looked magnificent that night.
But, it was more than just her looks that had enthralled him so thoroughly - even that first night.
He'd actually been disappointed when their hour was up and they had to discontinue their conversation. He enjoyed talking with her. He liked discovering her mind. He loved when she challenged him.
The situation had been hopeless for him right from the beginning.
One night would never be enough for him when it came to her.
Sighing in frustration, he closed the book and carried it with him over to the bar, which was surprisingly packed, despite it being still early.
With Vicki occupied by a group of rowdy men at the opposite end from him, he had the other bartender grab him another beer - deciding that beer would be his drink of choice for tonight.
Eventually, he had Matt agree to slip Caroline's sketchbook behind the counter for safekeeping. He would grab it from Vicki later.
He considered texting Stefan to meet up, but opted against it, deciding that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts tonight. Besides, there was a chance he'd invite Damon along, and Damon was the last person he wanted to see.
Another beer later, and he discovered he had spoke too soon.
"Klaus, I would say, 'what a surprise it is to see you here,' but it really isn't," Damon chuckled, taking a seat beside him.
"Damon, I would say, 'what a joy it is to see you here,' but it really isn't," he retorted sarcastically.
"Awe, come on, don't be like that," Damon laughed, draping an arm over his shoulder, instructing the bartender to fix them up two whiskeys.
He pushed Damon off of him slightly, trying hard to stifle his annoyance. He didn't want Damon to know there was more to his scathing banter than just their usual playful loathing of one another.
While he should have finished his beer and left the bar before he let his anger and frustration get the better of him, he found himself finishing his beer and indulging in the drink Damon had ordered them both.
"Shouldn't you be at work or something?" he asked Damon.
"Shouldn't you be taking care of a baby or something?" Damon retorted.
He rolled his eyes. Yes, he probably should have been. Well, Grayson would have already been put to bed nearly two hours ago.
"I had an appointment this morning, and I decided to play hooky for the rest of the day. I don't have to back in until tomorrow afternoon," Damon bragged proudly.
"So, you decided to spend your free time here?" he snorted.
Damon shrugged.
"It's date night at the Salvatore household, so needless to say, I got the boot. I wouldn't want to be around anyways. Come ten o'clock things start to get pretty crazy; some intense cuddling during a chick flick takes place," Damon said jokingly of Stefan and Meredith. "And if this place is good enough for you, then it's good enough for me," Damon proclaimed. "But perhaps I should have stopped by your place to see if Caroline needed a hand with Grayson?" he prodded, intentionally trying to rile him up.
"Caroline is perfectly capable of handling Grayson on her own. You're involvement would spell disaster," he groaned.
"Hey, I'm the doctor," Damon pointed out. "Do you think Caroline is into role playing?" Damon wondered.
His eyes widened as he choked back his drink.
"Shut up, Damon," he lamented, trying his best to maintain a jovial expression.
Damon chuckled.
"Well it was nice of her to let you have the night off to come down here and get shit-faced," Damon conceded.
He shot Damon a defensive glare and Damon backed down for a few minutes as they finished their first round of drinks.
"So, how is domestic life treating you?" Damon inquired, clearly not because he was interested, but because he wanted to mock him.
"It's fine," he sighed.
"It must be kind of a culture shock, you know, going from liquor bottles, women, and the sounds of the city, to baby bottles, diapers, and a screaming kid," Damon supposed.
"It hasn't been that bad actually," he conceded. "Grayson has been great."
Damon arched an interrogating eyebrow in his direction.
"Are you going soft on me, Mikaelson?" Damon wondered.
He shook his head disdainfully, and Damon ordered them some more drinks.
"I think a congratulatory toast to me is in order," Damon remarked, passing him a glass.
He looked at Damon confused.
"Did Caroline tell you she and I had lunch today?" Damon said with a stupid grin on his face, probably hoping this was the first he heard of it.
He nodded.
"Then you probably know I scored her as my date to the fundraiser?" Damon wondered giddily.
He nodded again, even less enthusiastically than the first time.
Damon's excited expression began to deflate.
"Come on, man, I thought you'd be thrilled for me? Where's the 'congratulations'? or the pat on the back?" Damon demanded. "I'm in the process of achieving what you and Stefan thought was impossible?"
"And what's that, exactly?" he questioned, unable to mask the serious tone in his voice.
Damon laughed incredulously.
"Wooing Blondie of course," Damon said with a wink.
He tipped his glass towards Damon's.
"Cheers, mate," he said, trying hard to bite back the bitterness in his voice.
Damon's expression relaxed, and he smiled triumphantly as he tapped his glass against his, completely oblivious to the fact that he was far from happy about Damon's latest progress.
"Don't expect Caroline home that night," Damon warned him suggestively.
He felt his gag reflex twitch in response to Damon's comment, and he griped his drink glass so hard, he thought it might shatter in his hands.
The mental image of Damon striping Caroline of her beautiful dress and taking advantage of her made him want to be sick.
"How did swimming lessons go?" Damon asked after awhile. "What did you think of Caroline's swimsuit? I helped her pick it out when she stopped by her apartment this morning. Personally, I preferred the bikinis, but she was going for modesty, so, I suggested the black one," he explained. "Unfortunately, we were both in a rush so she didn't have time to model them for me," he teased.
He cringed, concealing the cause of his expression with a sip of his drink.
"Caroline has a lot of interesting articles of clothing in the top drawer of her dresser," Damon continued. "I might have stolen a peek or two," he admitted guiltily.
His face began to grow hot with rage.
"I couldn't find any of her toys though. She probably took them with her because she knew she wouldn't be getting any from you," Damon laughed. "Don't worry though, I'll make sure she doesn't need to use them."
He growled under his breath.
"Damon, fuck off," he spat angrily.
Damon held up his hands in his defence.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I was just joking," Damon said innocently.
"Well, it's not funny," he stated sternly, swallowing back the rest of his drink.
"Since when did you become so sensitive?" Damon wondered.
He shrugged.
"Just stop talking shit about her. It's not funny. It's actually kind of disgusting," he remarked.
He could see Damon looking at him curiously from the corner of his eye.
"Oh wow, are you sure you're over Caroline?" Damon said with a stunned tone, "because it doesn't sound like you are to me."
"I am over her," he stated as confidently as he could. "I didn't know that disqualified me from sticking up for her."
"It kind of does. Besides, I thought you were supposed to be my friend?" Damon challenged.
"We have never been friends, Damon," he denied. "As long as Caroline and I are raising Grayson together, I will always defend her."
Damon laughed.
"You sound jealous to me," Damon shrugged.
"Well, I'm not," he said flatly.
Preparing to stand and make an exit before he allowed his fist to connect with Damon's face, he was caught off guard by familiar feminine voice behind him.
"Hey, again," the voice said.
He noticed Damon gazing over his shoulder interestedly.
Turning around, he placed the voice to the girl who had helped select diapers at the grocery store this afternoon.
She looked different with her straight chestnut hair loosely hanging over her shoulders, makeup applied, and her work uniform exchanged for a tight pair of jeans and revealing tank top.
Another girl, with dirty blonde hair, and a similar outfit, had accompanied her to the bar.
"Hey," he greeted the both of them, glancing at Damon over his shoulder amusedly.
Yes, he was over Caroline Forbes, he told himself.
And so the night had shifted its course entirely he thought as he pushed himself off the brick wall and did up his jeans.
The dark-haired girl, who had come to learn was named Krista, stood up shakily and wiped her lips with her hand.
"Well, that was fun," she giggled lowly, as though they had just done something entirely inappropriate.
He supposed they had, the back alley of the Grill wasn't exactly discreet, but he was indifferent.
There was no thrill to it for him. It seemed entirely monotonous and routine. This had been the ending to more than a few of his nights out in New York.
Krista staggered tipsily before leaning against the wall as she reached into her purse. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and extended one in his direction.
He hadn't had a cigarette in nearly a week. He was trying to quit.
Regardless, he took the cigarette from her offering hand and lit it eagerly, breathing in the nicotine.
He reflected on the night, much like he had earlier on his fight with Caroline, trying to figure out how he went from exchanging words with Damon, to getting head outside the Grill on a less than warm spring night.
The girls had diffused the situation between him and Damon. They ordered more drinks, found themselves at the billiards table, and before long he was alone with the brunette, with Damon and the blonde nowhere in sight.
When Krista announced she was going back inside to find her friend, he didn't follow her.
Instead, he finished the cigarette before crushing it into the gravel with his foot and deciding to walk home.
That's when Damon and the blonde came crashing through the same door Krista had entered only minutes ago.
Damon kissed her forcefully, and they stumbled against one of the dumpsters.
"Krista's looking for you," he spoke up, informing the girl whose name he couldn't remember.
Both she and Damon separated, obviously surprised to find him standing there.
"I should go back in and find her," the blonde stammered, heading back for the door despite Damon's protests.
He snickered at the success of his cock block as the girl disappeared back inside.
Damon huffed in defeat.
"Thanks for that," Damon said sarcastically.
"I guess the small town life hasn't changed you a bit," he sneered.
"It hasn't changed you either," Damon retorted.
He acknowledged Damon's point with a slight dip of his head.
"I'm not the one dating Caroline, apparently," he replied.
Damon smirked.
"Neither am I," Damon said nonchalantly.
"What would you call it then, mate? Leading her on?" he countered. "What would Caroline call it?" he probed.
"She can call it whatever she wants to call it," Damon said indifferently.
His fists clenched and he bit into the side of his cheek to hold himself back.
"Just so long as it gets you laid? Is that it?" he concluded.
"You said it, not me," Damon shrugged amusedly, with a devious smirk planted on his face.
Without much thought, he was lunging at Damon and had his fists clenched around the collar of his shirt.
Damon laughed drunkenly as he fell back against the dumpster.
"You're pathetic," Damon cackled. "What is all this?" he wondered, eyeing Klaus appraisingly. "I thought you said you didn't care about her?"
"I lied," he spat with a shrug, not realizing what he had admitted to until the words were out of his mouth.
"I hope you don't expect me to back off, now that your feelings are out in the open," Damon told him challengingly. "I already offered and you passed on it. You had your chance and you screwed it up. What even makes you think Caroline will give you a second one? You wouldn't know what to do with it even if she gave it to you," Damon said mockingly.
"I don't expect her to give me second chance," he said, as much as it pained him to admit it. "But, I sure as hell intend to make sure she doesn't give you one in the first place," he seethed.
"I think it's too late for that," Damon guessed. "Besides, she won't believe anything you have to say about me. You're the bad guy, I'm not. You probably don't even have the balls to tell her how you feel."
He let go of Damon's collar forcefully and backed away.
Damon smiled cockily.
Turning his back, he left Damon standing there, and headed for the street.
He knew if he engaged Damon any longer things would escalate further, and as much as he hated to admit it, he also knew that Damon had a point.
The side streets back to the house were quiet and desolate.
It was, after all, nearly one in the morning.
He had drank a bit too much at the bar, but not enough to be incoherent or disoriented. He could probably even walk a straight line if he was put up to the task. Fortunately, this meant that any symptoms of a hangover tomorrow would be minimal. That was a good thing, considering he would be looking after Grayson tomorrow while Caroline was at the store.
Half-way back to the house it began to spit rain.
It was might have been a mild night for early spring, but it was still cold out, and he could still see his breath in the air.
He walked faster, hoping to beat the rain in case it started to pour.
Rounding the corner onto Elena and Elijah's street, he began to panic a little about returning to the house and confronting Caroline. He knew it would either come now or in the morning.
What would he say to her? Would he apologize? Surely, he would, but for what? For his opinion of Damon? Not after tonight. For his insensitivity? Perhaps. Would he tell her about Damon? How could he after what they had fought about? She wouldn't believe him. Damon was right. Should he tell her how he felt about her? Could he tell her how he felt about her? Damon was right, he didn't have the balls to. Not now after everything.
A lone car pulling up beside the curb as he stepped in front of Elijah and Elena's house caught his attention.
It was Vicki's car.
He pretended to ignore the car first, turning down the walkway for the front door, but that's when he heard the car door open and Vicki step out.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're ignoring me, since you ignored me the entire night," she scowled from behind him.
"You were working," he explained, turning to face her.
She was in such hostile pursuit of him that she practically crashed into his chest.
"Vicki, what are you doing here?" he sighed.
He immediately regretted taking her up on that ride offer the first night. If he hadn't, she wouldn't know where he lived. He hadn't exchanged numbers with her for a very similar reason.
"Oh, I just thought I'd check in and see how your night was...how she was," Vicki said bitterly with a raised voice.
"You should go home," he told her, stepping onto the porch.
"I'm not going home until you tell me what kind of fucking game you're playing with me?" Vicki demanded.
He winced, knowing it was probably only a matter of time before the neighbours - or worse, Caroline - heard Vicki.
"I'm not playing any game with you," he hissed lowly, trying to remain quiet. "I went to the bar. I had a good time. You were working. That was it."
She scoffed and folded her arms.
"That was it?!" Vicki shouted incredulously. "You picked that girl up right in front of me!" she spat. "You're...supposed to be with me."
His eyes widened, and he couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation.
"You and I are not together," he denied. "We never were. We never will be. We went over this the first night," he reminded her. "You agreed that you were okay with those terms."
Vicki's face scrunched up angrily.
"I did nothing wrong tonight," he defended himself. "We're not in a relationship."
"You did nothing wrong tonight?" Vicki wondered sarcastically.
"Look, if this isn't working for you, then perhaps we should stop this," he suggested, unable to find a word to describe their situation. "This is exactly why I don't like getting into these situations. I warned you," he said, annoyed, and refusing to feel guilty over a situation Vicki had knowingly entered into.
"You're a fucking asshole!" Vicki spat.
He stepped down onto the stairs and pointed towards her car.
"You need to leave," he said sternly.
But, it was too late. The porch light flicked on and the front door swung open.
"What the hell is going on?" An even angrier Caroline demanded, stepping out onto the porch with nothing on but a thin sweater to cover her sleep shorts and tank top.
"It's nothing, Caroline, Vicki was just leaving," he said, glaring at Vicki.
"Are you stringing her along, too?" Vicki wondered loudly. "Is she another girl you use too until someone new comes along? Does she know about her?"
"I didn't string you along," he denied. "Now, please go."
"You're a fucking liar," Vicki protested.
Caroline huffed in frustration.
"One, Klaus and I are not involved. Two, I don't know what your problem is, but you need to leave now, or I'm going to call the police," Caroline threatened Vicki. "This isn't the time or the place. There is a seven month old sleeping upstairs and I have to work in the morning. I don't need to deal with this bullshit," she hissed.
Vicki smirked incredulously, stepping back a bit, clearly a little threatened by Caroline's stern warning.
"So you need your jealous girlfriend to defend you now?" Vicki mocked him.
Caroline stepped down onto the stairs beside him.
"Caroline," he said warningly under his breath.
"I'm jealous?" Caroline laughed. "You're the one in our front yard screaming at Klaus about some other girl," she snapped.
"How about you mind your own business," Vicki retorted, "and put some fucking clothes on."
He could practically see the steam of anger coming from Caroline.
"Uh, this is what I wear to sleep when I'm not planning on being awakened at one in the morning by a psychotic bitch, and I'm pretty sure it is my business when you're shouting on my property in the middle of the night. Klaus said what he had to say. Leave," Caroline demanded.
Vicki remained steadfast.
"Okay, fine, I guess I'll call the cops then," Caroline said casually, turning on her heel to go back inside.
That's when Vicki relented.
"I don't ever want to see you again," Vicki spat before she went for her car.
He was about to follow Caroline inside when Vicki shouted at him again from the sidewalk.
"Oh yeah, you forgot this tonight," Vicki barked, chucking Caroline's sketchbook across the front yard before climbing into her car and speeding off.
Caroline gasped in horror, darting past him in her bare feet to retrieve the book and the loose papers that had scattered onto the damp grass.
He leapt off the stairs and began to help her, picking up the loose papers while Caroline picked up the book.
Caroline grabbed them from him and stormed inside.
He followed behind her guiltily.
She hurried into the kitchen spreading the wet papers across the dining table surface to air dry.
"She's fucking insane," Caroline said quietly, but no less forcefully, as she looked at her drawings worriedly.
Despite her sweater clutched tightly around her, she was shaking, probably due to a mixture of the cool wet air and adrenaline.
He stood warily in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Caroline, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for her to come here," he claimed.
Really, he hadn't, and the fact that Vicki had showed up here and caused chaos in such a short while startled and unnerved him. He wanted his personal life separate from his life with Caroline and Grayson. He didn't want them adversely impacted by his personal choices, and yet, that was exactly what had happened tonight. He realized he was going to have to start being more careful.
"I know," she said.
"I had Matt put your sketchbook behind the bar when I noticed you left it behind. I didn't think Vicki would get a hold of it," he explained.
She looked up at him.
"It's not your fault," she assured him. "I left the book there in the first place."
He nodded, though unsatisfied by her words. He still felt unbearably guilty.
Removing his jacket, he hung it over her shoulders.
"Still, if I hadn't gotten involved with her, none of this would have happened," he spoke, gliding his forefinger regretfully across one of the wet pages on the table.
"What happened tonight?" Caroline asked, turning around to face him with his jacket now fastened around her with her hands.
He shrugged and ran a hand over his tired face.
"I stayed at the bar. Damon showed up..."
"You didn't say anything to him, did you?" Caroline interjected.
He hesitated as Caroline's eyes widened in panic.
"No, I didn't," he lied.
Her features relaxed.
"We were there drinking. There were girls there," he said, looking up to note her conflicted expression. "Vicki must have seen me while she was working. That's why she was upset. I walked home. She followed me here after her shift," he told her.
"Damon was with you?" she inquired, signalling to him that the mention of the girls had struck a chord with her.
He nodded.
There was a tinge of hurt in her eyes. He could see it, but as quickly as he saw it, it was gone. She covered it up well.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I was criticizing you for being naive with Damon, and meanwhile, it turns out, I was being completely foolish with Vicki...and whatever it was that we were doing," he said, scoffing pathetically at himself.
"You don't have to apologize for what you said earlier. What you said was right," Caroline acknowledged blankly. "I tend to try and see the good in people to a fault."
He shook his head in protest.
"I was cruel...and insensitive. I didn't mean it that way," he clarified. "I just...don't want to see you get hurt."
They made reluctant eye contact.
"Well, I'm fine. I can take care of myself," she told him sternly.
"I know...I know that," he answered tentatively. "I'm just looking out for you...I'll always look out for you," he said sincerely.
A faint smile appeared on Caroline's lips as she stared at him intently.
There was a voice inside his mind urging him to elaborate, pushing him to spill his guts, but there was an even louder one telling him to hold back.
"Thanks," she replied. "I'm gonna go back to bed," she decided, slipping between him and the table for the hall.
Standing there for a moment, he could practically feel his thoughts running circles in his head as he contemplated what to say.
"Caroline..." he spoke, prompting her to stop and look back.
"Hmm?" she wondered.
He swallowed hard, and with it he lost his temporary surge of confidence.
"Good night," he said simply, cursing his nerves internally for betraying him.
"See you in the morning," she responded.
A/N: So, I know it may not seem like it to you, but some significant progress (for Klaus) was made in this chapter with respect to Caroline. I also think Caroline might be warming back up to Klaus as well...
Next time on Tangled Up in Blue: Klaus and Caroline get a little dirty. Surprise visitors confront them with some tough questions. Klaus is left to deal with the aftermath of a girl's night out. As some would say, "when alcohol goes in, truth comes out...and clothes come off."
Review me, maybe?